Week 11 Waiver Wire Steals!!!
It is almost the time of year where we are all jockeying for position or realizing we are going to play spoiler in our leagues. No matter your position, you should be as active as possible and be ready for upcoming match-ups. I will also outline ownership percentages based off of ESPN leagues. I will not mention players who have an ownership percentage of over 50%. This article will not include recommendations based off of the Monday night game.
As always if you have any feedback, a specific player you want to know more about, or questions please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @TimNFL.
Quarterback
Jay Cutler (8.8%) – Cutler is the ultimate DGAF quarterback and in Week 11 Cutler draws the Bucs. A team who has allowed 15+ fantasy points to all but three quarterbacks this season. Cutler should be a plug-and-play fringe QB1 you can get off of the waiver wire.
Tyrod Taylor (81.3%) – This is not your normal pick-up. Tyrod is owned in more than 80% of leagues, but he just dropped a big stinker on everyone’s fantasy teams. I would expect to see him dropped in a lot of leagues this week. If he is dropped, I would go at him aggressively. Taylor has quality match-ups during the fantasy playoffs and should not be discarded.
Quarterbacks are always the most streamable position in fantasy football. Strong considerations for this week should also be Ryan Fitzpatrick (facing the Dolphins) and Eli Manning (facing the Chiefs). In deeper leagues, Teddy Bridgewater can be a stash with the Vikings talking about replacing Case Keenum. This should only be considered in deeper leagues.
Running Back
Rex Burkhead (42.7%) – Burkhead is like Liam Neeson from Taken. He has a very particular set of skills acquired over a very long career. Skills that make him a nightmare for opposing teams. While Burkhead isn’t in the movie Taken, he has seen his snaps rise the last three weeks and has produced double-digit fantasy points in the Patriots’ last two games. It is always sketchy betting on a Patriots runner, but Burkhead is getting most of the work.
Matt Breida (9.5%) – Breida is KING of the Cover Your A$$ running backs this week. He is playing consistent snaps (15+ every week since Week 3) and has been producing. If Hyde misses any time, Breida will be a top-20 running back.
Jamaal Williams (2.4%) – Williams in no way should be at the top of your waiver wire list. He has a beat-up offensive line, a new quarterback and a defense that is giving it up. Volume and opportunity are what adds Williams to this list. With Ty Montgomery possibly out and Aaron Jones definitely out, we should see Williams handle a majority of the running back touches.
Austin Ekeler (.3%) – Melvin Gordon has never been highly efficient and now he is dealing with injuries (dealing with an injured foot). Ekeler has now come in and is playing the Danny Woodhead to Melvin Gordon. Ekeler is more than just a cover your a$$ running back and has some standalone value.
Don’t forget your “cover your a$$ running backs” this time of year. Those guys include obvious handcuffs to your studs. Headliners for this week include D’Onta Foreman, James Conner and Charcandrick West). Also, one honorable mention who is still available in almost 40% of leagues is Latavius Murray. After the dust settles in Week 10, Murray will have rush attempts of 10+ in five straight games. Murray should be considered a low end RB2 or solid flex play.
Wide Receiver
Corey Davis (34.4%) – It is coming. Every week Davis’ snaps are increasing and the targets are there. Don’t be surprised to see a WR1 week in the near future as he goes against the Haden-less Steelers, Davis-less Colts and the Texans who are in the top-10 of points allowed to wide receivers.
Dede Westbrook (3.7%) – The Jaguars have, and continue to lose, so much at the wide receiver position. Allen Robinson to IR, Marqise Lee in and out of games and Allen Hurns to an ankle injury. Westbrook may just be the piece we have been waiting for. The 2016 Biletnikoff Award winner (for the best receiver in college football) is on track to play Week 11 and could bring a lot of big play juice to this offense. Don’t forget, it wasn’t that long ago Westbrook was lighting up the preseason. Marqise Lee gets an honorable mention here because he is only owned in 42.6% of leagues.
Dontrelle Inman (0.7%) – Inman has only been with the Bears for a few weeks, but has already taken over the highest snap count and most targets in this wide receiver group. Trubisky needs someone to lean on and Inman can be that reliable possession guys. If you are wide receiver needy, Inman should be a BIG target.
I want this section to be a warning this week. There are plenty of wide receivers who had big numbers this week (Kenny Britt, Donte Moncrief and Marquise Goodwin). At this time of year you want to be the most picky with your wide receiver pickups. You want players with defined roles and strong predictability. Dart throws, in my opinion, are the hardest from the wide receiver position.
Tight End
Vernon Davis (55.3%) – IF JORDAN REED IS OUT YOU MUST START VERNON DAVIS. I should have this saying tattooed on me soon. If Davis were with another team, he would be an auto-start every week.
Ben Watson (11.5%) – Watson is a great floor PPR tight end. He has had 8+ points in all but two games and is coming off of a much needed BYE week. While Watson won’t win your match ups, he does have multiple good match ups down the stretch and could get your team just enough to survive at tight end.
Tight ends SUCK to write about. It is either you have Gronk, Kelce, Ertz, Engram, or the tight end playing the Giants (this week is Kelce). Other than that you are just looking to survive the position. If I could share one tip with you, it would be to find a team out of the race, a team with too many tight ends, or a team who has a lot of holes to fill and try to acquire a good tight end. Playing the streaming game at tight end can be very tough. If you can make a move to avoid the headache, I would.
DON’T FORGET THE INJURED PLAYERS
Danny Woodhead
Matt Forte
Corey Coleman
Chris Hogan
Greg Olsen
Charles Clay
C.J. Fiedorowicz
