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Week 11...I
am legitimately upset at this point in the season. We wait and wait…and wait all offseason to watch football and play fantasy football.
We are more than halfway through the NFL season, and there are only
two weeks left in the fantasy regular season (if you play four playoff
weeks/wk 16 championship). Regardless,
there is less than half the NFL season left for us to enjoy, and it stinks. I know I sound like a broken record every
week, dreading the end of the season, so I will fill my glass up half-full
and just enjoy the rest of the football we do have left. At this point, you probably know if you are going to make the playoffs in your league, or you might be right on the verge of that last playoff spot.
The Waiver
Wizard is here to assist you in that venture to secure a playoff spot, or at least sure up your lineup with depth pieces for the playoffs. Let’s get those dubs, people!
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*Notable Players on Bye:
QB: Aaron Rodgers,
Daniel Jones, Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill.
RB: Aaron Jones,
Jamaal Williams, Saquon Barkley, Chris Carson, Derek Henry.
WR: Davante
Adams, Allen Lazard, Darius Slayton, Golden Tate, Tyler Lockett, D.K.
Metcalf, Josh Gordon, Corey Davis, A.J. Brown, Adam Humphries.
TE: Jimmy
Graham, Evan Engram, Rhett Ellison, Jacob Hollister, Jonnu Smith, Delanie
Walker.
D/ST: GB, SEA, NYG,
TEN.
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*Not
an official logo _____________________________
Join the Waiver Wizard in finding some magic for your
fantasy roster in Week 11, and beyond.
*All roster % is based on ESPN platform statistics, and I
TRY not to mention anyone above
~55%*
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QB:
Baker Mayfield (45.7%): I
can’t believe I am saying this, because Baker has probably been the biggest
QB bust of the season in terms of his ADP, but he is a solid spot-start
pickup for the fantasy playoffs if you are streaming the QB position or have
a QB on bye in week 12 (i.e., Mahomes, Murray, Cousins). If you have room to stash Baker for a week,
pick him up now before the owner of one of the bye-week-QBs mentioned above
grab him. Cleveland gets the red-hot
Steelers at home on TNF this week, so it is not advised to start him this
week. However, in Week 12, the Browns
play Miami. Then, in Weeks 14 &
15, they see Cincy, then they are @ ARI.
Outside of matchups with PIT (two of the next three weeks) and BAL in
Week 16, Baker has a favorable schedule.
With the Browns finally trying to force-feed OBJ, I see Baker’s stat line
improving nicely in favorable matchups.
Daniel Jones (42.3%): Jones has been extremely inconsistent this season, but he
has shown flashes of a future star deserving of his #6 overall selection. That is more than I can say for Mayfield,
who famously questioned the Giants decision to take Jones so high, but that
is beside the point I am trying to make here.
As much as Jones has disappointed against tougher opponents, let’s
remember he is still a rookie on a bad team that has experienced a plethora
of injuries to their offensive playmakers this season. If your fantasy playoffs are Weeks 13-16,
and Daniel Jones is available in your league, he is worth the add. The Giants get GB at home, @PHI, home
against MIA, and end in Week 16 @WSH.
None of those games particularly scare me in terms of matchups against
QBs or WRs, but each team will give the Giants favorable game scripts for the
passing game. Jones adds plenty of running upside to his game and has thrown
the ball at least 35 times in six of the eight games he has started this
season. This should bode well against
the 20th (GB), 12th (PHI), 9th (MIA), and 14th
(WSH) ranked teams in terms of FP allowed to opposing QBs this
season.
RB:
Stand Alone Value –
Alexander Mattison (20.1%): Mattison
makes the Waiver Wizard column again this week (3rd week in a row). Got Cook?
Pick him up. Open bench
spot? PICK. HIM.
UP. Just go get him. You’re welcome.
Brian Hill (1.1%):
Devonta Freeman is hurt yet
again…shocker. As a Falcons fan, this
is something I have become accustomed to, and you should be too at this
point. I was one that was against
paying him in the first place, but what do I know? Well, he gets hurt ALL THE TIME. I know that much. The injury-prone designation is an
understatement for Freeman, but enough talk about bad RBs and their
contracts. Brian Hill was originally a
fifth-round pick by the Falcons back in 2017.
He spent time on the practice squad for the Falcons before being
claimed by the Bengals, where he played in six games. The Falcons claimed Hill back from Cincy in
2018, where he made an appearance in ten games for the Dirty Birds. With Ito Smith on IR and Freeman likely
headed for the same fate, Hill looks to take on the workhorse role in a good
offense that is looking to establish the run going forward, and he is capable
in the passing game. Hill should be
your #1 priority this week if you are in need of a RB.
Wayne Gallman (7.2%): Saquon Barkley looked as if he suffered a shoulder injury
in Sunday’s loss against the Jets, so Gallman may be a solid fill-in
candidate if Barkley misses any time.
Barkley has not looked like himself since his Week 3 exit against
Tampa Bay, so some think he may have returned too soon. Regardless, Gallman performed admirably in
his lone start against Washington in Week 4.
The G-Men have a bye this week, but get Chicago and GB the following
two weeks, two teams that have been generous to the RB position of late.
WR:
Will Fuller V (54.8%): Fuller is an extraordinary talent with tons of big-play
upside. However, the stigma, and
really the reality of his injury-prone status, has hampered his time with the
Texans. Fuller has other-worldly speed
and an impressive vertical that makes him one of the deadliest deep threats
in the NFL. When Fuller is healthy, he
is one of Deshaun Watson’s favorite targets (at least 6 targets in every game
except one, when healthy), and we all know the Texans like to pass the
ball. I would not start Fuller this
week against a tough Ravens D, in his first game back from a hamstring injury
(assuming he plays). Houston has a
tough schedule looking forward, but Deandre Hopkins should draw the #1 CB
every week, leaving Fuller with advantageous matchups on the opposite side of
the field.
Zach Pascal (43.6%): TY Hilton is still considered doubtful this week against
JAX, so Pascal should be able to produce a solid fantasy outing. You can throw out the game against Miami,
as Brian Hoyer simply could not get anything going on the day. Chalk that game up to the “any given
Sunday” narrative and move on. Pascal
is still a talented WR that is being targeted often. Pascal finished second on the team in
targets on Sunday (tied Nyheim Hines w/ 7) with only Eric Ebron receiving
more, and that was after Ebron essentially told Coach Frank Reich he wanted
more targets…well, Eric, you got your wish, and your team lost to the
Dolphins. Happy? Pascal will be fine with TY Hilton likely
to miss at least one more game, potentially two.
Deebo Samuel (10.0.%): Deebo Samuel is fresh off of his best game as a pro where
he saw a season-high 11 targets.
Samuel cashed in on those 11 targets with 8 catches for 112 yards in
SF’s first loss of the season.
Emmanuel Sanders (left game early due to rib injury) and George Kittle
were non-factors in this game because of injuries, which thrust Deebo into
the WR1 role for the 49ers. Samuel did
not disappoint. If Manny Sanders and
Kittle are forced to miss any more time, Samuel should continue to see a
massive target share. San Fran gets AZ
next at home, a game in which they will look to rebound from their first loss
to their division opponent Seahawks.
Last time SF played the Cards, Jimmy G had his best game as a pro, so
if this game is anything like the last, Deebo should play a prominent role in
the offense.
TE:
Jacob Hollister (3.9%): Hollister has burst onto the TE scene, stepping over the
decaying bones of TE’s past, and catching everything thrown his way. In the desolate and barren wasteland that
is the TE position in fantasy football, Hollister is a fresh blade of grass
in an otherwise lifeless field of dirt.
Okay, that was a little dramatic, but it was fun. Let’s get down to the facts. Hollister was on the practice squad just a
few months ago, and now he is quickly becoming one of Russell Wilson’s
favorite targets. Tyler Lockett left
the game early last night with an apparent shin bruise that kept him in a
local hospital overnight (sheesh). If
Lockett misses time, Josh Gordon, DK Metcalf, and Hollister will have to pick
up the slack. Hollister has received
16 targets in his last two games, catching 3 TDs in that span as well. Hollister stepped into Will Dissly’s role
without skipping a beat, and I expect that to continue with a pretty
favorable ROS schedule for Seattle.
Jack Doyle(51.3%)/Eric Ebron(50.6%):
Both Colts TEs are viable
streaming options week to week. Ebron
received 12 targets in Week 10 against Miami, but only managed to catch five
passes for 56 yards. Assuming Brissett
comes back in Week 11, Ebron should be able to haul in more than five
receptions if he receives another double-digit target game. If Hoyer remains the starter for another
week, Doyle and Ebron will be streamable, but I would not count on consistent
production.
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 Derek Carr (36.7%): This is
Carr’s THIRD consecutive week on the Waiver Wizard Column. Although Carr did not impress in Week 10
against LAC, it was a short week against a division opponent (follow me and see how much I HATE playing QBs on TNF in division games). Carr’s next three games look like the first time you saw a centerfold in your dad’s Playboy stash…I’m sure he is wide-eyed and bushy-tailed looking at the matchups. Carr will see Cincy at home, a team that
just saw Lamar Jackson put an entire defense on skates in one play, and had
the speed option ran on them by the Raven’s top two QBs on the depth chart
(not advisable). Oh, and BAL benched
Lamar Jackson in that game because they were up by so much…that should tell you everything you need to know. After that, the Raiders will see the Jets and Chiefs. The Jets just allowed Daniel Jones to throw
for 308 yards and 4 TDs, while KC let Ryan Tannehill complete nearly 70% of
his passes en route to throwing for 2 TDs, in a shocking upset of the
Chiefs.
Sam Darnold (11.6%): Darnold might have the easiest schedule in the league over
the next month, and he seems to have regained SOME confidence after the Jets pulled out the narrow victory over their bunk-mates, the G-Men. The Jets' next four games are @WSH, OAK,
@CIN, and home against MIA. Of those four matchups, only WSH is outside of the top-10 in terms of FP allowed to
opposing QBs, and they aren’t far outside of that parameter at 14th. Darnold should be a decent streaming option over the next month of the season.
Nick Foles (9.6%): Foles has an interesting nickname that stems from his
miraculous run in Philly when he took the underdog Eagles to the Super Bowl
and won, as a backup. Unfortunately,
it is NSFW, so I will simply refer to him as “Big Richard Nick”…you do the
dirty work. Foles will return as the
starter for the Jags in their Week 11 contest @IND. This is not the ideal matchup to return to
after missing the previous ten weeks, but he should be a viable streaming
candidate from Weeks 13 on. If you are
looking ahead to the fantasy playoffs, he could be a strong play in Weeks
13-16 against TB, LAC, @OAK, and @ATL.
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Derrius Guice(38.5%)/AP(55.7%): Guice and Peterson are both gaining ownership every week
because of the potential of Guice, and the volume and production from
AP. Since Jay Gruden was fired,
Peterson has seen at least 16 touches and eclipsed 75 yards in every game. Guice looks to take away some of
those touches from AP, but if you have room on your bench, I would stash
Guice this week and start AP if you need an RB2/Flex play. It is more of a “wait-and-see” scenario for
Guice because of his recent IR stint just a year after tearing his ACL, but his potential is worth holding on to.
Peyton Barber (41.4%): Barber is disgusting, but, bye weeks happen. Some rosters are relatively skimpy in the
RB department (one of my leagues I have CMC, D. Freeman, &
Burkhead...yea), so if you’re in that department and you just need to throw
someone in your lineup, so you don’t get stuck with a goose egg, Barber is
your guy. No one knows what to think
about the TB backfield situation. It
has seemed like more of a timeshare as Barber has seen double-digit carries
in four of nine games this season, but he has only been in on more than 50%
of offensive snaps once in those nine games (Week 2 @ CAR, 23 car/82 yds/1
TD). Playing Barber, you are just
hoping he vultures a goal-line carry or two from Ronald Jones to salvage his
fantasy week.
Pure Handcuffs – (Same as last
week)There isn’t much need for an
in-depth analysis of these players. However,
should the guy ahead of them on the depth chart go down with an injury, they
could become league-winners. If you
look down your roster and see a guy that you feel could be shipped off to Dropsville,
stash your handcuff. *I removed Powell from this list because well…the Jets
are not a good team. If Bell is
struggling to produce, I doubt Powell will provide much of a ceiling.
Rashaad Penny (34.4%)
Reggie Bonnafon (1.8%)
Ryquell Armstead (1.7%)
Tony Pollard (11.9%)
Josh Gordon (56.5%): Gordon is
appearing on the Waiver Wizard Column for the third consecutive week. Tyler Lockett sustained somewhat of an
unknown injury in Monday night’s game against San Fran, where he spent the
night in a local hospital. Coach Pete
Caroll said it was “a pretty severe situation right now.” (Schefter, ESPN),
which is not optimal for Lockett owners. It seems like Lockett is poised to miss some
time, so Gordon and D.K. Metcalf should see the majority of the targets in
the Seattle offense. Seattle has a bye
week this week, so another two weeks in the system will do Gordon well. If Lockett misses an extended period of
time beyond Week 12 @ PHI, Gordon should carve out a substantial role for the
Seahawks, who will look to keep pace with the now 8-1 49ers in the tight NFC
West Division.
DeVante Parker (44.6%): Parker also made the column each of the last three weeks. I am starting to sound like a broken record
on some of these players because I keep mentioning them week after week. Parker will continue to see heavy volume as
the season progresses, and the Dolphins have apparently rediscovered that
they are an NFL team. Weeks 11 and 12 may be tougher matchups as Parker will
most likely have to go up against the likes of Tre’Davious White (BUF) and
Denzel Ward (CLE). However, Parker has
shown he can compete in tough matchups this season (5/55/1 @ BUF in Week 7
& 6/59/0 in Week 8 @ PIT). In
addition to Parker producing in tougher matchups, Miami faces PHI, @ NYJ,
@NYG, and CIN Weeks 13-16 (fantasy playoffs for most), and I really like that
schedule going forward. I would say
DeVante Parker is low-end WR2 ROS, with potential for high-upside WR2
potential as long as Fitzpatrick is throwing him the ball.
Darius Slayton (12.9%): Slayton had quite the breakout game against the hapless
Jets defense on Sunday, going for 121 yards and 2 TDs on 10 catches (14
targets). I must remind you this was
against the Jets; Evan Engram and Sterling Shepard did not play in this game
either, and Barkley did not seem to be 100%.
Slayton is on bye this week, so he is by no means a must-add, but if
you are a lock for the playoffs, he is a fine stash candidate as he will face
GB, PHI, MIA, and WSH Weeks 13-16.
None of those defenses scare you.
Nick Boyle (0.3%): Ole’ No-Neck Boyle is
in a timeshare of sorts with Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews, but he has seen
his role increase lately. Boyle has
been in on at least 65% of the offensive snaps dating back to Week 5, and in
the last two contests, has received 9 targets (caught all 9). Boyle’s ascending role in the offense as a
pass-catcher, mixed with Lamar Jackson’s affinity for the TE position, should
make for a symbiotic relationship moving forward.
Ryan Griffin (1.0%): We waited
all year, or at least until Week 11, to finally see Chris Herndon return to
the field, only to see him go on IR after one catch for 7 yards. Suffice to say he disappointed a lot of
people this season. Now that we no
longer have to wait on the potential of a Herndon-Darnold connection, we can
focus on the guy that has been on the field all season and has produced at times. Griffin
is not the sexiest pickup, but he is worth a waiver claim if you are in
desperate need of a TE.
Darren Fells (26.0%): Fells
has been wildly inconsistent in terms of targets, but the one area he has
been successful in is TDs. Fells is
tied with Austin Hooper (#1 TE on the season) for TDs at the tight end
position this season but has seen 36 fewer targets. Obviously, that kind of efficiency will be
tough to maintain, but Watson does target Fells in the Red Zone often. Fells is an acceptable streamer on a week
to week basis.
D/ST:
Jags D/ST (55.9%): @IND – I
always target divisional games when streaming defenses (if it fits, of
course). The Jags have fairly solid
against opposing offenses this season, and they get after the QB. This should be a low-scoring game, so you
can stream Sacksonville this week.
Browns D/ST (33.9%): VS. PIT - Remember that thing I said about
divisional games and targeting their defenses…same concept here, but I
absolutely LOVE the Browns D in a TNF matchup against a bad QB. TNF is almost always low-scoring,
especially when it consists of two division rivals.
Raiders D/ST (1.3%): VS. CIN -
What is not to love about this matchup...seriously, can you tell me? Oakland has the pleasure of playing at
home, a place they call the Black Hole, against a rookie QB with an atrocious
offensive line. What is not to like
about that? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Stream the Raaayydaaasss this week!
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