Fantasy Football: Week 11 Waiver Wire Targets
By Pat Pitts
Week 10 of the NFL season was my favorite one so far. The Patriots somehow beat the Ravens, The Giants found a way to beat the Eagles, and DeAndre Hopkins showed the entire football world why he is the best Wide Receiver in the league with one catch.
Hopkins wasn't the only player to have a great week in Week 10 and there are some guys that are probably on your Waiver Wire RIGHT NOW that will help you down the stretch and clinch a playoff spot in your league. Here’s a few guys that caught my eye throughout Week 10.
Quarterbacks
Daniel Jones (Rostered in 18% of ESPN leagues and 30% of Yahoo leagues)
Jones finished with only one touchdown in Week 10 against the Eagles, but it was a rushing score. Jones also had a second rushing TD called back due to a penalty. He went the entire game without a turnover and had a 75% completion rate and just played winning football
After the Giants' Bye week in Week 11, Jones faces two awful pass defenses, Cincinnati and Seattle, and the Giants season wraps up against Dallas (don't play Week 17 championships in Fantasy Football). If you need a streaming option at QB the next few weeks, Jones is a decent QB2 option due to his ability to run and score with his legs.
Alex Smith (Rostered in 4% of ESPN leagues and 5% of Yahoo leagues)
Alex Smith almost died two years ago from an injury he sustained on the field. He made his first start in over 700 days Sunday against the Lions and led the league in passing yards with 390 yards.
If you have QB issues heading into your playoff push, grab Smith off the waiver wire. He faces the Bengals and Cowboys in his next two games, two defenses who cannot stop a nosebleed. I would highly suggest picking up Smith this week, but just remember he's not going to be attempting 55 passes a game.
Tua Tagovailoa (Rostered in 33% of ESPN leagues and 45% of Yahoo leagues)
Tua was super efficient on Sunday, completing 15 of 25 passes for 169 yards and two scores. In a game where he didn't have Preston Williams, Tagovailoa just kept winning. He's a solid QB2 to have on your roster and has favorable matchups the next three weeks against the Broncos, Jets, and Bengals.
Jameis Winston (Rostered in <1% of ESPN leagues and 3% of Yahoo leagues)
Drew Brees is going to miss at least the next 2-3 weeks with a litany of injuries. There aren't many chances to scoop a QB off the waiver wire that is in a high octane offense like Winston will be for New Orleans. Go eat a W.
Running Backs
Nyheim Hines (Rostered in 41% of ESPN leagues and Yahoo leagues)
Ronald Jones is the 13th ranked RB according to ESPN and is rostered in 90% of leagues. Nyheim Hines, the after thought of the Colts backfield during the preseason, is the RB15 according to ESPN and RB16 according to Yahoo.
It's been a "next man up" in the Indy backfield with Hines finding ways to rack up yards on the ground and as a receiver, plus in his past three games he has finished as an RB1 twice. The consistency is there and he seems to be the RB to roster for the Colts right now. He's an excellent PPR FLEX play.
Salvon Ahmed (Rostered in 7% of ESPN leagues and Yahoo leagues)
Ahmed carried the ball 21 times for 85 yards and a touchdown in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers. With Myles Gaskin still on IR, Matt Breida being injured, and Jordan Howard being handed a pink slip on Monday afternoon, it makes Ahmed a no-brainer value claim this week. It is hard to find teams who are giving the ball to their RBs over 20 carries a game. I would use whatever FAB I have left to snag him.
Damien Harris (Rostered in 44% of ESPN leagues and 59% of Yahoo leagues)
Harris led the Patriots backfield in Week 10, racking up 22 carries for 122 yards against a Ravens defense who has no problem stopping the run, usually.
I follow the motto, “Never trust a Patriots player on your fantasy roster,” but 2020 has made me throw all my “rules” out the window. Harris looks like what Sony Michel should have been. He should be picked up as depth insurance in most leagues, but can be a FLEX option in 14-16 team leagues.
Wide Receivers
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Rostered in 10% of ESPN leagues and 17% of Yahoo leagues)
MVS has had a pretty good two weeks for himself, averaging 101 yards and 1.5 touchdowns.
Rodgers needs a WR2 to throw to take pressure off of throwing to Davante Adams on every pass. MVS has a lot of upside down the stretch this season, with a playoff schedule of Detroit, Carolina, and Tennessee. He's a must add in all formats.
Willie Snead IV (Rostered in <1% of ESPN leagues and 1% of Yahoo leagues)
Since the Ravens Week 7 Bye, Snead has had two weeks (Week 8 and Week 10) with at least 15 points, and has averaged six targets over those three weeks. For some reason, Lamar Jackson feels comfortable getting him the ball, so if you're desperate for WR help, Snead is available in almost every league out there.
Michael Pittman Jr. (Rostered in 5% of ESPN leagues and 10% of Yahoo leagues)
The rookie wideout caught seven passes for 101 yards on Sunday against the Titans. Pittman has come back from the Colts Bye week seeing an increase in targets, receptions, and yards every week. Rivers likes to spread the ball around (when he has time to throw), but Pittman is the WR to roster right now for Indy.
Josh Reynolds (Rostered in 3% of ESPN leagues and 5% of Yahoo leagues)
Reynolds has slowly become a favorite target for Jared Goff. Since Week 5, Reynolds has averaged 7.2 targets per game, four receptions, and 56.2 yards per game. Reynolds also has his two touchdowns this season in that span. He had a solid outing against a bad Seattle defense catching eight passes for 94 yards.
It is only a matter of time before Reynolds starts taking targets away from Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. If you have Bob the Builder or Kupp, I would look to picking up Reynolds as a not so-common WR handcuff.
Tight Ends
Cameron Brate (Rostered in 1% of ESPN leagues and Yahoo leagues)
Cameron Brate only had 30 yards and a touchdown in Week 10, but he has a high red zone ceiling. It’s another weapon in Tom Brady’s arsenal, so if you need a boom play at TE for future weeks, it's not a bad idea with his touchdown upside.
Jordan Reed (Rostered in 15% of ESPN leagues and 19% of Yahoo leagues)
With George Kittle done for the season, Jordan Reed is the TE1 in San Francisco.
Reed only finished with 62 yards on Sunday, but as he heads into a Bye week Reed has incredible early round fantasy playoff matchups against Washington and Dallas. As long as Reed is healthy, he's a solid TE2 with upside.
Logan Thomas (Rostered in 20% of ESPN leagues and 35% of Yahoo leagues)
With Alex Smith under center for the Washington Football Team, he's going to need a safety blanket to dump the ball to when he's facing pressure from opposing defenses. Thomas has finished with double-digit full-point PPR fantasy points in three out of the last four games.
Washington faces Cincinnati, Dallas, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, and Carolina the next six weeks. Other than the Steelers, those are all big upside matchups for Thomas to finish as a TE1. He needs to be on your roster.
May the Waiver Wire luck be ever in your favor and your rosters be given the boosts they need in order to clinch that playoff spot you're chasing in your leagues.