With the fantasy football season entering its second half, the waiver wire remains arguably the most important tool to make that push for the playoffs.
There are another four teams on a bye in Week 11, including the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo, using the 75% rostered mark (at least 25% availability) as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!
We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.
Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.
Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.
Priority Free Agents
1. WR Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
Making his return from a hip injury as the 49ers came out of their bye week, Jennings assumed the top target share with Brandon Aiyuk on the shelf. Jennings posted seven receptions for 93 yards on a team-high 32% target share, and there’s a good chance he has a stable role as a top receiver in this offense.
Availability: 40%
FAAB: 15%
2. WR Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns
Coming out of the bye week, the Browns don’t have a favorable schedule. However, sometimes dominant usage can trump a poor matchup. In the three games without Amari Cooper (trade) and Deshaun Watson (injury), Tillman has been fantastic, posting 21 receptions for 255 yards and three touchdowns while logging a 24% target share. The matchups coming up are extremely difficult, but Tillman offers upside as a flex play as long as his usage remains this strong.
Availability: 42%
FAAB: 15%
3. RB Gus Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers
While it was still very much J.K. Dobbins‘ backfield, the return of Edwards sparked a bigger split in the Chargers running back room. Edwards looked for more efficient on his 10 carries than he did pre-injury, so he should be added in most formats, especially for teams that need running back depth.
Availability: 83%
FAAB: 10%
4. RB Audric Estime, Denver Broncos
A major shift in Denver’s backfield took place last week with the rookie taking over the primary early down role from Javonte Williams. Estime didn’t see a target, but he led the room with 14 carries, which resulted in an 82% running back rush share. He amassed only 53 rushing yards, but lead backs are difficult to find this time of year, so Estime is a strong addition for running back-needy teams.
Availability: 97%
FAAB: 10%
5. WR Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
Though the majority of his production came on a 46-yard touchdown reception, it was nice to see the rookie have that kind of impact coming out of the bye week. Pearsall also logged an 18% target share and even though the return of Christian McCaffrey likely means more volatility is coming, the rookie wideout is a solid bench asset to have in the event of a spot start.
Availability: 63%
FAAB: 10%
6. RB Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
A fumble at the end of the game will hurt his overall line, but Warren’s usage should not be overlooked. He recorded 84 total yards on 16 opportunities, including a 37% running back rush share — all of which were season-high marks. It will be frustrating with Najee Harris leading the way, and Cordarrelle Patterson also getting work, but Warren needs to be rostered given his weekly flex value and upside if Harris goes down.
Availability: 49%
FAAB: 10%
7. QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
For those in need of a quarterback, Herbert is a strong addition over the next few weeks. Averaging 21.1 fantasy points per game over his last three, Herbert has looked efficient despite a capped ceiling in terms of passing volume. His upcoming schedule against the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons are three of the best matchups for quarterbacks, so Herbert is a strong spot start option over the next few weeks.
Availability: 46%
FAAB: 5%
8. WR Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
Though he had only two receptions, Johnston found the end zone yet again, marking the fifth time in his last five games he’s reached pay dirt. The passing attack in LA leaves much to be desired from a volume perspective but as is the case with Herbert, the wide receivers have three favorable matchups upcoming, which gives Johnston some upside as a flex option.
Availability: 59%
FAAB: 5%
Grab-n-Stash
Suggested FAAB usage for potential stash players shouldn’t exceed more than 5%. It’s best to try to get these players without spending any FAAB at all, if possible.
RB Braelon Allen, New York Jets: The backup to Breece Hall is a strong stash as he becomes an instant RB2 if Hall goes down.
Availability: 68%
RB Khalil Herbert, Cincinnati Bengals: Herbert assumes the backup role to Chase Brown after being traded to Cincinnati at the deadline. He has RB2 value if Brown misses time with an injury.
Availability: 57%
RB Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals: The rookie running back has looked better over his last two games with a combined 21 opportunities during that span. He’s a high-end handcuff to James Conner.
Availability: 62%
RB Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson looks great, but Allgeier is still a high-end handcuff. He even offers some standalone flex value in certain matchups.
Availability: 57%
RB Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks: Coming out of the bye week, Charbonnet is a high-end handcuff to Kenneth Walker III.
Availability: 57%
RB Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams: Corum plays Monday night, but he has RB2 value if Kyren Williams were to go down with an injury.
Availability: 84%
RB Keaton Mitchell, Baltimore Ravens: The electric second-year back was activated last week but didn’t get any work. It’s worth monitoring to see if he takes the change-of-pace role from Justice Hill.
Availability: 90%
WR Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears: The Bears offense is in disarray right now, but a favorable schedule coming up could facilitate a second-half breakout.
Availability: 30%
WR Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens: His game his going to be highly volatile, but Bateman is worth a stash as an upside play in desperate times.
Availability: 71%
WR Adonai Mitchell, Indianapolis Colts: The rookie shined without Michael Pittman Jr. (back, finger) in the lineup, posting six receptions for 71 yards. Keep an eye on this one.
Availability: 94%
WR Noah Brown, Washington Commanders: The schedule isn’t great, and Brown’s production is volatile, but he has at least six targets in four of his last five games.
Availability: 87%
Streamers of the Week
QB Russell Wilson vs. Baltimore Ravens: It’s not always pretty, but Wilson has averaged 18.9 fantasy points per game in his three starts this season, and he has at least three total touchdowns in two of those games. Meanwhile, Baltimore is a fantastic matchup for quarterbacks.
Availability: 78%
QB Bo Nix vs. Atlanta Falcons: The rookie has been a steady presence with at least 200 passing yards in all but two of his games this season. He also has multiple touchdowns in four of his last six games.
Availability: 67%
TE Will Dissly vs. Cincinnati Bengals: With a 23% target share over his last five games, Dissly is a solid streaming option in what could be a high-scoring matchup in prime time.
Availability: 98%
TE Hunter Henry at Los Angeles Rams: The veteran has at least four targets in each of his last six games, while the Rams are allowing 59.3 receiving yards per game to the position entering Monday night.
Availability: 54%
Detroit Lions D/ST vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: If Detroit is available, they should be one of the top plays at home against a battered Jacksonville offense.
Availability: 38%
Miami Dolphins D/ST vs. Las Vegas Raiders: Though Vegas is coming out of the bye week, their offensive personnel shouldn’t scare anyone off of streaming the Dolphins this week.
Availability: 71%
PK Wil Lutz vs. Atlanta Falcons: This could be a high-scoring game, and the Falcons are one of the most fruitful matchups for kickers.
Availability: 91%
PK Dustin Hopkins at New Orleans Saints: It’s a revenge game for Jameis Winston, so the Browns will come out firing.
Availability: 86%
