Week 11 of the NFL season has four teams on bye, as the Buccaneers, Cardinals, Giants, and Panthers are all off. To help fill the void, here's a look at 10 players (and other notables) you should look to add off the waiver wire.
Also, be sure to check out Fantasy Dirt with Lindsay Rhodes and me five days a week, including Tuesdays when we do a deep dive into free agents!
Fantasy Football Week 11 Waiver Wire Pickups
Cedric Tillman, WR, Browns (ESPN – 50.6%; Sleeper – 67%; Yahoo! – 58%)
Tillman, who has been listed in this space for the last three weeks, is coming off a bye and has been left on the wire in some leagues as a result. He posted a touchdown and 19.5 points in his last game, and Tillman has now scored at least 18.1 points in three games since the Browns dealt Amari Cooper to Buffalo. He needs to be owned in 100% of leagues.
Jauan Jennings, WR, 49ers (ESPN – 61.9%; Sleeper – 69%; Yahoo! – 60%)
Jennings is owned in most competitive leagues, but he’s still out there in around 40% of ESPN and Yahoo! leagues. That total needs to be closer to 90-100%, and it should be after his 16.3-point performance against the Buccaneers. Jennings, who was targeted 11 times, should be a WR2/flex starter the rest of the season in the absence of Brandon Aiyuk (I-R).
Audric Estime, RB, Broncos (ESPN – 1.1%; Sleeper – 7%; Yahoo! – 3%)
Estime appears to have taken over as the lead running back in Denver, leading their running backs with 14 carries for 53 yards last week. By comparison, Javonte Williams had one carry and just three touches. Estime is a bruising rookie out of Notre Dame who the Broncos coaches like, so he’ll be one of (if not the most) added players in fantasy football ahead of Week 11.
Russell Wilson, QB, Steelers (ESPN – 40.2%; Sleeper – 28%; Yahoo! – 21%)
Wilson has looked good since taking over as the Steelers’ No. 1 quarterback, scoring 18-plus points in two of his first three games. He would have hit that mark in Week 8 too, but he had two touchdown passes called back, one due to a penalty. Wilson has a very strong matchup next on the schedule too, facing a porous Ravens pass defense at home.
Bo Nix, QB, Broncos (ESPN – 50.5%; Sleeper – 44%; Yahoo! – 33%)
Nix was dropped in a lot of leagues due to a bad matchup against the Chiefs, but he still had a respectable 16.1 fantasy points in a 16-14 loss. He’s been good in recent weeks too, scoring 17-plus points in four of his last six games. He has some good matchups coming up against the Falcons and Raiders, so grab him now if you’re in need at quarterback.
Ricky Pearsall, WR, 49ers (ESPN – 25%; Sleeper – 55%; Yahoo! – 37%)
Pearsall had his best stat line in the pros this week, posting four catches for 73 yards with a touchdown and 17.3 points in a win over the Buccaneers. He also posted four catches and 11.7 points in the game before the 49ers’ bye week, so he’s earning more of a role in their pass attack. The rookie will face the Seahawks and Packers in his next two games.
Jaylen Warren, RB, Steelers (ESPN – 61.6%; Sleeper – 54%; Yahoo! – 51%)
Warren has been mostly invisible in the stat sheets this season, but he did post 14 carries, two catches and 95 total yards in a win over the Commanders. He also tied a season-high with 35 offensive snaps. While Warren remains behind Najee Harris in the pecking order, he’s still well worth a roster spot as depth for fantasy managers during the bye weeks.
Quentin Johnston, WR, Chargers (ESPN – 45.5%; Sleeper – 59%; Yahoo! – 41%)
Johnston might not be Cris Carter, but he sure does like to score touchdowns. He found the end zone against the Titans and has now hit pay dirt in four of his last six games. During that time, he has also posted double-digit points four times. With four teams off and a matchup vs. the Bengals next, Johnston will have some flex-starter value in many fantasy leagues.
Tyjae Spears, RB, Titans (ESPN – 45.2%; Sleeper – 46%; Yahoo! – 46%)
Spears returned to action this week and played almost the same number of snaps (25) as Tony Pollard (29), per PFF. That’s because Pollard has been dealing with an injured foot, and he seemed to get banged up in Tennessee’s loss to the Chargers. With Pollard likely to be on the injury report again heading into Week 11, Spears should be added in most leagues.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Saints (ESPN – 0.6%; Sleeper – 2%; Yahoo! – 1%)
As you can tell by his ownership percentages, no one had Valdes-Scantling on their fantasy bingo card this week. Regardless, the veteran had 109 yards, two touchdowns and 25.9 PPR points in a surprising win over the Falcons. While the stat line says he’s worth an add in larger leagues, MVS was only targeted three times and has never been reliable in fantasy.
Notables Quarterbacks
- Justin Herbert, Chargers
- Geno Smith, Seahawks
- Matthew Stafford, Rams
- Drake Maye, Patriots
- Joe Flacco, Colts
Notable Running Backs
- Gus Edwards, Chargers
- Trey Benson, Cardinals
- Cam Akers, Vikings
Notable Wide Receivers
- Rashod Bateman, Ravens
- John Metchie III, Texans
- Alex Pierce, Colts
- Mack Hollins, Bills
Notable Tight Ends
- Taysom Hill, Saints
- Jonnu Smith, Dolphins
- Dawson Knox, Bills
- Mike Gesicki, Bengals (BYE)
- Ja’Tavion Sanders, Panthers (BYE)
Notable Kickers
- Jake Moody, 49ers
- Tyler Bass, Bills
- John Parker Romo, Vikings
*(BYE – Player has a bye next week)
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fantasy Football Week 11 Waiver Wire Pickups (Add Audric Estime, Ricky Pearsall).
