Week 10 is complete and we’ve got just a few more weeks until the fantasy football playoffs. We have a few more teams on bye this week and also we need to remember Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on bye in Week 13.
If you’ve gotten through the worst of it in terms of byes and are in a good position for playoffs it’s time to start adjusting your roster accordingly. What I mean by this is you may want to start getting rid of some of those bye week fill-ins and start adding high upside guys who can immediately make a difference should they get the opportunity.
If you’ve got a strong starting lineup, one strategy you can take is adding backup running backs or handcuffs to your running backs. This prevents you from missing out should someone go down and also provides you with the upside if another running back you don’t own gets injured. Also, you can begin to start looking for positive matchups in the playoffs and if you play with a DST it’s never a bad idea to look ahead and get a team with a good matchup on your bench now.
I will continue to bring up, and still recommend, is to pay attention to who the other teams in your league have been dropping. With injuries and COVID causing some chaos so far this season many teams may have been scrambling to field a team. There may be some players not identified on this list who could help your team instantly.
As always though I am here to try to identify some of the more popular waiver wire additions, some deeper league options, and some to keep an eye on up until your waivers run. Now every league may be a little different, but I will be looking at players who are on 50% or less of teams across Yahoo and ESPN platforms. I will also include some players who might be above 50% but are worth the look to see if they’re available in your league.
Bye Weeks: Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers
Week 11 Waiver Wire: Possibly taken, but worth a look
Curtis Samuel (WR, CAR)
Samuel had a down week along with the rest of the Carolina offense but still had 8 touches. He presents some boom/bust potential, however gets a few decent matchups coming up with Minnesota in Week 12 and Denver in Week 14.
J.D. McKissic (RB, WAS)
McKissic saw 14 targets, catching 7 for 43 yards in Week 11. He rushed 8 times for 6 yards, which isn’t good at all. However, in PPR leagues, McKissic is still valuable as Alex Smith appears to be checking it down all the time.
Austin Hooper (TE, CLE)
Hooper disappointed in his first game back with just 1 reception for 11 yards. The weather was awful on Sunday, which could have also affected the passing game. However, Hooper gets Philadelphia in Week 11 and Jacksonville in Week 12 who are top 5 in scoring given up to the tight end position. It’s worth a shot to see if he gets more involved moving forward.
Week 11 Waiver Wire: On less than 50% of teams
Jameis Winston (QB, NO)
Drew Brees suffered from fractured ribs and a punctured lung. Winston came in for Brees last week and should get the start this week. The Saints also get the Falcons in Week 11, which has been a good matchup for quarterbacks this year.
Jalen Reagor (WR, PHI)
Reagor was more involved in Week 10 but only caught 4 receptions for 47 yards. He did see 7 targets and an 88% snap count that was tied with Travis Fulghum for the lead at receiver. It’s tough to rely on Philadelphia at times, but Reagor should continue to get more involved.
Michael Pittman Jr. (WR, IND)
Pittman caught 7 receptions for 101 yards (8 targets) on Thursday night. He also had 1 rushing attempt for 21 yards. Indianapolis faces off against Green Bay, which has been a tough matchup for receivers. However, the Colts then face off against Tennessee (2nd in points versus wide receiver), Houston (7th), Las Vegas (16th), and Houston again.
Allen Lazard (WR, GB)
Lazard continues to work back to playing again and took another week off in week 10. He should get back into the rotation in week 11 and most likely will get back to working as the number two option behind Davante Adams.
Nyheim Hines (RB, IND)
The Colts backfield is a fickle mistress however Hines appeared to be the focal point in Week 10. He rushed 12 times for 70 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 5 receptions for 45 yards and another touchdown. Hines has flashed before in Week 1 and Week 8, but it is completely possible he disappears again. He’s worth an add though as the Colts have positive matchups at the running back position from Week 11 to 15.
Salvon Ahmed (RB, MIA)
Ahmed took advantage of Myles Gaskin’s absence and rushed 21 times for 85 yards and a touchdown. Gaskin will miss at least two more weeks. There is always some danger of Matt Breida coming back, but Ahmed looks like he might have earned the work.
Logan Thomas (TE, WFT)
Tight end is a wasteland, however, Thomas had a decent (in tight end terms) week 10. He caught 4 receptions for 66 yards. He’s also had 6 targets in the last two games and may continue to get looks from Alex Smith.
