Here are our suggested fantasy waiver wire Week 11 pickups. Or, if you already know the players you’re after, skip straight to the initial release of our model’s complete Week 11 projections and fantasy rankings.
The fantasy football playoffs are inching closer, which means that it’s a crucial time to assess your roster and understand whether or not you have the pieces to compete for a championship this season.
If you’re not in the spot you want to be, we’ve got you covered with the latest information and advice to parse through as you set your fantasy waiver wire claims in an effort to build the ultimate championship-contending team this year. Let’s look at who you should be targeting on the wire going into Week 11.
Fantasy Waiver Wire Advice
Running Backs
Audric Estime, Denver Broncos
Diehard fantasy managers have had their eye on Audric Estime since the offseason, but an injury very early on derailed any hope the rookie had of making an impact right out of the gate. Unfortunately, he received just two touches in Week 1 and then was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury.
Since coming off of the injury list in Week 6, it’s been a slow ramp up for the former Notre Dame running back, but we may have just witnessed a seismic shift in this backfield in Week 10. Against the Kansas City Chiefs, Estime saw 14 carries while every other RB in the Denver Broncos backfield saw just a combined three.
While Estime certainly didn’t light up the stat sheet against a tough Chiefs defense with those opportunities, it’s an encouraging sign for his usage going forward in an offense that has surprised some people this season. Bo Nix is improving, and the Broncos still have plenty to play for.
Lead RBs are not often found available on waiver wires, which means that Estime should be the top priority for fantasy managers out there heading into Week 11. He can be viewed as worth a 15% FAAB bid.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans
Tyjae Spears was another player that had some hype surrounding him this offseason after Derrick Henry left the Titans to become the Baltimore Ravens’ workhorse, but injuries have derailed any hope of him contributing in a decent way in fantasy football up to this point.
However, now that he’s finally fully healthy, we saw what Spears can do on the football field when he’s given a chance to produce. The shifty RB only saw seven carries in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers, but he was highly efficient with those touches and averaged an impressive 6.71 yards per carry.
Additionally, he averaged 3.29 yards after contact, which was the third-highest mark in the entire league at the RB position this past week. Spears has the ability to be a high-level contributor for fantasy and he proved it in a limited fashion this past week against a good Chargers defense.
While Tony Pollard will take away enough work to keep Spears out of the top-24 running backs, the second-year RB would skyrocket if Pollard were to miss any time. Given that Pollard’s currently managing a foot injury yet still playing, the possibility that he misses game action at some point this season is certainly possible. The Titans are 2-7 and they don’t have much to gain by risking Pollard when he’s playing through injury.
Spears is worth adding if you have space on your bench for the potential that he becomes a very useful asset for you down the line.
Gus Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers
The theme of targeting RBs that have missed significant time this season continues with Los Angeles Chargers RB Gus Edwards.
After being a factor in this offense over the first four weeks of the season, Edwards landed on injured reserve and was finally able to make it back to the field this past week against the Titans.
While he was out-touched 15 to 10 by J.K. Dobbins in the Chargers’ backfield, Edwards was the more efficient back and proved that he is worth getting more and more opportunities as he works his way back off of the injury. He looked explosive and decisive, which is going to lead to fantasy production sooner than later in an offense that is performing better than many anticipated coming into the year.
While it will take a Dobbins injury for Edwards to truly see enough volume to become a top-24 option at the position any time soon, it’s worth scooping him up now before that happens to beat the rush.
Wide Receivers
Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
After the season-ending injury to Brandon Aiyuk earlier in the year, many fantasy managers’ attention turned to rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall.
While Jauan Jennings was also a hot name on the waiver wire going into that week, Pearsall’s upside as the season progressed was worth chasing as he worked his way back from a gunshot wound during an attempted robbery. He was still going to need time to work his way back health wise, but was also going to need time to adjust to the speed of the NFL game.
That adjustment may have happened before our eyes this past week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Pearsall was targeted six times, which he turned into four receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown. He showcased his speed and RAC ability on his touchdown catch and run. He should only continue to develop as he gets more and more reps with QB Brock Purdy. Christian McCaffrey is back too after missing the first nine weeks of the season due to an Achilles tendon injury, which should shift the opposition’s focus more to the backfield.
Pearsall shouldn’t be viewed in the league-winner category, but as a solid WR3/Flex option week in and week out that comes with upside. He’s worth targeting as the top option at the position going into Week 11. He can be viewed as worth a 10% FAAB bid.
Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
Quentin Johnston’s emergence this season was something that not many people saw coming. Heading into Week 11, Johnston – who has missed some time this season – has five receiving touchdowns on the year. That’s one more than A.J. Brown and Deebo Samuel combined.
It is worth noting that, while Johnston’s putting up solid fantasy production, he’s doing it on very little volume. He has just 29 targets on the season, which is the same amount as Rashee Rice, and Rice hasn’t been on the field since he played just a handful of snaps in Week 4.
Johnston has finished as a WR2 in standard scoring formats in four of the seven weeks he has played this season.
However, if Johnston is going to continue to be a regular target of Justin Herbert’s in the red zone, he’s worth adding and plugging into your lineup as a Flex option week after week.
Mike Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers
There are a few WRs out there that are worth dart throws off the fantasy waiver wire, but Mike Williams gets the nod as the most intriguing option. While he had only one catch in his debut performance with the Pittsburgh Steelers, it was absolutely noteworthy.
Williams reeled in the game-winning touchdown in Week 10 against the Washington Commanders and showcased the upside he possesses with a QB like Russell Wilson, who is not afraid to put the ball in the air and let a receiver go up and highpoint it. Wilson had the third-highest air yards per attempt in Week 10 even if he did sacrifice some accuracy in the process – he had a well-thrown percentage of 72% on his 25 passing attempts.
Williams excels in this category as one of the best contested catch artists the NFL has seen in quite some time, which means he could be a very interesting fantasy asset down the stretch as he learns more and more of the intricacies of this offense. With Wilson playing as well as he is right now, there’s plenty of untapped potential for this duo.
Tight Ends
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
After a dominant two-touchdown performance in Week 9, Mike Gesicki headlined our waiver wire article at the TE position and looked to be in a prime position to be a key contributor for at least Week 10.
The fact that he saw nine targets – which was the second-most at the position – is an incredibly encouraging sign moving forward. At the TE spot in fantasy football, you’re either chasing touchdown upside or going after targets. Heading into Week 11, Gesicki should remain heavily involved in this offense and should be viewed as a solid play for fantasy lineups.
Tee Higgins’ status could limit the upside Gesicki provides, but if you’re in need of a fill-in option due to bye weeks, Gesicki’s worth picking up and seeing how the practice reports play out.
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