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We entered Week 10 with key quarterback injuries creating some tightropes and the chaos only increased from there on. The Cooper Kupp injury overshadows the rest but there are several fluid situations and breakouts to note as the playoffs draw closer. Take my hand as we explore the wire and weigh our options!
Joining our famous waiver wire pickups list, our weekly fantasy football waiver wire columns by position, and our free new Who Should I Pickup? Waiver Wire comparison tool, this column focuses on suggested waiver wire bidding percentages for fantasy football owners in leagues using a Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB).
As a caveat, these prices do not by any means indicate how much these free-agent players will go for. Each league values players differently and will continue to do so. These values are here to provide a baseline or priority order to understand roughly how much you should be looking to spend on a particular player. Specific needs are always reasonable causes for a manual override. Here are my median FAAB bid ranges and adds going into Week 11.
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FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Quarterbacks
Deshaun Watson (QB, HOU) - FAAB Bid: 2-4%
37% rostered
You know the on-field potential here both as a passer and rusher. Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones are a solid one-two on the outside with David Njoku healthy soon. I don’t blame you if don’t want to stare at his name on your roster, but I’d be remiss not mentioning him.
Kenny Pickett (QB, PIT) - FAAB Bid: 1-3%
12% rostered
I mentioned Pickett last week after his 7-37-0 rushing line in Week 8 marked new highs. He eclipsed those in Week 10 with a wonderful 8-51-1 line to offset the meager 199 passing yards. That said, he was very close to more:
Underrated pass. Couldn’t place it better pic.twitter.com/nSHpHW3q5I
— chris 🦃 (@chrisburgh) November 14, 2022
The rookie didn’t throw a touchdown, but he also didn't throw an interception. His TD/INT ratio remains at 2/8. I’m a believer in the receiving options around him if the line can allow him to get comfortable. Let’s see if we’re truly given a 7-8 carry rushing floor in Week 11 versus Cincy.
Matt Ryan (QB, IND) - FAAB Bid: 0-2%
11% rostered
The regime change to Jeff Saturday brought a surprise switch back to Matt Ryan as signal-caller. The veteran beat the hapless Raiders with two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing), with an incredible 39-yard scramble thrown in to set up the game-winning score.
We can’t count on rushing out of Matty Ice and Week 11 brings a scary matchup against Philadelphia. The Colts also still have a bye coming in Week 14. Those in two-QB formats who saw Ryan cast aside with the Sam Ehlinger commitment should get him back.
Carson Wentz (QB, WAS) - FAAB Bid: 0-2%
9% rostered
Wentz is eligible to return from the injured reserve before Washington’s Week 11 tilt against Houston. Taylor Heinicke hasn’t put his foot down as a starter and said he’s prepared to back up Wentz.
You’ll recall Wentz had a trio of 300-yard passing games with 10 TDs and 15 or more rush yards in three of his first five games as well. Like Indy, Washington also has a bye awaiting them in Week 14.
FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Running Backs
Give priority to Rachaad White (45% rostered) and Gus Edwards (49%) if available! It’s late in the season so I’m willing to ramp up the bid size for RBs in their position.
Isiah Pacheco (RB, KC) - FAAB Bid: 15-20%
24% rostered
Pacheco played 35-of-63 snaps in Kansas City’s win, seeing 16 carries and pushing Clyde Edwards-Helaire to the bench. CEH played a mere four snaps with zero carries, instead spelling Jerick McKinnon (24 snaps, 18 routes run) in passing situations. Even a fumble couldn't stop the momentum.
Isiah Pacheco didn't even get benched after fumbling.
KC is truly sick of CEH.
— David J. Gautieri (@GuruFantasyWrld) November 13, 2022
If KC has the game in hand then Pacheco looks like the man. It’s only a matter of time before touchdowns and perhaps a few receptions make their way into the ledger and make him impossible to ignore.
Jaylen Warren (RB, PIT) - FAAB Bid: 5-10%
27% rostered
While Warren didn’t overtake Najee Harris for the leading backfield role, he still saw 36 snaps to Harris’ 50. They each ran 14 routes, with Warren seeing three targets to Harris’ one. But it was Harris who out-carried Warren 20-to-9.
Harris ran well, gaining 99 yards on those 20 totes. but Warren was no slouch with 37 yards on his nine carries, also gaining 40 yards on three catches to be the better PPR play. On a per-touch basis, Warren looks better, but we’re unlikely to get a push into the starting role without injury. Stash appropriately.
Keaontay Ingram (RB, ARI) - FAAB Bid: 0-2%
0% rostered
There isn't much to get excited about regarding RBs who are widely available, but Arizona's release of Eno Benjamin makes Ingram a solid stash. James Conner is not the pinnacle of durability and Ingram seems to have made the Cards comfortable enough with his own play to let Benjamin walk. Many teams need Benjamin so don't let him get far!
*Update:
Trestan Ebner (RB, CHI) - FAAB Bid: 0-2%
0% rostered
Khalil Herbert has hit the injured reserve and will miss at least four weeks, which makes Ebner intriguing in deep leagues. The Bears may commit to David Montgomery more down the stretch as they did last year, but Ebner should still spell him.
FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Wide Receivers
Kadarius Toney (51% rostered) is another priority situation should he be available. A key player in KC’s offense is a big deal should JuJu Smith-Schuster miss time due to the concussion.
Christian Watson (WR, GB) - FAAB Bid: 15-20%
9% rostered
Week 10 was the Watson takeover. The rookie scored a hat trick of touchdowns and 107 yards on just four catches (eight targets). No other receiver topped four targets, three catches, or 50 yards.
Green Bay’s offense has been seeking a playmaker next to Allen Lazard but Watson’s injuries kept derailing those efforts. Now healthy and seemingly with the confidence of the coaching staff and Aaron Rodgers, Watson is the premier WR add ahead of Week 11.
Donovan Peoples-Jones (WR, CLE) - FAAB Bid: 6-10%
35% rostered
While the home/road splits continue to torment Amari Cooper teams, Peoples-Jones has been steadily heating up. DPJ caught 5-of-9 targets for a season-high 99 yards on Sunday, giving him at least 70 yards in four straight games (and five of his last six).
The only thing holding his value down is the zero under “touchdowns.” Alas, we can’t fight variance in the past but his big-play ability speaks to a high ceiling. Deshaun Watson should elevate the team ceiling and be able to launch more long strikes compared to Jacoby Brissett. Don’t miss out because the fantasy points thus far aren’t impressive enough.
Parris Campbell (WR, IND) - FAAB Bid: 6-10%
18% rostered
Campbell and Michael Pittman Jr. each saw nine targets with seven catches with the return of Matt Ryan. Jonathan Taylor also came alive, but we once again note that Indy got to beat up the Raiders.
Still, Campbell has now seen a wild 32 targets in the last three games that Ryan has started. He has a touchdown and at least seven catches in all three of those and is a great add going into Week 11’s date with an angry Philadelphia team that can tilt the game script.
Parris Campbell co-led the Colts with a 33% target share in Week 10.
Over his last three games with Matt Ryan starting:
97% Route participation
29 Targets (25%)
24 Receptions
203 Yards
3 TDsHello.
— Dwain McFarland (@dwainmcfarland) November 14, 2022
Nico Collins (WR, HOU) - FAAB Bid: 6-10%
13% rostered
Collins was the featured wide-out in Week 10 after Brandin Cooks was stripped of his captaincy. Collins led the team with 10 targets, collecting a 5-49-1 line in the process. He also ran 33 routes, seven more than anyone else, and will get a chance to shine down the stretch. Five of Houston’s seven remaining games come against top-10 fantasy matchups for WRs (WAS, MIA, KC, TEN, JAX).
Darius Slayton (WR, NYG) - FAAB Bid: 5-7%
6% rostered
Slayton led the team with four targets (yes, four) on a day the Giants leaned on Saquon Barkley. That’ll happen, yet Slayton turned those four looks into a 3-95-1 line on the back of a 54-yard TD scamper.
He’s similar to Donovan Peoples-Jones in being the big-play threat for a low-volume passing attack, but the Giants don’t have an Amari Cooper soaking up No. 1 attention and Slayton now has a TD in two of his last three games. A zesty matchup with Detroit’s defense awaits in Week 11.
Van Jefferson (WR, LAR) - FAAB Bid: 3-5%
7% rostered
A week after posting a donut on five targets, Jefferson caught all three of his Week 10 looks for 27 yards and a touchdown. That’s nice and all, but the bigger news is Cooper Kupp missing time with a high-ankle sprain.
This doesn’t elevate Jefferson much as no one can replicate Kupp and the entire offense takes a hit without the superstar. There should be more volume coming Jefferson’s way and he remains a flex play in PPR formats as a result, but the Rams are in trouble.
Treylon Burks (WR, TEN) - FAAB Bid: 2-4%
20% rostered
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine stole headlines with his two-touchdown performance but we’re focused on Burks’ return. PFF had him in on 27-of-30 snaps in 11 personnel and nearly 50% in 12, while he came out for run-oriented packages.
Tennessee goes through Derrick Henry when possible but Burks is at least worth a one-week add to see if his role increases in Week 11 at Green Bay. You can also add NWI if you want but he hadn’t logged a catch since Week 5 prior to this explosion.
FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Tight Ends
Foster Moreau (TE, LV) - FAAB Bid: 4-6%
17% rostered
Moreau turned four targets into 43 yards and a touchdown on three catches. Darren Waller is on the injured reserve with a hamstring that refuses to heal and the Raiders may shut him down in a lost season. Moreau hasn’t topped 45 yards in a game yet but will be involved down the stretch as the Raiders scramble to save face and find any momentum.
Juwan Johnson (TE, NO) - FAAB Bid: 2-4%
12% rostered
Johnson tied season-high marks with seven targets and five catches in Week 10, setting a high with 44 yards and scoring his fourth touchdown in four games. The Saints don’t boast a high-ceiling passing attack but Johnson was still among the primary pass-catchers.
His 20 routes run were near Chris Olave (27), Jarvis Landry (25), Kevin White (21), and Alvin Kamara (22). The 26-year-old TE has proven worthy of red-zone attention and our praise as a viable 12-team option.
#Saints' Juwan Johnson overall PPR finishes, last 4 weeks:
Week 7: TE2
Week 8: TE33
Week 9: TE8
Week 10: TE4 (pending Goedert tonight)— Vlad Sedler (@RotoGut) November 14, 2022
Trey McBride (TE, ARI) - FAAB Bid: 2-4%
0% rostered
Zach Ertz suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 10, which thrusts McBride, a second-round pick of 2022, into the spotlight. While Arizona thought they’d have more time to season him but now we’ll all see what the Colorado State product can do.
The NFL isn’t the Mountain West Conference but this is the John Mackey Award winner, dang it. We’ll hope Kyler Murray is back after the one-week absence to give McBride and the offense a high ceiling.
FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Defense/Special Teams
New York Jets Defense (at NE) - FAAB Bid: 2-3%
20% rostered
The Jets moved from 5.5-point underdogs to three points in a big matchup given the tight AFC East. Both teams have winning records on the backs of their strong defenses, which explains the lowly 38.5-point game total.
The Jets lost when these teams recently met in Week 8, 22-17, but logged six sacks and snagged an interception. They followed that up with five sacks and two picks of Josh Allen in Week 9. Let’s fly high.
Cincinnati Bengals Defense (at PIT) - FAAB Bid: 1-2%
27% rostered
The Bengals will come fresh off of their bye to take on a scrappy Pittsburgh team that has yet to find any consistency. Pieces of their offense are intriguing but Kenny Pickett has been sacked six times in each of his last two games. He’s been known to aggressively throw the ball and make some mistakes so I can’t hate on this play.
Pittsburgh Steelers Defense (vs CIN) - FAAB Bid: 1-2%
19% rostered
Even without Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers limited the Saints to 10 points in a victory. The return of T.J. Watt revitalized the front seven ahead of a date with Cincinnati, who has yielded a ghastly 32 sacks through nine games. Let’s see if the pressure can generate big turnovers and perhaps a score.
Washington Commanders Defense (at HOU) - FAAB Bid: 0-1%
4% rostered
The Commanders just knocked off the Eagles on MNF via four turnovers, a sack, and a Vegas-tilting TD on the final play. They did well to contain Jalen Hurts and now travel to Houston to take on Davis Mills.
The Texans will undoubtedly try to fight with Dameon Pierce but this defense is allowing an average of 16 points in their last five contests. Houston has surrendered at least three sacks in each of their last three games and is a nice target for us.
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