RADIO
Quarterback waiver wire pickups and streamers for Week 11 of the fantasy football season. Elliott Baas recommends QB free agents to consider adding off waivers.
We've got plenty to unpack at the quarterback position following an exciting Week 10. While no major injuries occurred in game, the revelation of Matthew Stafford's back injury was quite a surprise and left some owners scrambling just before lineups locked. So the year of the backup continued this week, as 16 of the 32 teams have now started more than one quarterback in 2019. That's made the waiver wire more important than ever for quarterbacks, and there are tons of good options heading into Week 11.
Green Bay, Seattle, Tennessee, and the New York Giants are on bye this week, meaning we'll be without two stud quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson, and without waiver wire darlings Ryan Tannehill and Daniel Jones. Owners of Carson Wentz (vs. NE), Kirk Cousins (vs. DEN), Baker Mayfield (vs. PIT), and Jared Goff (vs. CHI) may want to consider alternatives at the position this week, and owners of Jared Goff might be looking for a permanent replacement after this week's performance.
In this article, we're looking at quarterbacks owned in fewer than 65% of fantasy leagues, while throwing in a few deep-league options who are owned in fewer than 20% of leagues. Ownership is based on Yahoo leagues and is current as of 11/10/2019.
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Week 11 Quarterback Waiver Wire Options
Derek Carr (OAK): 44% Owned vs. CIN
Carr has been playing much better since Oakland’s Week 6 bye, averaging a respectable 18.2 points per game over that four-game stretch. He’s done it against some tough defenses as well, including the Packers and Chargers. Luckily, Carr gets a much easier matchup this time around, as the lowly Cincinnati Bengals limp into town after surrendering 49 points and 33.42 fantasy points to Lamar Jackson. Amazingly, Jackson put up those numbers on just 17 pass attempts. Of course, Carr doesn’t have the running ability of Jackson, but he could certainly take advantage of a weak Cincinnati secondary. Coming into Week 10 the Bengals were allowing the eighth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, and their flaws were on full display this week. They were without their best (and only good) defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick, which shifted the load among a motley crew of draft busts and career nickel backs. Their free safety Jessie Bates III has been an abomination in coverage, which means Cincy’s corners will have little help over the top against Tyrell Williams or emerging threat Hunter Renfrow. Between his recent performance and this juicy matchup, Carr is the top streamer available this week. He will have multi-week viability as well, as Oakland faces the Jets and Chiefs in their two games following this Week 11 tilt with Cincinnati.
Jacoby Brissett (IND): 39% Owned vs. JAX
Brissett was mass-dropped after being declared out for this week, but the Colts’ signal caller deserves to be owned in more than 39% of leagues despite the injury. An MCL sprain shouldn’t affect him long term, and Brissett seems likely to be active this week against Jacksonville. This isn’t the best matchup for him, as the Jaguars have allowed the 14th-fewest points per game to opposing quarterbacks, but Brissett has a favorable schedule following this game. Between Weeks 12-15 Brissett takes on Houston, Tennessee, Tampa Bay, and New Orleans. He’s delivered solid results in good matchups earlier this year, as Brissett topped 20 points against the likes of Atlanta, Oakland, and Houston in previous games. Brissett was over-dropped after his injury, and streamers can get themselves an above-average quarterback who’s out there in more than 60% of Yahoo leagues.
Sam Darnold (NYJ): 22% Owned @ WAS
Darnold finally capitalized on his cupcake schedule, putting up 21.7 points against the Giants in a Jets’ victory. This was Darnold’s best game all season, and he gets the perfect chance to keep it rolling in road matchup against Washington. Washington has been middle-of-the-pack against quarterbacks this season, allowing the 17th-most points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Part of the reason Washington hasn’t allowed many points to quarterbacks is their tendency to fall behind in games. Washinton has seen the eighth-fewest pass attempts per game, and with an average margin of defeat of 14 points, teams have often iced the clock against Washington instead of throwing often. The Jets are on an equal playing field with Washington, as the Redskins are a -1.5 home favorite in this one. That means Darnold should be throwing than the typical quarterback, and can take advantage of a weak secondary. Veteran Josh Norman has been especially bad this season, and could be targeted early and often by Darnold and the Jets. Darnold is great for this week, and his upcoming schedule makes him a good long-term add. After this week Darnold faces Oakland, Cincinnati, and Miami. It doesn’t get much better than that for a quarterback.
Nick Foles (JAX): 19% Owned @ IND
Foles has been activated from injured reserve and is set to regain the starting role in Jacksonville. He’ll return just in time for a divisional matchup against Indianapolis. While the Colts don’t represent the best matchup for Foles, the former Super Bowl MVP will step into a nice long-term situation in Jacksonville. Following this week, the Jaguars take on Tennessee, Tampa Bay, the Chargers, Oakland, and Atlanta to finish the fantasy season. Foles should bring some life into this passing game too, as he has an 8.5 career aDOT, which is nearly a yard deeper than Gardner Minshew’s aDOT this season. Foles could show us what this group of young receivers like DJ Chark, Dede Westbrook, and Chris Conley are truly capable of doing. His return should be good for all three of them, and good for those in need of a quarterback. Foles has been a solid producer in the past, and is a great streaming option in the right matchup. Pick him up now before he’s scooped up in too many leagues.
Two-QB League Pickups and Stashes
Kyle Allen (CAR): 15% Owned vs. ATL
Allen put up a gutsy performance in Carolina’s loss to Green Bay in Week 10, throwing for a career high 307 yards. He draws an excellent matchup against the Atlanta Falcons this week. Even though the Falcons put up a shockingly strong performance in Week 10, holding the Saints to just nine points in the Superdome, this isn’t a defense to fear, especially when it comes to quarterbacks. The Falcons have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks with a league-worst two interceptions all season. Atlanta’s secondary is already limited, and they’ve been shorthanded without top cornerback Desmond Trufant. In addition to Trufant’s injury, the Falcons also have three injured safeties and five injured linebackers. A depleted linebacking corps is great news for Carolina’s top playmaker, Christian McCaffery. There should be plenty of action underneath for McCaffery in the passing game, and Allen will piggyback off that production to pad his own numbers. Week 11 begins a nice stretch of matchups for Allen as well; his next four opponents are Atlanta, New Orleans, Washington, and Atlanta again. That schedule makes Allen an appealing deep league option, as he’s available in 85% of Yahoo leagues.
Ryan Finley (CIN): 4% Owned @ OAK
For those in deep leagues and desperate, one could do worse than Ryan Finley this week. The new sheriff in Cincinnati didn’t get off to the best start this past week against Baltimore, going just 16-for-30 for 167 yards and a 67.0 passer rating. The matchup gets much easier for Finley this week, as he takes on an Oakland defense that’s allowed the third-most points per game to opposing quarterbacks. The Raiders just placed safety Karl Joseph on injured reserve, making him the fourth Oakland defensive back to hit IR this season. In addition to those losses, Lamarcus Joyner and Keisean Nixon are banged up, further thinning out an already depleted secondary. The fact that Cincinnati ran the ball 40 times despite a 36-point loss means their likely unwilling to over-expose Finley, but in this matchup he could deliver solid results for those in two-QB leagues who need a fill-in for Week 11.
More Waiver Wire Pickups and Advice
