November 15, 2016

Nick Mariano analyzes Week 11 sleepers available on your 2016 fantasy football waiver wire. These NFL running backs (RBs), wide receivers (WRs), tight ends (TEs), quarterbacks (QBs) and defenses (DEFs) are fantasy football sleepers.

Welcome to the post-Week 10 installment of the Waiver Wire weekly series for the 2016 fantasy football season. Below are my Week 11 waiver wire pickups and sleepers (depending on league size) to consider adding for your fantasy teams.

Week 10’s only big potential casualty came in the form of Jordan Howard, though he eloquently said that he was just fine. Yet again, there's really nothing fun to discuss here. Week 11 yields yet another four-team bye, with Atlanta, San Diego and Denver’s players getting some rest. Oh, and the Jets, but that really just means that Matt Forte has a bye. Let’s check in on players that are owned in roughly 40% of leagues or less, so that you can make an educated decision about who to add to your squad.

*UPDATE: Monday afternoon saw the news break that Alshon Jeffery has been suspended for four games, which does offer some WW juice. Apparently the Bears are here to help this week.

Be sure to also check out our weekly rankings and analysis columns, with in-depth analysis for all options heading into Week 11.

Editor's Note: Once you're done here, be sure to read about even more Week 11 waiver wire recommendations, for all fantasy-relevant positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS

Week 11 Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups

Jeremy Langford (RB, CHI) – 58% Owned

I’m going to take a stab at that ownership percentage and say that the bulk of it comes from teams/leagues that haven’t been touched since the early going. Langford has been a non-factor in fantasy leagues (and in the NFL) for several weeks now, so definitely scan your waiver wire for him since Jordan Howard’s status is the only murky one coming out of Week 10.

Rob Kelley (RB, WAS) – 38% Owned

Kelley ran well in Washington’s Week 10 victory over a strong Vikings defense, as he surpassed four yards per carry with 97 yards on 22 totes. He also had a catch for -2 yards, but obviously that’s not doing anything for you outside of displaying that he doesn’t get used in the passing game really. Chris Thompson has that on lock. The biggest news may have been that Matt Jones was inactive, as Kelley appears to have taken Patrick Star’s advice and firmly grasped the starting job here. He’ll be a solid RB2 next week against the struggling Packers on Sunday Night Football.

Tim Hightower (RB, NO) – 44% Owned

Hightower is still the “B-side” of the RB committee here with the starter Mark Ingram, with the latter out-touching Hightower 13-to-10 in Week 10’s strange loss to Denver. Hightower only got 55 total yards, with 34 of them coming on two receptions. Unfortunately for speculators here, the Saints draw Carolina and LA run defenses next. He shouldn’t be anything more than an RB4 there, but at least the Rams game will be at home in the dome.

C.J. Prosise (RB, SEA) – 26% Owned

Prosise showed off his receiving skills in Seattle’s battle against the Patriots on Sunday night in Week 10, as he caught all seven of his targets for 87 yards while also rushing the ball 17 times for another 66 yards. Tallying 153 total yards is one way to announce your presence to the NFL. While he’s clearly leapfrogged Christine Michael on the RB totem pole, he will likely have to deal with Thomas Rawls soon. He’ll strictly be a PPR option when that occurs, as the 17 carries may end up being his season high with Rawls on the mend. Still, Rawls is no sure thing to seamlessly re-enter the picture and Prosise is definitely one of the stronger adds out there, even with a home matchup against the Eagles on deck.

James Starks (RB, GB) – 30% Owned

See? I told you that Starks was the add here. I know he’s not a game-breaker, but Mike McCarthy is desperate and has no qualms with leaning on a traditional running back here in Starks. James was only given 10 touches, as he got 33 rushing yards on seven carries and caught three-of-four targets for 11 yards and a touchdown. There’s no skirting the fact that Green Bay looks lost right now, but a Sunday night matchup against Washington’s poor run defense could provide profits for Starks speculators.

Kenneth Dixon (RB, BAL) – 23% Owned

Dixon didn’t look great, but boy howdy did Terrance West look bad. Even against the Cleveland Browns, West could only muster a 3.1 YPC against them while Dixon managed to rustle up 80 yards on 11 touches. This writer doubts that Dixon ever really surpasses West this season, but it’s clear that Dixon is the hurry-up option and will certainly get his looks down the stretch. West is not the answer or the future, but perhaps Dixon can be. A Week 11 matchup against Dallas is unlikely to be fruitful though.

Alfred Morris (RB, DAL) – 34% Owned

Another week, another buzzy report that Ezekiel Elliott is basically in the crosshairs of the NFL. Morris is unplayable for as long as Elliott is active, but if this whole domestic violence case ever amounts to any sort of suspension for Zeke then Morris would immediately be the top waiver-wire add. That’s it. Elliott is talented and all, but we’ve seen how insane that offensive line is.

Paul Perkins (RB, NYG) – 21% Owned

NYG hasn’t played yet, so feel free to read last week’s blurb. Nothing has really changed, as the Giants will likely struggle with running the ball yet again against Cincinnati on Monday night:

The breaking news of Week 9 is that the Giants still suck at running the ball, but at least Perkins racked up 32 yards on 11 carries and added in two 15-yard catches to give him 62 total yards. No one would’ve been happy playing him in Week 9, but the point here is that New York gave him a chance to play and be somehow outshone Rashad Jennings (11-26-0, 3-13-0). The Giants will remain at home for their next two games (CIN, CHI) before heading into Cleveland. Those in PPR formats should be more eager at this pickup, but there’s some upside to chase for all. If only his pass-blocking skills could be trusted.

Kapri Bibbs (RB, DEN) – 19% Owned

Booker out-touched Bibbs 26-to-7, and that was in a glorious matchup against the Saints in the dome. Don’t expect anything more out of Bibbs other than his being a handcuff at this point. Denver’s offense just isn’t that good anyway, but perhaps the bye week will get Trevor Siemian’s shoulder right at least.

Damien Williams (RB, MIA) – 9% Owned

He’s Jay Ajayi’s handcuff and he hilariously scored two touchdowns on only three touches in Week 10. That sort of hyper-efficiency cannot be relied on in any way of course, but the alarm bells went off briefly as Ajayi left the field favoring what looked to be his wrist. As it turns out, he just took a shot to the undercarriage and was okay to come back and continue being the lead back. Still, it’s worth noting.

Ka’Deem Carey (RB, CHI) – 7% Owned

Carey’s momentum from Weeks 6 and 7 has been absolutely demolished lately, but if Jordan Howard misses time then Carey will likely see an uptick in snaps and get some decent work alongside Jeremy Langford. It wouldn’t be ideal, but at 7% owned you’re not going to do any better.

Fitzgerald Toussaint (RB, PIT) – 2% Owned

With DeAngelo Williams healing from his knee surgery, Toussaint is now the next man up for Pittsburgh should something happen to LeVeon Bell. While we’re not touting Toussaint as a big talent, the opportunity in Pittsburgh’s high-octane offense is worth a little sticky note in your head.

Kenneth Farrow (RB, SD) – 2% Owned

Another handcuff reminder, as Farrow is the only man left standing behind Melvin Gordon now that Dexter McCluster is done. Farrow is a UDFA out of Houston who won the MVP Award at the 2015 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, but you’d be buying his role in a potent Chargers offense of course.

Week 11 Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups

Cameron Meredith (WR, CHI) - 20% Owned

Well, it turns out that Alshon Jeffery has been suspended for four games in a surprising announcement on Monday afternoon, which makes Meredith the next man up as Chicago's #1 receiver. Meredith played on 96% of Chicago's offensive snaps in Week 10 even though he only got the one catch for the 50-yard Hail Mary. Jay Cutler is going to need to look Meredith's way at this point, and Meredith is an obvious big add now. While facing the Giants in Week 11 isn't great, going up against Tennessee in Week 12 isn't awful and Weeks 13 and 14 yield great matchups against San Francisco and Detroit.

Eddie Royal (WR, CHI) - 23% Owned

Royal played on 41 snaps in Week 10, good for 73%, though he only saw two targets. This figure should rise with Jeffery's suspension as Jay Cutler is going to need some other folks to catch the dang ball. Zach Miller may just drown in targets at this point. Royal is still more of a PPR option as the slot man, but he should get worked in more with another week of healthy practice under him and be a decent deeper play.

Steve Smith Sr. (WR, BAL) – 45% Owned

Smith is doing his best to turn in some consistency for his fantasy owners in spite of Joe Flacco’s struggles. Of course, Baltimore ate in a big way against the Browns on Thursday night with Smith collecting five of his seven targets for 60 yards and a muscled-in TD. He should have had another touchdown as well, but Flacco didn’t see him crossing the field with enough space around him to start a yoga class. Baltimore has to travel into Dallas to face a red-hot Cowboys team, and Smith will need to be a big part of their efforts against them as a WR3.

Pierre Garcon (WR, WAS) – 35% Owned

With DeSean Jackson likely out for another week, Garcon should get a healthy amount targets in Week 11 when the Redskins take on a depleted Green Bay defense. He hauled in six catches for 81 yards in a solid effort in a less than desirable matchup against the Vikings this week, and Washington has shown themselves to be capable of matchup with some real firepower through the air. While Garcon is more of a possession guy, this is still a green-light matchup for him and he could very easily be in the WR3 mix.

Brandon LaFell (WR, CIN) – 34% Owned

Cincinnati has yet to play on Monday night, but it’s unlikely that LaFell has an astounding MNF showing anyway against Janoris Jenkins and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Again we reiterate that while LaFell was an absolute non-factor (two targets, one catch for six yards) in Cincinnati’s ugly Week 8 27-27 tie, he had still scored four touchdowns with 21 targets in the previous three games. Week 11 against Buffalo will be a much better set up for him, though he may be too low in the pecking order to be truly useful now with Tyler Eifert back at full strength.

J.J. Nelson (WR, ARI) – 34% Owned

Nelson followed up his eight-catch, 79-yard and two-TD day against the Panthers in Week 8 with an absolutely horrid Week 10 showing against the lowly 49ers defense. He only caught two of his six targets for 29 yards, and also lost a fumble and tipped a ball up that ended up getting intercepted. Nelson may have lost his spot as Arizona’s newly-appointed #2 receiver with the poor showing, especially when you consider that Michael Floyd caught five balls for 101 yards. Week 11 against Minnesota isn’t a good spot for Nelson or Floyd anyhow, but a Week 12 shootout against Atlanta could make Nelson a nice play if he keeps himself on the radar.

Kendall Wright (WR, TEN) – 24% Owned

The good news is that Wright has scored a touchdown in three of his past five games, but obviously owners are a bit jaded considering he only caught two balls for eight yards alongside the tuddy. He hasn’t topped five targets in any of his last four games, with his value highly dependent on the high-scoring offense that is spilling forth from the growth of Marcus Mariota. At least Wright and Tennessee have a matchup against the Colts in Indianapolis next, which always lends itself to shootouts.

Tyreek Hill (WR, KC) – 22% Owned

Hill’s usage continues to trend upwards, with this newest peak coming in the form of 10 catches on 13 targets for 89 yards against Carolina’s vulnerable secondary in Week 10. This wasn’t just a product of Hill though, as the uptick came alongside Jeremy Maclin being inactive due to injury. Do not bank on double-digit targets from him, or any Kansas City receiver ever, but a Week 11 matchup with Tampa Bay’s susceptible secondary marks another plus spot for the speedster. Week 12 against Denver is another story, but worry about that later.

Robert Woods (WR, BUF) – 20% Owned

Woods caught 10-of-13 targets for 162 yards against a tough Seattle defense on the road in Week 9 before Buffalo hit their bye, and he is clearly running as the #1 with Sammy Watkins on the shelf. Week 11 against Cincinnati should see Buffalo use the same personnel, as Percy Harvin is definitely not the #1 there. The Bengals entered Week 10 with the 24^th ranked pass DVOA, but do perform best against number ones compared to other options. Woods is a high-end WR4/flex option.

Marqise Lee (WR, JAC) – 15% Owned

Lee caught four balls for a second straight game in Week 10’s tilt against the Texans, as he managed to deliver decent PPR value with a 4-50-0 line. Even with Allen Hurns back, Lee still got his share of work as Jacksonville’s slot receiver in yet another game that found Blake Bortles and company playing catchup late. Week 11 pits Lee and the Jags against a strong Detroit offense on the road, so those in deep PPR formats might be able to get 10 points out of Lee there.

Adam Thielen (WR, MIN) – 14% Owned

Thielen tied his lowest yardage total of the season with only 21 on three catches in Week 10’s tough draw against Josh Norman and the Washington secondary, but managed to salvage the day with a touchdown. Minnesota is throwing the ball with plenty of volume, which will keep Thielen involved to some degree but a date with Arizona’s secondary in Week 11 isn’t ideal. For what it’s worth, Arizona is top-10 in DVOA against #1 WRs, TEs and RBs, but only middle of the pack against opposing #2s and slot receivers.

Eli Rogers (WR, PIT) – 13% Owned

We all know Antonio Brown and LeVeon Bell are the clear one-two punch for Pittsburgh’s offense, but after that things get very murky. Rogers looks to be next right now, as Ladarius Green is still limited, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Markus Wheaton are hurt, and Sammie Coates might as well be Casper the Fantasy Ghost. Rogers caught four balls for 42 yards and a touchdown in Week 10, and a Week 11 date against the Browns should yield a total closer to his 6-103-0 Week 9 line before a juicy matchup against the Colts in Week 12.

Adam Humphries (WR, TB) – 12% Owned

Humphries has now caught five balls for 46 yards in each of Tampa Bay’s last two games now, as he’s the clear safety valve for Jameis Winston as the slot man with so many other weapons for the Bucs banged up. They got Doug Martin back, but that doesn’t really add much to the passing game. A Week 11 game against the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium looms, so Humphries may be set up for eight targets again in a spot where his yardage isn’t likely to impress. He’s a deep-league PPR option only.

Dontrelle Inman (WR, SD) – 12% Owned

Obviously this doesn’t help you for next week with San Diego on their bye, but keep an eye on the practice and injury reports for Travis Benjamin. With Benjamin’s knee knocking him out of action in Week 10, Inman caught five-of-nine targets for 43 yards. That doesn’t jump off the page, but it’s solid and the nine targets are worth chasing. He also had nine targets in Week 9, so just keep tabs here.

Bryce Treggs (WR, PHI) – 3% Owned

Treggs saw zero targets in Week 10 after showing some life in his Week 9 debut for Philadelphia, and this may just be the case of the team not giving him enough of a chance to have a hope for fantasy relevance. He really would be better than running Nelson Agholor and Dorial Green-Beckham right now, but we can’t argue for much with a big fat “0” in the targets column staring us in the face. A date with Seattle’s defense in Seattle isn’t likely to improve much for him.

Quinton Patton (WR, SF) – 4% Owned

If you’re truly desperate, Patton has now seen nine targets in back-to-back games for San Francisco. He has turned that into a combined nine catches for 158 yards, but those numbers are prettier than the production has really looked. Further hurting his prospects is the strong chance that he sees a lot of Malcolm Butler in the 49ers’ Week 11 tilt against the Patriots. Usage is usage, though.

Albert Wilson (WR, KC) – 2% Owned

Not desperate enough for you? You want to bring Alex Smith into this?! Okay, fine! Albert Wilson has seen 15 targets over his last two games, but has only caught seven of them for a combined 67 yards and a touchdown back in Week 9. His 4-25-0 line from Week 10 was pretty poor, and he really can’t be viewed as more than a low-end WR4 at best for Week 11, even with a nice draw of Tampa Bay in the cards.

Week 11 Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups

Sam Bradford (QB, MIN) – 32% Owned

Bradford completed 31-of-40 passes for the second straight week, as he unraveled a 307-yard effort with two touchdowns and an interception against a solid Washington secondary in Minnesota’s fourth straight loss on Sunday. It’s clear that new OC Pat Shurmur is really leaning on these high-percentage throws, and we’re starting to see why Bradford’s best years may have come alongside Shurmur’s calls. The Vikings are still absolutely awful at running the ball, so Stefon Diggs and Sammy Biscuits are left doing the heavy lifting. This is bad for Minnesota in real life, but fantasy-wise this is solid for owners as Minnesota heads into another tough matchup against Arizona at home. San Francisco did just look good against Arizona though, so there’s that.

Jay Cutler (QB, CHI) – 27% Owned

Cutler fell flat on his face in a dream matchup against a horrible Tampa Bay defense, much to dismay of many streamers and DFS players. He only completed 16-of-30 throws for a paltry 182 yards, a TD and two picks. He also lost a fumble. It was atrocious. That TD was a 50-yard Hail Mary to Cameron Meredith (Meredith’s only catch of the day, he’s not an option), so don’t mistakenly think that Cutler accidentally put together a good drive. In all seriousness, this is the side of Cutler that we all know lurks in the shadows. A Week 11 date with a tough Giants secondary isn’t likely to ease things. He’ll be a mid-range QB2 at best.

Colin Kaepernick (QB, SF) –23% Owned

Kaepernick faced a poor matchup with Arizona in Week 10 with a cheery demeanor, and ended up turning in a QB1 performance that wasn’t far off from Cam Newton’s game against Kansas City. Kaep only totaled 210 yards through the air with one TD, but 55 rushing yards and a ground TD really propped him up. While the 49ers didn’t get the win, Kaep has shown himself to have a rather steady floor for fantasy owners. It won’t get any easier in Week 11 against a Patriots team that just lost a nail biter on Sunday night, but he’ll likely be thrust into catchup mode early.

Week 11 Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups

Hunter Henry (TE, SD) – 42% Owned

It wasn’t pretty, but Henry did find the end zone in the third quarter to generate some fantasy value in Week 10. He finished with a 2-11-1 line that screams “#2 TE”, as Antonio Gates saw nine targets and caught four of them for 63 yards and a touchdown of his own. It’s clear that Gates is healthy and the #1 in San Diego, but the guy is also 36 years old and Henry has shown himself to be very capable if given the opportunity.

Cameron Brate (TE, TB) – 37% Owned

Brate has seen a steady rise in targets and production over the last three weeks, with Week 10’s 7-84-1 line yielding his highest reception and yardage totals of the season. Jameis Winston needed someone else to throw to with the Bears tilting coverage heavily towards Mike Evans, and Brate was more than happy to oblige. He has been the more effective safety blanket against slot man Adam Humphries, as the six-foot-five TE has now found pay dirt in each of his last three games. The bad news is that he’ll have to tangle with Kansas City’s Eric Berry in Week 11, but is still a good long-term pickup here.

Ladarius Green (TE, PIT) – 35% Owned

Green finally made it back to the field, and while his three catches for 30 yards isn’t anything special, we knew he’d be limited and that’s pretty darn good for only playing 12 snaps. He was also targeted on an end-zone fade route, but it wasn’t meant to be. Hopefully between this game and a full week of practice, he’ll be good to play in at least 40-50% of snaps in a gravy matchup against Cleveland in Week 11. Pittsburgh needs weapons aside from their two superstars, and a big target like Green over the middle would be huge.

C.J. Fiedorowicz (TE, HOU) – 33% Owned

Fiedorowicz was covered pretty well all game by Jacksonville, catching three of his five targets for a mere 26 yards for his worst game since bursting onto the scene in Week 4. Luckily, this little dip in production should be short-lived considering he now gets to face an Oakland defense in Week 11 that still isn’t good against the tight end. Brock Osweiler does cap Fiedorowicz’s ceiling, but he should return to his usual 7-8 targets and be a viable TE streamer.

Vernon Davis (TE, WAS) – 18% Owned

Davis continues to make the most of his sporadic targets, as he’s now caught 26-of-29 balls thrown his way this season. He turned his three Week 10 targets into 66 yards and a touchdown, which should illustrate the issue here. Relying on three targets to produce fantasy-worthy numbers is rough, but a plus matchup against Green Bay’s porous secondary in Week 11 is a decent spot – as Delanie Walker (9-124-1) just showed.

Lance Kendricks (TE, LA) – 18% Owned

Naturally Kendricks only saw two targets in a solid Week 10 matchup against the Jets after he had collected 29 targets over his prior three games. He managed to catch one of those targets, but it went for zero yards. A truly glorious performance here, as we all flew too close to the Keenum sun here and needed a reminder of just how limiting the Rams’ QB can be. Perhaps Jared Goff would change things? Don’t count on much for Week 11 regardless, as the Dolphins are currently 10^th in DVOA against the tight end.

Vance McDonald (TE, SF) – 13% Owned

Old McDonald has now garnered six targets in each of his last three games, but the bad news is that he’s only managed to catch eight of them. At least he caught four of his six targets for 50 yards in Week 10’s loss to Arizona, as Colin Kaepernick certainly seems willing to look his way. San Francisco now has to take on the Patriots at home, and will likely need all hands on deck as they find themselves playing from behind early and often. This bodes well for McDonald as a TE2-streamer type.

Week 11 Defense Waiver Wire Pickups

Los Angeles D/ST – 49% Owned

The Rams defense was able to deliver a solid line against Bryce Petty and the Jets in Week 10, but the one sack and one turnover was pretty disappointing considering the circumstances. Still, this defense at full strength is a monster, and they’ve now only allowed 30 points against over their last three games. Now they get to face a mistake-prone Ryan Tannehill, and could be a decent play if they can contain Jay Ajayi and force some errant throws. They need to get to the quarterback though.

Pittsburgh D/ST – 31% Owned

They’ve now generated five sacks and four turnovers over their last three games after tallying only eight sacks and six turnovers through their first six games. It isn’t a pretty play, but they’re facing the Browns so they become an obvious target for defensive streamers.

Miami D/ST – 26% Owned

So let’s talk about the other side of that Rams-Dolphins game, shall we? While those first two defenses have struggled to really put together much of a pass rush, the Dolphins have racked up 10 sacks over their last three games and have also notched six picks in their last two. Whether they’re facing Case Keenum or Jared Goff, they’ll be a good play with the pressure they’re producing.

Oakland D/ST – 15% Owned

This is a play that’s more predicated on Oakland’s strong offensive line just steamrolling Houston’s defense to the point where Brock Osweiler is forced to take chances, make mistakes and get messy pretty early on. If Khalil Mack and company can get in Brock’s face and push the pace, things could open up for a team that already has eight interceptions through nine games.