Week 11 PPR Waiver Wire Sleepers & Starts for Deeper Leagues

This late into the season it’s pretty safe to say we know what players are and aren’t at this point. Week 11 is the last of the “big” bye weeks with four teams missing in action, but when you look at the names not playing, it’s actually not that terrible. That being said, injuries and performance struggles still exist so it’s worth taking a look at some deeper league finds for those in need.

All players listed possess PPR value in 12+ team leagues this week and may still available in your league. To keep with the “deeper league” theme, I’ve tried to limit the players listed to those who are owned in 60% or less of Fleaflicker leagues in the event you’re playing with a savvier group than most.

Lastly, you’ll notice a floor versus ceiling rating below each little blurb indicating the range of performance to expect from each even given player. That should help you gauge the old risk/reward strategy in fantasy.

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Floor/Ceiling Scale: Low: 0-5 points, Medium: 6-12 points, High: 13-19 points, Very High: 20+ points

Week 11 Sneaky Starts & PPR Sleepers

Mychal Rivera (TE, OAK)

34% Owned in Fleaflicker Leagues

It only took until Week 11 for us to find one fantasy relevant Oakland Raider but I think we finally have him. Rivera, like a majority of the Oakland roster, started the year out slow but has been putting up decent numbers as of late. Believe it or not, Rivera is actually second on the team in targets and has three straight games with at least eight.

Throw in three touchdowns over the last two weeks and you’re looking at a high-end TE2/low end TE1 in a deep league. With tight end being relatively the same after about the top five, I feel confident in rolling with Rivera over the Jared Cooks, Heath Millers, and Charles Clays of the world.

Floor: Low, Ceiling: High (the Chargers do defend against the TE very well)

Jordan Matthews (WR, PHI)

51% Owned in Fleaflicker Leagues

In a weird sort of way Jordan Matthews’ big breakout performance against the Panthers Monday night is simultaneously a surprise and not a shock at all. Fellow wide receiver Riley Cooper has been brutal this year so it seemed like it was only a matter of time before the Eagles turned to Matthews for an increased role.

With Mark Sanchez filling in for Nick Foles, it was assumed he’d rely on the proven Jeremy Maclin and lean more on the run game. That wasn’t the case at all as the Eagles threw, threw, threw, leaving Matthews to end the day with 138 yards and two touchdowns. As it pertains to Week 11, the Eagles head to Green Bay this week for a matchup that is likely to be a shootout. I know what you’re thinking: “Sanchez in a shootout? I’ll pass” - and I can’t really blame you. But when you consider how bad Cooper has been, it’s possible Sanchez and Matthews just have that kind of chemistry where Sanchez is good enough to get Matthews the ball consistently. If you ask me, Matthews is already the number two receiver on this team with or without developing a rapport with Sanchez.

Floor: Medium, Ceiling: Very High (he’ll get work for sure and a shootout could mean TDs)

Kyle Rudolph (TE, MIN)

50% Owned in Fleaflicker Leagues

This one is going to require you to pay some extra attention this week, as Rudolph is being activated after having hip surgery earlier this season and is just now returning to practice. It sounds like he will play against the Bears this week, but have a backup plan just in case.

The Vikings have struggled to throw the ball this season, so getting Rudolph back should be a huge plus. Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner is notorious for utilizing the tight end position with high volume (see: Gates, Antonio). But this year, after Rudolph went down, there wasn’t really an opportunity to exploit that strategy. Besides, can you even name the other tight ends on the Minnesota roster? Chances are you can’t because they are completely irrelevant. As an added bonus, the Chicago Bears are dead last when it comes to defending against the tight end, so if Rudolph is out there it’s a tasty matchup.

Floor: Low, Ceiling: Very High (there’s a chance he doesn’t play, but there’s also a chance he torches the Chicago defense)

Martavis Bryant (WR, PIT)

58% Owned in Fleaflicker Leagues

I have to admit, this one might be cheating a little. Bryant’s ownership percentage is awfully close to that 60% threshold I’m using for this column and he’s clearly a big play guy. The thing is, the Steelers are going to be itching to avenge last week’s stunner against the Jets against a Titans team that isn’t exactly tops in the league. Bryant has been getting more and more targets since Week Seven, despite being relatively touchdown dependent.

I doubt he ends the day with zero catches, however, as the Steelers have developed into an air-it-out offense despite their poor showing last week. Bryant has clearly surpassed Markus Wheaton for number two on the depth chart, so he should be in the WR3 conversation going forward independent of what he does this week. With his ownership at 58%, I would bet this is the last time you’ll see him on this list as that number should rise after Week 11.

Floor: Medium, Ceiling: Very High (big play guy lacks volume for PPR scoring, but you can’t ignore the numbers as of late)

Bryce Brown (RB, BUF)

15% Owned in Fleaflicker Leagues

It felt a little weird doing this article without throwing in a running back, so I dug a little deeper to find a guy that many people seem to be overlooking. I know Anthony Dixon was the back that got the first crack at the starting gig once Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller went down. But let’s face it, Dixon didn’t do much of anything. Brown, however, is certainly more talented than Dixon - and with the way the Bills have historically utilized two running backs at a time, I’d expect Brown to shift into that number two role with Fred Jackson back.

The Dolphins actually have a pretty good run defense. So I would expect the Bills to figure out ways to get their multiple backs the ball via the air, which, as you know, is a PPR player’s dream. That being said, you’ll notice Brown has the lowest floor/ceiling of anyone I’ve mentioned this week, given the fact that there are indeed three running back options in Buffalo and Fred Jackson will clearly lead the way. If you’re hurting for a running back in a deeper PPR league, you can do worse than Bryce Brown this week.

Floor: Low, Ceiling: Medium (touches will be limited, this is desperation play)