Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups Week 11
Is your fantasy team in need of new blood? Each week I’ll bring to you the best pickups to make ahead of the waiver deadline. All the players I list will be owned in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the ownership percentage coming from Yahoo.com.
Quarterbacks
Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins (26% Owned): Don’t look now, but Tannehill has been quietly solid of late. He has not been picked off in his last four games, and last week’s 240-yard, two-touchdown performance was very useful. Tannehill has two more nice matchups – at Los Angeles, vs. San Francisco – to exploit if you don’t have a stud QB on your team, or if your starter is on bye.
Colin Kaepernick, 49ers (12% Owned): Sure he kneels for the National Anthem, and lectures the world before not voting, but he’s a quality fantasy QB. Kaep has been over 50 yards rushing in three of his last four games, and his next three matchups are a plus; he’ll get a home game vs. the Patriots, and road trips at the Dolphins and Bears. He’ll keep running, and if any of these become shootouts he will pile up passing yards as well. Don’t discount him, he was two shy of 400 yards in the air vs. the Saints.
Running Backs
Rob Kelley, Redskins (48% Owned): Matt Jones being a healthy scratch last week is a huge boost for Kelley, who may jump to close to 100 percent ownership by tomorrow. Jones’ spot has been completely lost, and even though Chris Thompson will get snaps on third down, Kelley has seen 20-plus carries in back-to-back weeks. He’s a must-start every week unless you’re completely stacked at the position. If he’s available, spend copious amounts of FAAB and/or burn your No. 1 waiver priority.
C.J. Prosise, Seahawks (35% Owned): Prosise is very talented, and he has a clear-cut role for the Seahawks that makes him start-worthy in any week, but last week was a mirage. As the primary back Prosise racked up 153 total yards. Now that Thomas Rawls is healthy, he will get the early-down work, leaving Prosise to snap up mostly just receiving yards. As a third-down back he’s great, but fantasy-wise the upside is limited.
Bilal Powell, Jets (43% Owned): Powell’s upside is still limited because Matt Forte has been excellent, but even with a lesser workload he’s managed to surpass 50 yards from scrimmage in each of his last three games and score twice in that span. If you are dealing with injuries, Powell is your man – except for this week, because he’s on bye. That just means you can pick him up for free.
Damien Williams, Dolphins (3% Owned): Damien Williams should be owned by all Jay Ajayi owners. If Ajayi goes down Williams is clearly next in line, and he has some value in very deep leagues on his own because he does receive some work.
Wide Receivers
Cameron Meredith, Bears (33% Owned): Cameron Meredith is back on the radar thanks to Alshon Jeffery’s four-game PED suspension. Meredith hasn’t topped two targets in three weeks, but prior to that, he was registering double-digit looks. Jay Cutler may not have much chemistry with him, but at 6’3, 200 lbs. he’s the closest thing to Jeffery that Cutler will get.
Tyreek Hill, Chiefs (16% Owned): Tyreek Hill is a beast, let’s just say it. He is lightning fast, and with Jeremy Maclin ailing, he’s legitimately Kansas City’s best receiver. Without Maclin last week Hill caught 10 passes for 89 yards; he’s registered at least five targets in each of the last three games, and has also seen at least one carry in those tilts. With his speed, that carry could be a play that breaks your fantasy matchup wide open.
Jeremy Kerley, 49ers (9% Owned): There isn’t any potential for Kerley to become a consistent WR2, but he is targeted often enough to serve as a FLEX in a pinch, or play in the right matchup. Kerley is reliable for at least five targets, and as he develops chemistry with Kaepernick, he’ll break off some big plays. All the matchups we liked for Kaepernick apply to Kerley as well; consider him a deep league waiver wire gem.
Tight Ends
Hunter Henry, Chargers (21% Owned): Henry was on a limited snap count last week and still managed to find the end zone. Simply put, Henry is arguably Philip Rivers’ favorite red zone target these days, and even a resurgent Antonio Gates doesn’t sap his value.
Dennis Pitta, Ravens (45% Owned): Pitta is like a higher-upside Jason Witten at this point in his career. He has more speed than Witten, and a bigger-armed QB so there’s big play potential. But you’re adding Witten not for big plays, but for consistency. Pitta has seen double-digit targets three times this season, and Joe Flacco has looked at Pitta at least five times in seven of Baltimore’s nine games.