NFL Waiver Wire: Week 11 Deep Dive

At this point of the season, the waiver wire has two distinct purposes. For those in comfortable playoff position, it's time to fine-tune your roster for a deep run - particularly in FFPC leagues when waivers are cut off during the playoffs. That means stash candidates and handcuffs that could have been ignored earlier in the season should now be considered.

For those fighting for every win, now is the time to add any potentially productive player - even if those fantasy points are likely short-lived. We'll try to highlight both options on a plentiful week of waiver wire action.

As always, we won't highlight players covered in the traditional waiver article.

Quarterback

Anthony Richardson - 38% ESPN, 88% FFPC

Whether the Colts view turning to Joe Flacco depends on their goals in doing so in the first place. If their publicly stated reasons of trying to win now are accurate, the experiment looks to be failing. If benching Richardson was aimed at giving him a reset or sending him a message, then only the Colts know what their next move will be. The bottom line is that there can't be much debate that Flacco's work on the field hasn't helped the team, so a return to Richardson is possible.

Drake Maye – 12% ESPN

It hasn't always been pretty, but Maye is showing strong ability both from an NFL and fantasy perspective to begin his career. In particular, his ability as a runner is consistently adding at least three points to his fantasy output, a nice bonus for deeper leagues given his inconsistent production as a passer.

Jameis Winston – 5% ESPN

Winston has given the Cleveland offense some life and has been confirmed as the starter for a matchup against the Saints. We now what we get with him with both extreme ends of the performance spectrum on the table, though he offers the chance to outproduce struggling quarterbacks.

Drew Lock – 0% ESPN, 6% FFPC

There's no official word on the Giants' starting QB when they return to the field in Week 12, but signs (and money) point to Lock taking over. My expectations aren't high, yet he should be a cheap acquisition in two-QB or Superflex leagues before his promotion is made official.

Running Back

Cam Akers - 16% ESPN, 53% FFPC

The Vikings are optimistic Aaron Jones (chest) will be available Sunday after an injury scare in Week 10. Even if that's the case, his current status is a reminder that he regularly gets hurt. Akers has overtaken Ty Chandler as the backup and is a strong insurance policy to stash with the possibility of becoming a short-term starting selection.  

Trey Benson - 16% ESPN

James Conner is Arizona's clear lead back, and will remain so as long as he's healthy.  However, the Cardinals have started to get Benson more involved. Through the first seven games, he saw a total of 33 touches. But in the last two weeks, he's earned 21 alongside 142 yards from scrimmage. There's some standalone value as a bye week or injury replacement. And if Conner were to be sidelined, Benson has the chance to quickly emerge as a must-start option.

Jeremy McNichols – 2% ESPN, 11% FFPC

McNichols isn't all that interesting in either the short or long-term, yet he's worked as the change-of-pace back behind Austin Ekeler with Brian Robinson (hamstring) sidelined. Wednesday will be a big day to determine Robinson's potential availability on a short week as the Commanders are expected to ramp up their practice activity.

Keaton Mitchell – 5% ESPN, 78% FFPC

Needless to say, Derrick Henry isn't going anywhere. Mitchell could prove to be an interesting change of pace as he kicks off the rust in his return from a torn ACL. He only played one offensive snap in Week 10 (his season debut), but we can expect that to tick up at least slightly.

Wide Receiver

Rashod Bateman – 14% ESPN

The situation in Baltimore is fluid. The absence of Isaiah Likely (hamstring) opened up several targets in Week 10, and Bateman saw a season-high eight targets. Likely still hasn't practiced in any capacity, casting doubt on his availability for Sunday. That seemingly sets Bateman up well once again, though the Ravens will likely want to get Diontae Johnson involved at some point. If that occurs, Bateman is likely to take a significant hit.  

JuJu Smith-Schuster - 13% ESPN, 31% FFPC

Smith-Schuster is expected back this weekend and should return to a significant role in KC's offense. He isn't likely to command targets ahead of either Travis Kelce or DeAndre Hopkins, but the Chiefs lack a reliable third pass catcher with Xavier Worthy failing to establish himself.

Adonai Mitchell – 8% ESPN, 86% FFPC

We don't have an exact timeline for Michael Pittman (back/finger), but coach Shane Steichen referred to him as week-to-week while ruling him out for Sunday. His absence led to a 95 percent snap count and 36 routes (tied for the team lead) for Mitchell. The rookie performed well by hauling in all six of his targets. The Colts aren't needy at wide receiver, yet Mitchell could force the issue if he continues to perform well.

Ja'Lynn Polk – 7% ESPN, 78% FFPC
Kayshon Boutte – 0% ESPN, 7% FFPC

The Patriots' wide receiver corps is another where things seem to change every week. Just as Kendrick Bourne seemed to have his role ramp up, he was eliminated from the offense in favor of Polk and Boutte. The latter has shown glimpses of promise throughout the season and represents the priority.

Polk's rookie season hasn't been great, but New England has publicly talked about wanting to get him established in the offense. He caught his first career TD in Week 10 (it was his only catch), which could give him some much-needed confidence.

Marvin Mims Jr. - 2% ESPN, 59% FFPC

It seems as if the Broncos are looking to get Mims into a Deebo Samuel-type role. Before we go any further, we need to state the obvious and not compare the production between the two or suggest the results for Mims will ever approach that of Samuel. It's also foolish to completely ignore Mims' interesting usage form Week 10, where he earned seven total touches – three of which were carries. With Javonte Williams seemingly being phased out of the offense, Mims could offer a speed/finesse alternative to Audric Estime's more bruising style. Add in a few short receptions per week, and there could be some moderate fantasy value in his profile.

 Jermaine Burton – 1% ESPN, 67% FFPC

Burton seemed to redeem himself with the Cincinnati coaching staff to earn a career-high snap rate and target count in Week 10. The results weren't there and his role could shrink with the return of Tee Higgins (quadriceps), but we should want exposure to all of Cincinnati's receiving options given the way Joe Burrow is producing. Burton is a stash for later in the season.

John Metchie III – 1% ESPN, 6% FFPC

Houston will be one of the more intriguing offenses to watch this week with the anticipated return of Nico Collins (hamstring). We'll see if he can get C.J. Stroud back on track, and we'll also see how targets will be distributed in the absence of Stefon Diggs (knee). Metchie enjoyed a breakout performance in Week 10. That could be halted by Collins coming back, though there's room for Metchie in three-receiver sets.

Malik Washington – 0% ESPN, 24% FFPC

Tyreek Hill revealed he's playing through a ligament tear in his wrist. While that seems likely to continue so long as Miami has playoff hopes, it's also possible he'll opt for rest or surgery if the team falls out of contention. Washington hasn't seen his offensive snaps or involvement trend up significantly, but he seems to be best positioned to take advantage of a potential opening.

Tight End

Theo Johnson - 3% ESPN, 69% FFPC

Johnson was used as a wideout from a routes perspective in Week 10. He ran a route on 34 of his 67 snaps, good for third on the team. The writing appears to be on the wall for Daniel Jones, so we'll see what the offense looks like under Drew Lock. Either way, Johnson is trending up within the Giants' offense.

Ja'Tavion Sanders - 1% ESPN, 89% FFPC

I'm a bit less enthused about Sanders' potential due to the return of Adam Thielen when Carolina returns from a bye in Week 12. He's managed inconsistent volume even with the Panthers' receiving corps gutted in recent weeks, yet he's skilled enough to make the chances count.

Will Dissly - 5% ESPN, 34% FFPC

It's time to stop ignoring Dissly's involvement in the LA offense. Since the team's Week 5 bye, he's logged target marks of five, 11, seven, three and six. Those aren't starting numbers in typical formats, though Dissly is viable in deeper or TE-premium leagues.

Dawson Knox - 1% ESPN, 54% FFPC 

Dalton Kincaid's (knee) status is ambiguous after suffering a knee injury and being unable to return in Week 10. If he can't go Sunday, Knox should emerge with a bigger pass-catching role.

Davis Allen - 0% ESPN, 8% FFPC

Allen's snap and target rate spiked last week. He's clearly taken over as the Rams' starting tight end. Given the presence of Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Demarcus Robinson, there aren't likely to be many targets to go around, but Allen is an add for those desperate at the position.