NFL Waiver Wire: Week 11 Deep Dive

Week 10 had a bit of everything with a multitude of injuries, a surprising roster move, and a few job battles. All that has opened up more waiver volume than recent weeks, so there's plenty to cover.

Quarterbacks

Ryan Tannehill at Packers (eight percent ESPN)

Derrick Henry will remain the centerpiece of the Tennessee offense, but Tannehill isn't likely to post a disastrous score. Hope the Packers can post some early points and force him into more pass attempts, as he's displayed the ability to capitalize when given the opportunity.   

Taylor Heinicke at Texans (16 percent ESPN)

If Tannehill is the steady option of the QBs, Heinicke is more in the boom-bust category. Houston could be a favorable spot for a performance on the better end of outcomes with the club one of the worst teams in pass defense as measured by DVOA and fantasy points allowed per game to the position.

Kenny Pickett vs. Bengals (seven percent ESPN)

Pickett has yet to top 6.6 yards per attempt in any full game this season, so efficiency clearly isn't a strength at this point in his career. On the other hand, the Steelers have shown no hesitation turning to him when the Steelers are trailing having gone over 35 pass attempts in three of his five full games. That's the likely game script against the Bengals, so Pickett could volume his way into production. He's also rushed for a combined 88 yards the last two weeks to provide additional floor.

Jameis Winston vs. Rams (six percent ESPN)

Andy Dalton remains the starter in New Orleans, but he's struggled the last two outings as the Saints' season slips away. Without their first-round pick and in a still winnable division, there's less motivation for New Orleans to try to lose and that could lead to a QB change.

Colt McCoy vs. 49ers (one percent ESPN)

Kyler Murray doesn't appear on track to return in Week 11, which leaves McCoy as the likely starter. He's a 2QB desperation play in a difficult matchup, but also worth noting as a streamable option in very deep leagues for the short-term.

Running Backs

Jaylen Warren vs. Bengals (13 percent ESPN)

Warren is the new Rachaad White of this column in that it appears he's destined to take over the lead back role in Pittsburgh by season's end. Najee Harris has underperformed, but he's also been banged up. He was dealing with a foot injury to begin the season and now has knee pain to manage. Even with Harris on the field, Warren has seen his usage tick up in recent games.

Kyren Williams at Saints (13 percent ESPN) 

Williams was eased into his first game since Week 1 while seeing only 16 offensive snaps. But neither Darrell Henderson nor Cam Akers have impressed with more opportunities, so the Rams may want to see what they have in Williams down the stretch.

Keaontay Ingram vs. 49ers (one percent ESPN)

Ingram bumped up the depth chart after Arizona surprisingly cut Eno Benjamin. James Conner has carried a heavy workload in each of the last two weeks, but given his injury history it's fair to question how long he'll hold up with that volume.

Trestan Ebner at Falcons (zero percent ESPN)

Ebner represents another depth running back who's shifted up the depth chart after Khalil Herbert landed on injured reserve. He'll back up David Montgomery, who had ceded quite a bit of work to Herbert in recent weeks. Ebner had at least 20 receptions in every year of his college career, so he could immediately be a decent producer in PPR leagues.  

Ke'Shawn Vaughn - BYE (zero percent ESPN)

We'll close out running backs with one final speculation play. Early reports suggest Leonard Fournette didn't suffer a serious injury at the end of Tampa Bay's matchup against Seattle. However, we don't have any official practice reports with the Buccaneers on bye, so teams with an extra roster spot could find it worthwhile to speculate on Vaughn.

Wide Receivers

Darius Slayton vs. Lions (12 percent ESPN)

For those in need of help right now, it's hard to make the case for anyone other than Slayton in deeper formats. While he saw a dip in targets in Week 10, he's showed a lot of explosiveness of late by hauling in at least one reception of 20 yards in three consecutive games. Slayton clearly seems to be Daniel Jones' top target heading into a very favorable matchup.

Van Jefferson at Saints (10 percent ESPN)
Ben Skowronek at Saints (four percent ESPN)

The Rams' offense isn't close to what we've become accustomed to the last several seasons, but a lot of targets opened up once Cooper Kupp was put on injured reserve. Jefferson and Skowronek have been uninspiring to say the least, but volume should be on their side and Matthew Stafford will be back under center against the Saints.

Nico Collins vs. Commanders (nine percent ESPN)

Collins returned from a two-game absence last week and immediately commanded 10 targets. We witnessed the shortcomings of the offense, as he managed only 49 yards for an abysmal 4.9 yards per target. Even with Davis Mills under center, we can expect better production if the volume remains intact.

Treylon Burks at Packers (23 percent ESPN)

As discussed with Tannehill, the Titans offer uneven passing volume. That's obviously not ideal for Burks, but the team prioritized him in the offense upon his return last Sunday as he was targeted six times on 27 routes. His production may be inconsistent, but may be a breakout candidate for the second half of the season.

Jameson Williams at Giants (17 percent ESPN)

Williams is still on the non-football injury list, but coach Dan Campbell said he could begin to practice in time for a Week 13 return. He's likely rostered in leagues where he can be placed in an IR slot, but it may be worth stashing him for teams in a good position to reach the playoffs.

DeAndre Carter vs. Chiefs (eight percent ESPN)

Monitor the status of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Carter likely won't be worth playing if either suits up against Kansas City, but he's carved out a consistent role in their absence.

Tight End

Isaiah Likely vs. Panthers (20 percent ESPN)

News has been relatively positive about Mark Andrews' potential to return, but he still wasn't spotted in the portion of practice open to the media. Likely disappointed in Week 9 with Andrews sidelined, and the Ravens' receiving corps is getting healthier. All those factors mean Likely is trending away from fantasy relevance, but it's worth monitoring the situation throughout the week.

Foster Moreau at Broncos (16 percent ESPN) 

Moreau hasn't done much with his opportunity while Darren Waller is sidelined and faces a very difficult matchup in Week 11. I'd try to avoid starting him, but his projected role moving forward keeps him in consideration to roster.

Juwan Johnson vs. Rams (12 percent ESPN)

I don't have much faith in Johnson unless he shows he can consistently command seven targets as he did last week. With Jarvis Landry and Adam Trautman back in the mix, it's hard to envision Johnson with that level of involvement in a low-volume offense moving forward.

Austin Hooper at Packers (five percent ESPN)

When the Titans throw, Hooper has been involved. While the game script this weekend may not dictate a lot of volume, the Titans play the Bengals and Eagles the next two weeks and that means his long-term outlook is more positive.

Daniel Bellinger vs. Lions (one percent ESPN)

Bellinger was just stepping into a consistent role in the Giants' offense when he suffered an eye injury. He's reportedly set to visit a specialist later in the week to determine the final stages of his recovery, so he may not return this week. However, Bellinger's definitely a pickup capable of paying off the rest of the way at a weak position.

Trey McBride vs. 49ers (three percent ESPN)

Zach Ertz is out for the season and McBride was on the field for 91 percent of offensive snaps in Week 10. That didn't lead to much production, but he could benefit with Arizona's quarterback situation (hopefully) stabilizing in the coming weeks.  

Harrison Bryant at Bills (one percent ESPN)

David Njoku didn't return to practice Wednesday, which seemingly puts Bryant in a decent position to remain Cleveland's starting tight end. The weather is currently projected to be terrible in Buffalo, so be aware of that as the week progresses when considering Bryant. Aside from role, he hasn't seen consistent volume in the Cleveland offense, so keep expectations in check.

Jack Stoll at Colts (zero percent ESPN)

Stoll is the most likely candidate to earn more snaps in the absence of Dallas Goedert. He'll still be buried in target priority within the Philadelphia offense, but he's a good option for those desperate at the position.