Waiver Wire Watch: Week 11 Fantasy Football Targets

Nov 13, 2017

Editor's Note: We're happy to have Brandon Niles on the Waiver Wire Watch this year. He'll work in conjunction with Senior Editor John Paulsen to compile the weekly list of pickups and generate recommended prices for FAAB leagues.

Here is a look at the top waiver wire pickups for Week 11. To be eligible for discussion, the player must be owned in 50% or fewer Yahoo leagues, though we’ll stretch the rules a bit for the RB position, which is usually very thin. We’ll also include suggested bid prices (with a $100 budget) for those leagues that use Free Agent Acquisition Budgets (FAAB). Of course, player value depends on league characteristics and team needs. Players are listed by position in order of importance. For extremely shallow or extremely deep leagues, be sure to review our Rest-of-Season Rankings (updated every Tuesday) to get an idea of how to value players not on this list.

Waiver options are slim this week, so it’s a good time to save your FAAB money, or to think a couple weeks ahead for streaming options. The quality this week is at the tight end position, with viable quarterbacks in short supply.

Quarterbacks

Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars ($3)

Bortles had 273 yards, a touchdown, and a pair of interceptions on Sunday against the Chargers, and he’s been hard to trust all season. However, he has one of the best schedules in football to close out the season, starting with this week against the Browns. If you’ve been streaming all year, Bortles has the potential to carry you for a few weeks. He only has one sub-par matchup remaining on the schedule, and that isn’t until Week 14 against the Seahawks.

Next up: @ Browns, @ Cardinals, Colts

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens ($1)

Flacco had 261 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Titans in Week 9. He also threw two picks, but it was good to see the Ravens offense moving during a season where they rank dead last in the league with only 5.3 yards per pass attempt. Flacco is risky, but with limited streaming options available, he’s worth considering. He has a nice matchup against the Packers this week, who just made Mitchell Trubisky look like a competent quarterback, and then he’ll face the Texans in Week 12.

Next up: @ Packers, Texans, Lions

Case Keenum, Minnesota Vikings ($1)

I’m not a big believer in Keenum, and I think Teddy Bridgewater will be starting by the end of the season. However, Keenum threw four touchdown passes on Sunday against Washington, and facing a high-powered Rams offense this week, it’s likely that the Vikings will need to throw the ball. In a week with deeper streaming options available, Keenum probably wouldn’t make the cut, but with limited players out there to consider, he gets mentioned for a minimum bid.

Next up: Rams, @ Lions, @ Falcons

Jay Cutler, Miami Dolphins ($1)

Cutler has looked terrible all season and hasn’t been able to take advantage of matchups in most weeks. However, in a week with limited streaming options available, Cutler is worth considering with the Bucs next on the schedule, and the Patriots coming up in Week 12 and Week 14. Only the Giants allow more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks than the Patriots this season.

Next up: Bucs, @ Patriots, Broncos

Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears ($1)

I don’t love Trubisky, but he had 297 yards and a touchdown against the Packers on Sunday and threw the ball 35 times. If he falls behind against the Lions or the Eagles over the next two weeks and approaches that many pass attempts again, he could be worth streaming in very deep leagues.

Next up: Lions, @ Eagles, 49ers

I’m not buying: Jacoby Brissett had a couple long touchdowns against the Steelers, but with a bye this week and reports of a potential concussion after the game, there’s no reason to grab Brissett this week. I know C.J. Beathard had a good game against the Giants, but with a bye this week and the Seahawks in Week 12, I’m not interested.

Deep Stash Options: I’m not opposed to adding Jimmy Garoppolo as a stash option, but with Kyle Shanahan being cryptic about when/if he’ll play this season, I’m only looking at him as a long-term stash. Teddy Bridgewater is now on the active roster, and if he can win that job back, he’ll have some weapons to work with in Minnesota. Colin Kaepernick quietly accounted for 18 total touchdowns in 12 games last season for a horrible team. If he lands on a team with some talent around him, he could quickly become a steady QB option.