Every week, I will share my favorite waiver wire or free agent pickups in fantasy football. Here is what I have for week 11!
QB:
Drake Maye, Patriots
I was so happy to see him outplay Caleb Williams in week 10. We have been saying for weeks at DrRoto.com that Caleb is a bust in fantasy football, and we got to see firsthand how much better Maye (the number 3 overall pick) was than Williams (the number 1 overall pick). Maye has much less to work with in New England than Caleb does but was still able to do so much more than him. Maye’s ability to pick up yards on the ground also makes him a really interesting fantasy football option, and in games where the Patriots are losing, we will see even more of it. He was limited in his passing and his running in week 10 because the Bears played so badly, and the Patriots were in control from the very beginning.
Joe Flacco, Colts
He had a rough start to the game in week 10, throwing 2 early interceptions, but he still ended up having a solid fantasy day and did it against a tough Bills pass defense. He threw for 272 yards and 2 TD, and has thrown at least 2 TD passes in every game but one that he’s played at least one half of. That type of consistency is important, and there will be matchups you want to use him in over the current QB you have unless you have one of the top 5 guys.
Russell Wilson, Steelers
Although he threw his first INT of the season in week 10 and had his fewest passing yards, he did throw for 3 TDs, which matches his total from his first 2 games combined this season. The entire offense looks better with Wilson as the quarterback, and there should be no more doubt that he is the right man for the job in Pittsburgh. Pick him up now that his bye week is in the rearview mirror, and consider starting him regularly unless you have a Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow type.
RB:
Trey Benson, Cardinals
He isn’t taking Conner’s job, but week 10 marked the first time that he looked like a must-roster player. He carried the ball 10 times for 62 yards and caught 2 passes for 25 yards. He should go unclaimed on waivers this week because the Cardinals are heading on their bye week, which means you can scoop him up low-key now. There is room for both him and Conner in this offense, but we also have to start looking ahead to the fantasy playoffs and having insurance. If you roster Conner, Benson is a must-own player. In deeper leagues, he may already be rostered as a handcuff, but he is only 25% rostered on sleeper right now.
Audric Estime, Broncos
The rookie saw 14 carries in the week 10 game which was more than every other Broncos player combined. Even though HC Sean Payton likes to rotate his backs, it’s a good sign that was saw Estime out carry the rest of the group by as much as he did. He could become a late season RB2 in fantasy if he keeps getting so many touches, so scoop him up this week!
Gus Edwards, Chargers
He is back off IR and got right back into the mix for carries in a run-first offense that the Chargers love to play. Although Dobbins saw 5 more carries than him, Edwards ran for more yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry. He is a bigger back than Dobbins and could see goal-line work because of it. If Dobbins were to get hurt at any time, Gus could become a legitimate RB1 because of this offense. He is only 19% rostered on sleeper right now.
WR:
Ricky Pearsall, 49ers
He was dropped in a lot of leagues during the bye week in week 9. Then, with CMC and Jennings returning from injury, he wasn’t scooped back up for week 10, so check to see if he is available in your league. He made a big play for the 49ers in their week 10 win and had more receiving yards than CMC, Samuel, and Kittle. All of those guys get so much attention that Pearsall and Jennings are going to have space to operate and have some big games.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Saints
This could be a case in which we are chasing TDs and one big performance, but MVS had a monster day in week 10, catching 2 TD passes and racking up over 100 receiving yards. The Saints offense has suffered since their deep threat Shaheed went on IR, but perhaps MVS can take that role and run with it moving forward.
Kayshon Boutte, Patriots
He led the team in targets in week 10 and is a clear part of this passing game with Drake Maye under center. The Patriots were ahead in week 10 against a struggling Bears team, but for the most part, they will be playing from behind moving forward, so there should be more opportunity for Boutte going forward.
Mike Williams, Steelers
He went from being an afterthought in the Jets offense to possibly being the WR2 in the Steelers offense. He caught a TD pass in his first game, and it was a big reason why the Steelers won their game against a very good Commanders team. Moving forward, Williams has value if he can remain healthy, but I will tell you not to expect consistency from him, and he might be TD-dependent.
TE:
Taysom Hill, Saints
He is involved as a TE, a WR, a RB, and as a QB. He gets red zone touches and is one of the only weapons they have on offense, with everyone except Kamara being injured. If you have had an inconsistent play at the position, Hill is a nice play for you, who should deliver 5-6 PPR points with an upside of 15-20.
Dawson Knox, Bills
Kincaid left the game and didn’t return, and if he misses any time, Knox becomes the TE1 for the Bills. He is the longest-tenured pass catcher in the Josh Allen era in Buffalo, so there is a reason to like Knox.
DST:
Miami Dolphins
They play the Raiders, who have one playmaker on offense, and it’s rookie TE Brock Bowers. The Raiders QB is Gardner Minshew, who makes a lot of mistakes, which should lead to turnovers. So, if you have one of the defenses on a bye this week or your defense has a bad matchup, pick up Miami.
