The Pigskin Papers Waiver Wire - Week 11
Welcome Back, Superman
(Posted November 16, 2021)
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Welcome to the Week 11 Waiver Wire. We had lots of late-breaking injury and COVID news last week, after most leagues had processed waivers. But lots of leagues allow waivers all week, or do them later in the week, and if you were able to scoop up Mark Ingram, D’Ernest Johson, or Rhamondre Stevenson late last week, you cashed in on Sunday. It’s usually hard to find impact players - even those who might only have a big impact for one week - this late in the season. We’ve got a few potential impact players listed below, plus some depth stashes, but also keep an eye on the NFL newsfeed as this week goes on.
***See our Week 10 Fantasy Recap: https://www.thepigskinpapers.com/posts-1/the-pigskin-papers-postscript-week-10
BYES WEEK 11: Denver, LA Rams
QB:
Cam Newton. He’s not only back, he’s back with his old team. He’s not only back with his old team, but he’s probably going to be starting for them as early as this week. P.J. Walker played well this week, but the Panthers aren’t paying Newton like they are for him to sit on the bench. So what should we expect from Cam? His shoulder hasn’t been right in a few years and when we last saw him, he was clanging passes at the feet of Patriots pass-catchers, or sailing them over their heads. His right arm looked shot - and maybe it is. But he also led all QBs last year with 12 rushing TDs, and that’s the ticket. He already has a rushing TD this year, and he’s only taken a handful of snaps! Cam may struggle as a passer, but he provides a high rushing floor that makes him viable in fantasy, at least as a streamer or spot-starter, and possibly more. Plus he can dump the ball off to CMC which is a huge fantasy asset for a QB. If you’re waiting on Kyler, if your QB still has his bye coming up, or if you otherwise need help at the position, Cam is a good asset to add to your squad.
Tua is only rostered in about 25-30% of leagues. You won’t want to start him every week, but he looked pretty good the other night and if he can ever get all of his weapons healthy, this could be a sneaky-good passing offense, plus he can run a little. Miami is finished with the Bills, and still has 2 games left with the Jets (including this week), 1 with the Giants, and 1 with the Titans who’ve been really bad against the pass. He could be useful as a streaming option.
Teddy Bridgewater continues to make this list, even on his bye week. He is the definition of a safe, streaming QB who can help you in a pinch. He’s got 14 TD passes and 1 rushing TD on the year, against just 5 picks. He won’t wow, but he can give you a decent week when called upon.
Justin Fields is the opposite of Teddy. He’s had some truly atrocious weeks this season and looked lost earlier in the year. But he started showing signs of fantasy relevance in the 2 weeks before the Bears’ bye in Week 10, and he’s available in the majority of leagues. He can run, and run well - which provides a good floor. If you’re stuck at QB and need to swing for the fences down the stretch, consider rolling the dice with Fields.
Mac Jones had his best game as a pro this past week. This team can run it on you all day, and it can play defense. And Jones doesn’t run much himself. All of that limits his upside and he isn’t going to see a lot of huge passing days - but he’s got a tasty matchup this week against the Falcons. If you’re looking for a bye week streaming option for Stafford, Jones and Tua are two of my top choices.
RB:
Rhamondre Can Help You
It’s unclear if Damien Harris will be able to clear the concussion protocol by Thursday, on a very short week for New England. If he can’t, then Rhamondre Stevenson is a top 10 play this week against Atlanta. And even if Harris is back, he gets banged up a decent amount and Stevenson has shown an awful lot the last 2 weeks, so it’s hard to imagine him not getting enough touches to at least be a flex. Stevenson is still available in plenty of leagues, and is the top available addition this week. Use some FAAB on him if you’ve still got your bankroll - you might not get a better opportunity to buy a potential impact RB.
D’Onta Foreman led the Titans in carries this week. I think that with 3 RBs all getting a decent slice of the pie, none of the Tennessee RBs is anything more than a flex at best, and all are hard to pencil into your lineup right now. Foreman isn’t going to win you your league, but if you’re desperate for RB help, he will at least give you an opportunity for some production.
Alex Collins is available in a lot of leagues and given all the injuries at RB around the league, I think he’s worth a roster spot. Chris Carson is still dealing with a neck issue that may limit his availability for the rest of the season, and better days are ahead for the Seattle offense.
No, I don’t think Matt Breida is worth picking up. If I had a dollar for time that a third string RB found the end zone against the Jets this year, I’d probably have enough money for a nice craft beer in a bottle or can. Maybe even on draught.
I also don’t recommend Wayne Gallman. He led the Falcons in rushing attempts and yards his week but a lot of that was in extended garbage time. I don’t see much value here.
Lat Murray is worth a pickup if he was dropped in your league, and if you have the bench space. He should be back soon, and my guess is that he’ll assume the lead RB role once he returns.
Jeff Wilson got a decent slice of the work last night. Elijah Mitchell still leads the way for this backfield and the coaching staff has no problem leaning on the rookie, but the 49ers run the ball as much as they can, so Wilson isn’t a bad add for depth. ***UPDATE: Mitchell has a broken finger and his availability for week 11 is unclear. Upgrade Wilson to a priority add on this news.***
AJ Dillon and Mark Ingram are rostered in about 75% of leagues, so I normally wouldn’t even mention them. But Aaron Jones sprained his MCL on Sunday and the normal timeline for that would have him missing the next 2 games, before the Packers bye. And it’s not clear if Alvin Kamara is going to miss more time. Both of these players should be 100% rostered right now, so if you’re in one of those leagues where either Dillon or Ingram is available, grab him.
WR:
More Moore?
Elijah Moore was mentioned in this column last week, and I’ll mention him again, but with the same words of caution - the Jets QB situation is unsettled, and they’ve got other players who demand targets. Still, he’s carving out a nice role and is a dynamic player - and the Jets are almost always playing catch-up.
Speaking of exciting rookie WRs playing in NY, I think a lot of people have forgotten about Kadarius Toney, who’s been banged up for the last month and is coming off a bye - he’s available in around 50% of leagues. It’s time to remember him. He should be healthy now, and the Giants are a team that could surprise in the second half, with Toney assuming a larger role in the offense. He’s my favorite WR pickup this week - grab him if he’s available.
Two Dolphins to consider for depth or maybe more: Will Fuller and Albert Wilson. Devante Parker could be out a few more weeks, and this team can’t run the ball and should be pretty pass-heavy down the stretch. Wilson was a COVID opt-out last year and hasn’t played much this year, so he isn’t on anyone’s radar, but he’s shown flashes, including on Thursday night.
Rashod Bateman has been mentioned in this column a few times. Last week was his best output yet - and while a lot of that came in garbage time, it’s clear that Lamar trusts him, and his role should only grow. He’s a player who could have a nice second half of the season, and give you some spot-start value the rest of the way.
I continue to think that Darnell Mooney is a worthwhile bench stash - if the Bears offense continues to pick it up, he could have flex appeal.
I also like Bryan Edwards for WR depth - he’s less than 20% rostered.
I’ve mentioned Jamal Agnew in this column before. It’s odd to be talking about a receiver coming off a game with zero catches - but before you laugh too much at me, he did have 5 targets. And oh yeah, he had 3 rushes for 79 yards including a 66 yard TD. The Jaguars clearly want to find ways to get the ball in his hands, and he’s got real big-play ability.
TE:
Dan Arnold has been mentioned here the last 2 weeks. He’s emerged in the last month as Trevor Lawrence’s favorite target. It’s not a sexy pickup but TE is not a sexy position, at all - any production is good production.
Cole Kmet has also emerged as a trusted target for a rookie QB. Sticking with the “Bears might become a fun offense” theme, I like him as a depth addition at TE.
Tyler Conklin had just 3 grabs for 11 yards this week. So why am I mentioning him? Well, because 2 of those catches were TDs but more importantly, he’s got 5 or more targets in 4 straight games, and again, TE is still a wasteland for the most part.
Good luck with your pickups. Be sure to check out our Week 10 Fantasy recap, posting later today, and our week 11 fantasy preview, with our weekly Rides, Fades and Sleepers, posting Thursday.
DH
***This column (Waiver Wire) and the Weekly Fantasy Recap appear each Tuesday, and the Weekly Fantasy Preview each Thursday. Please bookmark the site and come back often. You can also follow on Social Media - on Instagram (thepigskinpapers) and Twitter (@PigskinPapers). I appreciate your patronage and welcome your feedback. You can post in the comment boxes or email pigskinpapers@gmail.com.***
