Waiver Wire Rankings: Expert Pickups for Week 11

John Brown, the big play rookie, can provide a big boost in any given week

Naturally as the season progresses, the waiver wire becomes more difficult to navigate as the options just aren’t as deep or productive. When this happens, one must consider all aspects of the NFL season including records, schedules, and injury risk.

Week 11’s waiver wire brings some familiar names which make it all the more difficult to choose as they have likely been underperforming this season. Whether you’re in need of a handcuff or a spot start, we’ve asked our featured experts to once again rank this week’s top readily available players (rest of season value). Read on to view the pundits’ consensus advice as well as their top D/ST rentals for Week 11.

Featured Pros

Adam Pfeifer (ProjectRoto)
Alessandro Miglio (Footballguys)
Dawgmatica (Pyromaniac)
Joe Bond (Fantasy Six Pack)
Sean Beazley (EDSFootball)

Waiver Wire Rankings (STD Scoring)

Week 11 Waiver Wire Advice

Each expert was asked to share advice about a target or two they like this week along with any other waiver wire suggestions they have. Here’s what the experts had to say.

Q1: Give us your thoughts on a waiver wire target (or two) you especially like as a pickup.

Sean Beazley – EDSFootball
The way I value waiver targets is twofold. Do I need a one week fill in, or a player who potentially could win me a championship in Week 16? There are a lot of determining factors involved when it comes to the waiver process. The most important factor is where I sit in the standings. If I need a win, then a player like Cecil Shorts who I have rated 4th, is someone who fills an immediate need at WR who should get consistent targets each week. If I am pretty much a lock for the playoffs, then I’m willing to take a gamble. My 3rd rated player Davante Adams is someone who has an enormous upside if anything happens to either Randall Cobb or Jordy Nelson.

Dawgmatica – Pyromaniac
I know it looks like Arian Foster escaped serious injury once again, but seeing how he has already suffered multiple soft-tissue injuries this season (groin, hamstring, calf), how long is he really going to last? If Foster goes down – which is well within the realm of possibility – the very capable Alfred Blue will have one of the league’s easiest run schedules to work with for the rest of the season.

Davante Adams may be third in line behind Nelson and Cobb, but as Aaron Rodgers shows time and time again, there’s plenty of action to go around in that Green Bay offense. It just so happens the Packers wide receivers have the second-easiest fantasy schedule during the fantasy playoffs (wks. 14-16), so if you’re looking for a potential sniper who could give you the kill-shot you’ve been looking for, go grab Davante now.

Joe Bond – Fantasy Six Pack
The tight end position this year, outside of the top 3 drafted, has gone nothing like many of us expected. Injuries and bad seasons for guys like Vernon Davis and Jordan Cameron, have a lot of us scrambling to find production at that position. Mychal Rivera has been great the last three weeks, catching a combined 21 passes for 185 yards and 3 touchdowns. Yes, the touchdown this past week was in garbage time, but the Raiders should be in passing mode a lot late in games, so you can rely on that.

If you’re a DeMarco Murray owner and have the luxury of looking long-term, then Joseph Randle is a must pickup. I did not rank him very high, because while Murray is healthy Randle is not going to get many touches, averaging only 3.3 a game. However, in the playoff run you must protect your assets and with Murray’s extensive injury history, you will want to have his immediate backup.

Alessandro Miglio – Footballguys
There isn’t much to love at running back right now on the waiver wire, unless Adrian Peterson is miraculously there or you play in an eight-team league, anyway. If John Brown and Cecil Shorts are somehow there, they are excellent pickups, though they are more matchup plays than plug-and-play options. Kyle Rudolph is someone I have been advising folks to pick up for a couple of weeks now, and it looks like he will finally be back this week to help the Minnesota offense and score some touchdowns.

Adam Pfeifer – ProjectRoto
Per usual, I like Cecil Shorts, and believe he needs to be owned in more leagues. He’s still a very talented wide receiver when healthy, and in the six full games he’s played this year, Shorts is averaging just under 10 targets per game. Meanwhile, because they are always trailing, Jacksonville is throwing the football 63 percent of the time, the 5th-highest rate in football. I like volume, and Shorts sees a ton of it.

Q2: For owners looking to rent a D/ST in Week 11, what readily available option should they target first?

Joe Bond – Fantasy Six Pack
I like two defenses as stream options in Week 11. One is the San Diego Chargers against the Raiders, but my favorite pickup is the Cleveland Browns against the Texans. The Browns have been a strong defense the last three weeks, and get to face the Texans who will be dealing with a banged up Arian Foster, if he even plays, and rolling out Ryan Mallett. Who knows, maybe Mallett will be the next coming of Tom Brady, but I’ll take my chances.

Adam Pfeifer – ProjectRoto
The Cleveland Browns are an intriguing defense to me. In Week 11, they’ll face a rookie quarterback in Ryan Mallet, and possibly, a banged up Arian Foster. Cleveland should get a pick or two in this game, as they’ve accumulated 10 interceptions over their last five games.

Dawgmatica – Pyromaniac
There’s not a lot to say for the Washington Redskins defense, but if you’re looking for a one-week renter, you could definitely do worse. First, the ‘Skins are coming off a restful bye, which is always nice for defensive players. Second, they’ll be going up against a Tampa Bay offense allowing the third-most fantasy points while committing the third-most turnovers and scoring the sixth-fewest real-life points. Lastly, they’ll be playing the game at home within the unruly confines of FedEx Field. So, if your normal defense is on a BYE this week or playing against a high-powered offense like Denver or New England, you might want to take a look at Washington.

Alessandro Miglio – Footballguys
If you are looking to stream defenses, the Chicago Bears might be your huckleberry. When you’re done laughing, consider the fact they play the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home over the next couple of weeks. They may not be a great option, but not playing Aaron Rodgers should hopefully help things.

Sean Beazley – EDSFootball
One defense I am targeting in Week 11 is Chicago’s. The Bears have a home game against the Vikings and rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater. The Vikings are nowhere near the offensive juggernaut the Packers are. The Bears D could be a sneaky play for 10-15 points on Sunday.

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Thanks to this week’s Featured Pros for sharing their advice! You can check out more picks from the pundits as their weekly rankings are unveiled soon.