Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Running Backs (Week 11)

We will have you covered throughout the fantasy football season with our bevy of tools, including our Waiver Wire Assistant. Find the top available players and get detailed analysis on how potential fantasy football waiver wire adds will impact your team. Of course, our team of analysts will also have written advice each week. Check out some of our top fantasy football waiver wire running backs to target for the week below. And also be sure to check out all of our fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 11.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Running Back

Running Backs

Written by Ellis Bryn Johnson

Tyler Allgeier (RB – ATL): 33% Rostered

• Next Opponents: CAR, @NO, NYJ
• True Value: $4
• Desperate Need: $6
• Budget-Minded: $2

Analysis: Writing about Tyler Allgeier in the waiver wire column has become the most stable thing in my life. In a fantasy football world that turns upside down each week, it’s nice to know that an elite backup and potential Flex play is waiting for you on the wire. Bijan Robinson is the focal point of the Falcons’ offense, but when they want some powerful downhill running, they aren’t afraid to turn to Allgeier. In Week 10, this turned into 11 carries for 57 yards and both of the Falcons’ rushing scores in a loss to the Colts. With an incredible three-game schedule coming up, Allgeier should not only be rostered in all leagues but potentially placed into your Flex if you need a quick fix.

Blake Corum (RB – LAR): 26% Rostered

• Next Opponents: SEA, TB, @CAR
• True Value: $4
• Desperate Need: $6
• Budget-Minded: $2

Analysis: I started this section by discussing Tyler Allgeier, who has started paying rent since he lives in this article. He may be getting a roommate in Blake Corum over the next few weeks. The belief that Sean McVay likes to use one back has slowly been dwindling. A few weeks ago, McVay said he would like the backfield to be close to a 65-35 split between Kyren Williams and Corum. This held up in Week 10, with Williams playing 40 snaps to Corum’s 26. With 38 carries over his last three games, Corum’s role is here to stay. Double-digit carries in one of the league’s best offenses could make Corum a Flex option down the stretch.

Kenneth Gainwell (RB – PIT): 33% Rostered

• Next Opponents: CIN, @CHI, BUF
• True Value: $2
• Desperate Need: $4
• Budget-Minded: $1

Analysis: The Steelers might have the easiest schedule for running backs from Week 11 to Week 15. Even though the Pittsburgh offense has left a lot to be desired for fantasy, it has been able to move the ball well in favorable matchups. As a result, Gainwell is a worthy grab for his roughly eight touches per game, but especially for the contingent upside if Jaylen Warren were to miss time. In the one game the Steelers played without Warren this year, we saw Gainwell finish as the overall RB3 for the week. With great matchups coming up, Gainwell would be a fringe RB1 if given the opportunity.

Emari Demercado (RB – ARI): 37% Rostered & Bam Knight (RB – ARI): 26% Rostered

• Next Opponents: SF, JAX, @TB
• True Value: $2, $0
• Desperate Need: $4, $1
• Budget-Minded: $1, $0

Analysis: With Trey Benson‘s return possibly a week away, remain conservative with your bids for either Emari Demercado or Bam Knight this week. Over the last two weeks, Demercado has been the more valuable back for fantasy despite playing fewer snaps than Knight. In Week 10, the gap between the two shrank, with Knight playing 34 snaps to Demercado’s 32. Of the two, Demercado is the more valuable back for fantasy, and his usage in the passing game may help him retain some value when Benson returns. For Week 11, both can be considered Flex options against a beaten-up 49ers defense that was blown out by the Rams, 42-26. The 49ers allowed Kyren Williams and Blake Corum to combine for 139 yards and two scores on the ground. Demercado is a high-end RB3 for Week 11, with Knight a Flex option.

Tyjae Spears (RB – TEN): 37% Rostered

• Next Opponents: HOU, SEA, JAX
• True Value: $0
• Desperate Need: $1
• Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: Will the Titans be able to turn their season around coming out of their bye? Probably not. However, there is always a chance we’ll see some improvement after the coaching staff has analyzed the team’s previous games to see what was working. What was working was a very short list, so I am sure the Tennessee coaches had plenty of time to find creative ways to implement more of it. Either way, Tyjae Spears is one of the few players who has brought juice to this offense. Getting five to nine carries each week, Spears’ true fantasy value comes from the passing game. Catching three or more passes in each of his last four games, he may be the only Titan producing against some very difficult matchups coming up. Starting any Titan against an elite Texans or Seahawks defense is a tough pill to swallow, but if there is a shot to take, I’d take it on Spears.

Devin Singletary (RB – NYG): 25% Rostered

• Next Opponents: GB, @DET, @NE
• True Value: $0
• Desperate Need: $1
• Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: Tyrone Tracy Jr. took the Giants’ lead back role from Devin Singletary last year, but we have seen both lead the way in the two games the Giants have played without Cam Skattebo. In Week 9, Singletary out-snapped Tracy 32-25. In Week 10, we saw this flip, as Tracy out-snapped Singletary 49-24. The main difference between these two games is that the Giants were playing from behind in Week 9 and were playing with a lead in Week 10. When they are trailing, it would make sense for Tracy to get increased snaps as the main pass-catching back. Instead, it was the opposite, creating further confusion for fantasy. I expect Tracy to be the more heavily used running back going forward. Unless you are rostering Singletary for his contingent upside if Tracy misses time, let your leaguemates deal with this headache. The Giants’ next few games pose difficult matchups, and it will be nearly impossible to confidently predict Singletary’s role.

Running Back Stash Candidates

• Tahj Brooks (RB – CIN)

Before the Bengals’ bye in Week 10, Samaje Perine suffered a high-ankle sprain. This opens the door for sixth-round rookie Tahj Brooks to back up Chase Brown. The Bengals have become one of the best offenses for fantasy, and their late-season schedule is favorable. It’s worth stashing Brooks, who received lots of praise in the offseason.