Week 11 fantasy football waiver-wire targets

Death, taxes and the #PackIRs. Three things we can count on each and every year. The Packers lost Aaron Jones to a knee injury and then backup Ty Montgomery was sidelined with a rib injury. That put fourth-round rookie Jamaal Williams into the spotlight, and he delivered just what the Packers needed. A power runner from BYU, Williams didn't put too many "wow" plays on tape, but he ground out tough yards and continuously moved the chains for this struggling offense. The exact nature and severity of the injuries to Jones and Montgomery aren't known at this point, but Williams could be set to inherit a sizable workload for the foreseeable future. Williams gets a tough draw facing the Ravens next week, who've allowed a whopping 90 yards on the ground to opposing running backs in their last two games, but volume is volume and Williams will be at worst a flex option. (Percent owned: 25.7, FAAB suggestion: 20-25 percent)

Hopefully more people come around to Orleans Darkwa this week after another solid performance. Darkwa took his 14 carries for 70 against the 49ers, and added two catches for 18 more. He now has 69-plus yards on the ground in four of his last five contests, and will remain the leading back in terms of carries. Over the last four weeks he's handled roughly 64 percent of the team's carries. Darkwa leads the Giants backfield in playing time in that span as well, and is underrated in the public eye, as James Koh explained in "Koh Knows." It's not a sexy add or start, but Darkwa offers consistent production at the running back position, which is something more people should be taking advantage of. (Percent owned: 32.1, FAAB suggestion: 20-25)

The NFL is about to get a whole lot grittier, folks. Danny Woodhead is set to return soon from IR for the Ravens, which could be a boon to the Ravens running game that has struggled to find an identity, bouncing between Javorius Allen and Alex Collins the last several weeks. Woodhead is eligible to return next week against the Packers, and while he has expressed caution about his return, it seems likely he'll suit up in Week 11. Odds are Woodhead has been dropped for a long time in your league, and he could provide immediate value if he gets back into a sizable workload. Allen has averaged over six targets per game since Woodhead's injury in Week 1, and those would figure to go back to the veteran upon his (healthy) return. (Percent owned: 51.4, FAAB suggestion: 15-20)

Austin Ekeler flew largely under the radar as an undrafted free agent this year who signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. After a few splash plays throughout the year, Ekeler saw more opportunities against the Jaguars and boy did he make the most of them. Yes, Ekeler had a costly fourth quarter fumble, but the rookie jitterbug provided a much-needed spark to the Chargers offense. He was on the field for just 22 offensive plays, but touched the ball 15 times (10 carries for 42 yards, five catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns). Melvin Gordon, typically the team's work horse, has been battling through some injuries and bouts of ineffectiveness (five games with under 60 yards rushing). The Chargers could turn this more into a committee, with Ekeler eating into Gordon's workload, or at least his receiving opportunities. Ekeler and Gordon face a Bills rush defense next week that has given up 475 rushing yards to opposing backs over the last TWO WEEKS. Ekeler could have flex appeal in Week 11, and could be a valuable stash down the stretch. (Percent owned: 0.1, FAAB suggestion: 15-20 percent)

Corey Coleman is set to return to the Browns soon, and they desperately need a No. 1 wide receiver. He's been on IR for much of the season with a hand injury, so there shouldn't be concerns about his fitness as he returns to action. The Browns are likely to remain in pass-heavy game scripts the rest of the way, which would benefit Coleman greatly. I'd be hesitant to start him this week against the Jaguars secondary, but he could be a factor heading into the fantasy playoffs with matchups against the Chargers and Packers on the horizon. (Percent owned: 38.9, FAAB suggestion: 15-20)

Boneheaded plays aside, Marqise Lee is starting to receive the type of volume that makes him worth some attention in fantasy. He now has 10-plus targets in three of his last four games, with 55-plus yards in each of those games, and two touchdowns in that span. Lee will be a potential WR2/flex play next week against the woebegone Cleveland Browns secondary, especially since Allen Hurns' status could be in doubt after suffering a knee injury this week. It probably won't be pretty to watch or efficient in the final stat line, but Lee will have upside as the Jaguars look to take care of business against the Browns. (Percent owned: 8.8, FAAB suggestion: 5-10 percent)

The Bears wide receiving corps was decimated with injuries early this year as the team lost Cameron Meredith and Kevin White to season-ending ailments. That's likely partially why the team traded for Dontrelle Inman from the Chargers before the deadline. Inman was inactive for his first game with the team (at Saints), but got the start against Green Bay in Week 10 and impressed. He played 95 percent of the offensive plays and saw nearly 23 percent of the team targets, catching six of his eight looks for 88 yards. The Bears want to be a low-volume passing attack, but when in games where they'll have to take to the air Inman looks like he'll be a factor. That could happen next week when Matthew Stafford and the high-flying Lions passing attack come to town. Don't go crazy for Inman on the waiver wire, but if you need wide receiver depth or a spot start he's well worth a look. (Percent owned: 0.2, FAAB suggestion: 0-5 percent)

A 47-10 blowout loss probably wasn't what Charles Clay was hoping for in his return to action for the Bills, but there were some encouraging signs for his outlook the rest of the season. He was on the field for 58 percent of the offensive plays and saw three targets, though we shouldn't take too much from his receiving performance in a day where the starting quarterback threw for just 56 yards. Tight end is still a bit of a fantasy wasteland if you don't have one of the elite guys on your roster, and Clay was among that group prior to his injury. He's a solid add this week in the hopes that this offense bounces back ahead of some favorable matchups with the Chiefs, Colts, and Dolphins in the next several weeks. (Percent owned: 17.3, FAAB suggestion: 5-10 percent)

The Panthers are heading into their bye in Week 11, but teams pushing for the fantasy postseason should check the waiver wire for Greg Olsen, who is eligible to return from IR. The Panthers have excellent matchups during the fantasy playoffs against the Packers and Buccaneers (both at home), which could be perfect timing for Olsen to reassert himself as one of the league's best tight ends. Kelvin Benjamin's departure could open up even more opportunities for Olsen than he saw in his first two games before suffering a broken foot. (Percent owned: 55.8, FAAB suggestion: 10-15 percent)

It's hard to believe, but we've reached the point of the 2017 season where Blake Bortles is a legit streaming quarterback. He has 241-plus yards and a touchdown in four straight games, and now gets to face a Browns defense that just bleeds passing production (they gave up 249 yards and three touchdowns to Matthew Stafford this week). With players like Drew Brees taking on a reduced role, and others like Jared Goff in bad matchups (at the Vikings), Bortles will absolutely be in the mix as a starting-caliber fantasy signal-caller for Week 11. (Percent owned: 16.6, FAAB suggestion: 0-5 percent)