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2022 NFL fantasy football: Week 11 waiver wire

We need to have a talk. Last week, Isiah Pacheco and Rondale Moore were prominently featured in this very column last week with rosterships of 30% and 16%, respectively. They are now 27% and 20% rostered -- which means Pacheco was more DROPPED than added and Moore got a baby bump at best. As Jerry Maguire once said to Rod Tidwell: “Help me help you! Help me help you!” Or if you prefer, in the words of Alfred in Batman Begins, “What is the point of all these words if you can’t even pick up a bloody running back?!” Pretty sure that’s how it went ...

The point is, I can only aim you in the right direction. You have to pull out your phone, click through the NFL Fantasy app, find these players and press the little plus button. We are a team. A dynamic duo. Like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Justin Fields and running all over the NFL. Derrick Henry and stiff arms. Jeff Saturday and winning. You picking up what I’m putting down? All right then, get to picking up these players -- because unlike last week, there are quite a few strong options heading into Week 11!

To the wire!

(And if you want more guys, more explanations, or more answers, hit me up on Twitter @MattOkada!)

Rostered percentages are from NFL.com's fantasy football player trends. Players are roughly ordered by priority within position.

Running backs

Pick Up If Available: Jeff Wilson Jr. (63% rostered), Elijah Mitchell (62%)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers · RB

ROSTERED: 8%


White had been slowly gaining steam in his rookie season in Tampa Bay, but with Leonard Fournette around and the Buccaneers offense struggling mightily, the emphasis had been more on “slowly” than “steam.” Not so after the Bucs’ rousing win in Munich, where they totaled 161 rushing yards on 44 carries (both season highs), won their second straight game and -- unfortunately -- saw Fournette exit early with a hip injury. If Fournette misses significant time, it potentially vaults White into legitimate RB2 conversation, but even if he doesn’t, White was getting significant usage on Sunday before Fournette left ... and it was working. With a healthy Fournette, it’s possible this duo ends up evolving into Zeke-Pollard South moving forward. You absolutely want a piece of that if you can get it cheap.

Kansas City Chiefs · RB

ROSTERED: 27%


All right, here we are again. Listen up. I know Pacheco’s fantasy line from Sunday looks bleak: 6.2 fantasy points? Why would I rush to the waiver wire for that? Well, because Pacheco had 16 carries for 82 yards ... and Clyde Edwards-Helaire had 0 carries (for 0 yards, unsurprisingly). In fact, CEH had two targets, caught neither, and then didn’t really see the field again for the remainder of the game. Meanwhile, Pacheco averaged a healthy 5.1 yards per carry, added a much-needed bit of balance to the Chiefs offense, and while he did fumble (hence only 6.2 fantasy points), he seems to have clawed his way to the top of the depth chart in Kansas City. Getting these kinds of touches in this kind of offense is a recipe for startability in fantasy. Please. Add. Pacheco.

Baltimore Ravens · RB

ROSTERED: 16%


Edwards is anywhere but at the forefront of fantasy manager’s minds after he missed the first six games of the season, then played in one and a half games and then missed another before the bye this past week. Time to bring him back up. In his one full game, Edwards was the lead back for Baltimore and scored 18.6 fantasy points on the merits of a pair of touchdowns. Ravens coach John Harbaugh expects him to be available for Week 11, and as soon as Edwards is back, he will be a weekly threat for double-digit carries and more scores in this productive, run-first offense. While he may not be as flashy as the guys above, Edwards should be a reliable FLEX play or an RB2-in-a-pinch.

Guys to ‘Stache: Apparently all the hype about Jaylen Warren stealing work from Najee Harris was meant to motivate Harris -- and it worked. Harris had his best game of the season Sunday (99 yards) ... but Warren did also get nine carries. For now, you’re probably adding him as a decent handcuff option in case of injury.

Wide receivers

Pick Up If Available: Garrett Wilson (71% rostered), George Pickens (46%)

NOTE: There are far too many interesting options at wide receiver this week, so we’re going with a rapid-fire strategy.

Arizona Cardinals · WR

ROSTERED: 20%


Unlike Pacheco above, your buy-at-a-discount window on Moore is probably already closed. He had nine catches for 94 yards and his third straight game with 14+ fantasy points in Week 10 and will be widely announced as one of the best pickups of the week. Pay up. He is cemented as a WR2/WR3 play until Marquise Brown returns (which might still be a month or more).

Kansas City Chiefs · WR

ROSTERED: 39%


Toney Touchdown!!! Toney was finally (and properly) involved in an offense willing to maximize his skillset, and he turned the opportunity into 19 fantasy points, with 90 scrimmage yards and one score. There is a chance JuJu Smith-Schuster misses time after he suffered a concussion Sunday, but I’m on the Toney train regardless. This much talent in this offense could literally lead to league-winning upside through the fantasy playoffs.

Green Bay Packers · WR

ROSTERED: 0.8%


You, me, Cheeseheads everywhere and especially Aaron Rodgers were all waiting for a breakout game from a Packers youngster. It finally happened. Watson blew the doors off the Cowboys with 107 yards and three touchdowns (on only four catches), more or less saving the Packers' season single-handedly. This could go a LONG way toward establishing trust in the 34th overall pick moving forward, which would be massive for his fantasy upside.

Cleveland Browns · WR

ROSTERED: 13%


Somehow, Peoples-Jones has quietly had 50+ receiving yards in six straight games, capped by a season-high 99 on Sunday. His 75.0 receiving yards per game since Week 5 is 12th-best in the league. And he is going to be getting a quarterback upgrade for the fantasy playoffs. Pretty solid sleeper for the homestretch.

Los Angeles Rams LAR · WR
Los Angeles Rams LAR · WR

ROSTERED: 44%, 9%


To the horror of fantasy managers everywhere, Cooper Kupp went down with what could be a significant lower leg injury on Sunday. Perhaps no offense outside of Tennessee runs more exclusively through a single non-QB than the Rams, which means there are going to be roughly 46 million opportunities per game available to whoever steps up in the L.A. receiving corps if Kupp is out for an extended period. Robinson is the more prominent (and less-available option), but a sneaky snag might be Jefferson, who made his first few catches of the season on Sunday and scored a touchdown to boot.

Guys to ‘Stache: Last week, I recommended ‘staching Treylon Burks -- and I still do -- but it was his teammate Nick Westbrook-Ikhine who lit up the stat sheet in Week 10 (119 yards and two TDs to be exact). Either player might be spottily interesting plays with Ryan Tannehill back under center. This one’s a bit of a deep cut. Dolphins wideout Trent Sherfield has looked very solid recently (16.3 fantasy points in Week 10), and I like him as a sneaky “wide receiver handcuff” just in case Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle tweak anything. This offense is superb and I want pieces.

Tight ends

Pick Up If Available: Dalton Schultz (76% rostered), David Njoku (61%)

Chicago Bears · TE

ROSTERED: 25%


My my my, how the turn tables. Just a few short weeks ago, Kmet was considered a veritable bust (again) as Justin Fields struggled to produce through the air. Then the Bears figured out how to strategize around their incredibly mobile quarterback, Chicago turned into an offensive powerhouse and Kmet has scored five times ... in the last three games. That’s a pair of scores in back-to-back games. You can’t really ask for much more at the tight end position than consistent touchdown production. Kmet should be rostered (and likely started) in all leagues moving forward.

New Orleans Saints · TE

ROSTERED: 2%


Say what you will about Adam Trautman, Taysom Hill or the general ineptitude of the Saints offense. Johnson has scored four tuddies in his last four games. He’s basically Cole Kmet Lite. In all seriousness, there is not much else for Andy Dalton (or Jameis Winston eventually, maybe?) to turn to in the red zone and Juwan has flashed athletic ability worthy of usage between the 20s as well. He’s probably more of a borderline starter or streamer than a locked-and-loaded star, but I can count the number of those guys on one Yoda hand.

Guys to ‘Stache: Zach Ertz suffered a season-ending knee injury on Sunday, and if there is a next-guy up at tight end in Arizona, it would be second-round rookie Trey McBride. Ertz entered the week with 68 targets this season -- second-most among tight ends behind Travis Kelce -- so if McBride can soak up even a decent chunk of that volume, he could offer some value down the stretch.

Quarterbacks

Pick Up If Available:

Guys to ‘Stache: Trevor Lawrence (65% rostered; if and only if you can carry him through his Week 11 bye)

Cleveland Browns · QB

ROSTERED: 43%


Let’s just be very clear from the outset. If you want to leave Deshaun Watson on the waiver wire out of principle, that is your prerogative. That being said, I would be remiss not to acknowledge the suspended QB’s expected return to the field in Week 13. Jacoby Brissett has had a couple of usable fantasy games in this offense recently ... and he’s Jacoby Brissett. In all likelihood, Watson will be a QB1 the instant he returns to the football field. Do with that what you will.

Denver Broncos · QB

ROSTERED: 48%


Wilson is not good. Or at least, Wilson in this Broncos offense is not good. He’s had one game with 18+ fantasy points this season, and it was way back in Week 4 ... against the Raiders. Guess who he gets in Week 11 ... at home? I sure hope you guessed the Raiders. I kind of made it obvious there. The Raiders defense, as I’ve mentioned previously, is somewhere on the level of the Mater Dei high school team (which is pretty good for high school, but very, very bad for the NFL). I am “confident” firing up Wilson for another matchup with Las Vegas. Broncos Country ... *grimace* ... let’s ride.

New York Giants · QB

ROSTERED: 37%


Jones is extremely inconsistent in fantasy -- an annoying reality considering his decent rushing floor and the safety it should (but does not) provide. However, Jones draws the Lions defense in Week 11 -- a defense that rivals the Raiders in its inability to stop quarterbacks. Specifically, the Lions have allowed more than 40 rushing yards per game and four TDs on the ground to quarterbacks this season (both most in the NFL). I think Jones has a 25+ point game in the works for next Sunday. Get it while the gettin’s good.

Defenses

If the Ravens D/ST is available (which it is in about half of NFL.com leagues) that is the absolute cream of the crop for the next month. On deck for Baltimore: the Panthers, Jaguars, Broncos and Steelers. Yeah. That’s nice. I know the Cowboys aren’t an easy matchup for D/STs, but the Vikings D/ST is trending toward matchup-proof and is still available in most leagues. Over their last four games, they’ve had 10+ fantasy points in three: against the Dolphins, Cardinals and Bills. The Bengals D/ST hasn’t been super by any means this season, but neither has the Steelers offense. And when it comes to Kenny Pickett and company, by “not superb” I mean third-juiciest matchup in the league for D/STs. Stream Cincy in Week 11.