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Waiver Wire
Week 11 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire
The waiver wire is one of the most important keys to finding success in the world of fantasy football. I'll do my best to help you manage the waiver wire to scoop up the players who can help bring you fantasy glory each and every week. If you play in a deeper, more competitive league, and all 14 of these players are already owned, be sure to check out my weekly "Deep Dive" waiver wire column (published Mondays), for some high-upside players to aim for heading into Week 11. It's the final instance of bye weeks in 2015, and the Browns, Saints, Giants, Steelers will all be off. For those owners looking for a spot start, some of the players below will certainly fit that bill. For more specific FAAB questions (Free Agent Acquisition Budget), hit me up on Twitter.

We don't have an official word yet, but Julian Edelman's foot injury seems to be serious, and early reports are that it's broken. In Edelman's stead, Amendola slid right into the slot receiver role and delivered a decent performance, catching 10 of his 11 targets for 79 yards. Edelman is likely to miss a significant amount of time, making Amendola a surefire WR2 -- starting with next week's contest against the Bills (on Monday night). Edelman owners should do everything they can to pick up Amendola (or Brandon LaFell, it he's still available) so they have a plug-and-play option on their bench once the official word on Edelman comes in. The Bills have trouble shutting down shifty slot receivers, which could set up Amendola for a solid game in Week 11. FAAB suggestion: 30-40 percent.

We had high hopes for a breakout game for Johnson last week after Keenan Allen landed on IR, but had to settle for just seven catches and 68 yards instead. Well, after resting up and making adjustments during the bye week, Johnson will get a chance to do his fantasy owners right against the Chiefs in Week 11. Even though the Chiefs haven't bled points to opposing wideouts in recent weeks, that's not because their secondary has been completely fixed. They just played a struggling Matthew Stafford and Peyton Manning. Johnson absolutely needs to be owned in more than 18 percent of leagues, and will be a WR2 this weekend against a secondary allowing over 8.6 yards per target to opposing wideouts. Get him off of waivers and into your lineup pronto. FAAB suggestion: 25 percent.

I hemmed and hawed about putting Jones on here, because roughly 56 percent of his 24.7 fantasy points from Week 10 came on one play that had more to do with the Saints' defense being bad than Jones being good. However, beggars can't be choosers when looking for running backs this late in the season, which means Jones is worth an add once again. Jones has a tough matchup next week traveling to Carolina, but with Alfred Morris suffering a rib injury this week, that could lead to more looks for Jones. He and Morris basically split touches in Week 10, though Jones was the more productive back with less opportunities. A dual-threat, Jones will be in the RB2/flex discussion next week -- especially if Morris sits or will be limited. FAAB suggestion: 15-20 percent.

The running back position is exceptionally thin at this point in the season, but Ajayi has been seeing a decent amount of work the last two weeks and deserves the attention of fantasy owners on the waiver wire. In Week 9, he saw just seven offensive snaps, but was given the football on five of those, which he turned into 42 yards. This week against the Eagles, he saw six more carries and took those for 48 yards. He's not a startable asset yet, but the team is starting to look at him more. If Lamar Miller were to go down with an injury, Ajayi would immediately jump up into the RB2 discussion. He's a handcuff worth owning at this point, because as we've seen with the likes of Jeremy Langford and James Starks recently, all it takes is an opportunity for a back like Ajayi to become a serious fantasy contributor. FAAB suggestion: 10-15 percent.

Putting Draughn in this space took a little chunk out of my soul, but given the dearth of running backs available on the waiver wire right now, how can we turn our nose up at a guy who saw 20 touches in Week 9? Carlos Hyde could be back after getting an extra week to heal up, but his foot injury isn't the type that can go away in a week. The 49ers could still feature Draughn more heavily after he produced 96 total yards against the Falcons in an effort to not risk Hyde exacerbating his injury. Don't break your FAAB bank or spend a top priority to get Draughn, but if you're in need of a bye-week fill-in at the flex or RB2 position, Draughn could be a good volume-based play next week. He does have the unenviable task of playing the Seahawks in Seattle, though, so keep in mind that his ceiling will be low. FAAB suggestion: 5-10 percent.

I'm going to beat the David Cobb drum this season until it falls apart. I was ready to give up last week after the team seemed determined to make Antonio Andrews a feature back, but after Andrews and Dexter McCluster delivered another uneven performance in Week 10, I'm starting to believe in Cobb again. The part of me that fell for Cobb's talent in the offseason is still clinging to the hope that the Titans will want to see that talent in action against a real NFL defense as they head into the offseason and gear up for 2016. They're also crazily not out of the AFC South race yet, and getting a fresh-legged, talented runner in the offense could be a spark to help them win a few games. Cobb is worth a speculative add off of the waiver wire if you're looking for running back depth. FAAB suggestion: 5-10 percent.

As we expected all week, Aiken stepped up as the Ravens' No. 1 wide receiver with Steve Smith on IR. He saw 14 targets, good for 31.1 percent of Joe Flacco's pass attempts, bringing in seven of them for 73 yards. He looked pretty good, too, and came back from a mild knee sprain midway through the game. Aiken has to face the Rams next week, but will be at home and seems to have a healthy share of the passing game volume coming his way. Flacco's three touchdowns went to the tight ends and Chris Givens, but one of those could easily come Aiken's way next week. He's worth a flier as a WR3 moving forward. FAAB suggestion: 10-15 percent.

Givens makes the list along with Aiken, as he was the second-most targeted player in Baltimore behind Aiken. Givens is more of a pure deep threat, with the speed to get on top of defenses that Baltimore has been missing for most of the season. His week-to-week production will be a lot more volatile than Aiken's, but he definitely has upside as the emerging No. 2 wideout for Flacco. The Rams' defense doesn't play as fierce away from its home turf, which makes the prospect of starting Givens in a pinch next week a little more palatable. FAAB suggestion: 0-5 percent.

DGB was held catchless against the Panthers, but with Justin Hunter suffering a season-ending ankle injury, the rookie's role in the offense will be secure, and potentially grow down the stretch. His production is too inconsistent to trust on a weekly basis right now, but his talent alone is more than enough reason to grab him off of waivers if he's available in your league. He gets a nice matchup on Thursday Night Football this week against the Jaguars, which could make him a bold flex or WR3 play. FAAB suggestion: 10-15 percent.

This will probably be the last week I include Reed on this list, but consider this my PSA for fantasy owners to go out and acquire Reed. He has caught five touchdowns in his last three games and needs to be rostered (and started) in more leagues. He only saw four targets this week as Kirk Cousins spread the ball around and Washington got up early over the Saints, but Reed had averaged 10 targets per game in the two games prior to Week 10. He has a relatively safe week-to-week floor with TE1 upside if he gets into the end zone once or twice. FAAB suggestion: 20 percent.

Gillmore is catching on as the top red zone option in Baltimore, with a touchdown in each of his last two games. Rookie Maxx Williams got into the mix this week as well and had as many catches (four) as Gillmore, but if there's one tight end to own in Baltimore it's Gillmore. He's the more proven veteran with the bigger frame to haul in Flacco's high passes in the red zone. He'll remain on the fringe of the TE1 discussion for the rest of the season given the lack of playmakers in the Baltimore passing attack. FAAB suggestion: 5-10 percent.

From what we've heard coming out of Dallas, Tony Romo could return in Week 11. There's a VERY good chance he's on the waiver wire in your league, so if you're in need of a quarterback or have been struggling at the position with someone like Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck, give Romo a look. He'll get to face a Dolphins defense that hasn't been the toughest against the pass lately (over 21 fantasy points allowed per game over their last three), and have a fired-up Dez Bryant excited to see his quarterback on the field once again. With Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees on bye next week, you could do worse for a streaming quarterback than taking a chance on Romo in his first game back. FAAB Suggestion: 15-20 percent.

Fitzpatrick had surgery on his injured thumb last Friday, which could put his status for Sunday's matchup against the Texans in question, though the team believes he will be able to play. If the Amish Rifle does get the start, he could start for your fantasy team as well, as the Texans haven't been adept at stopping opposing passers this year. They rank in the bottom 10 in the league in terms of fantasy points allowed, and were torched by Blake Bortles and Ryan Tannehill in back-to-back weeks before keeping Marcus Mariota in check. Fitzpatrick has put up solid totals of late, and if you're looking for a widely available streaming quarterback option in a great matchup, he could be your guy. FAAB suggestion: 5-10 percent.

Smith is widely owned, but he gets to take on the Chargers next week who have been taken to the task through the air all season, allowing 8.3 yards per pass attempt and a touchdown on roughly six percent of opposing attempts. Smith has some added value for his rushing ability, and makes for an interesting streamer in Week 11. He likely won't win you your week, but he can provide a safe 15-20 fantasy points with the upside for a big day against a banged-up secondary. FAAB suggestion: 5-10 percent.