Fantasy football waiver wire trends are fascinating. Some players inspire a huge rush of pickups across all leagues, like Ty Johnson did a few weeks ago. With others, it seems like fantasy writers could beat your door down and tell you to add someone as a free agent and you still wouldn't, and a lot of times, the players aren't that different. Kalen Ballage is basically this Week 10's Johnson, yet his ownership didn't rise in the same way. We've been telling you to add Derrius Guice for weeks, and his ownership is still pretty low. Heading into Week 11, Nick Foles will probably follow a similar trend as Gardner Minshew did, only seeing a boost after multiple weeks of being competent.
This week's watch list is probably proof that not enough of you are actually reading each week's watch list. Or at least that you don't think it works. But last week, we told you to add Ronald Jones, and now he was a popular waiver claim. We tried to get you to grab O.J. Howard before a matchup with the Cardinals, yet his ownership declined even ahead of a top-10 TE week for him. We also suggested A.J. Brown, who another solid game, and a number of good defenses that are probably picked up now for people to stream against you. Each week, we have a similar string of successes.
WEEK 10 NON-PPR RANKINGS
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Of course, the premise here won't always be right. No one hits on educated guesses at 100 percent. But as you head into the weekend with a set fantasy lineup and a scrub on your bench you no longer want, there's no reason to hold on to him. Unless transactions cost money in your league, there's no harm in trying to find the next big thing or plan ahead for the following week just a bit earlier than everyone else.
So, that's why we're back here with players like Guice and Howard on the list again. Sam Darnold is here for what seems like the hundreth time. You're also surely familiar with seeing Ty Johnson, N'Keal Harry and Chris Herndon on this list. A repeat on the watch list isn't a bad thing, as Jones can attest to -- it just sometimes takes longer than you'd expect or want for a player to breakout.
WEEK 10 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Watch List
Reminder: This list was put together in the lead-in to Week 10, looking forward to the players that could be waiver-wire targets in Week 11. If you have a roster spot to play with, these are options you could pick up early to beat the waiver buzz.
All these players are below 50-percent ownership on Yahoo unless otherwise specified.
Week 11 Waiver Wire Watch List: Quarterback
Notable quarterbacks on a Week 11 bye: Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Daniel Jones, Ryan Tannehill
Derek Carr, Raiders (46 percent ownership)
Carr continues to perform, and it looks like the Raiders are fond of his newest weapon, Zay Jones. Pair that with a Week 11 Bengals matchup and he's probably the optimal bye week fill-in for Rodgers or Wilson.
Sam Darnold, Jets (22)
Darnold continues to be on here because the matchups continue to be great. But his play hasn't encouraged us much, so he's not an overly appealing pickup. It feels like the Jets offense needs some momentum, so if Week 10 against the Giants goes well, it would feel a little safer to play Darnold in Week 11 against the Redskins.
Nick Foles, Jaguars (13)
Foles will reclaim his starting job following the Jaguars' Week 10 bye. We've seen various versions of Foles over the last few years, but Jacksonville has the level of offensive weapons to make Foles a similar backup/two-QB option to Gardner Minshew, assuming Foles can keep the connection with DJ Chark going.
Kyle Allen, Panthers (10)
Allen hasn't been good of late, but he gets to face one of the league's worst pass defenses, Atlanta, in Week 11. If you're desperate for a streaming option, Allen shouldn't be terrible against the Falcons.
Ryan Finley, Bengals (3)
Finley birthed a new phrase for me this week: A "former future first-round pick." Before Finley's final year of college, he was projected as a first rounder. Some struggles nixed that idea, but the talent is obviously there. Maybe he can form a good connection with A.J. Green in time to take advantage of a bad Raiders secondary in Week 11.
WEEK 10 DFS LINEUPS:
Y! cash | Y! GPP | DK cash | FD cash | FD GPP
Week 11 Waiver Wire Watch List: RB
Notable running backs on a Week 11 bye: Saquon Barkley, Aaron Jones/Jamaal Williams, Chris Carson, Derrick Henry
Ty Johnson, Lions (36)
It wasn't that long ago that everyone was jumping at the chance to pick up Johnson. At this point, he's proven to not be some remarkable talent, but if he remains Detroit's starting running back (and with Tra Carson now on IR), he can still be a valuable fantasy backup and occasionall fill-in, especially in Week 11 with four top RBs on bye.
Derrius Guice, Redskins (35)
Guice's ownership hasn't climbed as quickly as I would've expected. I'd imagine it doubles by the time next week's waivers run, so get on him early as he should return in Week 11.
Kalen Ballage (28) | Myles Gaskin (0) | Patrick Laird, Dolphins (0)
Ballage is the first guy who'll get the crack at taking the starting job from suspended Mark Walton, but Ballage isn't good -- he's averaging 2.0 yards per carry this season. The rookie Gaskin is probably a better runner, and Laird is probably the best pass catcher of the trio. Ballage might get goal-line looks, and if it's split up too much it won't be worth it. If one back looks like they're taking all the roles for themselves, though, take notice.
Jay Ajayi, FA (7)
He continues to work out for teams, but apparently they don't love what they've seen or he would've signed a contract already. It still seems likely he latches on with a RB-needy team and has a few double-digit carry games by the end of the season.
MORE WEEK 10:
Waiver pickups | FAAB planner | Snap counts | Trade values | Fantasy playoff SOS
Week 11 Waiver Wire Watch List: WR
Notable wide receivers on a Week 11 bye: Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Davante Adams, Golden Tate, Corey Davis, A.J. Brown
DeVante Parker, Dolphins (47)
With Preston Williams going on IR, Parker should get all the targets he can handle. That might come with added defensive attention, too, but at some point, immense volume wins out. He's also already scored in four of Miami's past five games, so it's not like he's starting from zero floor, either.
Zach Pascal (41) | Chester Rogers, Colts (1)
T.Y. Hilton )calf) probably will miss at least another week, meaning Pascal will continue to be Indy's top wideout and Rogers will continue getting ample playing time as well.
N'Keal Harry, Patriots (11)
Mohamed Sanu probably keeps Harry irrelevant right now, but you never know with these Patriots. They could decide that some week is the first-rounder's chance to shine. Harry is obviously talented.
Hunter Renfrow (7) | Zay Jones, Raiders (3)
Renfrow is getting a bit more love, as he caught six passes and a touchdown in Week 9. I think Jones will emerge as the preferred option, though since he played nearly double the snaps of Renfrow in Week 9 and is a more well-rounded target than the slot-only Renfrow.
Josh Reynolds, Rams (4)
As long as Brandin Cooks is out, Reynolds will be on the field for the majority of plays for a strong Rams passing attack. Once in a while, that will lead to six or seven catches to go along with a touchdown. The Bears' defense has been beatable in 2019, so don't let that Week 11 matchup automatically scare you away.
Russell Gage, Falcons (1)
The former LSU defensive back should improve each week, and as long as he keeps the No. 3 WR role in Atlanta, he'll probably be targeted about six times per game. He can turn that into fringe fantasy value.
Week 11 Waiver Wire Watch List: TE
Notable tight ends on a Week 11 bye: Evan Engram, Jonnu Smith, Jimmy Graham
O.J. Howard, Buccaneers (36)
This is less about matchup and more about the idea that Howard is still probably a borderline fantasy starter and should see an ownership boost following his return from injury. In all honesty, it's surprising it hasn't happened much before Week 10 when the Buccaneers face the Cardinals, so if you need a TE for this week still, Howard is your guy.
Chris Herndon, Jets (31)
Herndon was finally active in Week 9, although he didn't see the field for a single play. The Jets play the beatable Redskins' defense in Week 11, so as long as Herndon starts to get playing time in Week 10, he'll be an appealing fantasy option going forward.
Mike Gesicki, Dolphins (14)
This is a longer-term watch, as the Bills in Week 11 present a tough matchup. But Gesicki caught all six of his targets for 96 yards in Week 9, finally showing off some of the athletic ability he was supposed to have coming out of Penn State. Maybe Preston Williams' injury helps him become more involved in the offense and be fantasy relevant down the stretch.
Ross Dwelley, 49ers (0)
If George Kittle were to ever miss time, Dwelley looks talented enough to be a fantasy starter in that period. He stood out on a couple of Week 9 plays and has been more involved in two-TE sets as the season has gone on, too. With Kittle banged up, it might be time to handcuff him.
Week 11 defense streamers and sleepers
Defenses with a Week 11 bye: Seahawks, Packers, Giants, Titans
New York Jets (32) | Week 11 opponent: @ Redskins
Washington Redskins (4) | Week 11 opponent: vs. Jets
Oakland Raiders (1) | Week 11 opponent: vs. Chargers
It's a rough week for defense streamers. Most of the low-owned D/STs have bad matchups. So, you can take your pick in what promises to be an ugly game between the Redskins and Jets, or you can try and trust a bad Oakland defense against a Chargers offense that might've turned a corner.