Whether you're new to fantasy football this year or a seasoned veteran, you probably realize by now that preparation is key to victory. The best fantasy owners have handcuffs for stud running backs, backup plans for QBs, and a consistent blueprint for upcoming bye weeks. Our Week 11 waiver wire watchlist channels all those avenues of preparedness and packages them into a concise lookahead list for each position, greatly increasing your odds of winning a league title.
Yours truly has pinpointed studs before their breakouts all season, a big reason why most of my fantasy teams have enjoyed strong campaigns despite myriad injuries. Our lookahead watchlist has pointed readers in the direction of C.J. Stroud, Zack Moss, and Puka Nacua when they were all under 50-percent rostered. Now, those guys look like league-winners — not bad for speculative adds that cost $0 in FAAB and didn't use up a waiver priority.
We've been telling you for weeks to make the most of your open roster spots or one of your opponents will. Try to anticipate who will be Week 10's top pickups after strong performances this weekend. Be proactive about your bye weeks and bad matchups by choosing your upcoming streamers now. By adding potential boom players as free agents before their breakouts, you find solid production without burning a valuable waiver claim or FAAB money.
WEEK 10 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start 'em, sit 'em
At this part of the season, we're all playing matchups each week, with many just limping from matchup to matchup due to injuries. If you're in that camp, it's smart to plan ahead and get your first choice before other owners jump into the frenzy once new information emerges. Our waiver-wire watchlist helps you think about the future while the rest of your league is thinking about the present.
Some shallower leagues don't feature enough roster spots to really take advantage of "planning ahead" — but for those in leagues that do, our week-ahead watchlist will be helpful all year long. Even though you won't pick up most (or in some cases, all) of these players, it's at least worth watching their snap counts and target shares to file away for later.
WEEK 10 DFS: DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Watchlist
Reminder: This list was put together in the lead-in to Week 10, looking forward to the players who could be popular waiver wire targets ahead of Week 11. If you have a roster spot to play with, these are free agent options you could grab early to beat the waiver buzz.
All these players are below 50 percent ownership on Yahoo unless otherwise specified.
Week 11 Fantasy Waiver Wire Watchlist: QB
WEEK 11 BYES: Colts, Patriots, Falcons, Saints
Josh Dobbs, Vikings @ Broncos in Week 11 (49 percent rostered)
Dobbs has been on five teams since Week 15 of last season, but last week he proved once and for all that he deserves a starting QB job in the NFL. After the Cardinals traded him to Minnesota during the week and an in-game injury to Jaren Hall launched Dobbs to the top of the Vikings' depth chart, the 28-year-old vet played the hero card and led his new team to a 31-28 victory over the Falcons. Now he gets another week of practice ahead of a matchup with one of the worst defenses of the 2020s. To make things even better, All-Pro Justin Jefferson (hamstring) could be activated from the IR any day. Dobbs should be rostered in 12-team single-QB leagues and all superflex leagues.
Jordan Love, Packers vs. Chargers (47%)
It hasn't been all love, sunshine, and roses for Green Bay's newest starting QB, but Love has certainly been serviceable in plus matchups. He put up 26-plus points in his first three games this season, and he has averaged 17.2 over his past three. Considering the Chargers give up the fifth-most fantasy points per game to QBs this season, Love has top-12 potential in Week 11. Who knows -- he might even be an asset down the stretch with the Pack finishing the fantasy season against the Giants, Bucs, Panthers, and Vikings.
MORE POTENTIAL WEEK 10 QB STREAMS: Russell Wilson, Broncos vs. Vikings (46%); Will Levis, Titans @ Jaguars (44%)
WEEK 10 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 11 Fantasy Waiver Wire Watchlist: RB
WEEK 11 BYES: Colts, Patriots, Falcons, Saints
Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks (45 percent rostered)
Charbonnet has basically split snaps and touches with second-year stud Kenneth Walker III over the past two weeks, making it increasingly clear that KW3's chest injury is very real. Charbs' skill level is also very real, so while we wouldn't necessarily trust him enough in a shared-backfield role to start him, we would certainly consider him a must-start if Walker were to miss any time. For now, the rook is simply a must-stash and, if you're desperate, low-upside flex play. Everything can change in a quarter, though, never mind a week.
Keaton Mitchell, Ravens (48%)
Our regular readers know we love Gus Edwards, but we have also kept our eyes on Mitchell throughout the season. The rookie speedster finally got an opportunity last week against Seattle, turning nine carries into 138 yards and a TD. Now, bear in mind that Baltimore beat the Seahawks 37-3, so there was garbage time aplenty, but John Harbaugh has to give the kid some of Justice Hill's touches moving forward. Hill has managed 3.8 or fewer yards per carry in four different games this season, one-fourth the YPC Mitchell averaged last week. Regression is obviously coming for the rook, but hopefully, he at least gets double-digit opportunities this week to see how much we can trust him moving forward. He should be rostered everywhere.
Antonio Gibson, Commanders (50%)
Brian Robinson Jr. started the season as the man in Washington's backfield, but Gibson has slowly crept back into the picture — at least in PPR formats — over the past couple of weeks. Gibson has hauled in five-of-five targets in back-to-back performances, and he finished with 11 touches for 76 yards last week in New England. If he continues to be this active, he could come in handy down the line as a bye-week or injury fill-in. If B-Rob gets hurt, Gibson is an auto-start.
MORE POTENTIAL RB PICKUPS: Devin Singletary, Texans (42%); Darrell Henderson Jr. (38%) and Royce Freeman (17%), Rams; Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles (27%); Leonard Fournette, Bills (27%); Ty Chandler, Vikings (6%)
WEEK 10 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 11 Fantasy Waiver Wire Watchlist: WR
WEEK 11 BYES: Colts, Patriots, Falcons, Saints
Quentin Johnston, Chargers (30 percent rostered)
The Chargers can never catch a break with injuries. Josh Palmer (knee) will now join Mike Williams (knee) on the IR, which immediately bumps the rookie Johnston into must-roster territory. Johnston has the body type and skill set of a poor man's Williams, and he has certainly run a ton of routes over the past couple of weeks. However, we do need to actually see him do something before we can promote him to a starting spot on our rosters. He played 83 percent of L.A.'s offensive snaps last week and caught two balls for 14 yards. Maybe he figures it out and closes the season strong with some winnable matchups on the docket (@ NE, vs. DEN, @ LV, @ DEN); maybe he never pans out and just sits on our bench for a couple of weeks. Either way, he's worth the investment.
Jayden Reed, Packers (20%)
Reed draws two consecutive matchups against generous pass defenses, with Green Bay heading to Pittsburgh this week and then hosting the Chargers next week. The rookie has shown some promise over the past few weeks, hauling in a touchdown at Denver and then catching four-of-six targets for 83 yards against Minnesota. He came back to Earth a bit last week against the Rams, but Jordan Love was playing the role of game manager to eke out a win over the Rams. Expect the rookie to get more involved again moving forward and perhaps earn enough of our trust to be a flex consideration down the stretch. The Pack have a decent playoff schedule for QBs and wideouts (@ NYG, vs. TB, @ CAR, @ MIN), so Reed merits a stash in deeper-league formats.
Noah Brown, Texans (13%)
Brown emerged in a major way in Week 9, helping C.J. Stroud break multiple rookie records against the Buccaneers. The speedy veteran caught all six of his targets for a whopping 153 yards and a TD, including a massive 75-yard catch-and-run that graced all the major NFL highlight reels. We're not so sure that performance was a fluke — Brown caught three-of-five targets for 57 yards the week before, and PFF has consistently graded him higher than fellow wideouts Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Robert Woods. As long as Stroud is looking his way, Brown should be at least rostered in most leagues.
MORE POTENTIAL WR PICKUPS: Rashid Shaheed, Saints (50%); Brandin Cooks, Cowboys (40%); Demario Douglas, Patriots (37%); Khalil Shakir, Bills (13%)
Week 11 Fantasy Waiver Wire Watchlist: TE
WEEK 11 BYES: Colts, Patriots, Falcons, Saints
Trey McBride, Cardinals vs. Falcons in Week 11 (55 percent rostered)
We featured McBride here last week and somehow the tight end's rostership rates dropped by two percent. What are you doing, people? Kyler Murray returns this week, and Zach Ertz (quad) is on the IR. Murray loves having a tight end to dump the ball off to if the pocket collapses or a running lane closes quickly. Don't leave McBride at the altar and regret it later on in life (I know, we took that metaphor too far).
Pat Freiermuth, Steelers @ Browns (36%)
The 'Muth (hamstring) is set to come back from IR either next week or the week after, so stash this dude on your IR or forever hold your peace. He's more talented than 60 percent of fantasy owners' starting tight ends, and he has two dates with the Bengals league-worst TE defense remaining this season.
Luke Musgrave, Packers vs. Chargers (23%)
Musgrave still sounds like a country musician to us, but he sure looks like an NFL tight end. The rookie enjoyed his best performance of the season last week against the Rams, catching three-of-four targets for 51 yards and his first NFL touchdown. Now he gets the Chargers in Week 11 and the Lions in Week 12, two defenses that have struggled mightily to contain TEs. Fire him up like a tractor in a Chattanooga backyard.
Gerald Everett, Chargers @ Packers (30%)
The potential Week 11 TE streams are minimal, so we figured we would just feature all four of the guys we would consider. Everett certainly ranks, with both Mike Williams (knee) and Josh Palmer (knee) on IR and the aforementioned Johnston struggling to find separation. Justin Herbert trusts the veteran pass-catcher, and sometimes that's all you need to know about a TE in a strong offense. If you have Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, Kyle Pitts, or Taysom Hill on bye next week, you could do a lot worse than Everett as a plug-and-play. Grab him now because if he becomes the most recent TE to bruise the Lions' defense, he'll likely be a hot commodity during the Week 11 waiver period.
Week 11 fantasy defense streamers and sleepers
WEEK 11 BYES: Colts, Patriots, Falcons, Saints
Detroit Lions vs. Bears in Week 11 (30 percent rostered)
The Lions are damn good defensively, but years of ineptitude on that side of the football seem to be making fantasy owners ambivalent to fully subscribe to the thought. Well, most teams fare well against the Bears, and Detroit had a Week 9 bye to prepare for the second half of the season. Chicago has allowed the sixth-most sacks per game this season, so Aidan Hutchinson and company should eat well in this pre-Thanksgiving divisional feast.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Packers (28%)
The Chargers have looked pretty darn good defensively over the past couple of weeks with Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa quietly forming one of the best pass-rushing duos in the NFL. Jordan Love and the Packers make plenty of mistakes when pressured, so we have no issue streaming the Bolts D even though we also like Love and a couple of his pass-catchers.
Miami Dolphins vs. Raiders (40%)
The Dolphins' defense has been up-and-down all season, but a home game against Aidan O'Connell and the Raiders should be one of the "up" weeks. The takeaway and sack upside will be there, and Miami has the potential to control the clock from the opening kickoff to the final whistle.
Washington Commanders vs. Giants (22%)
The Commanders inexplicably sold off multiple pass rushers ahead of the trade deadline, making them a very low-floor D/ST streamer. However, a home game against the Giants will almost always be a high-upside opportunity. Washington didn't look half-bad against Mac Jones and the Patriots, so we don't mind streaming Riverboat Ron's squad just this once in a pinch.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Titans (20%)
The Jags have quietly racked up seven sacks over the past three games, lead the NFL in takeaways this season, and rank among the top five in rushing yards allowed, opponents' third-down conversion rate, and opponents' average points per drive. Now they get a home game against rookie QB Will Levis? We're into it.
Minnesota Vikings @ Broncos (19%)
The Vikings' defense has looked much better as of late, and the Broncos have made many D/STs look better than they actually are this season. Minnesota will never be our first choice, but it's far from our last resort in Week 11.
Houston Texans vs. Cardinals (7%)
DeMeco Ryans has his squad playing inspired football, and while we are tempering our expectations with Joe Burrow and Kyler Murray on the short-term docket, we see enough upside at least in Week 11 to consider streaming Houston's D/ST. Look for Jonathan Greenard to attack Arizona's feeble offensive line and force some poor Murray throws into the Jalen Pitre-led Texans secondary.
