Did you have a Joe Burrow/Ja’Marr Chase stack last week…well congratulations on your win in week 10! Thursday Night Football was a wild one, both Burrow and Lamar went for over 40 points, as did Chase…if you were facing any of them – you have my condolences. Week 10 also saw the return of the best fantasy asset over the last 3 years…Christian McCaffrey – it wasn’t the performance we had hoped for, but he escaped injury and showed us he’s still an elite option at the RB position. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Tylan Wallace and John Metchie have a combined roster percentage of 2.4%…they also had a combined fantasy points total of 59.3…what a world. Do I project any of the three to be relevant for fantasy moving forward…no, would I be shocked if all three of them make me look foolish this time next week…also no. There are still a number of great options sitting on the waiver wire…let’s take a look at the best pickups for week 11 and beyond!
Rules for Selection & Order Priority
For a player to be considered to be added, they have to:
- Have an rostered % of 50% or under on ESPN
- Players below are listed by their roster %, not priority. Know your league settings. If there is a high-priority add, you’ll know.
Bo Nix (DEN) 30.1% rostered
Another week, another top-12 finish for the former Oregon Duck, and No.12 overall pick Bo Nix. It may have looked a little shaky in the opening month, but Nix has settled into this Sean Payton effectively and quickly – emerging as a potential contender to Jayden Daniels for the Rookie of the Year crown. Since week 5, Nix has 4 top-12 finishes – tossing multiple touchdowns in each of them – this kid is legit (ok, I say kid…he is almost 25-years old). His latest outing was against a very tough Chiefs defense, yet Nix still managed over 200 passing yards to go with his 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The Broncos now face the Atlanta Falcons at Mile High before travelling to Sin City to take on the Raiders…both of whom are bottom-10 against opposition QBs. It may feel like a risk starting a rookie quarterback not named Jayden Daniels, but Nix should be a solid fantasy option these next two weeks.
Will Levis (TEN) 6.6% rostered
Speaking of starts at the quarterback position that feel very risky…can I interest you in the Tennessee Titans’ Will Levis? After missing three weeks with a shoulder injury, the sophomore signal-caller returned to the field on Sunday for the Titans’ trip to SoFi. Sure, they may have lost 27-17 against the Chargers, but Levis actually looked fairly competent with the ball in his hands. His 78% completion rate was a season’s best, and although he may have only thrown for 175-yards, he found Calvin Ridley in the end zone twice – the first of which was an absolute dime for 47-yards. Do I think Levis is an exceptionally gifted quarterback…no – but do I think he is good enough to be a serviceable fantasy QB for the remainder of the season…absolutely. Tennessee has the easiest strength of schedule for quarterbacks from now until week 17 – Levis should be in line for a very serviceable run in for your fantasy team.
Also Consider – Matthew Stafford (50.0%) & Russell Wilson (30.1%) rostered
Cam Akers (MIN) 25.1% rostered
There was a brief moment on Sunday where it looked as if Cam Akers would be a full FAAB dump and a potential league winner. Viking’s lead rusher Aaron Jones was carted to the locker room in the third quarter of Minnesota’s 12-7 victory over Jacksonville, with what looked to be a potentially troublesome chest injury. Jones’ absence led to Akers being given control of the backfield for the next three drives, with the former Texan putting up 24-yards on his handful of carries. Whilst the performance wasn’t overly impressive, it highlighted that Akers is now the clear No.2 behind Jones, and not Ty Chandler as previously thought. If Jones misses any time with his chest injury, or Kevin O’Connell wants to protect his number one guy – we could be treated to Akers receiving a larger share of the work moving forward. It’s speculative, but a worthy punt play as we head into the business end of the season.
Audric Estime (DEN) 3.9% rostered
Broncos’ Head Coach Sean Payton hinted last week that fifth-round rookie pick Audric Estime could see a bigger workload as the season progresses…turns out he’s a man of his word. The 21-year old rusher out of Notre Dame saw a whopping 82% of running back carries in Denver’s loss to the Chiefs on Sunday, with Javonte Williams receiving only one carry, which he turned into one yard. Yes, it’s a very small sample size, but Payton confirmed only yesterday that Estime will continue to see more reps after his showing at the weekend – suggesting we may just have a new starting RB in Colorado. Estime’s production during his final year of college was noteworthy, rushing at 6.3 YPA for the Fighting Irish on 210 attempts. If you’re in a deep league, or in need of running back help – Estime could be the answer to your problems.
Also Consider – Tyler Allgeier (42.5%), Trey Benson (19.5%) & Gus Edwards (18.6%) rostered
Ricky Pearsall (SF) 39.3% rostered
Ricky Pearsall WR1 week…we see you! It’s hard not to feel great about seeing the rookie out of Florida put up a top-12 performance after what he endured in the off-season. In only his third game of the year, Pearsall hauled in 4-of-6 targets from Brock Purdy for 73-yards and his first touchdown as an NFL pro. Since making his debut in week 7 against the Chiefs, Pearsall has seen a WR target share of 28%, 31% and 26%…he is very much part of the game plan in San Francisco. The return of Christian McCaffrey and the bounty of receiving options at Purdy’s disposal makes trying to call which pass-catchers will be fantasy relevant on any given week for the 49ers – but with this offense at full strength, I will be trying to get a piece of it wherever possible. If Jennings is already rostered in your league, Ricky the rookie is a great consolation.
Jalen Coker (CAR) 8.0% rostered
Am I excited at the prospect of rostering anyone on this Carolina Panthers offense not named Chuba Hubbard…not really – but we’re getting to the part of the season where we have to either being looking to the future, or start swinging for the fences – Jalen Coker may just let you do both. The rookie UDFA saw a season-high eight targets from Bryce Young in the Panther’s victory over the New York Giants in Munich, hauling in 3 of them for 41-scoreless yards. Carolina now head into their bye, and when returning in week 12, face the daunting task of hosting the 9-0 Kansas City Chiefs – however, after taking on the reigning Super Bowl champs, the schedule opens up very well for the Panthers and their pass catchers. Two games against divisional rivals Tampa Bay should provide a game-script that allows Bryce Young to throw, throw, throw. There is also a very enticing matchup against the Cowboys in week 15 where we could see Carolina enter as favourites. It’s a risky play, but I prefer Coker over Legette from here on in.
Also Consider – Rashod Bateman (24.7%), Curtis Samuel (11.0%) & Marquez Valdes-Scantling (1.5%) rostered.
Zach Ertz (WAS) 45.1% rostered
After back-to-back top-10 finishes in weeks 6 and 7, it’s been somewhat of a disappointment for Zach Ertz managers – but despite the lack of production, the overall opportunity is still there for the twelfth-year pro. Ertz saw just one target in the week 9 victory over the Giants, so those who kept faith would have been delighted (and relieved) to see Ertz positively regress to the mean with 8 looks from Jayden Daniels against the Steelers on Sunday. The former Eagle only managed to corral 50% of those targets for 31-scoreless yards – but this was a game played out on the ground for the Commanders – better days are ahead for Ertz, but he does have another tough matchup on Thursday Night as Washington travels to divisional rivals Philadelphia. Expect a bounce back from Jayden Daniels and the pass-catchers in that one as they chase the game from the off.
Taysom Hill (NO) 39.2% rostered
Taysom Hill was a holding call away from absolutely breaking my heart in my main league this past weekend. On the very first play of the Saints’ opening drive, Derek Carr connected with Hill for an 88-yard touchdown – only for it to be nullified by Hill’s fellow tight end Foster Moreau who was called for an illegal hold…thank you Foster. Hill ended his day with 2 receptions for 36-yards and 2 rushes for 14 yards, finishing as the TE16 on the week…but it could have been so much better. Taysom is a menace at the position, and his role in this offense doesn’t look like it will be changing under the new regime. I’ve said it before in this column, but there is nobody at the TE position with Hill’s upside – the lows are low, but the highs are unmatched…he.is.dangerous.
Also Consider – Mike Gesicki (47.6%) & Jonnu Smith (21.2%) rostered
There you have it! Any questions, or want some more specific help for your league on who to drop, just reach out. Reach out on social media, you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Or jump into our Discord server. And checkout out rankings for each Week.
