Sports
Week 11 Waiver Wire: Early Pickups and Breakout Fantasy Football Candidates
Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesFantasy football managers who need a boost at the running back position will have a waiver-wire option with fresh legs most beneficial in point-per-reception leagues. The Cleveland Browns beat the Buffalo Bills in a 19-16 nail-biter, but more importantly for fantasy owners, head coach Freddie Kitchens inserted a new wrinkle to the offense. We…
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Fantasy football managers who need a boost at the running back position will have a waiver-wire option with fresh legs most beneficial in point-per-reception leagues.
The Cleveland Browns beat the Buffalo Bills in a 19-16 nail-biter, but more importantly for fantasy owners, head coach Freddie Kitchens inserted a new wrinkle to the offense. We saw immediate results in terms of yardage.
The New York Jets offense left much to be desired in offensive production Sunday, but quarterback Sam Darnold has a go-to wide receiver who can still thrive in a good matchup. Unfortunately, some fantasy managers still have the wrong wideout on their rosters.
Let's take a look at the top waiver-wire pickups in Week 11. All of the selections below are owned in fewer than 75 percent of Yahoo leagues as of Sunday 7:45 p.m.
QB Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (46 percent owned)
QB Sam Darnold, New York Jets (22 percent owned)
RB Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns (71 percent owned)
RB Ronald Jones II, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (74 percent owned)
RB J.D. McKissic, Detroit Lions (21 percent owned)
WR Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens (71 percent owned)
WR Jamison Crowder, New York Jets (69 percent owned)
WR Cole Beasley, Buffalo Bills (32 percent owned)
WR Auden Tate, Cincinnati Bengals (19 percent owned)
TE Jared Cook, New Orleans Saints (65 percent owned)
QB Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (46 percent owned)
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Before an underwhelming performance against the Los Angeles Chargers, Derek Carr averaged 19.9 fantasy points between Weeks 7 and 9. Although we didn't see evidence of his improved play Thursday, the three-time Pro Bowl has made strides under head coach Jon Gruden. His progression translates to fantasy output in favorable matchups.
The Raiders will face the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets in their next two games. Those clubs rank 22nd and 24th against the pass, respectively.
Although wideout Tyrell Williams and tight Darren Waller have been relatively quiet in the last two contests—neither with a touchdown or more than three catches in a single game since Week 8—Carr cycles through his pass-catching options. Wideout Hunter Renfrow, running back Jalen Richard and tight end Foster Moreau are reliable tertiary targets in the passing game.
Nevertheless, in a matchup against susceptible pass defenses, Carr shouldn't have an issue rediscovering some Silver and Black magic with his primary pass-catchers in Waller and Williams. He'll have a productive two-week stretch—take advantage of it.
RB Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns (71 percent owned)
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Kareem Hunt didn't blow the doors off his season debut, but he's clearly part of the Browns' offensive game plan. In addition to 30 rushing yards, he converted nine targets into seven receptions for 44 yards, which equated to 14.40 points in PPR leagues, per FantasyPros.
Running back Nick Chubb will continue to lead the Browns' backfield in carries, but Hunt could log a handful of rush attempts per game and see plenty of targets in the short passing attack.
For his career, Hunt has recorded 79 receptions for 833 yards and 10 touchdowns. He's an effective pass-catcher who would add another wrinkle to the Browns' inconsistent aerial attack, which ranked 17th coming into Week 10.
Hunt logged 11 touches Sunday, assuming the dual-threat running back's role continues to grow, managers in PPR leagues should scoop him off the waiver wire if he's still available.
WR Jamison Crowder, New York Jets (69 percent owned)
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If you're still holding on to Robby Anderson as the Jets' must-have wide receiver, pay closer attention to the recent trend in production.
Anderson hasn't eclipsed 43 receiving yards since Week 6, and he's scored one touchdown this season. On the flip side, Jamison Crowder has picked up steam in Gang Green's offense. The 26-year-old scored in back-to-back matchups and leads the team in targets (65).
Darnold threw for 230 yards against the New York Giants Sunday. That's not an impressive stat line in a favorable situation, but he has another decent matchup against the Washington Redskins who have allowed 15 scores through the air (20th leaguewide).
Furthermore, we can label Jets vs. Redskins as a potential “Crowder revenge game.” He suited up for the NFC East club between the 2015-18 seasons.
Despite Darnold's lukewarm performances over the last two games, Crowder recorded at least 80 receiving yards and a touchdown in both contests. He's worth a pickup as a WR3 or flex option.
WR Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens (71 percent owned)
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Marquise Brown was on the mend coming into the season (Lisfranc surgery) and battled injury during his rookie term, missing Weeks 6 and 7 with an ankle ailment. However, fantasy managers should plug him into lineups when the Baltimore Ravens play subpar defensive units.
In Week 10, against the Bengals' 22nd-ranked pass defense, quarterback Lamar Jackson connected with Brown four times for 80 yards and a touchdown, which included two chunk plays that went for 20 and 49 yards.
Brown isn't a stranger to big plays. The speedy wideout averaged 18.3 yards per reception in two terms at Oklahoma. We're going to see much of the same from him on the professional level when he's healthy.
The Ravens match up against the Houston Texans in their next outing, a defense that's 27th against aerial attacks. Expect Jackson to toss a few passes over the top to his deep threat. Brown has WR2 value for Week 11.
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