reached the point of the NFL season where you have to be quite savvy (and have quite a bit of dumb luck) to stumble onto unearthed waiver wire gems. But armed with the right context and trend data, it’s still possible to find a player who can help your squad withstand the pressures of injuries, bye weeks and more.
There are only two teams on bye in Week 11, the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints. But injuries continue mounting around the league, and we’re just now starting to see the ramifications of trade-deadline moves and how players are fitting into their new teams.
Here are the top players you should consider putting in a waiver-wire claim for ahead of Week 11.
Rostered percentages and scoring figures via FantasyPros.
Quarterback
Jacoby Brissett (Arizona Cardinals)
Rostered: 20%
Week 10 stats: 22-of-44, 258 pass yds, 2 TDs, 4 rush att, 31 rush yds, 19.4 pts
With Kyler Murray on injured reserve and possibly having played his last game in an Arizona Cardinals jersey, Jacoby Brissett becomes an obvious waiver-wire pickup for Week 11 if you’re in need of some quarterback help.
Believe it or not, Brissett has actually finished in the top 12 in scoring among signal-callers for four straight weeks. Though there are some ball security issues (he had two fumbles in Week 10), the added value he brings in the run game mitigates that.
Running Back
Sean Tucker (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Rostered: 7%
Week 10 stats: 9 att, 53 yds, 6.1 pts
Down from his season-high 12 carries and 10.2 points in Week 9, Tucker nevertheless showed in the Bucs’ Week 10 loss to the New England Patriots that he’s seeing consistent usage in the backfield. In addition, Tampa Bay never had the lead against New England; to wit, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield had 43 pass attempts. It’s not a coincidence that Tucker’s Week 9 marks came in a 23-3 Bucs blowout of the New Orleans Saints.
Still, Week 10 was the only time this season Tucker has topped 50 yards, so while his usage and production are trending in the right direction, he is an injury/bye-week replacement option.
Wide Receiver
Parker Washington (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Rostered: 41%
Week 10 stats: 3 rec, 33 yds, 1 rec TD, 17.9 pts
Parker Washington was the top wide receiver recommendation in last week’s waiver-wire pickup column, when he was rostered in just 18% of leagues. He’s now been picked up in just over 40% of leagues, but if you’ve been holding out, now is the time to submit your claim. Jaguars rookie cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter Jr. had season-ending knee surgery on Tuesday and is out for the rest of the season. Washington has seen seven or more targets in each of the last three games as the Jaguars’ wide receiver corps deals with a slew of injuries, and while new addition Jakobi Meyers will shoulder some of the load, Washington’s usage should continue to be consistent.
Tight End
Dalton Schultz (Houston Texans)
Rostered: 34%
Week 10 stats: 7 rec, 53 rec yds, 1 rec TD, 18.3 pts
Schultz saw a season-high 11 targets and found the end zone in the Texans’ Week 10 win over the Jaguars. While the latter is not something you can depend on week in and week out—this was his first touchdown of the season—his usage continues to warrant a spot on your roster, especially if you’ve got injury or bye-week issues at the position. Schultz has seen eight or more targets in three of his past four games, which is the exact trend you want to see when you’re considering submitting a waiver wire claim for a tight end, a particularly unpredictable position in fantasy this season.
