Each week I’ll list the best widely available free agents for fantasy football — I define “widely available” as being owned in around half of all ESPN or Yahoo leagues — and some guys who are probably better off in the free agent pool than collecting dust on your roster.
Follow me on X (formerly known as Twitter) @UTEddieBrown if you have questions throughout the week.
Here’s my NFL Week 11 waiver wire cheat sheet for all league sizes and formats, with players you need to add, drop and stream in your fantasy football league:
ADD
QB Joshua Dobbs, Vikings (ESPN: 39%; Yahoo: 53%): Dobbs is the overall QB7 in fantasy through 10 weeks, while quarterbacking two teams. Since Week 8, only Dak Prescott has scored more fantasy points than Dobbs, while Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts are the only quarterbacks with more games of 23-plus points this season than Dobb’s five — Allen and Hurts each have six. Plus, Justin Jefferson could return from his hamstring injury soon.
RB Devin Singletary, Texans (ESPN: 51%; Yahoo: 50%): Singletary was already cutting into Dameon Pierce’s playing time on early downs before Pierce suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him the last two games. Adding him isn’t just acknowledging his recent usage or how well he ran against the Bengals — 150 yards on 30 carries and a touchdown — but also how valuable a piece of Houston’s offense has become with CJ Stroud blossoming into a MVP candidate in his first season as the Texans’ quarterback.
WR Demario Douglas, Patriots (ESPN: 27%; Yahoo: 36%): Plenty of fantasy managers will choose to drop Douglas with New England’s bye week on tap and serious concerns at the quarterback position, but that just means more value (and upside) for you. Douglas is the overall WR27 in PPR since he became a starter in Week 7. He’s clearly the best wide receiver on the Patriots’ roster with Kendrick Bourne out for the season.
RB Ty Chandler, Vikings (ESPN: 3%; Yahoo: 9%): I included Chandler as a target the week before Minnesota traded for Cam Akers. Alexander Mattison’s inefficiency (and lack of burst) from last season had carried over and I figured the more explosive Chandler would get an opportunity at some point. Akers’ Achilles injury in Week 9 ended up providing that opportunity with him and Mattison both having eight carries before Mattison suffered a concussion against the Saints. It will likely require Mattison at least a week to progress through the NFL’s concussion protocol, meaning Chandler will get a matchup against the Broncos on Sunday night all to himself.
TE Trey McBride, Cardinals (ESPN: 51%; Yahoo: 59%): Kyler Murray’s return supercharged McBride as expected. He caught eight balls for 131 yards against the Falcons, giving him 28 receptions on 39 targets for 339 yards and a TD in the last five games. Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, TJ Hockenson, Sam LaPorta and George Kittle are the only tight ends I’d rank ahead of McBride going forward. Michael Wilson (ESPN: 7%; Yahoo: 12%) could see a similar boost in value with Murray under center. According to Pro Football Focus, Wilson has the highest average depth of target among Arizona’s top receivers at 14.8 and Murray has never been shy about taking shots down field.
BONUS: RB Keaton Mitchell, Ravens (ESPN: 23%; Yahoo: 48%): The dynamic undrafted rookie out East Carolina has produced 200 total yards on only 14 touches and two TDs the last two weeks. , Gus Edwards hasn’t been a pillar of health during his career and it looks like Justice Hill has already been replaced as Baltimore’s preferred scatback. This is likely last call on Mitchell.
BONUS: WR Rashee Rice, Chiefs (ESPN: 53%; Yahoo: 64%): Rice has been the best wide receiver on Kansas City’s roster this season as a rookie, and it really hasn’t been close. I’m sure Andy Reid used the bye week to expand Rice’s role even further. Grab Patrick Mahomes’ top target who isn’t dating Taylor Swift if he’s still available.
BONUS: WR Noah Brown, Texans (ESPN: 27%; Yahoo: 25%): Only CeeDee Lamb has more fantasy points in standard formats than Brown the last two weeks, with only Lamb and Keenan Allen topping him in PPR. Once Nico Collins and Robert Woods are fully healthy, the targets could dry up. However, let me reiterate how valuable any piece of Houston’s offense is now with Stroud playing as well as he has, and it’s good to know Brown is capable of rising to the occasion when called upon.
BONUS: QB Matthew Stafford, Rams (ESPN: 30%; Yahoo: 41%): Stafford is expected to return from a thumb injury this week. He’s a streaming option the next two weeks against the Seahawks and Cardinals. He also will face the Commanders (Week 15) and Giants (Week 17) in the fantasy playoffs.
BONUS: WR Brandin Cooks, Cowboys (ESPN: 49%; Yahoo: 38%): Looks like Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott finally ed Dallas had signed Cooks in the offseason. He exploded for nine receptions and 173 yards with a TD in a rout of the Giants. Cooks had nine receptions total in his previous four games and 165 yards on the season before the explosion. He has now scored a TD in three of the last four games. Cooks is capable of providing WR3/flex upside on a weekly basis if the Cowboys’ brain trust on offense doesn’t forget about him again.
BONUS: WR Romeo Doubs, Packers (ESPN: 40%; Yahoo: 53%): Doubs has been the most dependable receiver for Green Bay this season, leading the team in targets (59), receptions (33) and receiving touchdowns (six). Jordan Love has had better success on intermediate routes versus deep targets, which is why Doubs has sured Christian Watson as the top option in the Packers’ ing game. Jayden Reed (ESPN: 15%; Yahoo: 21%) has had similar chemistry with Love, producing at least 83 receiving yards in two of the last three games and four TDs this season, but the rookie hasn’t been as consistent as Doubs overall.
BONUS: RB Ezekiel Elliott, Patriots (ESPN: 36%; Yahoo: 41%): The former All-Pro Elliott is averaging just north of 10 touches per game — he just had 88 total yards on 15 touches against the Colts in — and deserves flex consideration on a weekly basis in deeper standard formats depending on the matchup.
BONUS: TE Michael Mayer, Raiders (ESPN: 3%; Yahoo: 10%): Mayer scored the first TD of his career against the Jets in prime-time on Sunday and has a great matchup against the Dolphins this week if you’re in need of a streaming option at tight end. Miami’s high-powered offense will likely force Las Vegas to throw more than it wants to in order to keep up.
BONUS: RB Rico Dowdle, Cowboys (ESPN: 4%; Yahoo: 4%): This is a reminder the fantasy playoffs are a month away, and securing the backup to your high-value running back makes even more sense now than it did in the beginning of the season. In Dowdle’s case, Tony Pollard has been a bit of a disappointment this season, so maybe Dallas considers using him like how they utilized Pollard when he was paired with Ezekiel Elliott last year. The handcuff produced an impressive 79 yards on 12 carries and a TD in the blowout of the Giants.
BONUS: WR Rashid Shaheed, Saints (ESPN: 28%; Yahoo: 51%): Head coach Dennis Allen said Michael Thomas’ knee injury was “fairly significant,” but he wasn’t expected to miss the rest of the season. If Thomas misses any time, the speedy Shaheed will be the beneficiary. Go ahead and stash the playmaker on New Orleans’ bye week.
BONUS: D/ST Jaguars (ESPN: 23%; Yahoo: 20%): Will Levis has been sacked eight times and thrown two interceptions in the last two games after he tossed four TDs in his NFL debut and it’s safe to say the Titans’ offense won’t do to Jacksonville what the 49ers just did to them. I expect a good Jaguars defense to bounce back in a big way against Tennessee at home.
BONUS: D/ST Lions (ESPN: 24%; Yahoo: 30%): It’s been feast or famine for the Lions defense of late. They’ve scored double-digit fantasy points in two of their last four games. In the other two games, they produced negative-two fantasy points in each. The good news is they face the Bears at home this week and Chicago has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing defenses this season.
DROP
RB Dameon Pierce, Texans: Pierce wasn’t exactly setting the world ablaze before he got hurt. He deserved flex consideration on a weekly basis as the overall RB32 in standard formats (RB36 in PPR) through the first eight weeks of the season, but his playing time had already begun to erode thanks to Devin Singletary. Going forward, this is a timeshare at best, with Singletary likely providing the more consistent fantasy value.
QB Kenny Pickett, Steelers: Pickett remains rostered in almost 20 percent of leagues across both ESPN and Yahoo and I’m not sure why. He’s scored two TDs — one ing and one rushing — in the last month and hasn’t sured 160 ing yards since Week 7.
RB Justice Hill, Ravens: Hill has produced 47 yards on 15 touches since Keaton Mitchell introduced himself to the world and only received two carries against the Browns on Sunday.
RB Miles Sanders, Panthers: Sanders remains rostered in about 70 percent of fantasy leagues across both ESPN and Yahoo. The last time he played over 50 percent of the snaps was Week 3. He has 71 total yards on 15 touches in three games since Carolina’s bye week.
RB Emari Demercado, Cardinals: James Conner returned against the Falcons and had 73 yards on 16 carries. Demercado has missed the last two games with a toe injury.
