Week 11 Waiver Wire Pickups
These players are generally available in at least 70% of Sleeper leagues and ranked in order of priority, by position.
Your bid should vary by format and situation. Need help at RB? Prioritize that position. All set there? Then, you probably don’t need to chase the top guys.
Running Backs
Audric Estime, Denver Broncos
Blind-bid recommendation: 15-25%
HC Sean Payton talked up an increased role for Estime, and the RB delivered against Kansas City.
In fact, the rookie easily led the Broncos with 14 carries in the loss to the Chiefs. Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin combined for only 3.
“We keep wanting to get him involved,” Payton said afterward. “He’s a handful.”
The Broncos' run game will likely remain relatively inefficient. Estime averaged only 3.8 yards per carry in Week 10. He also won’t be involved much in the passing game.
Even so, the increased touches as the potential lead back gives you a solid depth piece and immediate help, especially with some six-team bye weeks coming up.
Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals
Blind-bid recommendation: 15-25%
Benson looked explosive Sunday, taking 10 carries for 62 yards. He caught both of his targets for 25 more.
The rookie continues to work behind RB James Conner but mix into games early and often. Benson remains a high-end handcuff to a guy who’s never played a full season. And the rookie's getting to the point of being playable as a bye-week fill-in.
The Cardinals enter a Week 11 bye, then face a neutral matchup in Seattle.
Wide Receivers
Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
Blind-bid recommendation: 12-18%
The rookie first-round pick had the first TD of his career in Week 10, helping to fill the hole left by Brandon Aiyuk.
Pearsall ranked third among WRs in snap count at 64% but clearly of No. 4 Ronnie Bell (16%).
He also played both outside and in the slot, catching four of six targets for 73 yards and that TD.
Pearsall has a locked-in role and can be plugged into a flex position when the 49ers have good matchups, like in Week 11 against the Seahawks.
Adonai Mitchell, Indianapolis Colts
Blind-bid recommendation: 8-15%
The rookie hauled in all six of his targets for 71 yards against a Bills defense that entered Sunday ranked fifth in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs.
Mitchell led the WR group in snaps and tied Alec Pierce for first in routes (37). The Texas product continues to work himself open whenever he’s on the field.
Now, we’ll see if WR Michael Pittman Jr. misses more time with his back and finger injuries. If he does, Mitchell will be on the WR4 radar.
Note, though, that he gets a tough Week 11 matchup vs. the Jets. That’s followed by a decent draw vs. the Lions and then a neutral matchup against the Patriots.
Noah Brown, Washington Commanders
Blind-bid recommendation: 5-10%
Brown has emerged as the WR2 for Jayden Daniels, garnering 19 targets (a 20% share) over the past three weeks.
Sunday against Pittsburgh produced his highest route rate of the year (97%).
Brown gets a quick turnaround against a much-improved Philly defense on Thursday night. After that arrives a more favorable opponent in the slumping Cowboys.
Tight Ends
Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills
Blind-bid recommendation: 10-18%
Dalton Kincaid exited with a knee injury this week and commented that he “doesn’t know the extent.”
Knox ran a route on 20 of 28 pass plays over the final three quarters. He finished as TE11 and TE13 in PPR points in the two seasons before Kincaid arrived.
With the Chiefs’ 24th-ranked TE defense next week before a Week 12 bye, Knox may be a productive one-week rental -- especially with WR Keon Coleman also out this week.
If Kincaid misses even more time, Knox could be an every-week starter in a high-powered Bills’ offense.
Deep-League Options
Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
Blind-bid recommendation: 8-12%
Maye underwhelmed last week vs. the Bears. But that always set up as a tough draw vs. a good secondary.
On a positive note: Maye hit 20+ rushing yards for the third straight week.
Now the matchup improves vs. a Rams squad that just played on Monday night. Rams-Patriots is also an early Sunday kickoff.
Los Angeles has proved tougher vs. the run than vs. the pass, sitting 17th in fantasy PPG allowed to RBs; ninth vs. QBs.
Cam Akers, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Blind-bid recommendation: 10-18%
Aaron Jones missed most of the second half with a rib injury in Week 10 before returning late in the fourth quarter.
Akers remained the clear backup to Jones, out-carrying Ty Chandler 13-4.
If the rib injury lingers for Jones, Akers would take the lead. He's worth stashing just in case.
The Vikings get the Titans -- a solid run defense -- in Week 11. But the rest of their schedule is generally positive for RBs.
Gus Edwards, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Blind-bid recommendation: 5-10%
Edwards returned from his four-week stint on IR to lead the Chargers with 55 rushing yards.
He received 10 carries to J.K. Dobbins’ 15, while Hassan Haskins scored a goal-line TD over Edwards.
Edwards won’t add much PPR value, but the Chargers seem locked in to using him when healthy.
Don’t overspend, but Edwards is worth stashing -- particularly in non-PPR setups.
Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Blind-bid recommendation: 8-15%
Bateman’s enjoyed a mini breakout that includes four TDs over the past eight games. He’s hit 4+ targets in all but one game.
Thursday against Cincy, Bateman tallied 6-54-1 on a healthy 25% target share.
Now, HC John Harbaugh said this week that he would expect Diontae Johnson’s snaps to “ramp up.” (The new Raven played 5 total snaps on Thursday.) But that doesn’t mean he’ll completely unseat Bateman as Baltimore’s WR2.
As bye weeks pile up – and as Lamar Jackson remains MVP-worthy – Bateman will be a deep-league spot-starter.
Curtis Samuel, WR, Buffalo Bills
Blind-bid recommendation: 3-5%
Samuel finally made an impact in the win over the Colts. He played 89% of the Bills’ offensive snaps and ran a route on 88% of pass plays, with WRs Amari Cooper out and TE Dalton Kincaid leaving early.
Samuel managed only 4 catches for 35 yards, but his 8 targets ranked second on the team. That's noteworthy, with Coleman already ruled out for Week 11, Kincaid looking iffy, and Cooper still a question mark.
Samuel can be a PPR option for deeper leagues this week. We'll see about the status of his injured teammates.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, New Orleans Saints
Blind-bid recommendation: 1-3%
We’re not overreacting to his 3-109-2 line against Atlanta. We’re confident saying that’ll go down as his most productive game of 2024 (and probably the rest of his career).
Still, New Orleans’ thinned-out WR corps will supply increased opportunities going forward. MVS led the group in routes and targets against the Falcons, while tying for the lead in snaps.
Rashid Shaheed (knee) is out for the year, and Chris Olave (concussion) might be as well.
The Saints draw a positive home matchup vs. Cleveland in Week 11, followed by a Week 12 bye.
Grab This Guy
MarShawn Lloyd, RB, Green Bay Packers
Blind-bid recommendation: 3-5%
The Packers used a Round 3 pick on Lloyd in April. A preseason hamstring injury – followed by a Week 2 ankle sprain – stunted any early-season role.
Green Bay has designated him to return from IR, though, and GM Brian Gutekunst has indicated Lloyd could return to the roster as soon as this week.
Remember: Lloyd stands a stout 5’8, 220 pounds and brings excellent size-adjusted speed (4.46-second 40 time). He averaged 7.1 yards per carry in his final season at USC.
He might not fill the RB2 role immediately. But with only Chris Brooks and Emanuel Wilson in the way, we’ll be surprised if Lloyd isn’t the backup – for a top offense – come December.
Top Streaming Defense for Week 10
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
The Bears’ offense has been abysmal, averaging 9 points per game since their Week 7 bye.
Part of the struggle has been injuries on the O-line (which still won’t be healthy this week). Caleb Williams is also holding onto the ball way too long.
Williams ranks top 5 among QBs in being sacked when not blitzed, and the Bears are giving up 6 sacks per game on average overall.
The Packers defense has continued to be a takeaway machine, leading the league with 2.1 per game.
Green Bay sits at No. 13 in defensive DVOA, while the Bears are down to 27th in offensive DVOA.
If you want other defenses to stream, check out our Streaming Defense Guide for Week 11.
Drop Candidates
Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears
The Bears are a ruddlerless ship on offense, combining poor coaching, awful O-line play, and a slumping QB. There are higher-upside handcuffs to stash.
Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
Williams’ role hit rock bottom in Week 10 with only 1 carry and a 29% snap share. This followed HC Sean Payton’s comments regarding a bigger role for Audric Estime.
Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
Likely missed Week 10 with a hamstring. Prior to that one, he hit 5 PPR points only twice since the opener.
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
Conklin entered last weekend questionable with an ankle injury. He suited up but caught 1 pass for 8 yards. He’s been held to 10 or fewer yards in four of his past five outings.