Week 11 Waiver Wire Suggestions

Week 11 is here, so let's get to it.

Quarterbacks

Last Week

Me
QB	Name	Points
1	Mark Sanchez	21	QB1
2	Kyle Orton	14	QB1
3	Derek Carr	11	Bust
MB
1	Mark Sanchez	21	QB1
2	Michael Vick	16	QB1
3	Ryan Tannehill	10	Bust
Real
1	Mark Sanchez	21
2	Josh McCown	19
3	Michael Vick	16

Close one. Matthew Berry gets the slight edge here, but solid suggestions from both of us.

This Week

1) Robert Griffin (44.8 Percent Owned)

A pretty easy match-up for RG3 and we all know his potential.

2) Josh McCown (5.6 Percent Owned)

This is a hard suggestion to make... But he looked good last week and the offense is starting to actually put some things together.

3) Mark Sanchez (42.3 Percent Owned)

This offense will score points... And they will probably be playing from behind. Barring an implosion, Sanchez should be a decent start.

Running Backs

Last Week

Me
RB
1	Terrance West	15	RB1
2	Charles Sims	1	Bust
3	Tre Mason	7	RB2
MB
1	Anthony Dixon	6	RB3
2	Terrance West	15	RB1
3	Tre Mason	7	RB2
Real
1	CJ Anderson	22
2	Terrance West	15
3	Jonathan Stewart	11
	Joseph Randle	11

Another close one that goes to Berry.

This Week

1) Jonathan Stewart (26.6 Percent Owned)

Stewart looked like the best Carolina RB last week and they have a great match-up. DeAngelo Williams might be a good play as well, but Williams has a lot more risk.

2) Tre Mason (43.7 Percent Owned)

It's hot-hand time at RB and Mason is the hot-hand. I'd feel comfortable rolling with him this week.

3) Bryce Brown (6.1 Percent Owned)

Fred Jackson hasn't practiced... Admittedly, it's probably because the game is Thursday and they want him to rest... But I still doubt Jackson is 100% yet. Brown should get some chances and he showed last week that he has the raw talent to make plays... He just needs to hold onto the freaking ball. This was the same problem he had in Philly. He's a fumble machine. I think he's on a short leash, but the Bills would be foolish to keep him on the bench if Jackson is limited.

Wide Receivers

Last Week

Me
WR
1	Martavis Bryant	20	WR1
2	Stevie Johnson	4	WR4
3	Kenny Britt	3	Bust
MB
1	Martavis Bryant	20	WR1
2	Allen Robinson	8	WR3
3	Justin Hunter	1	Bust
Real
1	Jordan Matthews	25
2	Martavis Bryant	20
3	Preston Parker	13
	John Brown	13

Yet another close one with the edge going to Berry. I think I'll stop suggesting Stevie. He's simply too TD dependent and the Niners offense has been struggling.

This Week

1) Andrew Hawkins (46.3 Percent Owned)

It looks like he's going to play and it's a great match-up. Cleveland is full of mediocre WRs, but I think Hawkins is the guy when he's healthy.

2) Greg Jennings (43.6 Percent Owned)

Jennings gets plenty of targets in the Vikings offense and the match-up is decent. Things will get interesting if Kyle Rudolph plays. On one hand, this should draw coverage to Rudolph... On the other, Rudolph becomes the top threat in the red zone. Use caution here... But I think it's a good play.

3) Jordan Matthews (33.4 Percent Owned)

Coming off a big week for Matthews and going into a game where I think Philly will be throwing most of the game... He looks like the guy Sanchez has the connection with. High upside here.

Tight End

Last Week

Me
TE
1	Owen Daniels	2	Bust
2	Scott Chandler	1	Bust
3	Mychal Rivera	12	TE1
MB
1	Owen Daniels	2	Bust
2	Mychal Rivera	12	TE1
3	Charles Clay	4	TE1
Real
1	Mychal Rivera	12
2	Brent Celek	11
3	Austin Seferian-Jenkins	9

Yet another small victory for Berry. He's got my number this week.

This Week

1) Kyle Rudolph (11.6 Percent Owned)

There's no guarantee that he plays... But if he does, he's the biggest red zone option for the Vikings.

2) Jordan Reed (44.7 Percent Owned)

Not an amazing match-up... But he's the most talented of all the tight ends that are less than 50% owned. Sometimes skill is more important than anything else.

3) Tim Wright (4.5 Percent Owned)

Wright is completely TD dependent. But I've got a hunch that he finds the end zone this week.

Defense/Special Teams

Last Week

Me
Def
1	Cowboys	11	DEF1
2	Steelers	6	Bust
3	Ravens	14	DEF1
MB
1	Cowboys	11	DEF1
2	Ravens	14	DEF1
3	Steelers	6	Bust
Real
1	Browns	17
2	Packers	17
3	Ravens	14

Matthew Berry and I suggested the same defenses last week, so there's not much to say. They were decent suggestions.

This Week

1) Washington Team (31.7 Percent Owned)

The Jaguars are on a bye this week, which makes finding a defense more difficult. Washington plays the Buccaneers, which I think has an improving offense... But it's still a good match-up.

2) San Diego Chargers (31.7 Percent Owned)

It's hard to suggest a defense that has been in the negatives the past 2 weeks... But they're playing the Raiders. Oakland is terrible.

3) Cleveland Browns (32 Percent Owned)

The Browns have a pretty good defense and Houston is starting Ryan Mallett this week. Turnovers are almost guaranteed.

Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups!

It's time for my week 10 fantasy football suggestions. As usual, my suggestions will be only players that are owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues.

This week, the results won't include the actual top players... During the past week, ESPN has changed the way they calculate the percentage owned. The idea is to eliminate abandoned teams from the data.

So without further ado...

Quarterbacks
Last Week:

Me
QB	Name	Points
1	Alex Smith	15	Bust
2	Carson Palmer	19	QB1
3	Teddy Bridgewater	16	QB1
MB
1	Carson Palmer	19	QB1
2	Ryan Tannehill	27	QB1
3	Alex Smith	15	Bust

Not a bad week for me. Bridgewater turned out to be a decent play. Matthew Berry 1up'd me with Tannehill, though.

Suggestions for this week:

1) Mark Sanchez (16.8 Percent Owned)

I don't like suggesting Sanchez. He's not good. He's never been good. He'll never be good. However, that Eagles offense is stacked. I don't see a way that he can't be a productive fantasy QB.

2) Kyle Orton (12.2 Percent Owned)

Orton has been a pretty solid QB since he took over for EJ Manuel. The Chiefs defense will be a bit of a test, but I think Orton is up for the challenge. He handles pressure well. Keep an eye on Sammy Watkins. He tweaked his hamstring today. The coaching staff is downplaying it as a minor issue and I think he'll play... But he does have an MRI scheduled. That means the team thinks there's at least a small chance that the injury is more serious. If Watkins doesn't play, that drops Orton's value. The rest of the Bills WRs are decent, so he's still an okay play even if Watkins doesn't play... But you might want to look elsewhere if you have other options.

3) Derek Carr (5.8 Percent Owned)

I don't care for Carr, but I think the match-up is decent fantasy-wise. The Broncos are not great against the pass... And let's be honest, the Raiders are going to be playing from behind for most of the game. That should result in a lot of opportunities for Carr.

Running Backs

Last Week:

Me
RB
1	Denard Robinson	16	RB1
2	Ronnie Hillman	17	RB1
3	Charles Sims	0	Bust
MB
1	Ronnie Hillman	17	RB1
2	Denard Robinson	16	RB1
3	Bobby Rainey	11	RB1

I'm going to call this a wash. I only suggested Sims if he ended up playing. He didn't. Rainey was the main back.

Suggestions for this week:

1) Terrance West (47 Percent Owned)

There aren't a lot of good RB options this deep. If you're desperate, you're probably not going to like the options available in your league. West has become the guy the Browns seem to like... And the matchup is good. The Bengals give up the 7th most fantasy points to RBs. However, I'm not sold on West. The Browns can't seem to make up their mind... And I think Crowell is the best back there. West is still your best bet in that backfield until further notice, though.

2) Charles Sims (27.3 Percent Owned)

Yes, I'm recommending Sims again. He will be active for this game. No one really knows how many touches he's going to see... But the match-up is really good. If he gets even a few carries and looks decent, he'll get a lot of work. The Buccaneers are really looking for an answer for their RB problem.

3) Tre Mason (46.8 Percent Owned)

I actually don't like this play... But if you're that desperate, Mason is the starter. That's more than can be said for anyone else that is less than 50 percent owned. At least he's going to get the ball.

Wide Receivers

Last Week:

Me
WR
1	Andrew Hawkins	3	Bust
2	Stevie Johnson	4	WR4
3	Martavis Bryant	16	WR1
MB
1	Odell Beckham Jr	15	WR1
2	Allen Robinson	3	Bust
3	Brandon LaFell	11	WR2

Another small victory for Berry... But Bryant is starting to look like the real deal.

Suggestions for this week:

1) Martavis Bryant (41.3 Percent Owned)

3 straight weeks with double digit points. Roethlisberger is on fire. The Steelers are playing the Jets, who can't stop any passing attack. Take your pick. All of these points are good enough to justify starting Bryant. I would temper expectations for the rest of the year. Roethlisberger is not going to throw 6 TDs every single week. But for this week? He very well could put up another 6... And Bryant will probably see 1 or 2 of those.

2) Stevie Johnson (9.7 Percent Owned)

It didn't quite pan out as well as I had hoped last week, but I'm still going to recommend Stevie this week. The match-up is a good one. Keep in mind that Stevie isn't going to see the ball a lot. 4 or 5 receptions seems likely. He also doesn't have great speed. So if you're starting him, you're really hoping for some red zone targets. His ability to create space in the end zone always makes him a good target in that area and I think Kaepernick knows that. There's a good chance Johnson scores this week.

3) Kenny Britt (8.9 Percent Owned)

Britt played almost every snap last week. The Rams have decided he's the #1 guy now that Brian Quick is gone. Normally, that'd be great news for fantasy... But the Rams don't have a whole lot of offensive power. I think he's an option for the desperate simply because he's going to be on the field a lot. He should start to see an increase in targets. Britt's physical talent has never really been in doubt. He has always shown flashes of brilliance. He just needs 1 of those moments on Sunday to make his day productive enough for fantasy purposes.

Tight Ends

Last Week:

Me
TE
1	Dwayne Allen	8	TE1
2	Larry Donnell	8	TE1
3	Jace Amaro	0	Bust
MB
1	Larry Donnell	8	TE1
2	Dwayne Allen	8	TE1
3	Jared Cook	1	Bust

Not much to look at here. I'm a bit surprised by the goose-egg that Amaro put up... But he does play for the Jets.

Suggestions for this week:

1) Owen Daniels (33.8 Percent Owned)

Daniels gets a lot of targets. He's healthy now and the Titans have given up a decent amount of points to TEs this year. Daniels should definitely be owned in more leagues. The TE pool is shallow this year. Daniels has enough talent to become a top 10 TE option, but only because there aren't many good options right now.

2) Scott Chandler (20.1 Percent Owned)

I think the Bills will have to look in Chandler's direction quite a bit this Sunday if they want to move the ball. Chandler's value goes up even more if Watkins can't play.

3) Mychal Rivera (16.7 Percent Owned)

Rivera has 15 receptions in the past 2 weeks. The next highest for TEs that are less than 50% owned? 9 (Jermaine Gresham). As I mentioned in the QB section, the Raiders are going to be forced into throwing a lot against the Broncos. Carr has grown to like Rivera as one of his favorite targets. TDs are not guaranteed for the Raiders, but Rivera should see a lot of targets.

Defense/Special Teams

Last Week:

Me
Def
1	Vikings	7	DEF1
2	Browns	8	DEF1
3	Redskins	0	Bust
MB
1	Vikings	7	DEF1
2	Eagles	6	Bust
3	Browns	8	DEF1

I'll give Berry the small victory here. Technically the Eagles defense didn't finish in the top 12, which would make them a good starting defense... But the 0 put up by the Redskins is way too low for me to call it a push between the 2 of us.

Suggestions for this week:

1) Dallas Cowboys (46.8 Percent Owned)

The Cowboys are playing the Jaguars.

2) Pittsburgh Steelers (32.2 Percent Owned)

The Pittsburgh defense has looked decent. Polamalu won't play, so that definitely hurts their value... But they're playing the Jets. The Jets are bad. Vick is dealing with some injuries... Supposedly, he'll play... But I'm concerned about how much mobility he'll have, and that's all Vick has these days.

3) Baltimore Ravens (40.4 Percent Owned)

The Ravens are the 8th best fantasy defense and they're going up against a very mediocre Titans offense. I'm not expecting anything amazing, but the Ravens defense should be a good play this week.