Welcome to the Waiver Wire Week 11!
Jaw-dropping. Eye-opening. Impactful. A coming out party. What words should we use to describe Christian Watson‘s fantasy performance on Sunday?
The No. 34 pick in The NFL Draft ran with his opportunity on Sunday, catching four passes for 107 yards and three TDs. He could have had a fourth but lost track of the ball on a deep shot. Add in the pressure of the moment, as Green Bay did this against a 6-3 Dallas team, and we can put Watson up for the rookie fantasy game of the season. Did we witness Watson’s most significant fantasy performance of the season? Absolutely. But can he become a weekly flex play for our fantasy lineups? 100-percent, yes.
Highs and Lows
In an NFL week filled with fantasy joy (Justin Jefferson is a KING) and fantasy tragedy (Cooper Kupp), Watson put his stamp on the week and potentially the season moving forward. This is why we constantly grind the waiver wire. Change happens in this league, and it happens quickly. All it takes is one Sunday, and the outlook for a player can rise and fall more sharply than in any other sport. How do Rachaad White managers feel on Monday morning? How heavy of a weight was lifted off the backs of Jonathan Taylor dynasty managers? Meanwhile, Kupp managers are entirely gutted.
The fantasy season is shifting from marathon to sprint. For most home leagues, there are four more weeks until the playoffs. You can smell the Thanksgiving turkey and the NFL triple-header. For some managers, every week is a must-win. For others, locking up a bye week should be the goal.
This week we have four teams on byes: Seattle, Tampa Bay, Miami, and Jacksonville. We will have NO bye week teams during week 12 as a Thanksgiving gift.
Here are the final bye-week teams:
Week 13
Arizona
Carolina
Week 14
Green Bay
Atlanta
Chicago
Indianapolis
New Orleans
Washginton
Take the extra time to grind waivers- for high-stakes players. There are only a few weeks left of the grind before waivers lock. Use Rachaad White and Christian Watson as a motivator- grind to find the next one.
Quarterbacks
(Note: Deshaun Watson is rostered in 37 percent of Yahoo Leagues- above our threshold. If he is available, he is a STRONG addition.)
Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
Pickett showed some fantasy signs of life with 51 yards rushing, a TD, and added 199 yards as a passer. Pittsburgh has a consolidated target share with solid options in Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Pat Freiermuth. The 3-6 Steelers’ season is not going anywhere, but Pickett’s development should be a big focus for the rest of the season. He should have some usable fantasy weeks with his rushing upside, especially in Superflex.
Matt Ryan, Indianapolis
Ryan is back in the starting lineup under new head coach Jeff Saturday. He is also firmly back on the radar for Superflex leagues as a low-ceiling floor play.
Running Backs
Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh
Warren saw an uptick in usage despite Najee Harris rushing for a season-high 99 yards. He had nine rushing attempts and caught all three of his targets. We are looking at a 60/40 split, so continue to view Warren as a handcuff plus. If Harris were to miss anytime, Warren would be an RB2.
Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia
Gainwell should be considered one of fantasy’s most valuable handcuff RBs, but he is still available in 84 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Kenneth Gainwell Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
If Miles Sanders were to go down, Gainwell would be a top 18 weekly RB play due to his two-way usage, talent, and the quality of the Eagles’ offense.
James Cook, Buffalo
Cook out-snapped Nyheim Hines 13-6 and had five carries to zero for Hines. Cook remains the No. 2 RB behind Devin Singletary. Cook would see most of the carries if Singletary were to go down.
Trestan Ebner, Chicago
Khalil Herbert suffered a hip injury. Deeper league players should monitor Ebner. The Bears’ offense is putting up points and moving the ball successfully, so Ebner could be a David Montgomery injury away from having a weekly role if the Herbert injury is anything significant.
Wide Receivers
Christian Watson, Green Bay
Putting aside the final stat line, Watson had a 40 percent target share in a tight game. We are talking about a 6-4 WR with 4.36 speed.
Christian Watson Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
There is a reason he was drafted No. 34 overall, and he displayed it with 58 and 39-yard TD receptions. He can be viewed as a rookie year Chase Claypool– a physical specimen with speed in a perfect storm of opportunity and usage.
Jahan Dotson, Washington
Dotson still leads all rookie WRs in TD receptions for the year but is shockingly available in 78 percent of Yahoo leagues. He returns on Monday Night Football against the Eagles in a game where the Commanders will most likely be coming from behind. Dotson will have every opportunity to help this offense in a big way moving forward.
Nico Collins, Houston
Collins returned from injury and had his best game of the season with 49 receiving yards and a TD. He also saw ten targets.
Darius Slayton, New York Giants
It is 2022, and Slayton is a clear WR1 for a 7-2 team. Surprising? Yes, but this is the reality we are in. I have written about Slayton for about 20 weeks in a row. Please go pick him up, so he goes over our roster threshold. Available in over 90 percent of Yahoo leagues, Slayton has four games with 58 yards or more and scored a TD in two of his last three games. Sadly, Wan’Dale Robinson is not happening. Slayton can be relied on as a WR4 moving forward.
Parris Campbell, Indianapolis
Ryan’s return was HUGE for Campell. After a quiet two weeks with Sam Ehlinger, Campbell had his best game with seven catches for 76 yards and a TD.
Parris Campbell Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
He has now scored a TD in three straight Matt Ryan starts. He is a WR3 moving forward.
Treylon Burks, Tennessee
Burks certainly did not go all Christian Watson, but six targets in his first game back from injury equaled a season high. This was a promising start. Look for Burks usage to increase.
Jarvis Landry, New Orleans
Landry returned from injury and immediately received six targets in a close game. New Orleans could badly use another capable pass catcher, and Landry could have more fantasy viability the rest of the season than some realize. He is a floor play, but he should be a reliable one.
Corey Davis, New York Jets
Davis is due to come off of IR. How he will be utilized in The Jets’ offense moving forward remains to be seen, but he had four games with 52 yards or more earlier in the season. Robert Saleh emphasized that Elijah Moore will be in the slot, so expect a healthy Davis opposite Garrett Wilson in two WR sets.
Tight Ends
Foster Moreau, Las Vegas
Darren Waller was sent to the IR. Will we ever see him return this season? I am unconvinced. Moreau has had four targets or more six times this season. Expect him to be on the field almost every snap and to maintain his target share. He is a locked-in TE2 moving forward.
Trey McBride, Arizona
McBride was one of my favorite TE prospects this past NFL draft.
Trey McBride Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
He had a tremendous career at Colorado State as a natural pass catcher and was the first TE selected in this NFL draft. When Zach Ertz went down with an injury, McBride played nearly every down. This week, he is an upside waiver wire addition and a player to prioritize in dynasty formats.
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans
Johnson has now had back-to-back 40+ yard games with a TD. He is a reliable every-down player for The Saints’ offense and is now up to four receiving TDs on the year. He led The Saints in receiving yards this past week as they struggled in the air against Pittsburgh.
