Waiver Favors: 2016 Week 11 Fantasy Football Pickups

By Ha Kung Wong  Fantasy Football Pickups

Twitter: @FBGarbageTime

As usual, I’m back to help with some waiver wire adds via my weekly Waiver Favors article!  All pickups are available in at least 50% of Yahoo standard fantasy football leagues (with some minor exceptions) as of Sunday evening.

Wendell Smallwood

RB – Philadelphia Eagles – 3% Owned

Not to complain about my own Fantasy Football teams, since no one cares about that, but it really sucked for me when all I had at RB was Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles, and not one, but BOTH were injured, Mathews with an MCL sprain and Sproles with a rib injury.

Initial word on #Eagles RB Ryan Mathews: MCL sprain, source said. He'll be further evaluated over next 24 hours. #PHIvsSEA

— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) November 20, 2016

Which means that Wendell Smallwood gets all the run he can handle.  He ended up with 13 carries for 48 yards and 4 receptions for 31 yards in approximately half a game.  All in all, the Eagles appear to be heading in the wrong direction, but any starting RB in the NFL has value, and particular if he gets a majority of the carries.  Grab Smallwood in all 12-team leagues or deeper, and definitely if you were counting on Mathews and/or Sproles.

Tyler Boyd

WR – Cincinnati Bengals – 16% Owned

A.J. Green is clearly Andy Dalton’s favorite target, but he pulled up lame in the first half, and now there’s fear he’s torn his hamstring.

Bengals fear Green out for year with possible hamstring tear. But MRI pending

— Geoff Hobson (@GeoffHobsonCin) November 20, 2016

In his absence, second round rookie Tyler Boyd stepped up and caught 6 of 8 targets for 54 yards and a TD.  Plus, out of nowhere, we got news that the Bengals primary pass catching back, Giovanni Bernard, is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Source: #Bengals running back Giovani Bernard tore his left ACL today.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 21, 2016

Tyler Eifert will undoubtedly get more run if both Green and Bernard are out, and Brandon LaFell (11% Owned) did get 9 targets of his own, but Boyd will get significant time on the outside and the slot and is athletically gifted, leaving him as the better upside play in most 12-team and deeper leagues.

Marqise Lee

WR – Jacksonville Jaguars – 6% Owned

We all thought that Allen Hurns would pair up with Allen Robinson as the WR2 for Jacksonville this year.  But it turns out that Marqise Lee has stepped into that role.  Sure, the Jaguars aren’t a good team, but we don’t really care about that in fantasy football, do we?  We just care about opportunity and production, and Lee had opportunity with at least 6 targets in 8 of 10 games so far, and now has production with at least 50 yards in the last 5 of 6 games.  And in Week 11, Lee added his first TD of the season.  The Jaguars will need to be in catch up mode frequently, and Lee is trending up, so he’s worth grabbing in 12-team or deeper leagues.

Cecil Shorts III

WR – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 0% Owned

With the WR2 position wide open in Tampa, Cecil Shorts essentially fell into this opportunity.  But he’s starting to make good on it by following up a 2 of 5 for 38 yard performance with a 5 of 7 for 62 yard performance in Week 11.  It’s not like being the WR2 in Tampa Bay is any great shakes, but it certainly could be given some time and few more targets.  If you’d like to speculate in 16-team or deeper leagues, you could do worse.

Sammy Watkins

WR – Buffalo Bills – 41% Owned

Remember this guy?  Sammy Watkins is a difference maker, with 1000+ yards and 9 TDs in 2015, but since his early season injury leading to a Week 2 exit, he’s been riding the IR.  But it looks like he might be back in Week 12.

Preston Brown in locker room said "we got Sammy probably coming back next week." So there's a belief among some players that will happen.

— Sal Capaccio ? (@SalSports) November 20, 2016

Maybe it won’t be until Week 13, or even the fantasy playoffs, and I don’t think how much run he’ll get once he’s active, but if you have some space at the end of your bench, particularly with bye weeks ending, Watkins could be a high end lottery ticket stash in all leagues and now would be the time to grab him.

Vance McDonald

TE – San Francisco 49ers – 8% Owned

Vance McDonald has quietly been productive as he’s had 6 targets in each of the last 4 games and has totaled 180 yards and 2 TDs in the last 3.  He’s clearly Colin Kaepernick’s favorite TE target, so if you’re in need of a TE in a 14-team league or deeper, he’s worth a look.

And here are previous pickups I’ve mentioned that are still worthy of your consideration:

10-Team Leagues or Deeper

Terrelle Pryor, Jay Ajayi, Devontae Booker

12-Team Leagues or Deeper

Mike Wallace, Tyrell Williams, Jamison Crowder, Kyle Rudolph, Jordan Howard, Mohamed Sanu, J.J. Nelson; Rishard Matthews, Carson Wentz, James Starks

14-Team Leagues or Deeper

Sam Bradford, Jerick McKinnon, Matt Asiata, Kenny Stills, Cameron Brate, Adam Thielen, Terrance West, Robert Woods, Cole Beasley, C.J. Fiedorowicz, Dennis Pitta, Victor Cruz, Robert Kelley, Kendall Wright; Dontrelle Inman, Quincy Enunwa, Cameron Meredith (at least until Alshon Jeffery is off his 4 game suspension), Tyreek Hill, Ty Montgomery, C.J. Prosise (subject to injury)

16-Team Leagues or Deeper

Theo Riddick (PPR), Mike Gillislee, Andrew Hawkins, Russell Shepard (subject to injury), Lance Kendricks, Eli Rogers, Darren Sproles (PPR – subject to injury)

Check back every week for more Waiver Favors!