Top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 11

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The way that I've done these advice columns for the past two years has stayed consistent. I don't recommend the same players two weeks in a row, even if the top candidate on the waivers one week is once again the top candidate next time. The more new players I can get onto a list, the more fun it gets.

This time, though, it would be wrong not to mention that one of last week's suggested targets — Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson — is once again a top priority this time around. Hopefully you were able to pick him up ahead of his 100-yard, two-TD explosion against the Browns, though I understand if it was hard to commit to such a move. After all, I had even said it myself — "The backfield's status for Week 10 may not be available by the time you need to submit your waiver claims, so keep close attention. If Harris can't go and Stevenson can, your priority should be (Stevenson)" — and it was ultimately very unclear as to whether or not he'd suit up.

So yes, you should give it your best shot to pick him up. Damien Harris will return eventually, but it might not be in time for Thursday night, and Stevenson should have done well enough to secure more regular playing time.

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Some other names that were included on last week's list, such as Jets rookie wideout Elijah Moore and running back Ty Johnson, should also be on your radar again.

Related

Top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 10
Top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 10

But for now, we have five more names for you to look for on the waiver wire. If you're in need of a tight end during your playoff run, this might be your best chance to pick up an impactful one. If one of the league's top handcuffs somehow slipped through the cracks, it could be a move that successfully boosts your playoff push. And if you want to get really out there, you could even prioritize... a defense?

All stats and information retrieved from Fantasy Pros. Players must be owned in fewer than 50 percent of leagues to qualify.

AJ Dillon
AJ Dillon could produce as a true fantasy RB1 in Aaron Jones' absence. Photo credit (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

AJ Dillon* | Green Bay Packers, RB

Yahoo: 72% owned | ESPN: 60% owned

I know, I know. I quite literally just said that, as always, players must be owned in fewer than half of leagues in order to be eligible as candidates for this list. But that big asterisk next to Dillon's name means that this is a bonus pick. If he's available on your league, for some strange reason, and no one decided to handcuff him, you simply have to spend every ounce of FAAB that you have in order to pick him up.

Okay. On to the real picks.

D'Onta Foreman
D'Onta Foreman appears to have taken the bulk of Derrick Henry's vacant carries. Photo credit (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

D'Onta Foreman | Tennessee Titans, RB

Yahoo: 3% owned | ESPN: 2% owned

Hand up, here. I admit that I suggested both Adrian Peterson and Jeremy McNichols upon hearing that Derrick Henry was done for (likely) the year, but it appears that neither is the best one to own. That title looks like it belongs to Foreman, who had the smallest workload of the three in Week 9... and then the largest workload in Week 10, with 13 touches and the slight edge to Adrian Peterson in snap count.

He averaged six yards per touch, while Peterson was at just 2.22 and McNichols was at a paltry 1.6. With a juicy matchup in Week 11 — a date with the 1-8 Houston Texans — Foreman could have a large workload and should be able to produce a good amount with it.

Dan Arnold
Dan Arnold has emerged as one of Trevor Lawrence's favorite targets. Photo credit (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Dan Arnold | Jacksonville Jaguars, TE

Yahoo: 26% owned | ESPN: 26% owned

No one really batted an eye with Arnold was traded from the Panthers to the Jaguars earlier in the season. After all, he didn't really seem to compare to targets like Marvin Jones and Laviska Shenault in terms of his intrigue and potential production. But here we are, six weeks into his stint, and he's gotten 39 targets across that span with some solid games to boot.

Look, it's not the most exciting pickup. But if you're someone who streams week in and week out and are looking for a somewhat sturdy presence, you can definitely do worse than Arnold. He's finished as the No. 2, 13 and 6 tight end in PPR formats over the past three weeks, with 17 catches for 195 yards in that span with rock-solid consistency. Is he a legit low-end TE1 who's largely available? I'd say he is.

Logan Thomas
The return of Logan Thomas will be an important one in the world of fantasy football. Photo credit (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Logan Thomas* | Washington Football Team, TE

Yahoo: 54% owned | ESPN: 51% owned

Cheating again! But not really, this time, as he just barely surpasses that 50 percent threshold.

If you've held on to Thomas, kudos to you for your patience and your (probable) luck that other players on your roster haven't needed to take over that IR spot. But if you or someone else had to cut him loose, now's the time to pick him back up. TE Ricky Seals-Jones, who had risen to fantasy relevance for the WFT, got hurt in Week 10. The timing kind of works out — though Thomas wasn't definitely set to return in Week 11, this might exacerbate the process of his recovery. After all, he was potentially going to suit up in Week 10, so it seems pretty likely that the team's desperation at tight end will be enough to push him back on the field.

There, he's a big target for Heinicke and a proven weapon out on the field, and both of those are good things to have at such a scarcely productive fantasy position.

Philadelphia Eagles defense
A defense as a priority waiver wire pickup? You bet. Photo credit (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

Philadelphia Eagles, D/ST

Yahoo: 11% owned | ESPN: 10% owned

Hold on, hold on, hold on. A defense? As a waiver wire suggestion? Who the hell does this guy think he is?

Let me explain. Sometimes, when I find myself in a position where my team is strong enough up and down, I feel that it's better to prepare for the future than worry about a pickup for this week. And here is where checking out a defense like the that of the Eagles can come in handy.

Look at their schedule coming up. Just look at it. Week 11 brings the Saints into Philly, where Trevor Siemian's streak of interception-free football is just bound to come to an end. Weeks 12 and 13 are division battles against the Giants and Jets, two of fantasy football's friendliest defensive matchups. And hopefully, when the Eagles are on their bye in Week 14, you'll have already secured a fantasy playoff position.

And then, when the fantasy postseason gets under way? More juicy matchups. Washington at home in Week 15, the Giants (again) at home in Week 16 and Washington on the road in Week 17. That is an easy schedule, for a defense and a team that seems to be clicking at the right time, and who knows? They may even be gunning for a Wild Card spot, giving them all the more reason to play their hearts out.

Maybe I'm crazy, and using FAAB or waiver priority on a defense is a ridiculous move. Or maybe it just makes too much sense. Guess we'll find out.

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