Week 11 was another wild ride in the NFL.
The week kicked off on Thursday night with a Super Bowl 2017 rematch between the Patriots and Falcons, which ended in a similar fashion.
Three of the best teams in the NFL were defeated in shocking upsets: The Bills were defeated by the Colts, who were touchdown-underdogs in the matchup, the Titans were bested by the Texans, who snapped an eight-game losing streak and the Packers were beaten by the Vikings, who actually won a close game by way of a field goal.
Running backs were a dominant force, with Jonathan Taylor scoring a whopping five touchdowns against the Bills and Austin Ekeler tallying four of his own against the Steelers. Backup quarterbacks were the theme once again, as Colt McCoy, Joe Flacco, Trevor Siemian, Tim Boyle and Tyler Huntley started for their respective teams. Star quarterbacks disappointed in Week 11, as Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott and Joe Burrow were all outscored by Siemian, Cam Newton, Taylor Heinicke, McCoy, Ben Roethlisberger, Tua Tagovailoa, Tyrod Taylor, Flacco, Andy Dalton and Huntley.
We have just two teams on bye in Week 12, though those teams are jam-packed with fantasy-relevant players, meaning managers will need to find replacements for the following:
Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Darrel Williams and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Cardinals: Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins, Rondale Moore, Christian Kirk, A.J. Green, Zach Ertz, Chase Edmonds and James Conner.
Managers will also need a replacement for Jarvis Landry (knee), CeeDee Lamb (concussion), A.J. Brown (chest), Amari Cooper (COVID-19), Michael Carter (ankle), Justin Fields (ribs), Jordan Howard (knee) and Jamal Agnew (hip), who could all miss varying durations of time.
Whether you need bye-week fill-ins for Kansas City or Arizona players, or a Week 12 streamer, make sure to check out The Action Network’s top targets at each position — all of which are available in at least 50% of Yahoo! leagues — that you should prioritize come Tuesday night.
Note: Yahoo! roster percentages are reflected in parenthesis and as of Monday.
Fantasy Waiver Wire Pickups
Fantasy Waiver QBs to Target
Taylor Heinicke, Washington (15% rostered)
Heinicke performed well in a difficult Week 11 road matchup against the Panthers. He completed 16 of 22 attempts for 206 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions and tacked on six rushes for 29 yards against one of the best pass defenses in the NFL. He gets a much more favorable matchup against the Seahawks this week, whose defense has allowed the third-most passing yards per game (279.6) and was just lit up for 328 yards and two touchdowns by Cardinals backup quarterback Colt McCoy. Heinicke will be a fringe top-12 play and a solid streaming option.
Priority: Medium to high if streaming quarterbacks.
Tyrod Taylor, Texans (6%)
Taylor had a decent fantasy day in his second start since returning from injury. He took advantage of a good matchup in Tennessee and completed 14 of 24 attempts for 107 yards and tallied six carries for 28 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, leading the Texans to their first win since Week 1. He will finish as a top-10 fantasy QB this week and gets another solid matchup against the Jets in Week 11, whose secondary has been torched for an NFL-high 282.2 passing yards per game. Taylor should offer high-end QB2 upside.
Priority: Medium in two-quarterback/superflex leagues.
Teddy Bridgewater, Broncos (20%)
Bridgewater had a disappointing Week 10 in a difficult matchup against the Eagles. He tossed zero touchdowns against the Eagles' stingy pass defense and faces the Chargers off the bye in Week 12. Los Angeles has been strong against the pass this season, but was just lit up by an aging Ben Roethlisberger for 273 yards and three touchdowns. Bridgewater should be a serviceable option for deeper leagues and two-quarterback/superflex formats.
Priority: Medium to low in two-quarterback/superflex leagues.
Fantasy Waiver RBs to Target
Trey Sermon, 49ers (20% rostered)
Sermon saw an uptick in workload with Elijah Mitchell sidelined in the 49ers' Week 11 matchup against the Jaguars. He saw 10 carries for 32 yards and caught a pass for 23 yards, but played a secondary role to Jeff Wilson Jr., who had 20 touches in the contest. Sermon will continue to get touches so long as Mitchell is out.
Priority: Medium to low.
DeeJay Dallas, Seahawks (1%)
You know it's a lean week when DeeJay Dallas is near the top of the running back priority. He saw four carries for 25 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass for two yards. His role could amplify now that Chris Carson is officially out for the year and Rashaad Penny suffering a hamstring injury in Week 11. He is a deep-league add only.
Priority: Medium to low.
Boston Scott, Eagles (21%)
Scott did little in the Eagles' Week 11 matchup against the Saints. He recorded six carries for 16 yards and caught two passes for two yards with Miles Sanders back from injured reserve. He may get a boost in fantasy value, however, if Jordan Howard misses time. Howard exited the game with a knee injury in the second half and did not return. With Kenneth Gainwell a healthy scratch in this game, Scott seems like the logical backup for Sanders.
Priority: Medium to low.
Matt Breida, Bills (2%)
Breida has strung together two decent weeks for fantasy at the expense of the fantasy value of Zack Moss and Devin Singletary. He scored a pair of touchdowns last week and saw six touches for 67 scrimmage yards in Week 11 against the Colts' stout run defense; Moss saw just three touches for five yards and Singletary saw six touches for 43 yards. He could evolve into a usable fantasy asset in deep leagues, especially if this passing game continues to struggle.
Priority: Low.
Dontrell Hilliard, Titans (<1%)
Hilliard was promoted off the practice squad ahead of this game with Jeremy McNichols out and saw seven carries for 35 yards and caught eight of 10 targets for 47 yards. It's a very random performance that I am not sure we can count on him replicating, especially with competition from Adrian Peterson, D'Onta Foreman and possibly McNichols, who could return from the concussion protocol soon.
Priority: Low.
Ty Johnson and Tevin Coleman, Jets (21%, 3%)
Johnson and Coleman were unremarkable in Week 11 against the Dolphins. Johnson saw two touches for 13 scrimmage yards and Coleman saw six touches for 18 scrimmage yards. Both should benefit while lead back Michael Carter, who suffered a low-grade high-ankle sprain last week, is sidelined for two to three weeks.
Priority: Low.
Fantasy Waiver WRs to Target
Tre'Quan Smith and Marquez Callaway, Saints (4%, 32% rostered)
Smith and Callaway have quietly become viable WR3/flex options over the last few weeks. Smith saw a season-high eight targets in Week 11 and caught five passes for 64 yards while Callaway reeled in just one pass for a 26-yards touchdown — his third score in three weeks. The Saints face the Bills next week, which could be a difficult matchup, though Buffalo's defense was just eviscerated by the Colts last week.
Priority: Medium.
Rondale Moore and A.J. Green, Cardinals (23%, 46%)
Moore and Green both had solid fantasy performances in Week 11 with DeAndre Hopkins out for the third consecutive week. Moore saw a season-high 11 targets and caught all 11 for 51 yards while Green caught four of seven targets for 78 yards. Both have a Week 12 bye, though with Hopkins' health very much up in the air, they may be worth stashing, especially if you are looking forward to the fantasy playoffs.
Priority: Medium; higher for Moore in dynasty/keeper formats.
Laviska Shenault Jr., Jaguars (39%)
Shenault has been largely a bust for fantasy this season. He has just one game with more than six fantasy points and has taken a backseat to D.J. Chark (when he was active), Marvin Jones and more recently, Jamal Agnew. He may get another shot at fantasy relevance, however, with the news that Agnew is done for the year with a hip injury.
Priority: Medium.
Russell Gage, Falcons (17%)
Gage mustered a decent fantasy performance in Week 11 in a brutal 25-0 shutout loss to the Patriots. He caught five of eight targets for 49 yards and should remain the No. 1 receiver while Calvin Ridley remains out. Ridley, who has been out since Week 7 while dealing with a personal issue, is eligible to return from the NFI list, though head coach Arthur Smith said he did not have an update which could hint at a longer absence.
Priority: Low to medium.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Packers (9%)
Valdes-Scantling exploded in Week 11 with Allen Lazard sidelined and posted season highs in each receiving category. He reeled in four of 10 targets for 123 yards and a touchdown on the heels of a one-catch game last week against Seattle. He remains a dart-throw flex play with some upside.
Priority: Low to medium.
Marquise Goodwin, Bears (<1%)
Goodwin had a strong outing in Week 11 against a soft Baltimore secondary. He reeled in four of eight targets for 104 yards and a touchdown — by far his best game of the season. He carries some upside if Allen Robinson II remains out for the Bears' Thanksgiving showdown against the Lions.
Priority: Low to medium.
DeAndre Carter, Washington (3%)
Carter dealt with a difficult matchup in Week 11 in Carolina and caught two of three passes for 22 yards and a touchdown — his third in three games. The Football Team faces Seattle in Week 12, whose defense was just demolished by backup QB Colt McCoy for 328 yards and two touchdowns. Carter is an interesting deep league and DFS play this week.
Priority: Low.
Fantasy Waiver TEs to Target
Editor's note: Adam Trautman was featured in this piece when it published before news broke that he suffered a sprained MCL that's reportedly expected to sideline him up to six weeks, so we've "hidden" the analysis on him as we no longer recommend targeting him on the waiver wire.
Adam Trautman, Saints (7% rostered)
Trautman posted his best game of the year in Week 11 against the Eagles and caught five of eight targets for 58 yards and a touchdown. His role has been increasing since Week 8, which could vault him into high-end TE2/low-end TE1 territory, especially in light of the position's scarcity. The Saints face the Bills, who have been tough against the pass, but appeared vulnerable last week and allowed 41 points to the Carson Wentz-led Colts.
Priority: Medium.
Austin Hooper, Browns (22%)
Hooper saw a season-high seven targets in the Browns' Week 11 victory over the Lions. This is his second straight week finishing top 20 at the position and he has at seen at least five targets in three of the last four games. There are more targets to go around now that Odell Beckham Jr. is gone permanently. He gets a solid Week 12 matchup against Baltimore's leaky defense.
Priority: Low.
