After 10 weeks of football, the waiver wire is but a shadow of what it was back in September. However, a few unowned players have now surfaced as useful bye-week replacements. Injuries in Atlanta’s backfield and have resulted in Brian Hill becoming a hot commodity. J.D. McKissic led Detroit’s backfield in touches during Week 10 and his six catches provide insight into his PPR viability. These aren’t the only guys worth your FAAB dollars, though. Our featured analysts have come with the scoop on which largely unowned players and defenses deserve your attention as we head into Week 11.

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Featured Experts:
Elisha Twerski – FantasyPros
Mike Tagliere – FantasyPros
Zach Greubel – Gridiron Experts
Bobby Sylvester – FantasyPros
Doug Orth – FFToday
Walter Cherepinsky – WalterFootball

View These Expert’s Waiver Rankings
Elisha Twerski
Mike Tagliere
Zach Greubel
Bobby Sylvester
Walter Cherepinsky

Q1. How much are you willing to spend (FAAB %) on your favorite waiver wire target (or two) and why do you like him?

Brian Hill (RB – ATL) 
“Hill filled in for the injured Devonta Freeman in the second half and finished the game with 71 yards and a score on 21 touches. The yardage total wasn’t fantastic, but he went up against a New Orleans defense that came in allowing the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game. If Freeman were to miss any time, Hill would be in for a massive workload for the Falcons. With a lot of top backs on bye in Week 11, I’d spend 15-25 percent on Hill if you need a win. Derrius Guice is worth around 20 percent if you have the roster spot and can afford to wait for production.”
– Elisha Twerski (FantasyPros)

“It seems like the Falcons are going to be missing Devonta Freeman for a little bit, which gives Brian Hill an opportunity to run with the job. Knowing that Ito Smith is on injured reserve and that Kenjon Barner is the definition of “just a guy,” the Falcons should let Hill run with the job, especially knowing that they have a potential out in Freeman’s contract after this season. If Freeman has been ruled out by the time waivers come, you should be willing to spend 20-plus percent to snag Hill.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)

Demaryius Thomas (WR – NYJ) 
“I’m assuming everyone else is going to pick Brian Hill, and yes, you should spend the rest of your FAAB budget on him. To give you all some variety, however, I’m going to tell you about the number two guy on my list, Demaryius Thomas. I know it doesn’t feel sexy to roster a player who is over the hill, but he is still producing thanks to 39 targets since Week 5. To put that into perspective, Tyler Lockett has 40 in that time, Stefon Diggs has 41, and Kenny Golladay has just 35. He might not be as efficient as them, of course, but with four straight cake matchups coming up, Thomas should eat for fantasy owners.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

O.J. Howard (TE – TB) | Auden Tate (WR – CIN) 
“Is it finally O.J. Howard time? He saw a season-high seven targets and scored his first touchdown in Week 10 coming off a two-game absence due to a rib injury. This was with Cameron Brate active, too. If tight end is a position of need, spending 5-10% of your FAAB on Howard is agreeable. Another guy that needs to be picked up is Tate. A.J. Green’s status is still uncertain and Tate hasn’t received fewer than six targets in a game since Week 1. Spend 10-15% of your FAAB on the young Bengals wideout.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)

Alexander Mattison (RB – MIN)
“It’s a close call between Mattison and Dallas Goedert. Both possess league-winning upside at positions where owners are almost always looking for help. For now, I’ll roll with Mattison simply because Dalvin Cook is more susceptible to getting hurt than Zach Ertz, considering the position he plays. Even in leagues where I don’t own Cook, I’d be willing to spend up to 25 percent of my remaining FAAB on Mattison, who already has decent standalone value and could become a clear RB1 if Cook gets dinged.”
– Doug Orth (FFToday)

Derrius Guice (RB – WAS) 
“I’d be willing to spend up to 20 percent of my budget on someone like Guice. The Redskins run block very well, as we’ve seen Adrian Peterson cross the century mark in recent weeks. Peterson, however, is not the future of the Redskins, so the team may want to get Guice more involved to see how he performs. This might occur slowly, but I could see Guice having some explosive performances in Weeks 14-16.”
– Walter Cherepinsky (WalterFootball)

Q2. For owners renting a D/ST in Week 11, what readily available option (under 40%) should they target and why?

“If you’re in a deep league and are in need of a defense that is likely to be available, may I suggest the Raiders? Oakland is coming off a game against the Chargers where they racked up five sacks, three interceptions, and a defensive touchdown. Oakland will face a Cincinnati team that has allowed nine or more fantasy points to opposing D/STs in six of their eight games – this includes a 24-point performance to the Ravens on Sunday. The Redskins have surrendered an average of 3.4 sacks per game to go with 1.9 turnovers. Ryan Finley could be in for a nightmare game in Oakland.”
– Elisha Twerski (FantasyPros)

“The Redskins are one of the better streaming options for Week 11. Some may see them and think, “how can I trust a team with one win?” It’s a fair question, but the defense hasn’t been the biggest problem. They’ve offered a solid floor while averaging 2.7 sacks over the last seven games, including at least two sacks in each of the last five games. Meanwhile, the Jets’ offense has been horrendous, scoring more than 16 points just twice all season. They’ve also allowed 39 sacks on the season, an average of 4.3 sacks per game. There has not been a better matchup for fantasy defenses, and yes, that includes the Dolphins.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)

“The Jets’ defense stands out as a tasty Week 11 rental. They draw the lowly Washington Redskins who will be starting their callow rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins again. New York is coming off a nice outing from a fantasy perspective. While they did yield 27 points to the New York Giants in Week 10, they also tallied six sacks, three forced fumbles, two recovered fumbles, and a touchdown. Smash the add button on the Jets if you’re in need of a defense this week. If you miss out on the Jets, the Oakland Raiders are actually an underrated option versus the Cincinnati Bengals.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)

“The Broncos don’t have any “great” matchups the rest of the way, but their defense is one that is capable of slowing down all but the best offenses in the league when they are right. Denver has held four of its last five opponents to 19 or fewer points and recovered nicely from its bizarre three-game stretch without a sack to begin the season, recording 19 quarterback takedowns over the last six contests. This defense should be in play for fantasy purposes in Weeks 12-14 against the Bills, Chargers, and Texans.”
– Doug Orth (FFToday)

“We got to see the Ryan Finley experiment in Week 10 and let’s just say, it wasn’t pretty unless you happened to be rostering Baltimore’s D/ST. This week, the Raiders draw Cincinnati at home after forcing Philip Rivers into three interceptions and five sacks last week. Not only are the Raiders the best streamer, but they should be a top-three option at the position in Week 11.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

“The Jets seem to be the best option. They’re getting healthier and they just limited Saquon Barkley to one rushing yard. They’re going to battle the Redskins and presumably Dwayne Haskins, who looked dreadful the last time he battled a New York team.”
– Walter Cherepinsky (WalterFootball)

Thank you to the experts for naming their top waiver targets. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter if you’re not already doing so and check out our latest podcast below for more great advice.

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