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Now this is what we needed.
The pickin’s on the waiver wire last week were slim. Even if you had FAAB money burning a hole in your pocket, there weren’t enough good ways to spend it. But this week’s waiver crop is bountiful. We were in the midst of a drought, and then the rains came.
The quality of any waiver week depends heavily on what’s available at running back, and we have some exciting RB talent currently unrostered in a majority of Yahoo leagues. We also saw at least one noteworthy WR breakout in Week 10, plus a flashy game from a receiver playing for a new team. There are some intriguing QBs and TEs widely available. It’s even an excellent week for streaming defenses.
Before we get to the goodies, let’s mention a few of the players who don’t quite meet our 50% or less rostership qualification but should still get your attention if they happen to be available in your league.
Rookie George Pickens (62% rostered in Yahoo leagues) had a short TD run in Week 10 and has a slightly enhanced target outlook for the rest of the season now that the Steelers have traded away Chase Claypool. Devin Duvernay (59%) is the No. 1 receiver in Baltimore now that Rashod Bateman is done for the year due to a foot injury. Cole Kmet (59%) has now scored five touchdowns in the last three weeks after scoring just two touchdowns in the first 30 games of his career.
OK, let’s get to it …
Week 11 Waiver Wire Grade: A
(Rostership percentages are based on Yahoo leagues, Recommended FAAB bids are based on a $100 budget.)
Week 11 Waiver Wire Rankings
Running Backs
Written by Bo McBrayer
Rachaad White (RB – TB): 44% rostered
- Next opponents: BYE, @CLE, NO
- True value: $14
- Desperate need: $26
- Budget-minded: $8
Analysis: The time to act on the rookie from Arizona State was weeks ago. Now, it will be difficult to find him available in active leagues, and he will likely require a king’s ransom. White handled the first carry of the game for the Buccaneers en route to 22 for over 100 yards in the game in Munich versus the Seahawks. Leonard Fournette was hobbled with a hip injury and was already seeing his snap share dissipate in favor of the rookie. One final note was that White was not targeted a single time in the passing game, which is certainly strange given his attributes and the opponent.
Gus Edwards (RB – BAL): 48% rostered
- Next opponents: CAR, @JAC, DEN
- True value: $9
- Desperate need: $18
- Budget-minded: $5
Analysis: The Ravens haven’t always been very forthright about player injuries. At the moment, we will take John Harbaugh’s report that Edwards will be ready for Week 11 with a grain of salt. When healthy, Gus Bus has been a highly efficient runner with good touchdown upside alongside Kenyan Drake. J.K. Dobbins is not expected to return from the IR for a few more weeks, so Edwards can be a fantasy playoffs flex play who can certainly help your team get some key wins.
Kyren Williams (RB – LAR): 42% rostered
- Next opponents: @NO, @KC, SEA
- True value: $7
- Desperate need: $12
- Budget-minded: $3
Analysis: We finally caught a glimpse of the rookie from Notre Dame on Sunday, albeit with John Wolford under center instead of Matthew Stafford. The Rams eased him into action, with only one carry. He did, however, catch all three of his targets for 30 yards. Four touches for 6.0 PPR points is a solid start. The schedule favors a growing slice of the pie for Williams, who very well could earn more snaps by way of his pass-protection prowess. It’s a trait that contributed to Cam Akers falling out of favor with Rams head coach Sean McVay.
Jaylen Warren (RB – PIT): 27% rostered
- Next opponents: CIN, @IND, @ATL
- True value: $6
- Desperate need: $11
- Budget-minded: $3
Analysis: Don’t look now, but my dear friend Derek Brown is going to embark on a most epic victory lap for having touted Jaylen Warren since the preseason. The per-touch difference between him and Najee Harris is staggering. Warren is breaking tackles and making more with less, which is completely necessary with Kenny Pickett at QB behind a terrible offensive line and with Matt Canada calling plays. The rookie’s good work has not gone unnoticed; Mike Tomlin said Warren could write his own script to more work with continued success.
Isiah Pacheco (RB – KC): 24% rostered
- Next opponents: @LAC, LAR, @CIN
- True value: $6
- Desperate need: $11
- Budget-minded: $3
Analysis: The backfield in Kansas City is a bit more clear after the Chiefs’ win over the Jaguars in Week 10. Pacheco all but phased out Clyde Edwards-Helaire, which honestly should have happened a long time ago. Pacheco and his running mate Jerick McKinnon formed a nice thunder and lightning duo that the team can certainly work with down the stretch. The upcoming date with the run-funnel Chargers defense should be a really nice spot for Pacheco to banish CEH for good.
Jerick McKinnon (RB – KC): 16% rostered
- Next opponents: @LAC, LAR, @CIN
- True value: $4
- Desperate need: $9
- Budget-minded: $2
Analysis: Where Pacheco is the more bruising early-down runner, McKinnon is doing more than his fair share through the air. The veteran RB has been benefitting managers in PPR leagues immensely the last two weeks, with six receptions on eight targets in both contests. The Chiefs have struggled to run the ball but have called upon McKinnon in any and all game scripts as an extension to the running game.
Stash Candidates: James Cook, Alexander Mattison, Isaiah Spiller, Kenneth Gainwell
James Cook has yet to be squeezed out of this crowded Buffalo backfield. Devin Singletary scored twice on Sunday, but we also saw Nyheim Hines and Duke Johnson on the field. Cook was still the clear second RB in the rotation, even if that didn’t leave much meat on the bone for fantasy production.
Isaiah Spiller and Kenneth Gainwell have each rotated in for their respective teams, but Austin Ekeler and Miles Sanders have both been very good this season, and it would require an injury to upgrade either backup to a priority waiver addition.
Alexander Mattison is the ultimate handcuff. We can nearly guarantee that Dalvin Cook will miss some game action based on history, but Mattison is uniquely useless for fantasy until that happens. When pressed into action, Mattison is immediately vaulted into must-start territory.
Wide Receivers
Written by Derek Brown
Christian Watson (GB): 8% rostered
- Next opponents: TEN, @PHI, @CHI
- True value: $6
- Desperate need: $10
- Budget-minded: $4
Analysis: The Christian Watson breakout happened in Week 10, and it was beautiful. Watson torched the Cowboys’ secondary repeatedly, leading the Packers with a 40% target share, reeling in four of his eight targets for 107 yards and three scores. It wasn’t a perfect game for him, as Watson let another deep shot slip through his hands, but Aaron Rodgers kept going back to Watson, as Allen Lazard was tied up with Trevon Diggs for most of the day. Watson has the talent to give Lazard a run for his money down the stretch as the WR1 in Green Bay.
Kadarius Toney (KC): 51% rostered
- Next opponents: @LAC, LAR, @CIN
- True value: $5
- Desperate need: $8
- Budget-minded: $3
Analysis: Kadarius Toney stepped up this week, filling in for Mecole Hardman. Toney played 44.4% of the offensive snaps with a 14.2% target share that he turned into 57 receiving yards and a score. Toney also added two carries and 33 yards on the ground. He finished third among the Kansas City wideouts with 17 routes run. As long as Hardman is out, Toney will be a viable flex as a contributor to one of the best offenses in football. If he continues to show out in Hardman’s absence (however long that might be), it’s conceivable that Toney could jump Hardman in the pecking order, as the team is unwilling to commit to playing Skyy Moore.
Donovan Peoples-Jones (CLE): 35% rostered
- Next opponents: @BUF, TB, @HOU
- True value: $3
- Desperate need: $6
- Budget-minded: $2
Analysis: Peoples-Jones has eclipsed 70 receiving yards in five of his last six games, as he has picked up steam down the stretch. Peoples-Jones led the team with a 25.7% target share in Week 10, narrowly missing the 100-yard receiving mark. With Deshaun Watson‘s return inching closer and closer, Peoples-Jones could see his ceiling tick upward by the time the fantasy playoffs arrive. The next three matchups for Peoples-Jones are rough, but if his weekly volume can hang in the seven-plus target range, he can remain a viable flex despite the rough assignments.
Terrace Marshall (CAR): 19% rostered
- Next opponents: @BAL, DEN, BYE
- True value: $3
- Desperate need: $6
- Budget-minded: $2
Analysis: Before his measly two-target performance in Week 10, Marshall was on the rise. He averaged 7.5 targets over his previous two starts with WR29 and WR19 fantasy finishes. With below-league-average quarterback play still dictating his weekly floor and ceiling, Marshall will remain a volatile WR4 with WR3 upside. His next three matchups are brutal (BAL, DEN, SEA) before his schedule lightens up. In Weeks 15-16, Marshall faces off against PIT and DET, who have been generous to wide receivers with the most and fourth-most fantasy points per game allowed to the position. Stash Marshall through the putrid matchups for playoff glory.
Parris Campbell (IND): 18% rostered
- Next opponents: PHI, PIT, @DAL
- True value: $3
- Desperate need: $5
- Budget-minded: $2
Analysis: Campbell sprung back to life with the Colts coming back to their senses (thank you, Jeff Saturday) and returning Matt Ryan to the starting lineup. With a 32.1% target share in Week 10, Campbell tied Michael Pittman for the team lead and finished with 76 receiving yards and a touchdown. After he stares down a nightmare matchup with the Eagles, Campbell should post a banner day against the Steelers, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to slot wide receivers.
Darius Slayton (NYG): 6% rostered
- Next opponents: DET, @DAL, WAS
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $4
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Slayton finished Week 10 with a 23.5% target share, 95 receiving yards and a touchdown – which, on the surface, sounds amazing. The reality is that Slayton continues to thread the needle, as his shiny target share only amounted to four targets, with Daniel Jones only registering 17 passing attempts. The Giants continue to go as far as Saquon Barkley will take them. Slayton is the best receiving threat that New York has, and his schedule lends itself to more productive weeks ahead. The Lions and Commanders have surrendered the fourth and fifth most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
Nico Collins (HOU): 13% rostered
- Next opponents: WAS, @MIA, CLE
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $4
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Collins returned from injury to lead the team with 10 targets (27.0% target share), hauling in five for 49 yards and a touchdown. With Brandin Cooks aging and fed up with losing, Collins looks like the real No. 1 wide receiver in Houston. The Davis Mills roller coaster has been challenging this season, but the next two weeks should bring solid stat lines for Mills and Collins. Washington and Miami have given up the fifth-most and ninth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
Stash Candidates: Treylon Burks, Odell Beckham Jr., DeSean Jackson
The path for Treylon Burks‘ emergence as the top receiver in Tennessee remains. In his first game back, he managed a 16.6% target share and 75% route participation. Over the next month, Burks will face a depleted Bengals’ secondary and the Jaguars, who are 10th in fantasy points per game allowed to wide receivers. If nothing else, these upcoming dates will put Burks in the flex conversation.
Odell Beckham is a must-stash. He’s whittling down his potential destination to the Cowboys, Bills, Chiefs, Giants or 49ers. Each of these possibilities is intriguing. Beckham could be the playoff hammer to help bring home a title.
DeSean Jackson drew two targets while running only five routes in his Baltimore debut, but he still looked like a player with the juice, as he cooked the corners opposite him. Jackson is a deeper league add with advantageous matchups down the stretch, with Jacksonville, Pittsburgh (x2) and Atlanta on the schedule.
Quarterbacks
Written by Bo McBrayer
Deshaun Watson (QB – CLE): 37% rostered
- Next opponents: SUS, SUS, @HOU
- True value: $5
- Desperate need: $9
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Enough with the sitting and waiting. The time to acquire the suspended Browns QB is now. The team has already announced that Watson will be the starting QB the moment he is eligible in Week 13 against his former team. The Browns were a top-5 offense in DVOA entering Week 10 with Jacoby Brissett under center. Watson is an awesome football talent capable of consistent QB1 production..
Marcus Mariota (QB – ATL): 33% rostered
- Next opponents: CHI, @WAS, PIT
- True value: $4
- Desperate need: $7
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Mariota has been putrid on the field recently. He is still a very valuable QB streamer, especially with a Charmin-soft upcoming schedule. In fact, the Falcons have the easiest stretch of remaining games in the NFL. The only way for Mariota to be benched in favor of rookie Desmond Ridder is for his awful performance to cost the Falcons winnable games and knock them out of the playoff chase. Atlanta has resumed the forward pass since the return of Cordarrelle Patterson from IR.
Taylor Heinicke (QB – WAS): 13% rostered
- Next opponents: @HOU, ATL, @NYG
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $5
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Few fantasy managers will be able to add Heinicke off waivers without holding their nose in disgust, but his next couple of games present matchups with good streaming potential. Washington is not expecting Carson Wentz back yet, nor was Wentz any good when he was healthy. FAAB-deficient managers might find a diamond in their palm in Heinicke if they squeeze the coal hard enough.
Davis Mills (QB – HOU): 7% rostered
- Next opponents: WAS, @MIA, CLE
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $5
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Much like Taylor Heinicke, Davis Mills is the antithesis of a sexy streaming QB option. Some managers will be out of the running on higher priority players due to FAAB constraints. Mills has a string of good QB-friendly matchups on the docket that include likely negative game scripts for the tanking Texans. Mills is a safe-ish, volume-based, streaming play who won’t break the bank.
Stash Candidates: Jameis Winston, Desmond Ridder
The Saints don’t even own their first round pick in 2023, so it is baffling to see them give Andy Dalton such a long leash. The team is 2-5 with Dalton as the starter, and we’re screaming for a return to Jameis Winston at QB. The NFC South is still up for grabs, with nearly half the season still to go. Winston regaining the starting spot would be a welcome sight for those of us who roster Chris Olave.
As outlined above, Desmond Ridder is a distant murmur as long as the Falcons remain in contention for the NFC South. Mariota’s ugly Week 10 performance has everyone grumbling for a change, but there are few coaches more stubborn to a fault than Arthur Smith. The Falcons also face the softest remaining schedule in the league, which dampens the possibility that Mariota will fall completely from grace anytime soon.
Tight Ends
Written by Derek Brown
Hayden Hurst (CIN): 48% rostered
- Next opponents: @PIT, @TEN, KC
- True value: $4
- Desperate need: $6
- Budget-minded: $2
Analysis: In the two games with Ja’Marr Chase on the shelf, Hayden Hurst has had a 14.3% target share, with meager TE19 and TE14 fantasy finishes. Despite those outings, Hurst is still tied to a productive offense and one of the league’s best quarterbacks. He also has a sizable red zone role for the Bengals, ranking ninth in red zone targets among all tight ends. This week’s matchup with Pittsburgh is tough, but his schedule lightens up afterward. Tennessee has allowed the fourth-most receiving yards and fifth-highest yards per reception to tight ends. The Chiefs entered this week tied for the fourth-most touchdowns allowed to tight ends.
Foster Moreau (LVR): 16% rostered
- Next opponents: @DEN, @SEA, LAC
- True value: $3
- Desperate need: $5
- Budget-minded: $2
Analysis: Foster Moreau reprised his every-down role with Darren Waller landing on IR this week. Moreau played 95% of the snaps, finishing third on the team in routes. He made the most of his 10.5% target share, snagging three of his four targets with 43 receiving yards and a touchdown. After a rough matchup with Denver, Moreau faces two defenses (SEA, LAC) that are top-12 in receiving yards allowed to tight ends.
Trey McBride (ARI): 0% rostered
- Next opponents: SF, LAC, BYE
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $4
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: McBride is a tight end worth considering for a roster spot after Zach Ertz left with an injury in Week 10. McBride played 91% of Arizona’s offensive snaps in Week 10, finishing third on the team in routes but with only one target. McBride could easily go the Cade Otton route for as long as Ertz is on the shelf as a talented rookie who will play every down in a productive NFL offense. He has to contend with DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore for a piece of the target pie, but after them, the table is wide open, with only dust balls like Robbie Anderson and A.J. Green seeing significant route totals.
Isaiah Likely (BAL): 21% rostered
- Next opponents: CAR, @JAC, DEN
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $4
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Likely has put together TE2 and TE9 finishes in his last two games as the Ravens’ starting tight end. Mark Andrews‘ availability is still in the wind, so for the time being, Isaiah is Likely the starter. Yes, I hate myself for that dad joke, but it must be done. Likely has smash matchups coming the next two weeks that provide him upside even if Andrews is back. Carolina and Jacksonville are 28th and 32nd in DVOA (per Football Outsiders) against the tight end position. If Andrews remains out, Likely will be a top-shelf TE option in each of those weeks.
Stash Candidate: Juwan Johnson
Juwan Johnson logged another productive fantasy week against Pittsburgh with a 25.9% target share, as he got into the end zone again while leading the team in receiving yards (44). Johnson would be higher on this list, but his upcoming schedule is nightmare fuel. The Rams and 49ers are horrible matchups for tight ends, but all hope is not lost. Johnson is stash-worthy as he gets the Buccaneers and Falcons after the Rams and 49ers. Tampa Bay and Atlanta are ninth and 13th in fantasy points per game allowed to tight ends.
Defenses
Written by Pat Fitzmaurice
New York Jets: 19% rostered
- Next opponents: @NE, CHI, @MIN
- True value: $3
- Desperate need: $5
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Led by rookie CB Sauce Gardner, the Jets’ pass defense has become one of the NFL’s best. The Jets have recorded 11 interceptions, tied for the third-highest total in the league, They have the league’s fifth-highest pressure rate and have amassed 26 sacks, tied for sixth-most. The Jets have a solid Week 11 matchup against the Patriots’ limited offense, then get frequently sacked QB Justin Fields and the Bears in Week 12.
Minnesota Vikings: 30% rostered
- Next opponents: DAL, NE, NYJ
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $4
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: The opportunistic Vikings have a league-high 22 takeaways. They’re about to play three consecutive home games, starting with a matchup against the Cowboys and QB Dak Prescott, who threw two interceptions against the Packers on Sunday and has thrown four in four games this season. The Vikings then get favorable matchups against the Patriots and Jets. This is a defense you can ride for a while, so go the extra buck with your FAAB bidding.
Atlanta Falcons: 18% rostered
- Next opponents: CHI, @WAS, PIT
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $3
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: The Falcons are 16th in defensive fantasy scoring and get juicy matchups the next two weeks. In Week 11, they’ll host the Bears and QB Justin Fields, who has taken a league-high 36 sacks and has tossed seven interceptions. Then it’s a trip to Washington to face a Commanders offense that will be quarterbacked by either Taylor Heinicke or Carson Wentz. In Week 13, the Falcons get the Steelers and mistake-prone rookie QB Kenny Pickett. Atlanta has generated 13 takeaways in 10 games.
Cincinnati Bengals: 27% rostered
- Next opponents: @PIT, @TEN, KC
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $2
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: The Bengals are only 20th in defensive fantasy points per game, but they’re eighth in defensive DVOA. Cincinnati gets an appealing Week 11 date with the Steelers, who entered Week 10 having allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing defenses. Pittsburgh’s rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett, has thrown eight interceptions in six games, and he’s absorbed 12 sacks in his last two games.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 19% rostered
- Next opponents: CIN, @IND, @ATL
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $2
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: The Steelers host division rival Cincinnati this week, and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has been the NFL’s second most frequently sacked quarterback behind only Justin Fields, going down 30 times in nine games. The Steelers have generated a poor 14% pass rate this season, but the Pittsburgh D got a big lift in Week 10 with the return of edge rusher T.J. Watt, who had been out since Week 2 with a pectoral injury. Pittsburgh then gets a good Week 12 matchup against the Colts.
Washington Commanders: 4% rostered
- Next opponents: @HOU, ATL, @NYG
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $1
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: The Commanders rank 27th in defensive fantasy points per game, but they have a Week 11 matchup against the offensively challenged Texans, who have given up the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing offenses. The Washington defense ranks second in DVOA against the run.
Stash Candidates: None
Kickers
Written by Pat Fitzmaurice
Nick Folk (NE): 43% rostered
- Next opponents: NYJ, @MIN, BUF
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $2
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: Folk is second in the league in field goals attempted (21) and tied for second in field goals made (19). Bill Belichick appreciates the value of three points, especially since the New England passing game isn’t particularly explosive. At 9.8 fantasy points per game, Folk trails only Justin Tucker in that category.
Greg Zuerlein (NYJ): 6% rostered
- Next opponents: @NE, CHI, @MIN
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $2
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: “Greg the Leg” is averaging 9.0 fantasy points per game, which ranks seventh among kickers who have played at least four games. After missing a field goal and an extra point in Week 1, Zuerlein has since made 15-of-17 field goals and 20 straight extra points. He gets a neutral Week 11 matchup against the Patriots.
Robbie Gould (SF): 48% rostered
- Next opponents: @ARI, NO, MIA
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $1
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: Gould missed one of his two extra-point tries Sunday night against the Chargers but made all three of his FG attempts. Gould is tied to an explosive offense, and he gets a Week 11 matchup against the Cardinals, who entered Week 10 having allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to kickers.
Ka’imi Fairbairn (HOU): 3% rostered
- Next opponents: WAS, @MIA, CLE
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $1
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: The Texans’ kicker? Hey, don’t laugh. Fairbairn entered Week 10 averaging 8.7 fantasy points per game, tied for ninth among kickers who’ve played at least four games, then drilled all three of his field goals and an extra point Sunday against the Giants. Fairbairn has attempted multiple field goals in all but two games this season.
Stash Candidates: None
Fool’s Gold
Laviska Shenault had 3-17-0 receiving and 2-42-1 rushing last Thursday night in the Panthers’ 25-15 win over the Falcons. He played a season-high 26 snaps in that game, but it was only the second time this season that he’s played more than 11 snaps. It’s possible Shenault starts to carve out a bigger role in a Carolina offense short on credible pass catchers, but he’s not rosterable yet.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine had a 5-119-2 game against the Broncos, but a big chunk of his production came on a 63-yard flea flicker for a touchdown that caught the Denver defense napping. It was only the second time in 40 career games (including the playoffs) that Westbrook-Ikhine has topped 78 receiving yards.
Drop recommendations
Droppable
Eno Benjamin played just one snap for the Cardinals in Week 10, as James Conner was back in a workhorse role. Arizona hasn;t generated enough in the running game to support more than one RB, so it’s time to cut bait on Benjamin if you haven’t already.
Chase Edmonds and Caleb Huntley are third wheels in low-octane offenses. It was worth waiting to see how the Broncos used Edmonds after acquiring him at the NFL trade deadline, but Edmonds played only 15 of 80 snaps in his first game with the Broncos and had two carries and one target. Roster spots are valuable; you can’t afford to wait to see whether Edmonds” role will grow. Huntley has played only 22 snaps in the two games since Cordarrelle Patterson came off injured reserve, carrying 12 times for 66 yards and no touchdowns. The one-dimensional Huntley hasn’t been targeted in the passing game all year.
The Titans’ offense is run-heavy, and the Tennessee passing game is TE-centric. Robert Woods has topped 39 receiving yards in only one game, and his season high in receptions is four. The return of rookie WR Treylon Burks should further shrink Woods’ small role.
Droppable with a chance of regret
The Bears have been the run-heaviest team in the league, and Chase Claypool‘s role early in his tenure with his new team has not been encouraging. Claypool has had three catches for 21 yards in his first two games with Chicago, and in Week 10 he ran only five routes and drew two targets. TE Cole Kmet has also broken out as a pass catcher for the Bears over the last two weeks. There’s simply not enough target volume in Chicago to make Claypool worth rostering.
Brandin Cooks has been a reliable fantasy asset for a long time, but he’s hit a wall in his third year with the Texans. Cooks has scored only one touchdown this season. Since Week 2, he’s averaging 44.1 receiving yards per game. He hasn’t seen more than seven targets in a game since Week 3. It’s just not happening for Cooks this year, and while there might be occasional flashes, keeping Cooks in your lineup will do more harm than good.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire‘s snap share has continued to shrivel. He played 17% of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps in Week 9, and he had a meager 6% snap share in Week 10, with CEH playing just four snaps while rookie Isiah Pacheco played 35 and Jerick McKinnon played 24. Edwards-Helaire is a third wheel now, and not even his nose for the end zone can salvage his value.
Don’t drop yet
Taysom Hill has burned the fantasy managers who started him the last two weeks, producing seven rushing yards and 13 passing yards over that stretch. Hill is boom/bust, and we’ve gotten bust in three of his last four games. But there will be boom times, too. Ideally he’s your second tight end, not your first. But he’s still a better fantasy tight end than, say, Robert Tonyan or Dawson Knox.
Nyheim Hines played only six snaps in the Buffalo’s Week 10 loss to Minnesota. Surely the Bills had a more substantial role in mind for Hynes when they traded for him at the deadline … didn’t they? It was also curious that the Bills promoted pass-catching RB Duke Johnson from the practice squad before the game against the Vikings. Hines is most likely going to be on the cut list next week, but let’s give him one more game before we bail out.
We’ll keep saying it: Don’t drop Kyle Pitts. If you want to upgrade your TE position via trade, fine. Pitts isn’t going to be the top-three tight end we hoped he’d become this year. But he’s seen 24 targets over his last three games and has caught 9-135-1 over that stretch – low-end TE1-type production. We don’t think you’ll do any better on waivers.
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