Football is a violent, unpredictable sport where anything can happen. Injuries can derail a player’s season and dash any hopes you had for your fantasy football squad. The best way to protect yourself is always to have a plan B. That can be through acquiring your rostered players’ “handcuff” or having deep stashes on your bench in an emergency.
As the fantasy football playoffs draw near, here are two TEs and one WR worth stashing to keep your rosters safe in case of emergency.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Stashes
Week 11 TE & WR Handcuffs
Brevin Jordan (TE – HOU)
The better-than-expected Houston Texans offense has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy football managers this season. Rookie QB C.J. Stroud has effectively spread the ball around in a pass-heavy scheme, including TE Dalton Schultz, who is currently the point-per-reception (PPR) TE7.
It’s not unusual to see rookie QBs target TEs like Stroud has Schultz. For anyone who took a shot on Schultz in fantasy football, it’s been a godsend. However, as we’ve seen this season, one injury can flip your fantasy football roster on its head. The next man up behind Schultz is veteran TE Brevin Jordan.
The third-year TE out of Miami (FL), returning from an injury that has sidelined him since Week 7, has shown to be a reliable target no matter who is behind center. He boasts a career 64% catch rate and has four touchdowns on 39 receptions. Jordan’s issues have primarily been injury-related, and while he won’t get a significant role with Schultz on the field, he could save your season as a handcuff roster stash.
Albert Okwuegbunam (TE – PHI)
Once a promising prospect, Eagles TE Albert Okwuegbunam has spent most of the 2023 season inactive, stuffed behind Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra and Jake Stoll on the depth chart. Given Dallas Goedert’s status as an elite TE, most fantasy managers knew it would take an injury for Albert O to get a shot in Philadelphia. Heading into Week 11, the Eagles’ offense will be without Goedert thanks to a fractured forearm.
It’s only fair to start this with a disclaimer. I know that the Philadelphia Eagles offense is passing at a low rate, the fifth lowest (53%) in the NFL, to be exact. However, Goedert’s 52 looks account for 18% of the team’s total targets. While some assume those targets can be absorbed by a combination of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, Okwuegbunam will get an opportunity to earn his most significant work of 2023.
While Goedert is likely only out for two to three weeks, Okweugbunam will get an opportunity to show his long-term value to the franchise. If you’re a Goedert manager looking for a fill-in or a Mark Andrews manager looking for a potential boom play, Albert O could be your guy.
Derius Davis (WR – LAC)
Injuries have affected every team in the league to some degree this season, and the Los Angeles Chargers have been no exception. Veteran WR Mike Williams went down for the season in Week 3, and next-man-up Joshua Palmer is now on IR for the foreseeable future.
Yes, Keenan Allen is still healthy and will continue to dominate the team’s target share as long as he is. However, every team – except the Kansas City Chiefs, apparently – needs a reliable WR2 and WR3 to complement the offense. Fifth-year wideout Jalen Guyton has stepped in admirably but is now listed as questionable with a groin injury. Enter Derius Davis.
Admittedly not a household name, the rookie out of TCU has made the most out of his limited opportunities in 2023. In nine games, Davis has caught 10 of his 11 targets for 45 yards and saw a season-high 25% snap share last week against Detroit. While he is unlikely to draw heavy volume, his reliability makes him a candidate to earn an increased role in a pass-catcher-needy offense. Anyone with Keenan Allen rostered should consider stashing Davis for a potential playoff run.
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Nate Polvogt is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Nate, check out his archive and follow him @NatePolvogt.