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Week 11 byes include the Browns, Giants, Saints and Steelers. Thankfully it’s the last round of bye weeks for the season. Injuries continue to mount making the waiver wire your first chance at replacing or stashing the next man up. It’s never too early to start thinking playoffs either as we look ahead at the value the wire brings us for week 11 matchups.

Quarterbacks

Matt Hasselbeck, IND – Injuries continue to sideline Andrew Luck this season. Matt Hasselbeck will be forced back into the starting roll against Atlanta this Sunday. Hasselbeck’s numbers were not crazy from a fantasy stand point in his two previous starts, but he protected the football and was serviceable. The match up against Atlanta is favorable and looking ahead in week 12 he has a second favorable matchup against Tampa Bay, if he is called upon again. There is most likely better streaming options available in single QB leagues, but those brave enough for the 2 QB leagues are looking at Hasselbeck with some interest.

Brock Osweiler, DEN – Whether its protecting the legacy or truly a bad injury concern Peyton Manning is grabbing some bench in week 11 against the Bears. Enter Brock Osweiler, the backup we know very little about. We can’t judge too much on last week’s game as Osweiler and the Broncos were severely crippled by Peyton Manning before he left the game. Brock will have a full week of preparation on his side when playing the Bears. On top of that I expect to see the defense step up and potential create some very favorable situations for the second stringer.

Running Backs

Matt Jones, WAS – A minor injuries paved the way for Matt Jones to step in for Alfred Morris. Jones earned 187 yards on 11 rush attempts and 3 catches. Washington will continue to be a true committee situation but Jones is trending better than Morris in the last two games. This is a player you will want to capitalize on as the playoff edge closer. He has a very high ceiling with good match ups against Carolina, The New York Giants, and Dallas in the next few weeks. He’s only owned in 48% of leauges.

Andre Ellington, ARI – At this point of the year you might want to start making room for late season sleepers. Andre Ellington falls into that category in my opinion. He hasn’t earned nearly half of his production back but he is making the most of his carries. Last week he tallied 61 yards and a touchdown on just 5 touches. If you have the room for him on your bench and you expect to be in your leagues playoff he might be worth a stash. Production like his breeds more touches and Chris Johnson is no spring chicken.

Wide Receivers

Danny Amendola, NE - Our week 11 “next man up” is Danny Amendola. Julian Edelman just had surgery on his foot and Amendola will see an increased roll. He is probably the highest ranked waiver claim this week overall. Last week he had 10 receptions on 11 targets for 79 yards. He has always been a talented player, but he has struggled to stay healthy himself. Tom Brady has a lot of confidence in Amendola and the increased looks only makes him an immediate fantasy impact player.

Dwayne Harris, NYG – Another stash player heading into week 11 is Dwayne Harris. 3 of his last 4 games he has seen double digit fantasy numbers. Week 9 was a huge blemish on his fantasy value however. In weeks 8 and 10 he has 3 touchdowns total. Right now he is a risk, but showing signs of improved play and more confidence from Eli. The Giants are on bye in week 11 so only take the chance on him if your cruising in your leagues.

Tight Ends

Crockett Gillmore, BAL – This is the second week in a row Crockett Gillmore makes the waiver list. Usually I avoid doubling up on guys, but he proved himself last week and is only owned in 13% of leagues. Steve Smith Sr. going down caused a major void in the passing game and Crocket did his part to fill that void for Joe Flacco. He caught all 4 of his targets for 42 yards and a touchdown. I expect to see him continue to take on an expanded role for the Ravens.

Kickers

Cairo Santos, KC – A top 3 player at his position is only owned in 21% of the leagues. Cairo Santos has had his ups and downs to be honest, but his ups have been big. His future schedule is favorable with games against San Diego, Buffalo and Oakland in the next 3 weeks. Kansas City as a team continues to favor Santos too as he has 22 field goals on the season with 9 being 40 yards or more.

Defense/Special Teams

Kansas City Chiefs – They are a top 10 fantasy defense this season. In their last 5 games they have allowed less than 20 points to opponents too. Improved sack statistics have also complimented the KC defense. They have San Diego, Buffalo and Oakland the next three weeks and aren’t a bad options for those fantasy players streaming defenses all season.

Well, after last week, now seems like a good time to go over another feature of the concept of the confidence pool. A lot of times pools will have a feature where, in an effort to weed out a fluke bad week, the lowest score of your season will be thrown out and not counted towards your final season score. Let’s just hope that your pool includes that feature.

That’s all we need to say about week 10, time to move on!

Week 11 – HERE WE GO!!!!!!!!

(HOME TEAM IN ALL CAPS)

14 – NEW ENGLAND over Buffalo – Some say that the Patriots cleared their biggest hurdle on their way to a 16-0 season. Hard to argue that one.

13 – CAROLINA over Washington – The Redskins get to play an undefeated team for their second straight road game. Pretty sure this will turn out as “close” as it did in Foxboro a couple weeks ago.

12 – ATLANTA over Indianapolis – Atlanta got an extra week to prepare for an Andrew Luck-less Colts team. They probably didn’t need it, but they got it!

11 – SEATTLE over San Francisco – Just a couple years ago these two teams were competing for the top spot in the West…now they battle to stay out of the cellar. At least the Seahawks still look like they know what they’re doing on the field…at times.

10 – SAN DIEGO over Kansas City – I’m pretty confident that the Chiefs spent all of their “road division power points” last week in Denver. I don’t see that magic happening again this week.

9 – ARIZONA over Cincinnati – The Texans? Seriously? The Texans?? AT HOME??? Maybe the Bengals aren’t as dominant as their once-undefeated record led us to believe. Unfortunately for them they go against a Cardinals team that seems to be as people think.

8 – MINNESOTA over Green Bay – The Lions? Seriously? The Lions?? AT HOME??? Well while that was happening, the Vikings were showing the league that they are a legit contender.

7 – JACKSONVILLE over Tennessee – If the Jags want to make good on my bold prediction of them winning the division, they need to win what should be considered to be very winnable games.

6 – PHILADELPHIA over Tampa Bay – The Eagles took a blow losing Sam Bradford last week. Mark Sanchez should at least be able to do enough to beat the young Bucs.

5 – Oakland over DETROIT – Well, I guess this isn’t the year for the Raiders to complete their resurrection. Lucky for them they play a Lions team that may still just be riding a high from their win last weeks.

4 – BALTIMORE over St. Louis – Besides watching Todd Gurley be Todd Gurley, what’s the point of caring about this game?

3 – Dallas over MIAMI – Tony Romo is back (that cheering you hear in the background is coming from fans in Texas). My BOLD PREDICTION for this week is that IN HIS RETURN GAME, ROMO WILL PASS FOR AT LEAST 300 YARDS.

2 – HOUSTON over New York Jets – Well apparently TJ Yates is a franchise quarterback since the Texans always seem to find a way to win with him under center.

1 – CHICAGO over Denver – I would say that picking the Bears to pull the upset is because they won’t have to worry about playing against Peyton Manning…but does anyone think that would make a difference this season?

Week 12 is here, and we're finally finished with bye weeks! For most leagues, the trade deadline has already expired and the hunt for a playoff spot is in full force so the picks that you make on the waiver wire over the next couple of weeks could determine whether or not you'll be playing in the postseason! Well, we'd like to see you make it there and so we're offering some top pickups for your fantasy football team to scoop up if possible. Below you'll find a selection of players & defenses that may be available in your leagues and could possibly help you get to that all important championship game!

Quarterbacks

Jameis Winston, TB – Last week against the Eagles was Jameis Winston’s best game yet. Doug Martin has a lot to do with Winston’s growth this season, but one thing is for sure and that is the fact that Winston is growing into an NFL quarterback. From a fantasy perspective he has done about as well as you could hope for a rookie. His last five games have shown his improvement and he has averaged around 20 fantasy points between them. He has a favorable schedule coming up with games at Indianapolis and then home against Atlanta and New Orleans. He’ll be worth a look as a flier in single QB leagues and a definite add in two QB leagues.

Brian Hoyer, HOU – Houston is on a bit of winning streak winning their last 3 games. Brian Hoyer will start in week 12 after clearing concussion protocol. If you lost Joe Flacco this past week Hoyer is a guy you will want to consider streaming in week 12. His matchup against New Orleans is phenomenal for his return. The Saints defense has allowed 28 passing touchdowns this season while only snatching 4 interceptions. They are giving up an average of 31.5 points a game. Hoyer and DeAndre Hopkins will look to do some damage in week 12.

Running Backs

Spencer Ware, KC – The injury bug bit Charcandrick West this past week as he left with a hamstring injury. Spencer Ware entered the game with it already out of hand, but showcased his power running style. He busted a 52 yard run while also scoring twice from the goal line. Ware will be somebody to keep an eye on considering hamstring injuries are fickle. As injuries continue to mount it is always better to be safe than sorry and grab waiver talent when you can. If you don’t somebody else will.

Thomas Rawls, SEA – Marshawn Lynch’s status is up in the air for the remainder of the year. Thomas Rawls has looked really good all season. Last week he got the start and had 30 rushes for 209 yards and touchdown adding 3 catches for 46 yards and a touchdown. He is already slated to start week 12 as Lynch continues to get checked out. Rawls is going to be a favorite off the wire this week so prioritize him high if you want a chance.

Javorious Allen, BAL – Injuries are abundant this year and another running back is done for the season. Justin Forsett broke his arm and will be replace by Javorious Allen for the remainder of the season. Allen stepped in early last game and saw 22 touches were he racked up 67 yards. He also saw 5 receptions for 48 yards. Buck Allen is in a good situation in terms of fantasy value. Joe Flacco is done with a torn ACL and Matt Schaub will be coming in as replacement. I expect the depleted Ravens offense is going to lean heavily on the run from here on out.

Wide Receivers

Devin Funchess, CAR – I expected to see Devin Funchess get involved early and often this season. He is a rookie though and it’s a new game at the NFL level. The Panthers continued their winning streak and remain unbeaten after week 11. Funchess saw 8 targets catching 4 for 64 yards and a touchdown. He is only owned in 36% of leagues right now, but that will change heading into week 12. He’s getting more involved in the offense and this team is on a mission to win it all.

J.J. Nelson, ARI – Nothing is more fun to watch at the NFL level than the “you’re up next” approach working. J.J. Nelson made the most of his opportunity with Michael Floyd sidelined with a hamstring injury. He had 142 yards on 4 catches and a touchdown. Its way to early to tell if that kind of production can be repeated, but Arizona has said they are going to be cautious with Michael Floyd. That means Nelson will see an increased role again in week 12. He might be worth a flier pick off waivers if you need WR help.

Tight Ends

Crockett Gillmore, BAL – He is still only owned in 22% of leagues. Crockett Gillmore is one of the few targets still standing on the Baltimore Ravens. He deserves to be on more than 22% of the teams. Two weeks running now this theory has played out and Gillmore has been productive with 143 yards and a touchdown on 9 catches. More importantly he has seen 12 targets in those two weeks. Matt Schaub coming in doesn’t change the fact that Gillmore is reliable target.

Kickers

Robbie Gould, CHI – There are very favorable match ups coming up for a Bears team that continues to show improvement. Robbie Gould has a couple misses this season, but he’s still one of the more accurate kickers in NFL history. Jay Cutler continues to protect the football and the offense has done well moving down the field. Robbie Gould stands to benefit from all of these factors. Gould is a good play down the stretch, especially this Thursday against the Packers weak defense.

Defense/Special Teams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – More was to be expected out of a Lovie Smith defense this season. One thing we know about Lovie’s defenses are their ability to create turn overs and that means big points for fantasy defenses. In the last two games the Bucs have allowed less than 20 points to their opponents and racked up 4 interceptions and 6 sacks. They play at Indianapolis in week 12 and chances are they will be seeing Matt Hasselbeck. They are worth a streaming play if you need a defense in week 12.