We are now in the home stretch of the fantasy football season, which means we know which of our teams look like contenders and which ones are fighting for playoff spots. We need to cater our pickups toward our team situations. It’s now time to improve our rosters.
For this version of the waiver wire list, we are going to look at players fantasy managers should add, as well as assess the players most commonly added in ESPN leagues.
I have done away with FAAB recommendations this year, as there are too many variables to account for. Instead, I replaced it with my opinion on how aggressive fantasy managers should be in pursuing the player on a scale of 1-10.
Players Most Commonly Added in ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues
Russell Wilson, QB | PIT
Rostered: 40%
The Pittsburgh Steelers are still a run-first offense, but there’s no denying Russell Wilson’s ability to make plays when needed. It’s these timely throws that have helped his fantasy value.
Wilson has 19+ fantasy points in two of his three starts, and he hasn’t really faced a situation where he’s had to air it out a ton, with fewer than 30 pass attempts in each start.
FIRST TD AS A STEELER!!!!!!!!
📲 Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/COxKRnr6Mc pic.twitter.com/qaxvtHNvcM
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 10, 2024
Next week, things might be much different. The Steelers have a home date against the Baltimore Ravens’ pass-funnel defense. The way to beat the Ravens is through the air, so we could see Pittsburgh throw more than usual, with success in doing so.
Wilson is at least a viable streamer.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.5
Sam Darnold, QB | MIN
Rostered: 74%
It’s clearly too late for most of you to add Sam Darnold. Although, I have a sneaking suspicion he will be dropped in a fair amount of leagues when waivers clear on Wednesday morning.
Darnold is coming off just his second disastrous outing of the season, but ironically, in both of his awful fantasy performances, the Minnesota Vikings won.
In Week 10, Darnold threw for 241 scoreless yards against the league’s worst pass defense, leading his team to a mere 12 points.
This poor performance notwithstanding, Darnold has been so good for fantasy this year. Outside of his two duds, he’s been at least serviceable in every other start, including four games of 20+ fantasy points.
With a mixed bag of pass defenses remaining, Darnold is definitely good enough to be worth rostering. If he does get dropped in a large swath of leagues on Wednesday, pick him up.
Aggressiveness Rating: 5.0
Quentin Johnston, WR | LAC
Rostered: 45%
At this point, I think this is who Quentin Johnston is. He only has 20 receptions on the season but seems to have a nose for the end zone, scoring five times.
You can certainly use Johnston in desperation scenarios, knowing there’s a higher-than-expected chance he scores. With that said, he’s never going to produce like a first-round wide receiver.
Johnston saw just two targets against the Tennessee Titans, catching both for 24 yards and a touchdown. The excitement from fantasy managers likely stems from his 4-118-1 game two weeks ago.
Johnston has now had two 22-point games, two games in the 10-12-point range, and three total duds.
That’s actually not terrible for a waiver wire pickup. You will never feel good about having Johnston in lineups, but if you need a Hail Mary swing, there are worse options.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0
Xavier Legette, WR | CAR
Rostered: 47%
Fantasy managers are understandably looking to find WR1s on NFL teams. Ever since Diontae Johnson was traded, Xavier Legette has been that guy, presumably. Unfortunately, the production hasn’t really been there.
Legette has topped 42 receiving yards in a game just once this season. Were it not for touchdown grabs in each of Week 6, 8, and 9, Legette would have a six-week stretch of 7.0 fantasy points or less.
With the Panthers on bye this week, Adam Thielen being activated from injured reserve, and Jalen Coker seemingly overtaking Legette as Bryce Young’s preferred target, Legette is not a priority add.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0
Noah Brown, WR | WAS
Rostered: 12%
It feels like Noah Brown’s ascent to the Washington Commanders’ WR2 role has gone largely unnoticed. Jayden Daniels has been one of the best quarterbacks in football, and someone besides Terry McLaurin has to catch passes. For the better part of the past month, that guy has been Brown.
In his last five games, Brown has seen at least six targets in four of them. He has two games in double digits and a third that just missed at 9.8 fantasy points. Now, to be fair, his 16.3-point outing was pretty much entirely the Hail Mary against the Bears.
Even so, Brown is matching McLaurin in routes run. He’s the clear WR2 for one of the league’s best offenses and, in deeper leagues, is worth a spot on your bench.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.5
Mike Gesicki, TE | CIN
Rostered: 45%
Fantasy managers who started Mike Gesicki with confidence in a dream matchup were sorely disappointed in Week 10. In a game where the Cincinnati Bengals scored five touchdowns, Gesicki had a mere four receptions for 30 yards.
So, why pick him up? Gesicki’s usage is still promising. He saw nine targets, it just didn’t work out.
If Tee Higgins returns, I wouldn’t trust Gesicki. But if Higgins misses another game, you can go back to the Gesicki well if you need a TE.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Jonnu Smith, TE | MIA
Rostered: 26%
I guess there’s something here with Jonnu Smith. Strangely, this Miami Dolphins offense seems to be drawing up plays for their veteran tight end and doing so at the expense of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Make it make sense.
Smith caught three passes for 45 yards on Monday night in Week 10. He’s been at least moderately serviceable for five straight games, including three games with at least 9.6 fantasy points.
With that said, Smith played just 43% of the snaps against the Rams. This production, despite being relatively consistent for over a month, seems a bit random. I wouldn’t recommend adding him.
Aggressiveness Rating: 0.0
Hunter Henry, TE | NE
Rostered: 54%
This is a strange one. Typically, fantasy managers add players coming off of big games. But Hunter Henry just had one catch for 14 yards in a game the New England Patriots played well and won.
The dud notwithstanding, Henry has been more good than bad this season. Over his previous four games, he didn’t score fewer than 9.5 fantasy points in a single contest.
Of course, before that, to start the season, Henry had 5.2 fantasy points or less in four of his first five games. He’s pretty boom or bust, and it’s largely random. Nevertheless, Henry has enough upside to be a viable fantasy starter for the TE-needy.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Other Players To Add To Your Fantasy Rosters
If you’re looking for a comprehensive list of overall targets regardless of your platform or settings, our main waiver wire rankings can be found here. Additionally, you can use our waiver wire tool to help make some of your tougher waiver wire decisions.
Matthew Stafford, QB | LAR
Rostered: 31%
Here’s what I wrote about Matthew Stafford prior to Monday Night Football:
“The perception of Matthew Stafford’s fantasy viability does not meet reality. On the surface, he looks like a terrible option, but he’s actually played pretty well. The issue with Stafford has been Kyren Williams stealing all of the touchdowns.
“Over the last two weeks (before Monday Night Football), Stafford started throwing multiple scores, with four in Week 8 and two in Week 9. Unsurprisingly, this coincided with the returns of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp.
“The Los Angeles Rams’ remaining schedule of pass defenses is pretty difficult, though. In fact, they don’t have a single game against a team that isn’t top 10 against the pass until the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17.
“As a result, I cannot recommend adding Stafford right now. However, if he’s able to torch the Miami Dolphins’ second-ranked pass defense, I may reconsider.”
Well…Stafford did not torch the Dolphins’ secondary. In fact, he didn’t even throw a touchdown pass. Actually, the Rams didn’t score a touchdown at all. Therefore, I won’t be changing my recommendation.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0
Bo Nix, QB | DEN
Rostered: 50%
Quietly, Bo Nix has been a pretty solid fantasy quarterback. Right around Week 5, the rookie appeared to turn a corner. Since then, he’s averaged 20.6 fantasy points per game.
This year, anything over 18 is really good.
The Denver Broncos may want to be a run-first offense, but they don’t exactly have the talent at running back to do it. As a result, Nix has been throwing a bit more, hitting 30 pass attempts in four of his last five.
Over the next two weeks, the Broncos face two bottom-eight pass defenses. Only the Chargers in Week 16 represent a truly challenging opponent. Nix is a borderline QB1 for the rest of the season and well worth adding if you need QB help.
Aggressiveness Rating: 4.0
Ricky Pearsall, WR | SF
Rostered: 25%
The volume isn’t quite there for Ricky Pearsall, but the talent sure looks to be.
Pearsall has improved in every game this season. Against the Bucs, the rookie caught four passes for 73 yards and an impressive catch-and-run touchdown.
First NFL TD for Ricky Pearsall ‼️
📺 #SFvsTB on FOX pic.twitter.com/J8kjN1jYLB
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 10, 2024
With the San Francisco 49ers healthy, returning Deebo Samuel Sr., Christian McCaffrey, and Jauan Jennings, it may be hard for Pearsall to have any consistency. Still, we’ve seen enough to believe he’s worth rostering.
Aggressiveness Rating: 4.0
Alec Pierce, WR, | IND
Rostered: 16%
With Michael Pittman Jr. out, the Indianapolis Colts needed more from their ancillary players. On the surface, it may appear they got it from Alec Pierce.
Pierce caught four of seven targets for 81 yards and a touchdown, but most of his production came during garbage time. He has splash-play upside and is always liable to produce on limited volume, but Pierce is not someone who can be trusted in lineups.
I would not add him.
Aggressiveness Rating: 0.0
Jauan Jennings, WR | SF
Rostered: 62%
Jauan Jennings is well above the 50% rostership threshold. Typically, I wouldn’t bother listing him, but this is a case where we’re talking about a player who should be rostered in 100% of leagues. So, for those ~40% of you out there, get to steppin’!
The 49ers got their players back following the bye. McCaffrey, Samuel, and Jennings all looked healthy, playing together for the first time this season.
Many fantasy analysts out there were hyping up Samuel as a buy, but I had him (and still do) as a sell. Part of that is because of Jennings.
Most famous for his 46.5-point explosion in a Week 3 game where both Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk didn’t play, Jennings is now set to serve as the 49ers’ WR2 for the remainder of the season. In his first game back from a hip injury, he caught seven of 11 targets for 93 yards.
I would rather have Jennings than Samuel rest of season. If he’s still out there on your waiver wire, this is an all-in move.
Aggressiveness Rating: 10.0
Gabe Davis, WR | JAX
Rostered: 29%
Gabe Davis is rostered in 29% of leagues, which is about 29% too many.
Other than Week 6 against the Bears, Davis has not had a single useful week for fantasy. Last week, he caught one pass for 19 yards against the worst pass defense in the NFL.
With Mac Jones likely starting for the remainder of the season, even Brian Thomas Jr. won’t be startable in fantasy. What hope does Davis have? Do not add him anywhere.
Aggressiveness Rating: 0.0
Rashod Bateman, WR | BAL
Rostered: 14%
Can you really trust Rashod Bateman every week? No. Does he have spike week upside, though? Absolutely.
Bateman bounced back after two massive duds with six receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown. He’s now hit double-digit fantasy points in five of his last eight games. At the very least, he’s worth putting on your bench for potential games where the Ravens need to throw.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.5
Jaylen Warren, RB | PIT
Rostered: 61%
Well over the rostership threshold, Jaylen Warren is good enough to warrant discussion. The Steelers have gone back to their timeshare between Najee Harris and Warren, with the latter getting healthy.
In Week 10, Warren carried the ball 14 times for 66 yards while adding two receptions for 29 yards. That’s 16 opportunities!
Meanwhile, we saw Chase Brown rack up nine receptions as the Bengals went extremely pass heavy against the Ravens’ pass-funnel defense. We could be looking at a heavy Warren game, and it’s not just one we’re adding him for.
Warren is a legitimate weekly RB3 with RB1 upside if Harris were to go down.
Aggressiveness Rating: 6.0
Tyler Allgeier, RB | ATL
Rostered: 50%
It can be difficult to roster a backup running back without much standalone value. Tyler Allgeier still managed to earn 11 carries in negative game script against the Saints, but this is a continuing trend where he’s just too far behind Bijan Robinson.
Allgeier hasn’t caught a pass in three weeks. Even when he scored in Week 9, he didn’t get to eight fantasy points.
With that said, Allgeier is the clear handcuff in one of the best situations in the NFL. If Robinson were to miss time, Allgeier would be an every-week high RB2, at worst.
Aggressiveness Rating: 4.5
Audric Estimé, RB | DEN
Rostered: 1%
When a running back scores 5.3 fantasy points, we typically don’t flock to pick him up. And there’s no guarantee Audric Estimé ever emerges into anything useful for fantasy. However, head coach Sean Payton has been talking him up for a couple of weeks now, saying Estimé would get more looks. And that plan finally went into motion last week.
Estimé led the Broncos’ backfield with a season-high 14 carries. He only managed 53 scoreless yards, which might keep fantasy managers sleeping on him.
Estimé will largely be touchdown-dependent, as he doesn’t have a single target all season. But he does appear to be the Broncos’ primary runner and likely goal-line back. Perhaps there won’t be anything here, but Estimé is worth a pickup if you have the room.
Aggressiveness Rating: 4.0
Tyjae Spears, RB | TEN
Rostered: 45%
Returning from a three-game absence due to a hamstring strain, Tyjae Spears saw a respectable 10 touches against the Chargers. To be fair, most of them came with the game no longer in doubt in the fourth quarter. Even so, Spears looked good, carrying the ball seven times for 47 yards and adding three receptions for four yards.
Tyjae Spears returned to the Titans this week, and Tony Pollard only played four more snaps, ran two more routes, and had two more carries than him. Pollard's 56% running back rush share was his lowest of the season.
— JJ Zachariason (@LateRoundQB) November 11, 2024
Most importantly, Tony Pollard missed part of this game with a leg injury. If he were to miss time, Spears would be a weekly RB2/3. But even with Pollard healthy, Spears has some desperation Flex value and is worth a look as a bench stash.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Taysom Hill, TE | NO
Rostered: 35%
The Saints’ gadget man listed as a tight end is who he is. Most weeks, you’ll get something like the 6.22 or 7.0 fantasy points Taysom Hill has provided two of the last three weeks.
Every once in a while, you’ll get the 16 fantasy points Hill had in Week 9. It really comes down to whether he scores, which is completely random.
With that said, tight end remains a wasteland. Hill has arguably more TD upside than most tight ends, given how frequently he is used near the goal line. If you have a hole at TE, Hill can fill the void.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0