The Week 11 waiver wire is stronger than you’d expect this late in the fantasy football season. We have a combination of guys that might be immediate starters and upside stashes. Here are a few potential RB targets on the wire this week.
Top RB Waiver Wire Targets in Week 11
More Waiver Wire Targets: WRs | TEs | QBs
Devin Singletary, Houston Texans (49% Rostered)
On the list of things I could not possibly have seen coming, Singletary finishing the 1 p.m. ET slate as the overall RB1 on the week would be very high.
Singletary absolutely crushed it, carrying the ball an absurd 30 times for a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown. He looked better this week than Dameon Pierce has at any point this season. I see no reason Pierce should get his job back when he returns.
FAAB Recommendation: 20-40%
Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings (7% Rostered)
Chandler only ran for 36 yards, but he saw 13 carries, including multiple goal-line looks. Most importantly, Chandler looked quicker and more explosive than Alexander Mattison.
I think there’s a real chance Chandler usurps Mattison as the lead back. And this offense remains potent with Dobbs under center. Chandler absolutely needs to be on more fantasy rosters in the event he becomes the lead back.
FAAB Recommendation: 10-20%
Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks (40% Rostered)
I will preface this by saying this is still Kenneth Walker’s backfield. He is the lead back and the only one startable in fantasy. But Zach Charbonnet is good, too. And most importantly, he’s the clear RB2.
Charbonnet actually saw 11 opportunities against the Commanders. He totaled 82 yards, which is respectable. He just has no touchdown upside with Walker around. But if Walker were to get hurt, Charbonnet would instantly be an RB1. That type of player needs to be on rosters as the playoffs near. Add him.
FAAB Recommendation: 10-20%
Keaton Mitchell, Baltimore Ravens (47% Rostered)
It appears not enough people bought into the Mitchell hype last week. Perhaps it was justified, though. Although Mitchell is clearly an electric player, he only carried the ball three times and saw just a single target this week.
Mitchell did amass 66 yards and a touchdown on his four touches. He’s proven that if he does find his way into more volume, he will be startable in fantasy. For that reason alone, he’s worth picking up.
FAAB Recommendation: 8-12%
Ezekiel Elliott, New England Patriots (41% Rostered)
Ezekiel Elliott benefited from Rhamondre Stevenson missing some time with a back injury, but even before that, he was running as well as he has all season.
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Zeke carried the ball 13 times for 54 yards while adding two catches for 34 yards. He also proved that if something were to happen to Stevenson, he’d be startable as an RB2. This late in the season, he’s worth putting on your bench.
FAAB Recommendation: 8-12%
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (40% Rostered)
It feels like Tyjae Spears has been here every week this season. He’s not quite bad enough (fantasy-wise) to drop, but he’s not really good enough to start, either. He’s just one injury away. And if that were to happen, he’d be an every-week RB2.
Each game is about the same for Spears. He carries the ball 4-5 times and sees about 4-5 targets. At worst, fantasy managers can plug him in and know they won’t get zero. He’s at least worth rostering.
FAAB Recommendation: 5-10%
Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys (4% Rostered)
I’m really not sure what’s going on with Tony Pollard, but he does not look like the same guy anymore. Does that mean Rico Dowdle is going to take his job? No. But could we potentially see more Dowdle going forward? Maybe.
The real reason to add Dowdle is he’s the clear RB2 for the Cowboys. If Pollard gets hurt, Dowdle becomes Pollard. And based on what we’ve seen so far, that might end up being better than Pollard.
At this point in the season, it’s almost impossible to find upside handcuffs. Dowdle is one of them. Stash him if you’re a playoff team.
FAAB Recommendation: 5-10%
Which RBs Should You Roster in Fantasy Football?
Should You Roster Keaton Mitchell or Zack Moss?
How the mighty have fallen. Zack Moss was legitimately an every-week RB1 over the first month or so of the season (excluding the Week 1 game he missed). After Jonathan Taylor returned, Moss still maintained a relevant role … for a little while. Now, it’s all over.
Moss was relegated to just nine snaps last week. It marked the fifth consecutive game that his snap count decreased. This is truly the nadir for Moss’ fantasy value.
MORE: Fantasy Buy Low, Sell High Week 11
With that said, Moss still remains one of the best handcuffs in fantasy. The most challenging part of handcuffs is not knowing for sure if the backup would assume most of the starter’s workload, plus not knowing how productive he can be. With Moss, we already have answers to both of those questions. He just no longer has any semblance of standalone value.
Keaton Mitchell has certainly flashed his upside. However, it seems unlikely he’s going to force even a 60/40 timeshare with Gus Edwards.
Currently, there’s no denying Mitchell is more usable on a weekly basis, though. So, this comes down to what your fantasy roster needs. Do you need a guy you can start? If so, it’s Mitchell. Are you set at running back? If so, then Moss is the better stash as a one-injury-away guy.
Should You Roster Rico Dowdle or Antonio Gibson?
Antonio Gibson is a truly fascinating case. This guy spent two years of his career as a pure two-down grinder. Now, his fantasy value stems exclusively from receiving work.
Gibson has now caught five passes in three straight games. He’s playing just under 50% of the snaps. There’s a weekly “won’t get you zero” role here for Gibson.
As for Dowdle, he remains behind Pollard. While Pollard is struggling, I’m still very skeptical that it’s going to lead to Dowdle seeing more work. It appears as though the Cowboys’ solution to Pollard’s inefficiency is to just throw the ball more. It’s working.
Both of these guys have upside in the event the starter gets hurt. However, Gibson has more standalone value and likely the same contingent upside. As a result, I would much prefer to roster Gibson because I can already use him in a pinch if I need to.
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