Erickson: Fantasy football waiver wire targets ahead of NFL Week 11

Another week of NFL action is in the books. As usual, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain unbeaten and WR1 DeAndre Hopkins reminds us what can happen when an awesome quarterback realizes “Hop down there somewhere.”

Week 10 was kind to fantasy managers in regard to injuries, but a few QBs are dealing with various ailments that could cause them to miss time. We may need to add replacements off the waiver wire at the quarterback position for the likes of Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford and Teddy Bridgewater. Christian McCaffrey is also likely to miss another week.

Week 11 also sees the continuation of the dreaded bye weeks. The Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers are all taking some time off, so fill-ins will be needed for Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Brandon Aiyuk, John Brown and Allen Robinson II.

And for those who are more forward-thinking, this is a great time to plan ahead knowing that there are only two more bye weeks remaining — the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off in Week 13. There are no teams off in Week 12.

Now, on to the top waiver-wire targets for Week 11. This list of players includes anyone rostered in approximately 50% of Yahoo leagues or less, with deep league options at every position as well. I’ll also share my thoughts on FAB (Free Agent Budget) bids and how much to spend on each player accordingly.

QUARTERBACKS

JAMEIS WINSTON, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS – 1% ROSTERED – 10% OF FAB

Drew Brees is expected to miss some time with a rib injury, which means Jameis Winston will get the nod under center moving forward. Winston took all of the traditional dropback snaps in the second half (91%) — that means he will have starter appeal against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11.

The Falcons have been better on defense since the firing of Dan Quinn, but they are still allowing the 10th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks over the past four weeks. Since Week 6, three of the four quarterbacks they have faced threw for at least 300 yards.

Winston has thrown for multiple touchdowns in his last four games against the Falcons, so he should be able to post solid fantasy stats even if there are a few interceptions in the mix.