Thomason: Top Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 11
By Jack Thomason--
(CBS) Here are my top 10 waiver adds for 10- and 12-member fantasy football leagues with Week 11 upon us.
1. Latavius Murray (RB, Minnesota Vikings) - You can argue that Jamaal Williams should be the first waiver pickup given he's the last remaining healthy running back for the Packers, but Murray is on a 7-2 team that's running the ball effectively. Murray is also the chosen back when the Vikings are playing with a lead to grind out the clock, and that'll be important down the stretch and in cold-weather games. Murray now has at least 12 carries in his last five games and has scored twice in his last three games.
2. Danny Woodhead (RB, Baltimore Ravens) – Woodhead should be back healthy. Assuming he is, he'll likely fill the role Javorius Allen has held down since Week 1, but it wouldn't surprise me if Woodhead earns more work than that. He will be a great safety valve and chain-mover in the passing game for Joe Flacco and add an element of explosiveness that the Ravens have been lacking in underneath as well. Prioritize Woodhead, especially in point-per-reception leagues.
3. Jamaal Williams (RB, Green Bay Packers) – Williams is currently last man standing in the Packers' backfield. He tallied 20 carries for just 67 yards Sunday but had a tough matchup in Chicago. Unfortunately, he will get another tough matchup with Baltimore coming to town this week. We don't know how long Ty Montgomery will be out for, but we do know that Aaron Jones is slated to miss three to six weeks with a knee injury.
4. Rex Burkhead (RB, New England Patriots) – Now healthy, Burkehead is proving to be the jack of all trades that the Patriots believed they were getting. Over the last four weeks, he's tied for the team lead with 33 percent of the running backs snaps and led with 51 percent of the snaps at Denver on Sunday. Burkhead challenged Dion Lewis for a team-high in touches with 13 (Lewis had 14), coming away with 63 total yards and a touchdown. Look for Burkhead to be the main complement to Lewis and a big part of the Patriots' offense moving forward.
5. Corey Davis (WR, Tennesse Titans) – In the three games he's been healthy, Davis has seen 22 percent of Marcus Mariota's pass attempts. That leads the team, but Rishard Matthews and Delanie Walker are right there as well. Davis may struggle to be a dominant WR1, given that the Titans run a lot and spread the ball around, but we're also talking about him in a much different light today had he scored a touchdown instead of fumbling at the half-yard line. It was the right call, but he was also inches away from a big play and a score that would have owners running to grab him. Take advantage and grab Davis off waivers without likely having to use a top-three waiver claim on him.
6. Samaje Perine (RB, Washington Redskins) – Rob Kelley suffered a knee/high ankle sprain and is likely to miss multiple games. That means Perine will take over as the grinder, complementing Chris Thompson in the Redskins' backfield. He totaled 60 yards on 10 touches and will see volume and some goal-line work moving forward. For those in need of a running back or depth, Perine is worth the addition.
7. Corey Coleman (WR, Cleveland Browns) – It sounds like Coleman is going to be a full go for Week 11, and he's worth grabbing and seeing if you can manage WR3 or better production out of him. Before his hand injury, Coleman was the favorite target for DeShone Kizer, both in the preseason and Week 1. I'd look for that bond to continue, and the Browns are always playing from behind.
8. Austin Ekeler (RB, Los Angeles Chargers) – Ekeler should be a priority for Melvin Gordon owners. He looked explosive and completely outperformed Gordon on Sunday. Gordon still led the team with 21 touches but managed just 42 yards. Ekeler had 119 yards on 15 touches and added two receiving touchdowns. If Ekeler continues to get more chances and continues to produce, Gordon owners may have some serious concern, and Ekeler may buy some standalone value too. Keep an eye on how much work he gets next week. Ekeler did fumble at a crucial time late in the fourth quarter, when the Chargers had the game all wrapped up, and he didn't see another carry in overtime.
9. Dontrelle Inman (WR, Chicago Bears) – Inman was acquired at the trade deadline by the Bears, and they quickly got him involved. He looked like a favorite target for rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, as he tied for a team-high eight targets. Inman led the team with six receptions and 88 yards and looks to be the go-to receiver down the stretch for the Bears. I wouldn't get crazy about his production, but he should return WR4 value.
10. Charles Clay (TE, Buffalo Bills) – Clay had just two receptions for 13 yards in his return, but keep in mind it was an awful day for the entire Bills' offense and it was his first action since Week 5. Clay was Tyrod Taylor's favorite target the first four weeks of the season, catching 18 balls and scoring two touchdowns. He was in the top-five consistent tight ends to start the season and should end up being a solid TE1 down the stretch for those in need at the position.
Just missed: Josh Doctson, Greg Olsen, Elijah McGuire, Benny Cunningham, Martavis Bryant, Martellus Bennett, Mike Wallace, J.D. McKissic, Thomas Rawls and Matt Breida.
Jack Thomason is 670 The Score's fantasy football expert and co-host of "Chicago's Fantasy Football Today," which can be heard every Sunday during football season from 8-9 a.m. CT on WSCR-670 and 670thescore.com/listen. Follow him on Twitter@jthomason77 and feel free to ask fantasy questions.