Waiver Wire Week 11: Reviewing Top Pickups and Drops Likely Available
Not every successful NFL rookie breaks out at the exact same time. Some may get acclimated to the league within a few weeks (or perhaps even immediately), while it takes a bit longer for others to do so.
Take Christian Watson, for example. The Green Bay Packers' first-year wide receiver hadn't been much of a factor all year, and he's also been dealing with numerous injuries. But the 23-year-old had a huge performance in Week 10 when he scored three touchdowns in Green Bay's win over the Dallas Cowboys.
That put Watson on fantasy managers' radars. And it's clear that he's one of the top players to target on the waiver wire this week, as his breakout game may have been a sign of things to come down the stretch.
In addition to Watson, who else should be added this week? Who can safely be dropped? Let's take a look at some of these candidates as we head into Week 11.
Add: Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
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It's clear Watson should be added this week because he's coming off a three-touchdown performance. But that's not the only reason why there should be optimism regarding the remainder of his debut NFL season.
Watson had four catches for 107 yards, both season highs. He was targeted eight times and played 84 percent of the Packers' offensive snaps. Before that, he hadn't been targeted more than four times or played more than 66 percent of snaps all year (and he hit both of those marks in Week 1).
Green Bay has desperately needed young wide receivers to step up, and that wasn't happening during a five-game losing streak that dropped it to 3-6 after nine weeks. Watson answered the call in Week 10, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers will likely be looking his way quite frequently moving forward.
Can Watson immediately be started? It's a bit risky, but it depends on how little depth you have at WR. If possible, stash Watson on the bench for one week to make sure his breakout was for real.
Drop: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
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This is going to be difficult to do, because if you're a fantasy manager with Clyde Edwards-Helaire on your roster, it likely took an early draft pick to land him back in August/September. But it's time to cut ties with the Chiefs running back.
Edwards-Helaire's usage has dropped in recent weeks, as Kansas City has turned to rookie Isiah Pacheco to serve as its lead back. In the Chiefs' Week 10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pacheco had 16 carries. Meanwhile, Edwards-Helaire had zero touches and played only four snaps.
Roster spots are valuable in fantasy football, and Edwards-Helaire is blocking one without providing any value. And this wasn't a one-week anomaly, as he played only 17 snaps each of the previous two weeks as part of a downward trend.
Things aren't likely to get better for Edwards-Helaire, so replace him with a player who may actually make an impact down the stretch.
Add: Foster Moreau, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
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With Darren Waller on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury, Foster Moreau will continue to be the Raiders' top tight end moving forward. And the 25-year-old proved in Week 10 that he may have some fantasy value during that stretch, too.
Moreau had three catches for 43 yards and a touchdown (his first of the season) in Las Vegas' loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Over the past four weeks, he's been targeted 23 total times as his role in the offense has increased because of Waller's absence.
Waller won't be back for some time, so Moreau will be a start-worthy tight end in the interim. The Raiders are struggling during their 2-7 start, but that may lead to more passing attempts because they could be playing from behind, which bodes well for Moreau's potential numbers.
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Drop: Taysom Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints
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Taysom Hill is an exciting player to watch because he can throw, run and catch the ball. That can lead to some huge fantasy performances, as he had earlier in the season. But, lately, those haven't been coming from the 32-year-old do-it-all tight end.
Over the past two weeks, Hill has no catches, four rushing attempts and two passing attempts. Those have resulted in only seven yards on the ground and 13 through the air. He hasn't accounted for a score since notching a TD reception in a Week 7 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
There are plenty of boom-or-bust TE options, and Hill is busting way too much to even be in consideration among those types of players. It's typically not wise to roster two tight ends, especially once getting past bye weeks, so Hill isn't worth a spot moving forward.
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