Week 11 Waiver-Wire Pickups and Sleepers Available in Majority of Fantasy Leagues

Week 11 got underway with Thursday's clash between the New York Jets and New England Patriots. With 14 games remaining on this week's schedule, some managers may be looking to play catch-up. Others may be looking to replace injured players, like Jets receiver Garrett Wilson, who missed Thursday's game.

Still others may be looking for bye-week fill-ins, though only the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints are on bye.

The good news is that a few deep sleepers are likely to still be available after waiver claims. Let's take a look at the top remaining targets for point-per-reception (PPR) leagues and what matchups lie ahead.

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Are the Miami Dolphins back!? Probably not, but they've rediscovered a sense of pride and have won two of their last three games by significant margins. Their Week 9 blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens suggests that a slump could occur at any time, but Miami has at least shown promise for fantasy managers.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, for example, scored 24.2 fantasy points in a Week 8 win and 12.8 fantasy points in last week's victory. He's a viable option for Daniel Jones or Jayden Daniels managers this week.

The Dolphins are set to host the Washington Commanders, who have surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.

Tagovailoa should have a solid floor and an extremely high ceiling against Washington. He's still available in over 60 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues.

Emari Demercado, RB, Arizona Cardinals

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

The Arizona Cardinals stuck by running back Emari Demercado after his costly goal-line fumble in Week 5, and that decision is starting to pay off. With James Conner done for the year and Trey Benson still out, Demercado has emerged as a catalyst in the backfield.

Demercado shined in the Week 9 win against the Dallas Cowboys, racking up 79 rushing yards and 5.6 yards per carry. He was even more impressive in last week's loss, tallying three receptions and 104 scrimmage yards.

While Demercado remains a bit of a boom-or-bust flex option, he has topped eight fantasy points in back-to-back weeks. He should have a similar floor this week against a middle-of-the-pack San Francisco 49ers run defense.

Demercado is still available in over half of Yahoo and ESPN leagues and should be a strong pickup in deeper leagues.

Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers

AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson is still available in over half of Yahoo and ESPN leagues, which is a bit surprising. He's been one of Jordan Love's favorite targets since returning from last year's ACL tear, and the Packers have lost top target Tucker Kraft for the season.

To be fair, Watson has only reached double-digit fantasy points once in his three games this season. However, he hasn't dipped below 6.5 fantasy points either. That gives him a reasonable floor in deep leagues with a high ceiling, depending on the matchup.

This week, the Packers have a favorable matchup. They will be on the road, but they'll also be up against the struggling New York Giants. The biggest risk with Watson here is the fact that Green Bay may simply look to grind things out on the ground.

If the Packers utilize a more balanced offense, though, Watson will have a ton of upside. The Giants have surrendered the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing receivers.

Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has seen his fantasy stock crash this season, due in part to the arrival of fellow tight end Jonnu Smith. He's topped 10 fantasy points only twice this season, and he's failed to reach five fantasy points four times.

However, the last time the Steelers played the Cincinnati Bengals, Freiermuth racked up 28.1 fantasy points during a wild back-and-forth offensive track meet. He's unlikely to replicate that production in this week's rematch, but Freiermuth should have a serviceable PPR floor.

The Bengals' defense is one of the worst in the league and has regularly struggled to cover opposing tight ends. Given Pittsburgh's lack of a reliable No. 2 receiver, Aaron Rodgers should target Freiermuth early and often if the game is offense-oriented.

Cincinnati has surrendered more fantasy points to opposing TEs than any other team. Freiermuth is available in over 80 percent of ESPN and Yahoo leagues.

*Fantasy roster and scoring information from FantasyPros.