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Week 11 Fantasy Football Projections: Best Streaming Options to Target
November 13, 2018
While the 2018 fantasy football playoffs are still a few weeks out, this could still be win-or-go-fishing time for those teams on the postseason bubble.
That makes mastering the waiver wire a must.
The bad news is that six teams are on a bye. The good news is only one of those clubs ranks among the NFL's top half in points per game (New England Patriots, seventh). The worst news is the injury bug continues to attack, most recently striking down Los Angeles Rams wideout Cooper Kupp with a torn ACL.
But the best news is we're here to help scour through the wreckage and identify the best streaming options—available in more than 50 percent of leagues on Yahoo—at the priority positions.
Quarterbacks
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (35 percent owned)
This is a strange place to start a sales pitch, but it must be said—Dak Prescott probably won't win any matchups for those hoping for a streaming miracle. The ceiling only reaches so high for a quarterback who hasn't topped two touchdown passes or reached 300 passing yards this season.
That said, Prescott's upward trend shows how he can do more help than harm. In two of his past four outings, he's thrown for at least 270 yards and a score. He's had two scoring strikes in the others, one of which also featured 11 rushes for 82 yards and a touchdown.
When he's using his legs to supplement his stats, he's a sneaky-good option on the waiver wire. What's extra appealing about him this week, though, is that his passing alone could make him a worthwhile sub.
He'll face off with the Atlanta Falcons, a defense that props up fantasy quarterbacks like few others. The Falcons allow the third-most fantasy points to the position, having previously yielded a 337-yard, three-score game to Andy Dalton, a 395-yard, four-score performance to Jameis Winston and a 399-yard, one-touchdown, zero-pick outing to Eli Manning.
Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars (22 percent owned)
Are we out of our minds making a Blake Bortles recommendation? Maybe. But an inspection of his game log reveals not a hopeless cause, but rather a (wildly) inconsistent player capable of both frigid performances and fiery ones.
The Pittsburgh Steelers just might be the defense that brings the latter out of him.
They've given up the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks so far. Bortles—warts and all—has proved he can put up numbers against generous units. He's had four 300-yard days so far, three of which also featured multiple scoring strikes. The other saw him throw for a career-high 430 yards, a number that looked even better in leagues that don't heavily penalize picks since he tossed four of them.
The Steelers have been picked apart by non-elite quarterbacks before. Ryan Fitzpatrick put up 411 yards and three touchdowns against them. Joe Flacco had 363 yards and two scores through the air the next time out.
Granted, that production came early in the season. Pittsburgh has held four straight quarterbacks below 250 yards passing.
So, again, we might be out our minds for saying to trust Bortles. But if you're simply betting on upside, the Jaguars' signal-caller has more to offer than you might think.
Running Backs
Doug Martin, Oakland Raiders (45 percent owned)
Opportunity is critical for a streamer, and Doug Martin has had plenty of it since the Oakland Raiders moved Marshawn Lynch to injured reserve.
In the three games without Lynch, Martin has finished with carry totals of 13, 11 and 15 attempts. More importantly, he's been productive with them. He hasn't averaged fewer than 4.1 yards per carry in those contests and has turned his rushes into an average of 60.7 yards per outing.
As an added bonus, he's also relatively utilized in the passing attack. While Jalen Richard is Oakland's preferred pass-catcher out of the backfield, Martin isn't a forgotten man. He's had six receptions for 68 yards over the last three weeks and been targeted multiple times in all of them.
Martin's Week 11 matchup, the Arizona Cardinals, has given up the second-most fantasy points to the position. That number includes several big performances by non-household names (101 yards for Mike Davis, 155 yards to Latavius Murray, 90 yards to Phillip Lindsay—and four touchdowns between them).
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans (48 percent owned)
Touchdowns are good in fantasy football, right? So, why not roll the dice on a player enjoying a three-game scoring streak?
Derrick Henry is in a clear timeshare with Dion Lewis, but the Tennessee Titans are learning the benefits of trusting Henry with the golden opportunities in the red zone. Henry's four touchdowns on the year—each coming in the last three weeks, including two on Sunday—have all come on red-zone rushes. Lewis, meanwhile, has a single red-zone touchdown to his credit, and it came all the way back in Week 1.
"[Henry] did a good job throughout the game," Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said after Henry's 58-yard, two-score effort in Sunday's win over the New England Patriots. "It was fun to see him get it going in the goal line."
The Indianapolis Colts aren't the easiest team to run against (14th in yards against per game, tied for 12th in rushing touchdowns allowed), but Leonard Fournette just had a two-score against them. Notable for Henry's potential owners, both of Fournette's scores came from just one yard out.
Wide Receivers
Willie Snead IV, Baltimore Ravens (29 percent owned)
When the Cincinnati Bengals come to town, opposing receivers eagerly await their arrival. This defense has not only allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to wideouts, but it also ranks dead last with a whopping 313 passing yards surrendered per game.
This just might be the defense that nudges Willie Snead IV forward from a safe option to a borderline special one.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco rarely loses sight of Snead. His 69 targets rank second on the team, and, more importantly, his 45 receptions rank first.
This is more of a high-floor projection than it is a high-ceiling option, but stability isn't a bad thing to chase when identifying streamers. While Snead hasn't scored a touchdown since the season-opener and only reached 60 receiving yards once, he is averaging 5.5 receptions for 51 yards over the last six weeks.
Maurice Harris, Washington Redskins (37 percent owned)
No, Maurice Harris couldn't replicate his 10-catch, 124-yard breakout from Week 9. But Week 10 was hardly a bust for the third-year receiver.
All five of his targets were converted into catches. That's a huge part of his appeal. Throw out his Week 5 debut, and he's caught 23 of the 26 passes aimed his direction.
"Probably some of the best set of hands I've seen on a receiver," Redskins receiver-turned-cornerback Quinton Dunbar told NBC Sports Washington's Ben Standig. "Some guys just have them hands that catch everything. He's definitely one of those guys that just catches everything that touches his hands."
Harris could become more valuable as the week progresses based on Washington's injury report. While Paul Richardson is out for the season (shoulder), the availability of Jamison Crowder (ankle) and Chris Thompson (rib) could influence Harris' involvement in the offense.
Statistics used courtesy of NFL.com and ESPN.com. Fantasy scoring and ownership information obtained via Yahoo Sports.