Waiver Wire Week 11: Brian Hill, Demaryius Thomas Highlight Pickups to Know

We haven't yet reached the conclusion of Week 10, but for fantasy football enthusiasts, it's already time to start planning for Week 11. This is the home stretch for many season-long leagues with the playoffs visible on the close horizon.

Week 11 will see four teams—the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans—on bye, so once again, the waiver wire will be important for most managers. Even if you don't need to fill a starting spot in Week 11, adding and stashing a player for the fantasy postseason is never a bad idea.

Here, we'll run down some of the top waiver-wire targets ahead of Week 11.

Brian Hill, RB, Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons shocked the New Orleans Saints—and plenty of fans—with a 26-9 win Sunday. Even more surprising was that running back Brian Hill rushed for 61 yards against a good Saints defense. Hill, who had just eight carries on the season coming, carried the ball 20 times.

Atlanta was forced to turn to the fourth-year back when starter Devonta Freeman went out with an ankle injury. Backup Ito Smith was recently placed on injured reserve. If Freeman is forced to miss any more time, Hill will become an intriguing starting option. As Adam Levitan of Establish the Run pointed out, he was the Falcons' preferred back after Freeman went out:

Hill could still be a viable flex option if Freeman makes a speedy recovery, as he should take over the complementary role vacated by Smith. This week, he'll go up against a Carolina Panthers team that ranks just 29th in run defense, allowing 136.7 yards per game on the ground.

According to FantasyPros, Hill is available in 98 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, New York Jets

Steve Luciano/Associated Press

It's hard to put a ton of faith into New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, who continues to have a turnover problem. He didn't give the ball away against the New York Giants in Week 10, but he had eight turnovers in the three games before that.

However, Darnold does have arm talent, and players like Demaryius Thomas can take advantage. The former Denver Broncos standout had another strong outing against the Giants, catching six passes for 84 yards.

Thomas has averaged four receptions over his last six games. Over the next two, he should continue to shine. The Jets have the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders on their upcoming schedule. While Washington ranks 14th in pass defense, it ranks 22nd in yards allowed per pass play (7.7). Oakland ranks 30th in pass defense.

According to FantasyPros, Thomas is available in 92 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Kyle Allen, QB, Carolina Panthers

If you need a bye-week replacement at quarterback, Kyle Allen should be a top waiver-wire target. With Cam Newton on injured reserve, there should be no risk of Allen losing the starting gig as long as he remains healthy.

Allen didn't have his best game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 10, but he did throw for 307 yards and a touchdown. He has a much easier matchup ahead of him this week.

While the Falcons were able to limit the Saints offense on Sunday, they've been awful against the pass for most of the season. They rank just 25th against the pass, allowing an average of 260.8 yards through the air.

Allen is currently owned in just 15 percent of Yahoo leagues, according to FantasyPros.

Other Notable Waiver-Wire Targets

QB Nick Foles, Jacksonville Jaguars

RB J.D. McKissic, Detroit Lions

WR Rashard Higgins, Cleveland Browns

WR Hunter Renfrew, Oakland Raiders

TE Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals

Baltimore Ravens D/ST