Week 11 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Picks From the Top Experts

RUNNING BACKS

Now that we have hit Week 11 – BYE weeks are over !

Each week we at FFSpin.com scour the injury reports and analyze the box scores to offer up some players that are seemingly destined for fantasy success and could be available on the fantasy waiver wire.  Four offenses (Kansas City, Oakland, NY Giants and NY Jets) are averaging over 145 rushing yards per game.  Conversely,  the worst rushing attacks (averaging less than 90 rushing yards per game) can be found in Seattle, Arizona, Detroit, Dallas and Denver.

The top five rushing defenses (allowing less than 90 yards/game) can be found in Pittsburgh, NYG, Chicago, NYJ and San Diego—meaning that Darren McFadden (vs PIT), Arian Foster (@NYJ) and LeSean McCoy, if healthy (vs NYG), could struggle in Week 11. The worst run defenses (allowing over 130 yards/game) call Arizona, Indy, Tampa, Denver and Buffalo home.  As if Jamaal Charles (vs ARZ) and Frank Gore (vs Tampa) need any additional help, they should carry your teams this week in very favorable matchups.  Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis (vs Indy), Cedric Benson (vs BUF) and Ryan Mathews/Mike Tolbert (vs DEN) are worth considering as an RB#2 if your alternatives have difficult matchups.

With only three weeks remaining before most fantasy playoffs,  it’s worth analyzing the remaining NFL schedule to determine which teams face defenses that have been shredded by opposing RBs and which teams face a bevy of stingy rush defenses that should be avoided if you have a legitimate alternative.

Best remaining RB schedules (Weeks 11-16): Denver, Oakland, Washington, Tampa Bay, Dallas

Worst remaining RB schedules (Weeks 11-16):  Pittsburgh, Minnesota, NY Jets, New Orleans, Cincinnati

EXPERT VIEWS:

Rotoexperts.com is on board with adding Washington’s Keiland Williams as Portis and Torain seem questionable at best this week.

BrunoBoys.Net recommends adding Tim Hightower if he’s available as he remains a PPR beast and Beanie Wells might not be 100% recovered from a knee injury.

CBSSports.com points out that Carolina’s Mike Goodson could be in line for another start (against Baltimore) now that DeAngelo is on IR and Jonathan Stewart continues to battle concussion symptoms.

AOL Fanhouse believes that Reggie Bush could pay dividends down the stretch as the Saints need to jump start their 25th ranked run game (who knows when Pierre Thomas will return).

FANTASY FOOTBALL SPIN:

With today’s news that DeAngelo Williams is done for the year and Jonathan Stewart (concussion) missed another practice, it looks like Mike Goodson could get another start this week against a Baltimore defense that ranks 13th against the run (105 yards per game).  In his first start against Tampa, Goodson rushed for 100 yards on 23 carries and caught three passes for 13 yards.

With Ryan Torain battling a hamstring injury that forced him to miss Week 10 and Clinton Portis trapped in the body of a nursing home patient, Keiland Williams could very well get the start in Week 11 against Tennessee.  Monday night’s humiliation against Philadelphia saw the 24 year-old LSU alum find the end zone three times. He compiled 16 carries for 89 yards and led the 'Skins with four receptions for 50 yards. The 5-foot-11, 229 pounder has the size to succeed in the red zone and his ability in the passing game makes him well worth using in fantays lineups—if he gets the start this week.

Cedric Benson owners would be wise to add Bernard Scott, who is considered one of the best backups in the NFL but opened up the second half of Sunday’s game as the stater. Benson reentered the game, but it’s pretty clear that he's is not a lock to be fantasy starter this year, or real starter, at least in Cincinnati next year.  With Benson in a contract year and the Bengals season all but over as they sit in the basement of the AFC North at 2-6, Scott could get an increased work load in the final month of the season as an audition for 2011.  In limited action during his rookie season Scott posted 74 carries for 321 yards (4.3 YPC).  At 5-foot-11 and 200 lbs., he has every-down back size, reliable hands and the ability to run between the tackles making him a potential every down back. The one thing he lacks, which could preclude him from being a Bengal long term, is a criminal record.

LeSean McCoy owners should have already added his handcuff Jerome Harrison; for those that have not, now is the time.  Shady missed Wednesday’s practice with a sprained AC joint in his shoulder. Harrison rushed 11 times for 109 yards and one touchdown. The former Brown also caught one pass for 15 yards against the hapless Redskins. Don’t forget that he had a fantasy coming out party in the last month of the 2009 season (three games with 30+ carries). The Browns decision to roll with Peyton Hillis as their workhorse made Harrison expendable.  If McCoy is forced to miss any time, Harrison could become a top 20 option in the Eagles' explosive offense.

It's worth noting that the oft injured, always explosive Reggie Bush is due to return this week from a fractured fibula that has cost him the past 7 games.  He has now missed 19 games over the past 4 seasons, but with Pierre Thomas likely out at least another week, Bush could be in store for 10 touches or more in Week 11 against a struggling Seattle defense. Bush will need time to get back into game shape, so this is more of a futures investment. There is speculation that Pierre Thomas may be weeks away from a return, like Bush he will need time to get up to speed. There will be a window where a healthy Bush could have a larger workload than he has ever enjoyed.

Check out the waiver options at Wide Receiver and Quarterback.  For all Fantasy Football Spin on all the breaking NFL news follow us on Twitter @FFSpin