If you listen to the Fantasy Football Today podcast, you've probably heard us talk about what a mediocre season this has been for the waiver wire. It's not that there haven't been viable options to consider -- there have even been some real difference makers, like Mike Williams, Elijah Mitchell and Dalton Schultz, among others.
But, more often than not, we've entered into most weeks without an obvious must-add player on the wire, someone who could be an every-week starter for your for the rest of the season. But Week 11 could be an outlier based on what we saw from Rhamondre Stevenson on Sunday. Stevenson got to be the lead back for the Patriots with Damien Harris out with a concussion and he looked every bit like the star we thought he could be in a 45-7 win over the Browns.
Stevenson rushed for 100 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns, as he basically replaced Harris in the running game; however, what made him really stand out was his role in the passing game, as Stevenson had five targets in the game. He only turned them into four catches for 14 yards -- though 5.4 points in PPR is nothing to sneeze at, obviously -- but it's the fact that he had the rushing and passing game roles that made this such an intriguing performance from a Fantasy standpoint.
Harris entered Week 10 ninth in the NFL in rushing yards and fourth in touchdowns, but was just 24th in PPR points per game, largely because he had just 11 catches for 63 yards with no touchdowns in his first 11 games. Stevenson's four catches Sunday were twice as many as Harris' season high. Brandon Bolden has stepped up to take on much of James White's role, but Stevenson is the only player on the team who has shown that the coaching staff trusts him as a runner and a pass-catcher.
And he played a larger snap share Sunday than Harris has in any game this season:
Browns RBs
— #AskFFT (@daverichard) November 14, 2021
- D'Ernest 90%
Patriots RBs
* snaps with Mac Jones only*
- Rhamondre 65% (5/7 from 10 yds or closer)
- Bolden 30% (8/9 on 3rd/4th downs)
- JJ Taylor 8%
Obviously, if Harris returns in Week 11, Stevenson may not have that exact role again. In fact, he may not have the lead RB role at all -- Harris has done enough not to lose the job. But, if you're looking for someone who could emerge as a must-start Fantasy option out of this week's group of waiver-wire targets, Stevenson looks like the potential best of the bunch.
Here's who else we will be looking for on the waiver wire ahead of Week 11:
Fantasy Football Today Newsletter
Know What Your Friends Don't
Get tips, advice and news to win your league - all from the FFT podcast team.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
Gallman also stepped into a surprisingly big role in Week 10, and his didn't come because of injuries. He led the Falcons with 15 carries, while Cordarrelle Patterson and Mike Davis each had five. Some context is needed there, however, given the 43-3 loss the Falcons suffered, because Patterson and Davis did play 60% of the snaps in the first half to just 16% for Gallman, and I think it's fair to say that Patterson's role is likely safe at this point. However, maybe this is the start of Gallman pushing Davis for playing time? Davis has been thoroughly underwhelming, and he's seen his role in the offense largely disappear as the season has gone on. Maybe the Falcons will decide that Gallman works better than Davis as the complement to Patterson. That could make him a viable Fantasy option.
| ||||||||||||||||
Newton attempted four passes and had three rushes and finished with two touchdowns. How's that for efficient? The Panthers eased him into his first game of the season by letting him take over in the red zone on a handful of snaps, and he showed that he's still got that nose for the end zone as a runner. He figures to take over as starter for Week 11 in a great matchup against Washington, and the Panthers are reportedly going to give Newton a chance to win the starting job for 2022, with Sam Darnold likely to miss the rest of the season. Newton's rushing ability will always make him a factor for Fantasy, and it's entirely possible he could do enough as a passer to end up as a top-12 option moving forward, so if you want to speculate on a QB, he's a good one to grab.
| ||||||||||||||||
Foreman looks like the lead back for the Titans in Derrick Henry's absence, not Adrian Peterson, and he's worth adding for the stretch run. Foreman didn't do much Sunday -- 30 yards on 11 carries plus a couple of catches for 38 yards -- and it's not like he had a massive edge on Peterson in snaps. But he's looked better in the two games so far, so if I was going to be chasing anyone in Henry's absence, it's Foreman. Oh, and he gets the Texans in Week 11.
| ||||||||||||||||
I have, admittedly, had a hard time taking Agnew seriously since his role increased in the Jaguars offense, mostly because I just don't think he's a very good receiver. And Sunday's game, where he had zero catches on five targets would seem to confirm that. However, he continued to show off game-breaking ability, rushing for 79 yards on three carries, with a 66-yard touchdown run. To a certain extent, this is chasing a big play, but the takeaway for me is that the Jaguars really want to get the ball in Agnew's hands and are going to find ways to do it. With his speed, it's time to stop ignoring him.
| ||||||||||||||||
2021 NFL Salute to Service Gear revealed
Honor our service members while supporting your favorite team. Get camo trucker hats, pullovers hoodies, jerseys, and more. See the entire 2021 NFL Salute to Service collection here. We salute our service members and thank you for your dedication!
We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
