Week 10 was full of surprises, not the least of which being Ben Roethlisberger coming into the game and dominating. Hopefully nobody thought that Landry Jones would be a good bye week fill in (don’t say I didn’t warn you about him). Whether or not you were impacted by the theatrics of the Steelers, move on to week 11 and check out the waiver wire picks for the week.
Week 10 Recap (Standard League Points)
Quarterback
• Kirk Cousins WAS - 32 pts
• Matt Cassel DAL - 7 pts
• Recommend Against: Landry Jones PIT - 1 pt
Tight End
• Eric Ebron DET - 2 pts
• Crockett Gillmore BAL - 10 pts
• Garrett Celek SF - Bye Week
I won’t take too much credit for Cousins; it is easy enough to pick on the Saints defense. Feel free to drop Cousins now, he is not generally useful. Cassel was awful, I thought that I saw something after week 9 but apparently not and now he goes away as Romo returns. Landry Jones would have been bad even if he had not gotten hurt. Eric Ebron did not do much versus Green Bay, but neither team was explosive on offense. Gillmore snagged a touchdown, but so did Maxx Williams so the pecking order in Baltimore is still murky. Celek hits the field this week and is a good bet to see the end zone although his yardage will be low.
Week 11 Bye Week Teams: Cleveland, New Orleans, New York Giants, Pittsburgh
Waiver Wire Picks Week 11: Running Back / Wide Receiver
Week 11 Picks - Quarterback
Tony Romo DAL
The Cowboys have not unequivocally stated that Romo will be back on the field Sunday, but it is likely. Week 11 is the time that he will be eligible to return to the team and he looks like he is physically ready. Even if it takes another week for him to return, there are few times that you can snag this caliber of quarterback from the waiver wire. If your league is one of the more than 50 percent where Romo is available, go out and grab him. Even if you don’t need a quarterback, keep someone else in your league from upgrading.
Alex Smith KC
Smith has only had one game this season where he produced less than 15 fantasy points. This is the epitome of consistency and for anyone with a quarterback on a bye, that kind of production could be the difference between a win and a loss in week 11. Factor in a matchup with San Diego’s weak pass defense and upwards of 20 fantasy points are a real possibility.
Avoid Like The Plague: Kirk Cousins WAS
Cousins had a career day against the Saints, but that can be said of everyone who plays the Saints. The Panthers have a legitimate top-tier defense and Cousins is going to have a bad day. Stay away from this matchup.
Week 11 Picks - Tight End
Jared Cook STL
Cook and St. Louis (other than Todd Gurley) have both been nonfactors in fantasy lately. Nick Foles is finally being pulled from the starting quarterback job and it is likely that the offense will improve. It certainly cannot get worse at the least. Cook has the skill to produce; he just needs a quarterback capable of getting him the ball. The qb change and Gurley making teams stack the box should lead to better production from Cook moving forward. It also helps that next week brings a matchup with the Ravens, who cannot defend the pass.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins TB
I realize that this name has been mentioned before, and he has still not made it onto the field. His absence Sunday versus the Cowboys was a bit of a surprise and it looks like ASJ will be playing against Philadelphia. This is a game breaking talent when he is healthy and certainly warrants a roster spot. If Seferian-Jenkins is out there, and he probably is, grab him and hope he can stay on the field for a couple of games.
Don’t Give Up Yet: Vernon Davis DEN
The change of scenery seemed like it would be a good thing for Davis. Unfortunately Peyton Manning got old overnight and got hurt more last week. It looks like Brock Osweiler will be taking over at quarterback and amazingly that will be an upgrade. Give Davis another week or two to get accustomed to the Denver offense and another new quarterback before you cut him. He still has the ability to be a difference maker down the stretch.
