We’re in the last week of byes and are entering the home stretch of the fantasy football season. Just four more teams have the week off, and after that fantasy leagues will be more or less at full strength as the playoff race heats up.
Fantasy football waiver wire: 5 running backs to target for Week 11
The bye weeks are almost over. It’s time to start thinking about the playoffs.
This week, the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants have the week off. That means fantasy owners can’t use Mark Ingram or DeAngelo Williams, but at least they can save themselves the headache of whether to start Rashad Jennings or Orleans Darkwa this week.
Here are this week’s waiver wire options at running back, owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Alfred Morris, Washington (49 percent)
Morris came back from the dead in a dream matchup with the New Orleans Saints, tallying 106 yards on 18 touches. It was the first time since Week 1 he’s cleared 100 yards. The catch? That was against the Saints’ embarrassing defense. The Carolina Panthers are a much more imposing matchup this week, so fantasy owners shouldn’t expect 100-yard production again. Regardless, Morris is back in RB2 territory, at least for now.
Matt Jones, Washington (48 percent)
After weeks of being stuck in neutral, Washington’s running game finally woke up this week. Jones blew up for 187 total yards on 14 touches, with his biggest play being a 78-yard catch-and-run touchdown. It will almost certainly be Jones’ best game of the season, and he’s still stuck in a committee with Morris, but the rookie has at least put himself back on the flex radar against the Panthers this week.
James White, New England Patriots (39 percent)
White was a popular add over the past week with Dion Lewis done for the season, but as usual, Bill Belichick burned fantasy owners. LeGarrette Blount was the clear lead back in the Patriots’ win over the New York Giants, playing 38 snaps and seeing 21 touches. White saw just two touches, but he did play 28 snaps, so he’s clearly ahead of Brandon Bolden. New England’s running game is as unpredictable as ever, but it looks like White is the handcuff to stash right now.
Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins (18 percent)
Lamar Miller remains the top dog in Miami, but Ajayi is doing a lot with his limited touches. Last Sunday he turned six carries into 48 yards, which is actually more than what Miller gained on the ground. After missing the first eight weeks of the season, Ajayi is starting to show the explosive running ability that made him a favorite in the draft community over the spring. He’s not quite startable in standard leagues yet, but the rookie is a must-add handcuff for Miller owners.
David Cobb, Tennessee Titans (15 percent)
Cobb has yet to be active, but at some point the 2-7 Titans should see what they have in their rookie back. Antonio Andrews was a disaster against the Panthers, getting just 8 rushing yards on 11 carries. There’s a chance Cobb will be active for this week’s Thursday game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but until he starts seeing real game action he’s just a speculative stash in deeper leagues.
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