Chin up fantasy owners, the bye weeks are almost over. Unfortunately, this week will be missing one of the best fantasy players of the season when the Dallas Cowboys take the week off, leaving DeMarco Murray unavailable. We will also be without hot up-and-comer Denard Robinson, while steady RB2 veterans Chris Ivory and Justin Forsett are all on bye.
Fantasy football waiver wire: 5 running backs to target for Week 11
Need a replacement for DeMarco Murray or Denard Robinson this week? The waiver wire should have you covered.
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Despite those losses, there are still plenty of interesting options on the waiver wire that could help you out for at least one week. Here are five options owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Tre Mason, St. Louis Rams (46 percent) -- Mason continues to show that he's the best player in the Rams' backfield, recording 81 total yards on 18 touches against a stout Arizona Cardinals defense. Mason also led all running backs with 38 offensive snaps, compared to 25 for Benny Cunningham and zero for Zac Stacy. Despite Cunningham getting a goal line touchdown, Mason is the clear leader in the backfield committee. With Austin Davis getting worse by the week, Mason has only flex value in a Week 11 matchup with the Denver Broncos.
Charles Sims, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (30 percent) -- Making his NFL debut Sunday, Sims was mainly an afterthought, recording 40 total yards on 10 touches and losing a fumble. He played in 23 of 72 offensive snaps and the ankle injury should be well behind him. With Doug Martin falling further out of favor and Bobby Rainey failing to grab the starting job by the horns, Sims is a solid dynasty stash. He could end up getting extended looks down the stretch as the 1-8 Bucs start looking towards 2015, giving him intriguing upside for the fantasy playoffs
Bryce Brown, Buffalo Bills (16 percent) -- Week 10 was the quintessential Bryce Brown experience. He racked up 100 total yards on 13 touches against the Kansas City Chiefs, showing that unique blend of speed and power that made him such an enticing prospect in the first place. Brown also showed the crippling mental errors that held him back in Philadelphia, fumbling at the goal line and out of the end zone on what would've been an easy touchdown. To the Bills' credit, they didn't bench Brown after that and he went on to play 27 of 73 offensive snaps. Brown should stay in a timeshare with Fred Jackson back in the fold, but his game-breaking potential keeps him on the flex map for now.
Theo Riddick, Detroit Lions (six percent) -- Riddick didn't offer much in cumulative value Sunday, getting just 5 total yards on five touches. He did catch the game-winning touchdown, though, and with Reggie Bush hobbled yet again, Riddick stepped up as the Lions' pass-catching back. He'll have a tough matchup with the Cardinals defense in Week 11, making Riddick only a RB3 play in deeper leagues.
C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos (five percent) -- The Broncos had been hinting at a backfield committee even before Ronnie Hillman injured his foot on Sunday. With Montee Ball still inactive, Anderson stepped up and delivered, rushing for 90 yards and taking a screen pass 56 yards to the house. It all added up to 163 total yards and the score on 17 touches. Denver isn't giving any solid timetable on Hillman's injury, although reports suggest that he could miss a couple of weeks. Regardless, Anderson needs to be owned even with Ball expected to return against the St. Louis Rams.
Honorable mentions: Matt Asiata (36 percent), Alfred Blue (16 percent), Isaiah Crowell (15 percent), Jonas Gray (nine percent), Christine Michael (three percent)
