Fantasy football waiver wire: 5 running backs to target for Week 11

We are now in Week 11 of the NFL season and entering the stretch run of the fantasy regular season. With the bye weeks almost over and the playoffs just three or four weeks away (depending on your league settings), bench depth is going to be less important than it used to be. At this point, owners should be riding with their top starters the rest of the way. However, that doesn’t mean the waiver wire loses its value -- we still have some key bye teams to account for.

This week’s bye teams are the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and San Diego Chargers. Fantasy owners will have to cover for the absences of Melvin Gordon, Devonta Freeman, and Matt Forte at their running back position, and there are plenty of intriguing options on the waiver wire. Let’s look at the top five adds at RB this week, owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! standard leagues.

Kelley took over as the new lead back, with Matt Jones in Jay Gruden’s dog house (he was a healthy scratch on Sunday). He had a productive game, rushing for 97 yards on 22 carries against the Minnesota Vikings. More importantly, he didn’t fumble, which has been a big problem with Jones. Kelley didn’t do anything to lose the starting job and he’ll be a worthy starter once again when Washington takes on the Green Bay Packers this week.

Rawls’ Week 11 status is still a question mark, but he’s expected to get in full practices this week and should return against the Philadelphia Eagles. He has a good shot at overtaking Christine Michael, who’s been struggling badly in recent weeks. The big question is how much playing time he’ll be getting, especially since Seattle has another shiny rookie coming off a big game ...

Prosise got the start against the New England Patriots and did not disappoint, racking up 153 total yards on 24 touches. He played a major role in the passing game, leading the Seahawks with seven catches. The third-round rookie did struggle between the tackles, averaging just 3.9 yards per carry and getting stuffed on the goal line multiple times. However, he’s shown more than enough to be worth rostering in 12-team leagues and should be a quality asset in PPR formats. Prosise will be on the flex radar when the Seahawks face the Philadelphia Eagles this week.

Making his return from a knee injury, Starks immediately supplanted Ty Montgomery in the backfield, playing 55 snaps and taking 10 touches for 44 total yards. He didn’t get many carries, with the Packers falling behind 21-0 early and forced to abandon the running game. Starks should have a more friendly game script when Green Bay faces Washington’s 23rd-ranked run defense, but he hasn’t done enough this year to prove he’s more than a low-end flex play. Fantasy owners should only use him as a last resort.

The rookie is still playing second fiddle to Terrance West, but he continues to produce on his limited plays, recording 80 total yards on 11 touches compared to West’s 77 total yards on 22 touches. Dixon also emerged as a pass catcher with five receptions, which would bump his PPR value if it keeps up. The Ravens take on the Dallas Cowboys this week and Dixon will be in play in deeper leagues.