Hello and welcome to the Week 11 waiver wire watch!
Best fantasy football D/ST waiver wire pickups for Week 11
Cowboys, Chargers, and Dolphins highlight the top fantasy football waiver wire D/ST targets entering Week 11.
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Another weekend of NFL action is mostly in the books and the second half of the 2025 regular season is officially underway. It was just a strong weekend for defenses and special teams as over half the units were able to finish with at least five fantasy points for the week.
We’ll go over some D/ST squads that you should consider scooping off the waiver wire ahead of Week 11 and as always, we’ll classify a waiver add as someone who is rostered in 50% of leagues at the max.
Week 11 byes: Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints
Dallas Cowboys D/ST (5.3%)
Wait, wait, wait. Hear me out here before you click out of this post. Yes, the Cowboys’ defense has been dreadful throughout the season, yielding the third-most points in the league at 277. But there are multiple reasons why I like them in next Monday’s matchup against the Raiders. For starters, they are fresh off their bye and have had two weeks to rest up and prepare. And during their break, they added a massive piece to their front with the acquisition of All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline.
On top of that, the Raiders are a mess with Geno Smith having the second-most interceptions in the league at 12. If there were a get-right game for Dallas’ defense, it’s this one.
Los Angeles Chargers D/ST (38.4%)
L.A. handled its business in a 25-10 victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday night and effectively rendered the Steelers’ offense obsolete. Chargers defenders sacked Aaron Rodgers five times throughout the evening, picked him off twice, and also came away with a fumble recovery for good measure. That also marked the third straight game where they’ve recorded at least three sacks, tying them for fourth-most in the league with 29 on the year.
The Chargers are visiting Jacksonville this Sunday and the Jags’ offense isn’t exactly inspiring confidence at the moment with the inconsistency of Trevor Lawrence. L.A. has a top-10 fantasy defense heading into Week 11 and it would not be a shock to see them put together another strong outing in Duval County.
Miami Dolphins D/ST (3.0%)
The Dolphins scored a surprise victory over the Bills on Sunday and actually dominated them in a 30-13 rout. The defense frustrated Buffalo’s offense all afternoon, forcing three turnovers, sacking Josh Allen three times, and holding James Cook to just 53 rushing yards for the day. The miniscule number of fantasy managers who started the Dolphins’ D were rewarded for their boldness with 13 fantasy points for the week.
It was the best showing Miami’s defense put forward all season long and they will take their show overseas this Sunday when meeting the Commanders in Madrid. Washington is sputtering without Jayden Daniels at QB, so there’s a chance for the Dolphins to harass Marcus Mariota on Sunday.
