Week 11 Waiver Claims

Quarterback #1: Tua

Tua still hasn’t thrown an interception yet. 77 passing attempts. 5 TD’s. 0 INT’s. If he had taken over the starting job in Week 5 instead of Week 8, what kind of fun do you think we’d be having by now? The arrow is shooting straight up & the excitement is building with each passing day. If he’s somehow still available in your 1QB leagues, please rectify that.

Quarterback #2: Jameis Winston

Last year’s QB4 in PPG gets ATL, DEN, & ATL the next three weeks. For as many games as Drew Brees misses, Jameis will be worth starting.

Quarterback #3: Teddy B

We’re getting to the point in the season where I shouldn’t even have to make a pitch for my QB adds… I should be able to just post their schedules, and you all should just allow it. Detroit (14th most PPG allowed to QB’s) & Minnesota (4th most) the next two weeks. Denver (16th most) Week 14.

Running Back #1: Kalen Ballage

You’re going to have to forgive Kalen Ballage for what happened in Miami at some point. He’s an athletic marvel with a size/speed ratio (6’1″/228 & 4.46 speed) only rivaled by the Jonathan Taylor’s & Antonio Gibson’s of the world. In Ballage’s first game with LA, the team gave him 15 carries, which he took for 69 yards, gaining 43 of them after-contact (via PFF). And he looked good doing it. It seemed like the only thing that kept Joshua Kelley (who’s rushed for a brutal 3.2 YPC/1.6 after-contact) on the field for that first game was the coaching staff’s trust in him as a pass-blocker. But, after just that one game, the Chargers had liked what they’d seen from Kalen Ballage enough to hand him Joshua Kelley’s responsibilities as well, & make him what appeared to be a true workhorse. Ballage saw 23 touches & 6 targets to Kelley’s 7 touches & 0 targets. Troymaine Pope played 7 special teams snaps & didn’t see a snap on offense. Ballage wasn’t as efficient on paper as his first game with the team (3.8 YPC vs 4.6 YPC in the first game), but don’t let that fool you! It was in a much tougher matchup against Miami & Ballage actually gained 50 of his 68 rushing yards AFTER-contact, after gaining 43 of 69 after-contact in his first game with the team. Ballage is the most-suited to complement Austin Ekeler & with Justin Jackson on IR & Joshua Kelley sucking, Ballage could be stealing the No. 2 gig right before our eyes, in a system that has supported 2 fantasy-relevant RB’s. Even better? The Chargers face the Jets this week (7th most fantasy PPG allowed to RB’s) in what portrays as yet another revenge-game against a team that cut Ballage just weeks ago.

Running Back #2: Wayne Gallman

Death, taxes, and Wayne Gallman scoring double-digit fantasy points, apparently? He’s done it in 4-straight games & has a TD & reception in every one of those games. He’s the RB11 in PPG over the last month & he finishes the season against CIN, SEA, AZ, & CLE (before a tough Week 16 matchup against Baltimore).

Running Back #3: Gus Edwards

Gus Edwards continues to lead this backfield in touches, even with the return of Mark Ingram. I (as someone who rosters JK Dobbins all over the place, somewhat unfortunately) wouldn’t expect that to change any time soon. A 3-headed-hydra is going to limit the upside for everyone involved, but that might not matter with matchups against DAL, CLE, JAX, & NYG down the stretch.

Wide Receiver #1: Gabriel Davis

Gabriel Davis *in a game where John Brown is inactive* is probably the only WR available in more than 50% of leagues who I can say that I’d feel 100% comfortable starting, no hesitation. And we might just get that exact situation, depending on whether Brown can play after their bye this week. If news isn’t out on John Brown’s projected recovery timeline (he was injured this past week against Arizona), I’d take the gamble & just grab Davis for the upside anyways. If it comes out later that Brown is in fact going to miss time, you will be thanking yourself for having done so.

Wide Receiver #2: Michael Pittman Jr.

Michael Pittman might be the better pick-up than Gabriel Davis if you’re truly in need of a plug-and-play, for one, because he actually plays this week & isn’t on a bye… but there’s a whole lot more to like beyond that. TY Hilton is dust & Pittman fits the mold of a true alpha (6’4″/220, 4.52 40, 36.5″ vertical, 4.14 shuttle). Not to mention, the team has completely given up on trying to establish the run-game with Jonathan Taylor the past few weeks & has opted to put more on Philip Rivers’ plate. After Rivers cleared 30 passing attempts only once in the first 4 games, he’s done so every game since, with 33, 44, 33, 43, & 39 attempts. Rivers has 262+ passing yards in 3 of the last 4 games & has thrown for 3, 3, & 1 TD in each of the last 3 (non-Baltimore) games.

Wide Receiver #3: Mecole Hardman/Allen Lazard

When picking between a bunch of low-level WR stashes I think the QB’s have to be the tiebreaker. Patrick Mahomes & Aaron Rodgers win.

Tight End #1: Logan Thomas

3/42/1, 4/60/1, 3/28, 4/66. Those are Logan Thomas’s last 4 games. He played 87 of a whopping 88 plays for Washington this past week, including 57 of them from the slot & only 19 in-line. Washington has thrown the ball 39 & 55 times the past two weeks & Alex Smith has gone for 325 & 390 yards. The next two weeks, CIN & DAL.

Tight End #2: Dalton Schultz

Schultz seems to be the Cowboy least affected by the QB changes, with 4/35, 2/22, 6/53, & 4/48 over his last 4 games. It doesn’t hurt that he’s seeing more snaps than every single Dallas WR & is coming out of a bye with a matchup against Minnesota.

Tight End #3: Taysom Hill