Fantasy Football Week Week 11 Apology Wire: Injuries Prioritize James Winston, Selvon Ahmed, Cullen Belez

Usually we start this column talking about the injured running backs, and there have been many of them this season. But thankfully Week 10 spared us with that position from anything major. This time, it was the quarterbacks who suffered the most.

The biggest injury happened to Drew Brees (ribs), who is expected to miss Week 11 against Atlanta and could be out longer. His absence should give Jameis Winston the chance to start for the Saints, but we also could see Taysom Hill under center in New Orleans. Ideally, this is Winston’s time to shine, and he could be a borderline starting Fantasy quarterback in all leagues as long as Brees is out.

Teddy Bridgewater (knee) and Matthew Stafford (thumb) were also banged up, but they could still play in Week 11 against each other. Bridgewater is in more danger of missing the game, and if he’s out then P.J. Walker could start against the Lions. He could be an option in two-quarterback and Superflex leagues. The same goes for Chase Daniel, on a lower scale, if Stafford is out.

The Jets will again be without Sam Darnold (shoulder) coming off their bye in Week 10, and Joe Flacco will start at the Chargers in Week 11. Flacco played well in Week 9 against the Patriots, and he could be an option in two-quarterback and Superflex leagues.

Drew Lock (ribs) was hurt in Week 10 at Las Vegas and could be out in Week 11, opening the door for Brett Rypien to start against the Dolphins, although he’d only be an option in deep Fantasy leagues. And we also saw Nick Foles (hip) get hurt Monday night against the Vikings, but the Bears are on a bye in Week 11. Maybe Chicago will go back to Mitchell Trubisky as their starter in Week 12, but we can worry about that next week.

For now, you could have to replace Brees and potentially Stafford and Bridgewater in Week 11. And with Josh Allen on a bye, several Fantasy managers could be looking to add quarterbacks off the waiver wire this week.

Editor’s note: For this waiver wire column, we are only looking at players rostered in less than 65% of CBS Sports leagues.

Week 11 Waivers

• Injuries of note: Drew Brees (ribs), Matthew Stafford (thumb), Teddy Bridgewater (knee), Drew Lock (ribs), Nick Foles (leg), Gardner Minsher (thumb), Sam Darnold (shoulder)
• On a bye: Josh Allen, Daniel Jones, Nick Foles, Nick Mullens
• Priority list: Jameis Winston (4% rostered), Philip Rivers (39%), Alex Smith (13%), Kirk Cousins (45%), Joe Flacco (2%), Baker Mayfield (49%), Andy Dalton (13%) and P.J. Walker (0%)
• Check to see if available: Derek Carr (81% rostered), Tua Tagovailoa (77%), Matthew Stafford (76%) and Cam Newton (71%). Carr would be the No. 1 quarterback to add this week with his matchup against the Chiefs, and he scored 29 Fantasy points at Kansas City in Week 5. Newton would also be a priority with his matchup against the Texans. Tagovailoa would be a solid streaming option at Denver, and Stafford is worth using as a low-end starter at Carolina, especially if Kenny Golladay (hip) is healthy.
• Potential drop candidates: Jared Goff (96% rostered), Ryan Tannehill (94%) and Teddy Bridgewater (72%). Goff was a huge letdown in Week 10 against Seattle, and he’s scored fewer than 20 Fantasy points in three of his past four games heading into a tough matchup at Tampa Bay in Week 11. Tannehill has scored a combined 29 Fantasy points in his past two games and faces Baltimore and Indianapolis in the next two weeks on the road. He has a favorable schedule after that (Cleveland, Jacksonville and Detroit), but you can add him again then. And Bridgewater isn’t worth holding if he’s hurt.

Quarterback

Week 11 Priority List

WAIVER WIRE

Running Backs

• Injuries of note: Christian McCaffrey (shoulder), Joe Mixon (foot), Chris Carson (foot), Austin Ekeler (hamstring), Raheem Mostert (ankle), David Johnson (concussion), David Montgomery (concussion), Jerick McKinnon (neck), Myles Gaskin (knee), JaMycal Hasty (collarbone), Justin Jackson (knee), Matt Breida (hamstring), Devonta Freeman (ankle), Sony Michel (quad), Tevin Coleman (knee), Carlos Hyde (hamstring), Jeff Wilson (ankle) and A.J. Dillon (illness)
• On a bye: Zack Moss, Devin Singletary, Raheem Mostert, Wayne Gallman and David Montgomery
• Priority list: Kalen Ballage (60% rostered), Nyheim Hines (48%), Salvon Ahmed (6%), Carlos Hyde (21%), Rex Burkhead (44%), Lamical Perine (27%) and Malcolm Brown (60%)
• Check to see if available: Wayne Gallman (77% rostered), J.D. McKissic (72%) and Damien Harris (71%). Gallman is worth picking up even with the Giants on a bye since Freeman is out for at least two more games because he’s on injured reserve. McKissic is a must-add in any PPR leagues where he’s still available as he’s become a weekly starter in that format. And Harris is worth starting in Week 11 against the Texans after rushing for 121 yards on 22 carries in Week 10 against Baltimore.
• Potential drop candidates: Jerick McKinnon (94% rostered), Devin Singletary (86%), Le’Veon Bell (84%), DeeJay Dallas (79%) and Mark Ingram (64%). McKinnon isn’t worth rostering in all leagues on his bye, especially when he’s hurt. And there’s a chance Mostert will return in Week 11. Singletary has been single digits in Fantasy points in all leagues in six games in a row and isn’t worth holding during his bye. Bell is just a handcuff for Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but he doesn’t have any standalone value right now. Dallas seems to have fallen behind Alex Collins, and Hyde can return this week. And Ingram has done little this year to justify rostering him while J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards are healthy.

Running back

Week 11 Priority List

WAIVER WIRE

Wide Receivers

• Injuries of note: Tyler Lockett (knee), Calvin Ridley (foot), Kenny Golladay (hip), John Brown (ankle), Allen Lazard (abdomen), Deebo Samuel (hamstring), Sammy Watkins (hamstring), Mecole Hardman (illness), Julian Edelman (knee), Laviska Shenault (hamstring), Preston Williams (foot), Tre’Quan Smith (concussion), Danny Amendola (hip) and DeSean Jackson (ankle).
• On a bye: Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Golden Tate, Allen Robinson, Darnell Mooney, Anthony Miller, Stefon Diggs, John Brown and Cole Beasley
• Priority list: Jakobi Meyers (57% rostered), Michael Pittman (10%), Tim Patrick (55%), Josh Reynolds (6%), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (28%), Jakeem Grant (2%), Jalen Reagor (37%), Rashard Higgins (35%), Keelan Cole (23%), Breshad Perriman (6%), David Moore (6%), Olamide Zaccheus (1%), Willie Snead (2%) and Marvin Hall (1%)
• Check to see if available: Marvin Jones (80% rostered), Corey Davis (79%) and Allen Lazard (68%). Jones has scored at least 13 PPR points in four games in a row and just had his best game of the season in Week 10 against Washington with eight catches for 96 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. He should be considered a starter in all leagues until Golladay returns. Davis has scored at least 11 PPR points in all but one game this season and is worth stashing where available. I don’t love him in Week 11 at Baltimore or Week 12 at Indianapolis, but he should be solid against Cleveland, Jacksonville and Detroit in the following three games. And Lazard could return in Week 11 against the Colts, and I’m hopeful he finishes the season strong as the No. 2 receiver for the Packers.
• Potential drop candidates: Marquise Brown (89% rostered), John Brown (71%) and A.J. Green (63%). I hate saying to drop Marquise Brown given his potential, but his season has been a tremendous disappointment. He only has three games with more than nine PPR points and none since Week 5. It’s time to move on if you need to open a roster spot. John Brown isn’t worth stashing on his bye after hurting his ankle, and Bills coach Sean McDermott indicated it could be a long-term injury for Brown, which stinks..

Wide receiver

Week 11 Priority List

• Injuries of note: George Kittle (foot), Zach Ertz (ankle), Greg Olsen (foot), Jack Doyle (concussion) and Irv Smith (groin)
• On a bye: Jordan Reed, Evan Engram, Jimmy Graham and Dawson Knox
• Priority list: Zach Ertz (61% rostered), Logan Thomas (40%), Kyle Rudolph (9%) and Dalton Schultz (25%).
• Check to see if available: Hayden Hurst (82% rostered), Dallas Goedert (77%) and Austin Hooper (68%). Hurst would be the No. 1 tight end to add in all leagues where available, and he comes into Week 11 against the Saints with at least seven targets in three games in a row, as well as having scored at least 12 PPR points in three of his past four outings. I still believe in Goedert and Hooper despite down performances in Week 10, although Goedert’s Fantasy value can take a hit if Ertz returns in Week 11.
• Potential drop candidate: Robert Tonyan (69% rostered), Jimmy Graham (67%) and Tyler Higbee (65%). Tonyan has scored six PPR points or less in four of his past five games with no touchdowns over that span. Graham isn’t worth holding on his bye, and Higbee hasn’t scored since Week 2.

Tight End

Week 11 Priority List

• Dolphins (60%) at DEN
• Chargers (40%) vs. NYJ
• Washington (59%) vs. CIN
• Vikings (53%) vs. DAL
• Browns (40%) vs. PHI

• Younghoe Koo (65%) at NO
• Randy Bullock (29%) at WAS
• Rodrigo Blankenship (55%) vs. GB
• Ka’imi Fairbairn (60%) vs. NE
• Zane Gonzalez (63%) at SEA