10 weeks of NFL play are officially in the books, which means bye weeks are in full swing. Gone are the days where you could just coast by on a strong draft. Now more than ever, you’ll need to search the waiver wire for all the best available running backs. Heading into Week 11, you should set your eyes on Brian Hill, Wayne Gallman, Derrius Guice, Rex Burkhead, and J.D. McKissic.
Note that in order to make this list, the player had to be available in over 50% of fantasy leagues. If you’re in smaller leagues, there may be better players available. Make sure to check your waivers to see if there are any diamonds in the rough before submitting your claims.
Week 11 Waiver Wire Claims: Wide Receiver – Quarterback – Tight End – Defense
Brian Hill, Wayne Gallman Highlight Fantasy Football Week 11 Running Back Waiver Wire Claims
Brian Hill
Devonta Freeman exited Week 10 with a foot injury and didn’t return, while Ito Smith is on the injured reserve with an injury of his own. Somebody has to take carries for the Atlanta Falcons, and that somebody is former fifth-round running back Brian Hill. Serving as the clear lead back, Hill recorded 20 carries for 61 yards and even recorded one reception for 10 yards and a touchdown.
Hill is a marginal NFL talent, and he’s never going to give you the high-upside performances of a true RB1 or RB2. However, he’s set to see a high percentage of the snaps in one of the NFL’s better offenses, which makes him a reliable fantasy option. The Falcons will probably add another running back between now and Week 11 if Freeman’s injury is serious, but Hill’s going to be the starter as long as Freeman’s sidelined.
Wayne Gallman
Something is seriously wrong with New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley. The second overall pick had the worst game of his career, recording 13 carries for just one yard. While he survived until the end of the game, trainers worked on Barkley throughout the game and he reportedly had X-rays after Week 10’s loss. Barkley rushed back from a high ankle sprain and clearly isn’t at 100%. This is the definition of a lost season for the Giants, so Big Blue could opt to rest their star runner for at least a few weeks.
If that happens, Wayne Gallman is going to be a must-start in all formats. We’ve already seen what Gallman can do in a small sample, as he filled in for an injured Barkley back in Week 4. During that game, Gallman recorded 18 carries for 63 yards and one touchdown to go along with six receptions for 55 yards and another score. He played in 60% of the offensive snaps, and you should expect a similar usage if Barkley ends up missing time.
Derrius Guice
Derrius Guice was on this list last week, so check out that article for why he’s a smart add.
Rex Burkhead
After yet another extended absence, New England Patriots running back Rex Burkhead is back on the field. Sony Michel simply has not been efficient at any point in the season, and there’s a very real chance that the New England Patriots start changing their offensive identity. Through the first half of the season, the Patriots have tried to re-create their Power-I formation which helped win Super Bowl 53. However, they simply don’t have the personnel to do that this year with a banged-up offensive line and an injured James Develin.
What they do have, however, is the ability to run spread formations and hurry-up offenses. The only time New England moved the ball well against the Baltimore Ravens was when they ran their no-huddle offense with Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, and James White as the running back. The Patriots are better than any other team at adapting to their strengths and weaknesses, so you should see more of this style of play in the second half. Quite frankly, Sony Michel isn’t nearly as good of a fit for this style of play as Burkhead is. This is still going to be a three-man show, but Burkhead could easily see snaps over Michel as the season progresses.
J.D. McKissic
The hot mess that is the Detroit Lions backfield got even messier when Ty Johnson suffered a concussion. In his absence, J.D. McKissic took sole command of the backfield. Serving as the de-facto leader of the backfield, McKissic recorded 10 carries for 36 yards to go along with six receptions for an additional 19 yards.
J.D. McKissic isn’t a good running back, and the Lions aren’t a good offense without Matthew Stafford. However, if you’re in a deep league and you just need somebody who has a guaranteed workload, you can get by with McKissic. The Lions face off against a Dallas Cowboys team which can be exploited on the ground, although McKissic might not have the talent to do it. You should probably try to find a better option, but you could do worse.
Week 11 Waiver Wire Claims: Wide Receiver – Quarterback – Tight End – Defense
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