NOTE: While it would appear most likely that Jameis Winston will start at quarterback for the Saints in place of Drew Brees, Taysom Hill is also on the radar to start. ESPN Fantasy has made the decision to allow Hill to be eligible at quarterback on top of his prior tight end eligibility. Please keep that in mind accordingly.
We're down to the final weeks of the fantasy football regular season, and my hope is that everyone reading this column is undefeated in their leagues and cruising toward a championship. What can I say? I'm an optimist.
Understanding that you'll be hard-pressed to find many undefeated teams 10 weeks into the season, I want to share what I believe is a fundamental lesson of fantasy football every year: Play your whole way through it. While some feel as though the minute their team falls out of playoff contention that it's time to wave the white flag, my personal feelings are different.
We wait for eight months at the beginning of every year for football to begin. It felt like the first eight months of 2020 were more like eight years, but we made it to this season, and it has delivered terrific football. The rush of Sundays with fantasy football is unique and enjoyable -- don't let those days go from your grip by simply deciding to stop managing your roster. Make moves, work to improve your roster, architect trades.
In most leagues there is at least a consolation bracket, meaning that even if you miss the playoffs, there's pride on the line to compete for. (If your league does not have a consolation bracket, I advocate for non-playoff teams to stop making moves once the postseason begins). And while a win or loss this week from your squad may not change your playoff fortunes, the rest of the league that is still in playoff contention is counting on your participation for competitive balance.
Keep setting those lineups and powering through the regular season. We're here to help you along the way.
Here are the Week 11 waiver-wire adds.
Note: All players on this column are available in more than 50% of leagues on ESPN.com
Week 11 byes: San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, New York Giants
Salvon Ahmed, RB, Miami Dolphins (0.4%): The Dolphins have a carousel of running backs, and it could get crowded again in a hurry, particularly with Matt Breida possibly returning in Week 11. But Ahmed ran well in Week 10, posting 85 rushing yards on 21 carries and finding the end zone. With Jordan Howard out of the rotation, Ahmed should be the starter again in Week 11 if Breida is unable to go. He's an add in all leagues.
Kalen Ballage, RB, Los Angeles Chargers (25.8%): With Justin Jackson now on injured reserve (and obviously Austin Ekeler there as well), the Chargers have begun to lean heavily on Ballage in recent weeks. He has back-to-back games with 15 or more carries and found the end zone again in Week 10. This job appears to be squarely his, and Ballage should be added in all leagues.
Nyheim Hines, RB, Indianapolis Colts (41.8%): The next person you meet who understands the Colts' backfield will be the first, which is important to establish from the jump. That being said, Hines -- easily the team's shiftiest back and best pass-catcher -- now has three games with two or more touchdowns this season, trailing only Dalvin Cook. There's some upside here, and while the risk you run is Hines finishing third among Colts' backs in any week, you have to hope for the work in the passing game.
Jakobi Meyers, WR, New England Patriots (22.3%): The Patriots got innovative with Meyers in Week 10, as he threw a dime of a touchdown to Rex Burkhead and Meyers' hot streak rolled to three games. The weather was atrocious Sunday night, but Meyers still piled up five catches for 59 yards, as he appears cemented as a trusted target of Cam Newton within the Patriots' offense. While Julian Edelman can return as soon as this week, Meyers' role doesn't figure to fade, because they need that receiver depth. He is an add in all leagues.
Cole Beasley, WR, Buffalo Bills (46.7%): Beasley is just a flat-out star. The dude has been balling all season and yet still cannot cross the 50% roster threshold to have him removed from this column. Yes, I know he was quiet in Weeks 8-9, but Beasley has now posted double-digit fantasy points in seven of 10 games played this season and is averaging more than six targets per game. Get him on more rosters. Please!
Wayne Gallman, RB, New York Giants (28.3%): Devonta Freeman was placed on injured reserve before Week 10, meaning he's out until at least Week 14 (the Giants have a bye in Week 11), opening the door for Gallman's recent production to keep up. Gallman has been hot of late, scoring in each of his past four games and leading the Giants in rushing attempts during that time. It's incredibly hard to find running backs at this juncture, and Gallman not only is getting the volume, but he very much looks the part of a player who has a chance to stick around in this role.
Damien Harris, RB, New England Patriots (44.4%): Harris is a frequent player to appear on this list, so I'll keep working diligently to move him past the 50% threshold. The mitigating factor for Harris' fantasy value is that he's not involved in the passing game; a fair assessment that does have a direct fantasy tie. But he's a talented runner who is seizing the top job in an incredibly run-heavy offense. He's on pace for more than ,250 rushing yards rushing despite missing the first three games of the season, and he should be added in all leagues as a weekly flex consideration.
Keelan Cole Sr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (13.8%): We are at the point of the season when you're going to hear me use this phrase a lot: "If you need some upside, consider [insert player here]." Cole is one of those players, and they all come with the same caveat: "That player is not to be considered a lock." So Cole, who has five games with 10-plus and four games with fewer than 10, fits this bill. He's a talented guy who has arguably been Jacksonville's most consistent wideout in fantasy this season.
Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Football Team (19.6%): It's darn near impossible to find a tight end to trust, which makes it so surprising that Thomas is available in so many leagues. He now has four games with double-digit scoring and five games with four catches. And before you retort with, "Is that really the bar we have to clear for tight ends to be in the waiver-wire pickups column?" ... Yes, yes it is.
Taysom Hill, QB/TE, New Orleans Saints (7.3%): To begin, some reminders: Hill is eligible at both tight end and quarterback this week, as we will evaluate his roster usage in what is expected to be the Saints' first game this season without Drew Brees. While my sense is that Jameis Winston will dominate the snaps at quarterback, a package of plays for Hill is enough to make him a consideration to fill your tight end slot. As we know, he's an effective runner and if goal line work knocks, Hill could cash in to be a worthwhile tight end option.
Jameis Winston, QB, New Orleans Saints (0.6%): If there's one position where there are too many quality fantasy options weekly, quarterback is it. So I'm not acquiring Winston to replace any solid starter up to this point. But, for those who rostered Drew Brees as their starter or are looking for a bye-week fill-in, it's not outrageous to think Winston can be a usable piece. Winston was QB6 for the season in 2019 and while he now has a less-explosive wide receiver corps and actually benefited from his own poor play -- all those interceptions led to more opportunities to throw touchdowns -- which I don't expect to carry over in an offense where he likely won't be asked to do as much vertically down the field. In any event, I think Winston is a reasonable add for anybody who has a quarterback question mark or vacancy on his/her roster.