Injuries have not been kind to fantasy football players in 2021. Here is a list of waiver candidates to help alleviate the pain.
It seems like an endless game each week where players at every turn are hitting short-term and long-term IR. This in turn is leaving weekly lineups looking like a trash heap of backup players on a weekly basis, just scrambling to be able to set a complete lineup. Week 10 was not any different, but we are here to help. Here are the top waiver wire Week 11 IDP waiver pick-ups.
Linebackers
Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Detroit Lions
Jalen Reeves-Maybin has been quietly the most consistent linebacker for the Detroit Lions this season. He has 33 tackles over the last five games while being on the field for an average of just over 57% of the team's defensive snaps. Over the next four games, Reeves-Maybin plays some run-heavy teams, he could prove useful in a pinch for a few weeks.
Ja'Whaun Bentley, New England Patriots
As unspectacular as Bentley is, he is generally consistent. Where he does not rack up many playmaking stats or huge snap volume, he does consistently show up in the tackle column. At this point in the season, if you are adding linebackers, you are mostly looking for available bodies who at least see a 50% snap-share. Bentley does this while also averaging 5.5 tackles per game.
Elandon Roberts, Miami Dolphins
Roberts is a true run stopper and his usage shows playing only 54.2% of the team's defensive snaps. While he is on the field though he remains quite active. 10 games into the season, Roberts is only 19 total tackles off of his career-high, plus he has already set career-highs in forced fumbles and interceptions.
He is averaging just under five tackles per game and has a nice stretch of matchups over his next three matchups. Roberts has the potential to be very useful over that stretch.
Kwon Alexander, New Orleans Saints
It was not long ago that we were crowning Pete Werner the next great linebacker in New Orleans. This came at the expense of Alexander being on the shelf injured once again. Alexander has been back for three games now and has seen his snaps jump from 29% to 44% to 78% during that span. He also has 10 tackles, three for a loss, one sack, and three QB hits.
Alexander seems to be healthy and has overtaken Werner for that secondary linebacker spot. He does not have great matchups going forward, but even If he emerges as a shell of his former self, it is still better than most of the other linebackers on waivers.
Defensive Line/Edge
Dorance Armstrong, Dallas Cowboys
I have personally been waiting for an Armstrong breakout...and it may finally be time. Armstrong has always shown flashes of being a productive edge rusher, he just never could hold down a significant role. Now without any healthy pass rushers in Dallas, he gets his shot.
He has some tough matchups ahead, though he saw 70% of the team's defensive snaps for Week 10. The old IDP saying is, "sometimes the best ability is availability."
Zach Allen, Arizona Cardinals
Zach Allen has put together a fantastic stretch of games over his past four games. He has seen a spike in playing time with J.J. Watt out on IR. He has seen an average of 78.25% of the team's defensive snaps during that span and has produced 17 tackles, three for a loss, two sacks, and three QB hits. Allen gets Seattle's porous offensive line in Week 11. He could give some great return.
Deatrich Wise Jr., New England Patriots
Deatrich Wise has been the Patriots' most effective edge rusher so far this season. He has strung together a nice three-game stretch where he has accumulated 10 tackles, one for a loss, 1.5 sacks, and three QB hits. Wise does a good job staying active in run defense while also having active hands at the line of scrimmage, allowing him to pad his stats with passes defended.
Defensive Backs
Jarrod Wilson, New York Jets
Marcus Maye was just placed on IR by the Jets, opening up a role next to Ashtyn Davis in the defensive backfield. Jarrod Wilson seems to have grabbed a hold of that role, playing on 72% of the team's defensive snaps for Week 10. He was very aggressive at the line of scrimmage as well, coming up with a sack and two QB hits. Wilson looked good in his role and it should be his moving forward.Â
Micah Hyde, Buffalo Bills
Micah Hyde gets zero respect in Buffalo because he is continually overshadowed by Jordan Poyer. Hyde has put together a great season so far. Though he lacks in tackle volume, only 3.6 per game, he has been a super productive playmaker. Over the first 10 games, Hyde has seven passes defended, three interceptions, and a touchdown. He takes on Wentz and the Colts in Week 11 which could be a shootout.
Nate Hobbs, Las Vegas Raiders
Nate who? Exactly, he is available in every league, I can almost guarantee it. He has been on the field for 68.3% of the team's defensive snaps, though has seen 85% in six of the team's 10 games. He has had 35 tackles over the last five games, which is an average of seven per game. In Week 9 he was used blitzing and accrued a sack as well as three QB hits during that game.
Three of Hobbs' next four games are against pass-heavy teams. He gets The Bengals, The Cowboys, and The Chiefs, with The Washington Football Team sprinkled in the middle. Hobbs is a super sleeper but could also be a multi-week streamer. This makes him my favorite waiver wire Week 11 IDP pick-up.
Conclusion
If you are searching for waivers in Week11, it is probably the bottom of the barrel. The waiver pool is getting very slim with how many injuries have happened this year. I appreciate you tuning in this week for my waiver article, and you will get your normal masterpiece for @KBellf54 next week. Good luck moving forward and hopefully, my waiver wire Week 11 IDP pick-ups article has been helpful.
Thank you for checking out my Week 9 IDP Sleepers! Follow me on Twitter at @JoeyTheToothIDP, and check out all of my IDP, Devy, and Offensive work on my IDP Guys author page. Stay up to date with the latest breaking news in fantasy football with The IDPGuys!
