Is the NFL ready for life after Peyton Manning? Well, the fantasy football world better be, as the Denver Broncos are keeping Manning on the sidelines this coming Sunday, since the future Hall-of-Famer is dealing with multiple injuries and is coming off arguably his worst game ever just this past weekend. Is his backup, Brock Osweiler, ready for the big leagues (and the upcoming criticism from fantasy football players and pundits as well)?
Apart from Osweiler, who else are Week 11’s quality waiver wire pickups? Let’s have the internet’s weekly experts sound off on their other fantasy free agents of choice to help bolster your roster for the bye-free weeks ahead leading up to fantasy’s postseason schedule. Afterwards, check out some more of our very own Week 11 sleeper picks if you’re still in need of more fantasy advice and acquisitions for your virtual team.
[sc:Football ]
Fantasy Football Expert Guide Pickups for Week 11 of the 2015 NFL Season
FantasyPros
Position
Pick
Quarterback
Brock Osweiler
Running Back
Jay Ajayi
Wide Receiver
Chris Givens
Tight End
Will Tye
[sc:NFL240banner ]And so the Brock Osweiler era in Denver has finally begun. The Broncos would’ve wanted Peyton Manning’s run in Mile High to have lasted at least one last full, competitive campaign this year, but Father Time has not been so kind to the five-time league MVP.
Still, Nathaniel Reeves of Fantasy Pros claims that Osweiler will have the luxury of inheriting Manning and the Broncos’ star-studded offensive roster to help him ease into the transition. Plus, Reeves also mentioned that the 24-year-old product out of Arizona State has the size and skills to become an elite QB. If Osweiler has indeed learned from the one of the best QB’s of all time, not only will he make the Denver organization jump for joy, but also the waves of fantasy owners who believed in him as the rightful successor of Manning out in the Rockies.
Scout
Position
Pick 1
Pick 2
Quarterback
Brock Osweiler
Mark Sanchez
Running Back
Jay Ajayi
Matt Jones
Wide Receiver
Danny Amendola
Jamison Crowder
Tight End
Justin Perillo
Brent Celek
Jimmy Dinsmore of Scout.com also has Osweiler as his top QB pickup of the week, but let’s focus on another player that has gotten everybody’s attention from Week 11’s waiver wire: the Miami Dolphins’ Jay Ajayi.
We finally got a first glimpse of the fifth-rounder out of Boise State this past Sunday, and his 11 carries for 89 yards is very promising indeed. However, Dinsmore also gave a fair warning that Ajayi is better off being claimed in dynasty leagues and not standard leagues just yet, seeing that the Dolphins are still in the playoff hunt, meaning that Lamar Miller will continue to be the team’s workhorse this season.
However, if you truly believe in Ajayi, and that Miami will once again find a way to tank their campaign, then have at him by all means. Once the 22-year-old gains ground in the weeks ahead as the Dolphins reconfigure their roster in preparation for the next season, you’ll be more than glad that you picked up Jay-Jay (we’re going to anoint him with that lame nickname for now) before everybody else did based on the sheer hunch of another miserable season for the ‘Fins.
Yahoo
Position
Pick 1
Pick 2
Pick 3
Quarterback
Brock Osweiler
Running Back
Jay Ajayi
Wide Receiver
Danny Amendola
Chris Givens
Cecil Shorts III
Tight End
Jacob Tamme
D/ST
Chiefs
Enough about Osweiler and Ajayi, and let’s shower some love for Week 11’s slumbering wideouts.
Well, we shouldn’t really consider Danny Amendola as a sleeper anymore, but Yahoo’s Andy Behrens and Scout’s Dinsmore before him here in this article believe that the crafy veteran should not be overlooked by fantasy owners at all. Given top New England wideout Julian Edelman’s fractured foot and tight end Brandon LaFell’s disappointing return from midseason, it seems like Tom Brady and the mighty Pats will be relying heavily on Amendola and Rob Gronkowski in the passing game from hereon out.
Another wide receiver that looks to have finally gotten his due credit is Baltimore’s Chris Givens. With the Ravens receiving corps missing Steve Smith Sr., and with only Kamar Aiken as the only downfield threat in the passing game, Givens’ four receptions for 37 yards and a TD on seven targets last Sunday is a sign of good things to come. However, Behrens also called him a boom-or-bust option at most.
But if your own team is in dire need of some depth at WR, Givens has the enough potential and talent to explode, thanks mostly to Joe Flacco’s own potential of putting up huge passing yardage at any given game.
Create a betting account now to cash in on the real-time NFL action with your solid predictions for Week 11 and beyond.
