IDP Waiver Wire: Week 11

Jeff Pomazal gives you the week’s best waiver targets.

If the NFL season has taught us as fantasy managers anything, it’s to be flexible. To get creative with our lineup decisions. Between the inconsistencies of our supposed studs, the countless and mounting injuries we are all facing, and those pesky bye weeks, you have quite the cocktail of fun each week. The good news is we are past the midway point of the NFL bye weeks, and as we look ahead to Week 11, we have a pretty solid set of data to base our decisions on going forward. Hopefully, your squad is 5-5 or better and ready to make a strong push with 4 weeks before the fantasy playoffs begin. Let’s look at a few players who just might help get you there. 

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Defensive Line

Previous Weeks: Carl Granderson, Drake Jackson, Harrison Phillips, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Jonathan Cooper, Jarran Reed, David Onyemata, Nik Bonitto, Josh Uche, Tuli Tuipulotu, Yetur Gross-Matos, Zach Allen, Justin Madubuike, Darrell Taylor, Mike Hoecht, George Karlaftis, Jermaine Johnson, Kyle Van Noy, Kentavius Street

BJ Ojulari, Arizona Cardinals 

Crazy what one week will do. Last week for Arizona: no Kyler Murray or James Conner. Fast forward a week and they are getting an exciting win at home. Every win Murray gets is one game further away from the #1 draft pick and increases the odds Murray keeps his job. Murray isn’t doing it alone though.

His good friend, BJ Ojulari, has been starting to pick it up on the defensive side of the ball. Over the last 3 games, Ojulari has 14 tackles and 3 sacks. He chipped in a nice 25-point game to his fantasy managers this past weekend against the Falcons. He played the most defensive snaps he has played this season with 37, a dozen more than his next closest game this year. As he is getting healthy from an offseason knee injury, we can fully expect that snap share to continue to increase. Now would be a great time to add him in redraft (and especially in dynasty leagues) if he’s available. 

Mike Hoecht, Los Angeles Rams  

Mike Hoecht isn’t going to show up among Week 10 top scorers because he and the Rams had their bye week. This is a perfect time to pick him up and get him in your lineup as he is going to be very under the radar to most fantasy managers. In his three games before the bye, Hoecht had 15 tackles, 3 sacks, and a forced fumble.

Production: check. Throughout the season, Hoecht has yet to play less than 71% of the snaps in a game. Volume: check. Finally, Hoecht gets the Seahawks in Week 11 and gave up 3 sacks this past weekend, the Cardinals in Week 12, who also gave up 3 sacks this past weekend, and the Browns in Week 13, who just happen to be the #1 scoring team for opposing DL. Positive game script: check. Hoecht is checking a lot of boxes at the moment and he makes for a great DL3/4 with a safe floor each week. 

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Defensive Back

Previous Weeks: Reed Blankenship, Christian Gonzalez, Camryn Bynum, Jason Pinnock, K’Von Wallace, Jordan Whitehead, Daxton Hill, Rudy Ford, Juju Brents, Devon Witherspoon, Marcus Maye, Darious Williams, Sam Franklin Jr., Jaylon Johnson, Cam Taylor-Britt, Sydney Brown, Xavier Woods, Nate Hobbs, Johnathan Owens

Keanu Neal, Pittsburgh Steelers 

The Steelers linebackers are dropping left and right as of late. Last week it was Cole Holecomb, this week it was his replacement, Kwon Alexander. You’re probably wondering why I am talking about a linebacker in the defensive back position, but Keanu Neal is that rare player who can play both positions on the field and gets that nice duel eligibility on Sleeper as well. Neal has played a healthy amount of snaps over the last 3 weeks already and could be in line for a much bigger role.

He has 22 tackles over that span, which is a nice tackle floor regardless of the scoring system. In Week 10, Neal finished with 8 tackles and a game-sealing interception, good for 21.2 points in Big 3 scoring. The Steelers have a big divisional matchup with the Browns next weekend, who just happen to be a top 5 team at the moment for opposing linebackers. If Neal is available in your leagues, he might make a great option going forward. And if Neal is eligible at DB, that’s a HUGE win. 

Paulson Adebo, New Orleans Saints

Paulson Adebo was going to make the article last week, but he was beaten out by Cam Taylor-Britt and I didn’t want to have all cornerbacks in my article. There is someone much better at providing that type of content anyway (Johny the Greek). Adebo is balling out right now. He has 4 straight double-digit scoring games, including 9 tackles and 2 PDs in Week 10. Adebo might get a little more of the opposing team’s #1 wideout as the Saints await word on the severity of Marshon Lattimore’s ankle.

If Lattimore misses some time, Adebo would see a slight bump in an already fantastic season. Adebo makes all the sense in the world in cornerback-required leagues and is making a strong case for a starting spot in standard leagues where teams can start more than 2 defensive backs. Adebo has a bye this week, which will shy some managers away, but he’s a great late pickup for savvy managers.