RADIO
Welcome back RotoBallers. Same rules as always - in this column we will be looking at NFL players owned in 25% or less of Fleaflicker leagues. These players can be sneaky fantasy football lineup sleepers for Week 11, as you consider adding players off the waiver wire and optimizing your fantasy football lineups.
Week 10 was a bloodbath for my picks. The Cassel-Beasley combo was an absolute dud, the Raiders defense was gouged for 202 rushing yards by Adrian Peterson, and James White wasn't prevalent for the Patriots, although that may change with Julian Edelman no longer in the picture. At least Crockett Gillmore scored, right? No one said picking deeper sleepers was easy, but I'll look to get us on the right track this week.
Same as last week, I'll include a player from every position (including D/ST) each week - as long as the options are worthy of discussion. Let's get to it.
Digging Deeper - Potential Week 11 Waiver Wire Sleepers
Brock Oswiler (QB, DEN)
5% Owned in Fleaflicker
Peyton Manning broke two records on Sunday:
1) New leader in NFL passing yards, breaking Brett Favre's record
2) First quarterback ever to break the NFL passing yards record AND get benched in the same game
Trust me when I say that's a hard combo to hit. Manning was dreadful on Sunday, going 5-for-20 with 35 yards and four interceptions. It was the worst offensive performance on the day in fantasy scoring, and the worst performance by a QB since Ryan Leaf in 1998. It's never a good thing when your performance is being compared to Ryan Leaf.
Manning was eventually relieved (spared?) by Brock Oswiler, a former 2nd-round pick by Denver drafted to be the successor after Manning departed. Oswiler had an average game, completing 14-of-24 attempts for 146 yards and a touchdown. He also threw a pick and could've had another one that slipped out of the corner's hands. It should be noted these numbers were all accrued with the Broncos losing 29-0, aka garbage time.
It was revealed after the game Manning aggravated his plantar fasciitis and will need time to recover. Gary Kubiak stated Manning would remain the starter when healthy, which doesn't indicate Manning would be ready for Sunday. That leaves Oswiler with a tasty spot-start versus the Bears. The Bears defense has allowed 17 passing touchdowns all year, tied for 5th worst in football. They also are ranked 25th versus an opponents #1 WR according to Football Outsiders. I expect Oswiler to depend on Demaryius Thomas heavily in this game, making this a solid opportunity for Drew Brees owners looking for a bye-week replacement.
FAAB: $3
Dexter McCluster (RB, TEN)
16% Owned in Fleaflicker
It's getting pretty thin in the RB department. With no major injuries from the tailback position in Week 10 there's no obvious choices for this section, so we're targeting a low-ceiling PPR play in McCluster.
McCluster had a solid Week 10 thanks to a 25-yard scamper in the first quarter for six. Overall he had three carries for 25 yards and four catches for 27 yards on five targets. He did have a costly fumble in the fourth quarter, although it shouldn't affect his role in the offense going forward.
Targeting Titans is usually a foolish endeavor, considering their 18.8 pts/game is 27th in football. If you take out their offensive explosion versus the Saints Week 9 the Titans have averaged 9.2 points since Week 5. That's not just bad, it's dreadful.
So why recommend McCluster? It's because a trip to Jacksonville is just the cure for this offense. The Jags defense ranks in the bottom ten for passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percentage, and QBR. More importantly, they rank 30th versus RB according to Football Outsiders. Teams are averaging 4.25 receptions by RB versus the Jags D, which should allow McCluster to rack up some dink-and-dunks and make him a PPR sleeper in 14+ team leagues.
FAAB: $5
Chris Givens (WR, BAL)
5% Owned in Fleaflicker
The post-Steve Smith (Achilles) era has begun in Baltimore, with Kamar Aiken doing his best impersonation for the rest of 2015. Aiken dominated the targets (14) but it's who came in second in Baltimore that has our interest.
Chris Givens filled into the #2 role and performed admirably, turning seven targets into four catches and 37 yards with a touchdown. His touchdown was a 14-yard strike across the middle to put Baltimore on top in the fourth quarter, although a inexplicable Elvis Dumervil facemask allowed the Jaguars to pull out a W.
The reason we're highlighting Givens is his ability to stretch the field for Joe Flacco. Givens is still just 25-years old after coming over from St. Louis in an October trade. He's never been a target-hound but his 4.41 40-speed does provide him with a high-ceiling for fantasy production. Recall in his rookie year he set a record with five consecutive games with a 50+ yard catch.
In no way is this a ringing endorsement to grab Givens in standard formats or shallow leagues, but if you need a PPR play in a competitive league Givens provides a ceiling few other options on the wire can match. The Ravens get the Rams in Week 11, far from an ideal matchup. The Rams rank 7th in passing yards allowed and 1st in passing touchdowns allowed. If you can afford to stash Givens though, a tasty matchup at Cleveland in Week 12 awaits.
FAAB: $5
Justin Perillo (TE, GB)
0% Owned in Fleaflicker
I know what you're thinking: Who?
Well don't worry because you're not alone. He was literally owned in 0% of Fleaflicker Leagues before Sunday. That means his own friends and family weren't even using him. It was Perillo's first time seeing more than two targets all season and he made the most of it, catching 5-of-6 passes for 58 yards and a score.
Normally I would brush this off as a lucky game for a backup tight end and move on, but given the poor offensive results from Green Bay in recent weeks this may be a situation looking into. Perillo, only 25, was a practice-squad holdover given his first crack at real playing time today. He has good hands, was able to get open down the field more often then TE-incumbent Richard Rodgers, and most importantly, is a good blocker.
The wide receiver corps have not delivered in 2015, with Randall Cobb dealing with shoulder pain and James Jones falling off the face of the earth. Perhaps the Packers utilize the two-TE sets more often and give Perillo some run. With the Packers offense lacking a real identity at this point, it's worth monitoring Perillo's play-time against the Broncos in Week 11. If you have bench space and are lacking at TE, give Perillo a spin at no cost.
FAAB: $1
Dallas Cowboys Defense
16% Owned in Fleaflicker
Alright, so my Oakland pick last week was dreadful. Finding teams under 25% ownership is rough and the pick was based on Bridgewater sitting, but it was nonetheless a terrible choice. Let's try and make things right with the Cowboys.
As poor as the offense has performed in 2015, the defense has been doing its part to keep the team in games. They've allowed 13, 33, and 10 points in their last three, although it should be noted 14 of the 33 were off a pick-six and an OT touchdown. They've only allowed nine passing touchdowns all year, second best in the NFL.
This week the Cowboys face the Dolphins, a team that's given up a safety in three consecutive games (yes, that's a record). The ground game is likely to be a concern (Dallas ranks 24th versus RB), but if the Cowboys front four can create some havoc on Ryan Tannehill there should be enough fantasy points abound in this contest.
FAAB: $1
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