Every Friday I will list some players who I think, if things go their way, will wind up in those waiver articles the following Tuesday. You don’t have to stash all of them – it depends on who you have on your roster, the depth of your benches, the scoring system of your league, etc. But these are guys that should at least be on your radar.
Stashing players is only something that can occur in deeper leagues with large benches, so to make this information worthwhile, I will only be recommending guys that are under 20% owned on both Yahoo and ESPN, and in many cases, you’ll see percentages in the single digits. If you’re in a league where guys like Myles Gaskin (66% on Yahoo, 68% on ESPN), Travis Fulgham (79% on Yahoo, 84% on ESPN), or Justin Herbert (91% on Yahoo, 93.6% on ESPN) are on the waiver wire, you’re either in a league too shallow for stashing, or you should go pick them up right away.
In addition, for those of you in really deep leagues (16+ teams), we will also include some deep cut players that are rostered in less than 3% of leagues on both Yahoo and ESPN in a section at the end to try and give you the best chance of winning your fantasy league.
Week 1 was a success where we advised you to pick up Joshua Kelley, Laviska Shenault, and Jerick McKinnon. Week 2 was successful in getting you to roster Myles Gaskin on your team. Week 3 and 4 were less successful but had a few solid waiver suggestions such as Jeff Wilson, Mo Alie-Cox, and Hunter Renfrow. Weeks 5 and 6 we told you to pick up Trey Burton who has emerged as a legitimate TE1 option in the Colts offense. In Week 7, we advised you to pick up JaMycal Hasty, Giovani Bernard, and Tua Tagovailoa. In Week 8, we recommended picking up Denzel Mims, Jalen Reagor, and Darnell Mooney. In Week 9, our recommendation was that you pick up Jordan Wilkins and Jordan Reed.
Week 10 Recap
Solid bounce-back week for ‘The Must Stash’ this week. Kalen Ballage received a heavy workload, taking 18 carries for 68 rushing yards as well as catching five passes (on six targets) for 34 receiving yards. Cordarelle Patterson enjoyed a nice revenge game against the Minnesota Vikings, putting up a stat line of 12 carries, 30 rushing yards, two receptions (on two targets), 19 receiving yards, and a kickoff return for a touchdown. Denzel Mims and Breshad Perriman didn’t play last week as the New York Jets were on a bye week, and should still be top priorities for those in deeper leagues. Darnell Mooney struggled hard against the Vikings, catching two passes for three receiving yards. In addition, from the ‘Deep Cuts’ section, we saw Miami running back Salvon Ahmed ball out and take 21 carries for 85 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
Who made the list(s) this week? Let’s dive in!
The Must Stash
Taysom Hill, QB, New Orleans Saints (3% on Yahoo, 18.2% on ESPN)
Drew Brees went down this past Sunday and is expected to miss some time. While Jameis Winston is likely to be the starting quarterback while Brees is out, it’s important not to count out Taysom Hill. If he ends up being the starter this week, Hill’s rushing ability would give him a decent floor and a high ceiling if he can be a competent passer. Considering the Saints match up against an Atlanta Falcons team that is giving up 310.3 passing yards per game, there’s a strong chance that the Saints passing game flourishes this week. Editor’s Note – Taysom Hill has been named the starter as of Friday morning, go grab Hill if you need QB help
Looking at #NFL starting QB's by their rushing yards per game in college, it's clear that Lamar Jackson is on a different level. This list also seems to reflect a lot of #fantasyfootball owners opinions on top fantasy QBs
Who are your favorite #fantasy QBs for '20? pic.twitter.com/ntV2dy7Doa
— Eli G (@3li_handles) June 8, 2020
In addition for those of you playing in ESPN leagues, Hill currently has tight end eligibility. With the tight end position in constant flux this year, Hill putting up quarterback points could be a game-changer as long as he retains eligibility.
K.J. Hamler, WR, Denver Broncos (4% on Yahoo, 3.1% on ESPN)
K.J. Hamler has been featured in this article series before, all the way back in week 3. He had a bit of a rough patch in the early goings, but since catching the game-winning touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in week 8, Hamler’s been featured heavily in the Broncos offense, seeing 10 targets in each of the last two weeks. Hamler’s quickness, ability to change directions like a human joystick, and his route running ability make him dangerous after the catch and capable of putting up big numbers down the stretch if the utilization continues.
College Stats (Penn State)
| Year | Games Played | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving Touchdowns | Rushing Attempts | Rushing Yards | Rushing Touchdowns |
| 2018 | 13 | 42 | 754 | 5 | 4 | 44 | 1 |
| 2019 | 13 | 56 | 904 | 8 | 13 | 43 | 0 |
The Denver Broncos wide receivers are currently combining to average 11.78 receptions on 21.44 targets for 166.78 receiving yards and 0.89 receiving touchdowns. Looking at offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s history, it appears that this offense is capable of maintaining this production from the wide receiver position. Prior to the 2020 NFL season, Pat Shurmur had spent 169 games in an offensive coordinator or head coaching role. In that time, Shurmur’s wide receiver room averaged 12.04 receptions on 20.36 targets for 150.47 receiving yards and 0.88 receiving touchdowns per game. This information shows that there’s plenty of room for both Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler to put up solid numbers this year. If you want an intriguing end of the bench dart throw, Hamler is a solid choice.
Josh Reynolds, WR, Los Angeles Rams (7% on Yahoo, 7.7% on ESPN)
Josh Reynolds is a player that has been flying under the radar most of the season but broke out big last week against the Seattle Seahawks, catching eight passes on ten targets for 94 receiving yards. Since week 3, Reynolds has only had one week below 40 receiving yards (week 4) and has clearly emerged as a top option in the passing game. To put how good Reynolds has been in perspective, take a look at Reynolds’ stats compared to Rams wide receivers Robert Woods since week 3.
Don't look now, but since week 3 #Rams Josh Reynolds has put up similar production to Robert Woods
Reynolds: 27 receptions, 45 targets, 366 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns
Woods: 34 receptions, 47 targets, 350 receiving yards, 4 receiving touchdowns #fantasyfootball
— Eli G (@3li_handles) November 18, 2020
Reynolds has been playing very well so far this season and it’s shocking that it has gone largely unrecognized in over 90% of fantasy leagues. Considering how scarce waivers are at this point of the season, Reynolds is looking like one of the best remaining targets this season.
Devontae Booker, RB, Las Vegas Raiders (7% on Yahoo, 4.2% on ESPN)
A couple of years ago Devontae Booker was being hyped as the future starting running back of the Denver Broncos. Broncos fans thought it was only a matter of time before Booker took the starting job from C.J. Anderson.
It never materialized. Despite flashes of being a really talented runner, Booker’s inconsistency early in his career was too maddening, leading to the Broncos picking up new running backs such as Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, and the Broncos gradually phasing Booker out of the offense.
| Week | Opponent | Carries | Rushing Yards | Rushing TDs | Targets | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | @CAR | 4 | 29 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 23 | 0 |
| 2 | NO | 3 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 3 | @NE | 3 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | BUF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | @KC | 7 | 62 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 7 | TB | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| 8 | @CLE | 5 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| 9 | @LAC | 8 | 68 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | DEN | 16 | 81 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
This past offseason, Booker found his way out of Denver and signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. While the signing seemed underwhelming at first, Booker worked his way into the #2 role behind star running back Josh Jacobs and has played extremely well in Jon Gruden’s offense. So far this season Booker has taken 49 carries for 304 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns (6.2 YPC), and caught nine passes on nine targets for 62 receiving yards. He’s showed that he can step in and be effective if Josh Jacobs misses any time down the late-season stretch. If you are looking for a good handcuff to stash for the end of the season, Booker is a great choice.
Breshad Perriman, WR, New York Jets (10% on Yahoo, 13.4% on ESPN)
Once again Breshad Perriman is back on this list. He’s been featured a few times before, but we feel it’s important that you don’t forget about him, so he’s back here again. Before the bye week, Perriman put up a five reception, 101 receiving yards, and two-touchdown performance against the New England Patriots. The 4.30 speedster was being hyped as a potential sleeper this past offseason after his strong finish to the season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year.
Perriman struggled at the start of the year with injuries and ineffective play but has been hitting his stride since returning from his ankle injury in week 6. He wasn’t a hot waiver pickup last week due to the Jets going on their bye week, but that’s okay because it allows you to capitalize and pick him up for pennies on the dollar this week.
Deep Cuts
(Less Than 3% owned in ESPN and Yahoo)
Dare Ogunbowale, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars (0% on Yahoo, 0.2% on ESPN): With Chris Thompson going down with a back injury and being placed on injured reserve, Dare Ogunbowale is expected to step up as the primary backup behind James Robinson.
Darrynton Evans, RB, Tennessee Titans (1% on Yahoo, 2% on ESPN): Darrynton Evans is currently on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury in week 5, but should be back at some point in the near future. When he makes his return, he should be the primary backup for Derrick Henry and should be one of the best handcuffs still available on the waiver wire.
Anthony McFarland, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (1% on Yahoo, 1.3% on ESPN): The Pittsburgh Steelers starting running back James Conner has been disappointing the past couple weeks despite easy matchups on paper. Their rookie running back, Anthony McFarland has been hyped up as a playmaker and potential running back of the future with James Conner being a free agent after this season. Keep a close eye on this situation, as it’s possible that this backfield turns into a full-blown committee down the stretch that features McFarland, Snell, and Conner.
D’Ernest Johnson, RB, Cleveland Browns (1% on Yahoo, 1.2% on ESPN): D’Ernest Johnson was a hot waiver wire pickup after week 4 where he had 95 rushing yards against the Dallas Cowboys, but it never materialized into him being a great fantasy player. Despite this, he’s worth including on the ‘Deep Cuts’ list just in case Kareem Hunt or Nick Chubb miss time in the Browns run-heavy offense.
D’Onta Foreman, RB, Tennessee Titans (0% on Yahoo, 0% on ESPN): D’Onta Foreman has gotten 17 carries over the last three weeks, and even managed to score a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts last week. Derrick Henry‘s handcuff has value, so it’s important to monitor who is in control of the job between Foreman, Darrynton Evans, and Jeremy McNichols.
Mitchell Trubisky, QB, Chicago Bears (1% on Yahoo, 1% on ESPN): Nick Foles was injured near the end of the Vikings game and the timeline for him to return is currently up in the air. If Foles can’t go, Trubisky will jump back into the starting quarterback role for the Chicago Bears. With his rushing ability, he’s worth monitoring in deeper leagues.
Isaiah Ford, WR, New England Patriots (1% on Yahoo, 0.4% on ESPN): Isaiah Ford was one of the few players to get traded at the NFL trade deadline, moving from the Miami Dolphins to the New England Patriots. While he wasn’t utilized against the Baltimore Ravens last week, given the state of the Patriots wide receiver corps, he has an opportunity to become a top target on the team down the stretch, starting with this week against the Houston Texans.
Josh Gordon, WR, Seattle Seahawks (1% on Yahoo, 0.8% on ESPN): There are probably people out there who are sick of the Josh Gordon hype. I get it. But his god-given talent combined with MVP candidate Russell Wilson potentially throwing to him makes it worth monitoring when he makes his return (currently no timeline on when this might be).
Jordan Akins, TE, Houston Texans (3% on Yahoo, 2.8% on ESPN): Jordan Akins started off the season red-hot as the primary receiving tight end, catching 14 passes on 15 targets for 168 receiving yards and a touchdown in the first four games of the season. While an injury derailed his season and he hasn’t been as good since his return, he is still a talented player that could catch fire at any time.
Cam Sims, WR, Washington Football Team (0% on Yahoo, 0.1% on ESPN): Cam Sims had a great game against the New York Giants two weeks ago, catching three passes for 110 receiving yards. Then he followed it up last week with four catches on five targets for 54 receiving yards against the Detroit Lions. He’s played very well over the past couple weeks and if he keeps it up he could find himself in ‘The Must Stash’ in the near future.
Alex Collins, RB, Seattle Seahawks (1% on Yahoo, 0.5% on ESPN): Alex Collins took 11 carries for 43 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Rams last week. While his role appears to be short-lived, any back that gets over ten carries in a game is worth paying attention to.
That’s it for week 11. Feel free to weigh in and mention any players you believe should be on this list.
Featured Image by Justin Paradis (@freshmeatcomm on Twitter)