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Special to ESPN.com- Jim McCormick is a fantasy football and fantasy basketball analyst for ESPN.com.
Each week of the NFL campaign we will sift through the deeper options at each position with an eye on identifying streaming fantasy commodities with valuable matchups to consider.
Do you need replacement options for injured or suspended players? Or are you merely dealing with depth issues heading into the season? We have some choice names to consider for those seeking widely available options at each position.
Editor's note: This column has been updated to take out players from Thursday night's Titans-Steelers game.
Quarterback
Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars
First, if Drew Stanton winds up healthy enough to play, I would recommend Stanton first. However, with Stanton's injury, you likely won't have to spend a waiver priority to grab him, so Bortles is my recommendation from the deep waiver wire.
If you can say anything about Bortles this season, it's that he's been relatively consistent. His point totals for his past three games are: 16.3, 16.4 and 16.3. He's thrown for at least one touchdown in all but one game and has thrown more than one score just once. On the plus side, he's had only two games with more than one turnover, so the negative plays aren't as prevalent. Simply put, Bortles isn't the elite quarterback that many saw emerging a couple of years ago, but he's also not the bust many thought he'd be this year.
On Sunday, Bortles draws the winless Cleveland Browns. The Browns have allowed opposing quarterbacks to pass for multiple scores in all but two games. One of those two games was Jacoby Brissett's second start with the Indianapolis Colts, when Brissett actually ran for two scores. Bortles is a safe bet for 250 yards and at least one score. When you add in Bortles' normal rushing totals, you get a floor of 16 points, making him a fine deep streaming play. -- Daube
Available in about half of ESPN leagues as we head into the weekend, Manning is quietly on pace for 25 touchdowns, thanks to a volume-driven passing game fueled by plenty of pass-happy game scripts as the team trails opponents regularly this season. The Chiefs have somehow retained some reputation as a solid defensive team, given the overall quality of their offensive and special teams play this season, as Kansas City has ceded the sixth-most points per drive while producing the fourth-lowest pressure rate (22.5 percent of dropbacks). Manning sports a respectable touchdown rate of 4.7 percent (of attempts) from a clean pocket, suggesting he can return value as a strong streaming candidate this week. -- McCormick
Running Back
Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
Ekeler has assumed the change-of-pace back role for the Chargers, a role that has traditionally resulted in decent fantasy production. This past week, Ekeler burned the stout defense of the Jacksonville Jaguars for 119 total yards and two scores on 15 touches. The interesting part of Ekeler's usage is that the rookie was getting fourth quarter carries over Melvin Gordon, at least until he lost a fumble.
On Sunday, the Chargers will face the Buffalo Bills, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. That's awful, but the Bills' performance over their past three games has been putrid, as they've allowed 141 fantasy points to opposing backs during that span. For comparison, the Houston Texans have allowed just 159 points to opposing backs for the whole season. The current truth is this: If you can start a running back, even a change-of-pace back, against the Bills, jump on the opportunity. -- Daube
Editor's note: Jamaal Williams is the most-added player in ESPN leagues, now rostered in nearly two-thirds of them, but he remains in the column in case he's still available in your league.
Jamaal Williams, Green Bay Packers
With Aaron Jones sidelined for multiple weeks and Ty Montgomery limited with another injury, Williams could again serve as the team's plug-and-play workhorse after netting 21 touches in Week 10. The Ravens have allowed the sixth-most rushing yards in the league to date and well over four yards per tote to opponents, so Williams is a quietly strong play, given what could be a busy early-down role this coming Sunday. -- McCormick
Wide Receiver
Corey Coleman, Cleveland Browns
After suffering a broken hand in Week 2, Coleman found himself headed to the injured reserve list. In Week 11, he returns. The second-year wide receiver was atop many sleeper lists this year, and his performance during the opening weekend with five catches for 53 yards and a score against the Pittsburgh Steelers validated those thoughts. Coleman immediately slides in as a top receiving threat for the Browns, which should yield at least five targets this week.
Returning against the Jaguars is a tough challenge for Coleman, as the Jaguars have allowed the fewest points per game to opposing wide receivers for the season. However, Coleman possesses elite speed that the Jaguars have not had to defend against yet this year. As the presumptive No. 1 receiving option for the Browns, look for Coleman to utilize his sub 4.4 40-yard dash speed to find a way to be a productive option this week. -- Daube
Tight End
Benjamin Watson, Baltimore Ravens
There are only three tight ends in the NFL with more games of at least five catches than the five Watson has accumulated this season. While Watson hasn't posted the overall fantasy numbers of those three (Jack Doyle, Zach Ertz and Travis Kelce), he's getting enough opportunities that his roster rate should be significantly more than its current 13.5 percent.
A matchup against the Green Bay Packers doesn't look great on paper, as they have surrendered the fewest points to opposing tight ends, but that performance is driven by the fact that the Packers haven't allowed a touchdown to a tight end yet this year. The average NFL team has allowed more than three scores to tight ends, which makes the Packers' performance a statistical anomaly. Watson doesn't need to score to be a streaming-worthy candidate, but if he does, you'll likely get top-five tight end production off the waiver wire. -- Daube
C.J. Fiedorowicz, Houston Texans
The Texans are fourth in the league in targeting tight ends since the start of last season, while Fiedorowicz was second on Houston with 30 routes run and third on the team with five targets in his return to the field from injured reserve this past Sunday. The Cards have surrendered the sixth-highest touchdown rate to tight ends this season, evidence Fiedorowicz could shine via his volume-driven role at home on Sunday. -- McCormick
D/ST
Green Bay Packers
Going against the Ravens has been a favorable situation for fantasy defenses. The Ravens have allowed multiple sacks in six of nine games while also turning the ball over in six games as well. The Packers' defense scored six fantasy points last week behind a strong rush-defense performance. The Packers limited the Chicago Bears' running game that had been averaging 130 yards per game to just 55 yards. The Ravens' offensive strength is similar to the Bears', as Baltimore has averaged 121 rush yards per game. Look for the Packers to employ a similar attack and limit the Ravens' offensive attack. -- Daube
Los Angeles Chargers
Buffalo has an entirely limited offensive agenda, as the Bills are last in the league in passing attempts and rely heavily on their ground game. The Chargers have struggled against the run over the larger season sample but just shut down the Jaguars' talented backfield and could again key on the run with a stacked box to force the game into the hands of Tyrod Taylor. Speaking of Taylor, he's endured the third-highest pressure rate in the pocket and has been sacked on nearly a quarter of pressured dropbacks this season. With relentless rushers Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram coming from the edges and a sound secondary in coverage, I think this game lines up well for the Bolts to shine on defense. -- McCormick
Individual defensive players
Defensive back
Busy in the box and especially needed in run support and in the short passing phase with Sean Lee sidelined, Jones has tallied at least five tackles in four straight games. Facing a balanced Philly offense, Jones should be busy in both the box and in coverage support as the team seeks to plug lanes Lee once filled. -- McCormick
Defensive line
Robert Ayers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
An extremely quiet start to the season saw Ayers floating in free agency in most formats, but he now has produced a sack in three of his past four games and is even flashing an increased tackle rate over the past two weeks. The Dolphins' leaky offensive line affords Ayers a shot at another solid showing. -- McCormick