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Rashaad Penny among top fantasy football free-agent finds for Week 11

Fantasy NFL, Fantasy

It's a late November tradition unlike any other: the fantasy trade deadline. (But shout out to Thanksgiving, too, one of the great days of the calendar regardless of month.)

That's right, we're just days away from the ESPN Fantasy Football trade deadline, which takes place on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at noon ET. That means all deals must be submitted and accepted by that time, so don't wait until lunchtime start talking shop. Heck, don't wait until Wednesday to start talking business. As a matter of fact, start kicking those trade tires now. Seriously, go for it.

I've always found the process of fantasy trades to be fascinating: There's a certain allure to making trades beyond the obvious intent of upgrading your roster. Some people just like to wheel and deal. Some are always open for business. "Every player on my roster can be had," is a sentence some live by. A win-win deal is the goal. It's not always easy, but a good fantasy football trade is satisfying ... and fun.

And when the trade deadline passes, the avenues to upgrade your roster thin out. But while the waiver wire can be lean on pieces that will immediately improve your squad, we're going to keep highlighting the best available picks each and every week.

Here are my Week 11 ESPN Fantasy waiver wire adds.

Players must be available in over 50 percent of leagues on ESPN.com to be eligible for this column.

Teams on a bye this week: 49ers, Bills, Browns, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots


Mike Davis, RB, Seattle Seahawks (45.7 percent): We'll see whether Chris Carson returns to the lineup this Thursday after missing Week 10 due to a hip injury. If so, that reduces the value of Davis, especially with the emergence of Rashaad Penny this past Sunday. But, with Carson uncertain to play, Davis needs to be rostered in all leagues. He had a team-high 15 touches in Week 10 and scored 18 fantasy points. At worst, he's excellent insurance should the Carson injury flare up again at some point this season.

Royce Freeman, RB, Denver Broncos (49.8 percent): Freeman became eligible for this list due to a precipitous drop in roster percentage following a two-game absence leading into the team's bye week. With Freeman likely to get back on the field in Week 11, he should be rostered in more leagues. Though Phillip Lindsay has emerged as the best back in the backfield, Freeman has scored in four of seven games played this season.

Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks (13.0 percent): The Seahawks saw enough in Penny to make him a first-round pick in April, and while that confused some, the team clearly views his talent as legit. He had his best game as a pro in Week 10, surpassing 100 rushing yards and finding the end zone. It's a crowded backfield, but -- like Mike Davis -- his value for Thursday zooms up the running back ranks if Chris Carson is unable to play.

Jalen Richard, RB, Oakland Raiders (49.8 percent): One thing we can count is that when the Raiders are down, Richard is going to play. A deficit in Week 10 led to Richard staying busy as a pass-catcher, as he corralled five catches for 52 yards in a loss. He doesn't have a high ceiling, as Doug Martin is the starter and likelier to earn goal-line work, but Richard has 24 catches during the past four weeks, making him a wise flex consideration each Sunday.

John Ross, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (17.6 percent): Colleague Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that A.J. Green could be out until December, leaving a gaping hole in the Cincy passing game. Ross, who has three touchdown catches on just eight total receptions, secured two of six targets in Week 10 (one of which was a score), but near misses prevented him from a bigger day. He's an electric athlete who will have a shot to cement a role as we wait for Green to return.

Anthony Miller, WR, Chicago Bears (13.0 percent): This is both a talent hedge and recent hot streak bet on Miller, as he remains a complementary option in a Chicago passing offense that spreads it all over the yard. But Miller has back-to-back games with five catches and 24 targets during the past four weeks, and the Bears have scored three or more offensive touchdowns in six straight games. There's a lot of fantasy goodness in Chicago. Miller's talent is too good to ignore.

Danny Amendola, WR, Miami Dolphins (44.6 percent): The Dolphins have dealt with no shortage of injuries at wide receiver, but Amendola has been their steadiest pass-catcher. He picked up seven more catches for the Fins in Week 10, establishing himself a usable piece in PPR leagues each week. With 41 targets during his past five games, Amendola deserves to be rostered in all leagues, despite the Dolphins being on a bye in Week 11.

Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys (30.6 percent): While Dak doesn't figure to reach the level of fantasy stardom he earned in 2016, he's picked things up a bit of late and has a generous late-season schedule. He's scored 20-plus points in three of his past four games, bolstered by three rushing touchdowns. What's intriguing for Prescott is that his Week 11 matchup (Atlanta) sets the table for a run of seven games without a single decidedly negative matchup. It's hard to advocate for Dak as your sole starter, but if you can afford to roster a second quarterback, he's a nice choice.

Willie Snead IV, WR, Baltimore Ravens (20.5 percent): The Ravens wideout has been so steady this season, managing 10 or more points in PPR scoring in all but two games. He's on pace to surpass 120 targets, and while he has just one touchdown this season, his floor is that of a weekly flex play. The Ravens have an incredible schedule ahead, starting with a matchup against the Bengals this Sunday, followed by the Raiders and Falcons.

Josh Reynolds, WR, Los Angeles Rams (1.1 percent): With Cooper Kupp once again banged up (knee), Reynolds figures to be the next man up in the receiving group. He snagged a pair of touchdowns on three catches during the final game Kupp missed due to a previous knee injury and could have a role in what figures to be a high-scoring Week 11 outing against the Chiefs.

Elijah McGuire, RB, New York Jets (23.2 percent): If you play in a 12-team or larger league, running backs are hard to come by. And while McGuire goes onto a bye week in Week 11, he merits consideration on your roster as he continues to split duties with Isaiah Crowell for Gang Green. There isn't a ton of upside here, but his pass-catching ability will put him on the PPR flex radar in larger leagues.

Ito Smith, RB, Atlanta Falcons (46.1 percent): Smith isn't the starter in Atlanta and Tevin Coleman will continue to play that role until Devonta Freeman returns (if he does return), but the Falcons do share the backfield touches quite a bit. Smith has 10.5 touches per game during his past four outings, good enough to put him on the low-end flex radar.

Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens (6.5 percent): This is the roll of the dice add of the week for a few reasons, starting with the fact that Jackson may not even start in Week 11. But with Joe Flacco now nursing a hip issue, Jackson could be in line to making his NFL starting debut against the Bengals, a woeful defense so far in 2018. The schedule holds up after that, with matchups against the Raiders, Falcons, Chiefs and Buccaneers on the horizon. Jackson's legs should raise his floor if he does wind up starting. He's an intriguing quarterback to consider.

Frank Gore, RB, Miami Dolphins (33.0 percent): The Dolphins love Frank Gore (full disclosure: he's been an absolute joy to watch for more than a decade now), as evidenced by his seven straight games with at least 10 carries. With Kenyan Drake (shoulder) now banged up, there's no reason to believe that Gore won't continue to see a steady workload. The issue is that his floor is capped by a lack of big plays and passing game involvement. That being said, he should continue to see 15 or so touches per game.

Deeper league considerations

Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit Lions (19.5 percent): Since returning from an injury in Week 9, Riddick has precisely zero carries. Zero. Zilch. But that's fine, as he's one of the more productive pass-catching backs around, having snagged 13 catches during his past two games. Detroit continues to find itself playing from behind, lending to more up-tempo opportunities, where Riddick excels.

Maurice Harris, WR, Washington Redskins (8.3 percent): With a pile of injuries at receiver in Washington, Harris has seen a massive spike in his target share during the past two weeks. He caught all five of his Week 10 targets for 52 yards, bringing his two-week total to 15 receptions and 176 yards. He figures to continue to have a role, though Washington is an exceedingly low-volume passing offense.

Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (42.5 percent): Godwin picked up 103 yards on seven catches in Week 10, giving him his sixth double-digit scoring game in nine outings this season. His talent in a pass-happy Bucs offense alongside a porous Bucs defense that helps to run up the tempo and score in Tampa Bay's games has him on this list.

Josh Adams, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (5.9 percent): The Eagles' backfield remains crowded, but Adams' role is growing by the week. He had seven carries for 47 yards in Week 10, and while he's a virtual non-factor in the passing game, he has a chance to be a factor for this offense in obvious run situations. He's a deep league add just in case his role booms even more as the season progresses.

Rex Burkhead, RB, New England Patriots (9.5 percent): The Patriots have plenty of talent available in the backfield with James White, Sony Michel and Cordarrelle Patterson, but Burkhead -- eligible to return in Week 13 -- has enough of a track record to consider being rostered in deep leagues. How he'll be used upon return is unclear, but he's a talented dude.

 

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