On one hand, Week 11 is pretty light on bye weeks. Not many are banking on the New Orleans Saints’ offense, but Jonathan Taylor and Tyler Warren owners may be scrambling. On the other hand, this season has been as brutal as any, with injuries piling up. If your roster is in a pinch, here are last-minute additions to consider.
Geno Smith, QB, Las Vegas Raiders
Rostered: 16%
This is your weekly “play anyone against the Cowboys or Bengals” post. Geno Smith and the Raiders are the beneficiaries this week, taking on Dallas on Monday night. This defense is responsible for allowing QBs like Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Bo Nix to light them up, so I’m not too worried about Smith struggling here. The additions of Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson should have an impact, but they are far from enough to salvage this unit.
We have a limited sample size, but so far this year, Smith has been a more effective fantasy asset as long as a healthy Brock Bowers is in the lineup. 362 yards passing in Week 1 against New England, and 284 yards passing with four touchdowns in Week 9 against Jacksonville. We won’t hold a paltry performance at Denver on a short week against them. Coming off a mini-bye, fire up Smith with confidence.
Jaleel McLaughlin, RB, Denver Broncos
Rostered: 1%
Trying to predict how Sean Payton will deploy his troops is a fool’s errand. What we know is that J.K. Dobbins is sadly out for the season after leading this backfield to this point. RJ Harvey can be expected to see the clear boost in touches, but they had yet to unleash him as anything more than a compliment to Dobbins.
That leaves Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin as the next in line. I have a feeling most will go after Badie, as he’s been the one to work into the offense at the RB3, but I’d zag and go with McLaughlin, even though he has only one touch this year.
Badie’s presence largely comes from his special team ability, where he’s on the field for 55% of snaps. I’d expect that to continue, whereas McLaughlin has had extended usage under Payton each of the past two years. Against the Kansas City Chiefs, I believe they’ll call upon that experience.
Keaton Mitchell, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Rostered: 2%
The last time the Baltimore Ravens faced the Cleveland Browns, they prevailed 41-17, while Derrick Henry had just 23 total yards. The Browns may not be good at much this year, but they are stout against the run.
For your consideration, you can take a chance on either Keaton Mitchell or Justice Hill in this matchup. I prefer Mitchell. He’s had the second most work over the past couple of weeks behind Henry. That said, Hill is a slight tick ahead in passing work.
Henry’s style of play is strangely easy to stop if a defense can match up right. If he struggles to get it going like he did last time, it won’t be shocking to see them turn it over to a more explosive option.
Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Rostered: 54%
Tre “the Hurt Locker” Tucker projects favorably for the same reasons Geno Smith does. The Dallas Cowboys are a sieve against opposing offenses, while the Raiders’ own defense is unlikely to fare well against Dak Prescott and company, setting up ideal shootout conditions.
Brock Bowers is the de facto WR1 here and will take a lot of attention with him. But, without Jakobi Meyers, Tucker moves to the top of the depth chart as the team’s leader in targets, yards, and receiving touchdowns.
Tucker has the blowup potential that he showed in Week 3 when he went for 145 yards and three scores against the Washington Commanders. However, he’s typically been good for ~five targets a game and never comes off the field (93.3% snap count on the year). There’s a very real chance Tucker is a legit option this week with the ideal matchup.
Cooper Kupp, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Rostered: 45%
Reunion! Or a revenge game? Either way, emotions will run high in this highly anticipated matchup between rivals atop the NFC.
Cooper Kupp has not been the premium asset of years past, nor are the Seattle Seahawks a high-volume passing offense. When they are, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has hoarded the targets. All of that to say, this could be the week to fire up Kupp.
The Seahawks are unlikely to be able to dictate this game against the Rams like they do most opponents, so passing may be more a part of the game plan throughout the game. The Rams should also have their hands full attempting to slow down Smith-Njigba, providing more opportunities for Kupp to hit an explosive or two.
At minimum, there may be an internal effort to give Kupp a last hoo-rah against this former team.
Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Rostered: 38%
This one is simple. The Arizona Cardinals are passing more with Jacoby Brissett in the lineup, and Marvin Harrison Jr. is out this week. Wilson has been the clear third option in the passing game this year, lining him up to be the WR1 against their rival, San Francisco, this week.
Furthermore, WR Zay Jones is also out after tearing his Achilles tendon last week. This makes for a very clear dichotomy of options between Wilson and TE Trey McBride. Meanwhile, this matchup against the 49ers lines up pretty well with CB Deommodore Lenoir questionable with a calf injury and a pass rush that’s been struggling with a myriad of injuries.
Wilson’s upside is questionable in a game that may not be particularly explosive, but he projects as a safe option with a guaranteed workload.
Dawson Knox, TE, Buffalo Bills
Rostered: 4%
This position is fickle, so it’s frustrating when you land on a solid find and still need to scramble to fill the position. Dalton Kincaid was finally having something of a breakout year before hurting his hamstring against Miami. In his absence, Dalton Knox will step up into the starting position.
It’s not the only shakeup to the offense. Second-year and former first-round WR Keon Coleman appears to be a healthy scratch against Tampa Bay. This leaves the Bills without a big-bodied threat in the lineup outside of Knox. A 7th-year veteran, Knox will be as reliable as it comes and has a rapport with Josh Allen, so a touchdown as the team’s primary redzone threat feels like a good bet.
Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams
Rostered: 2%
Perhaps it’s because of their smothering nature, but the Seattle Seahawks are surprisingly targeted by TEs often (84 times). Tyler Higbee, meanwhile, is fourth on the team in targets as they maneuver to heavier-personnel packages. Should the Rams pull a fast one and go back to more 11-personnel like they historically have been, then Higbee will be the one to remain on the field.
Davante Adams will play but has been limited in practice throughout the week, and Puka Nacua always seems to be banged up. With the Seahawks’ focus on removing the Rams’ dynamic duo from the game plan, it may free up the veteran TE to make an impact in a crucial rivalry game.
Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Rostered: 20%
The Pittsburgh Steelers under OC Arthur Smith are another team playing into the heavy personnel hype that’s taken over the 2025 season. At least this time, we expected it after they traded for Miami’s Jonnu Smith just before the season. Both Pat Freiermuth and Smith are reasonable plays this week against a horrific Bengals defense.
For as bad as Cincinnati has been on that side of the ball, they’re even worse against TEs. They’re second in yards allowed while leading the league with a whopping 12 touchdowns allowed to the position, five more than the second most. While the sheer volume makes either TE here a viable option, the scoring opportunity makes me bullish on Freiermuth, who is second on the team in yards and touchdowns.
Moreover, D.K. Metcalf has been erased from a few games this year. The Bengals do have a singular corner capable of covering his guy, though I’d still expect Metcalf to be involved heavily in a potential shootout. That still puts Freiermuth in a prime position to deliver a strong week.
