Staying active on the waiver wire is an important way for season-long fantasy owners to improve their teams and get an edge on the competition. Shifts in opportunities for players due to injuries or performance cause value spikes that owners can take advantage of to fill in roster holes to build a championship lineup.
Each week, we will discuss waiver wire targets at each position to consider for both the week ahead and the rest of the fantasy season.
Week 11 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds
* Current roster % in home leagues is noted in parentheses (from FantasyPros)
Jacoby Brissett, QB (Arizona Cardinals) (13%)
With Kyler Murray seemingly falling out of grace with the Cardinals coaching staff, Jacoby Brissett appears to be the starter for the foreseeable future in Arizona. The journeyman quarterback is a surprisingly steady fantasy option with four straight top-12 quarterback finishes in his starts.
The Cardinals have trusted Brissett to throw the ball over 30 times in each of the last four games, with 44 attempts in two different starts. He has two passing touchdowns in all four games and manages to add a few points in the running game with 82 rushing yards and a score on the season.
Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride have been waiting to be unlocked in their young careers with Murray under center. Maybe Brissett has the experience to get the most out of his two most dynamic weapons. The Cardinals face a depleted 49ers defense this week and could easily boost Brissett to another QB1 performance.
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Emari Demercado, RB (Arizona Cardinals) (31%)
Without an obvious starting running back on the waiver wire this week, fantasy owners are looking for signs of life. Emari Demercado has had an interesting season with a horrible fumble on the goal line and an altercation with head coach Jonathan Gannon on the sideline.
Despite those circumstances, the injuries to James Conner and Trey Benson have left a gaping hole in the backfield for Arizona, and Demercado has seen an uptick in usage over the last few weeks. Michael Carter seemed to be the choice as the initial primary ball carrier with 18 carries in Week 7, but his workload dwindled to just three touches last week.
Demercado is now battling with Bam Knight for snaps but seems to be gaining steam with 23 touches across the last two games. In a negative game script, he showed some burst in the Cardinals’ loss to the Seahawks on Sunday with 64 yards on four carries to go with three catches for 40 yards. Demercado is a stash right now but could turn into a potential fantasy playoff starter if he can keep upping his usage.
Alec Pierce, WR (Indianapolis Colts) (30%)
Through his first four games of 2025, Alec Pierce averaged 4.25 targets per game. In his last four games, Pierce has earned 8.75 targets per game. With his impressive 20.9 yards per catch, that elevated usage is extremely valuable for fantasy owners.
The Colts are having an incredible breakout season with Daniel Jones at the helm. Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr., and Tyler Warren are the obvious targets, but Pierce continues to thrive with deep shots. With only one touchdown on the season, Pierce has three WR2 finishes over the last three weeks.
Indianapolis is on a bye in Week 11, but Pierce is a long-term upside play. With a 95% snap rate in Week 10, he is bound to turn all those deep targets into a breakout multiple-touchdown game at some point this season. This may be the last chance to add him to your squad this year.
Theo Johnson, TE (New York Giants) (39%)
Largely off the fantasy radar during his 2024 rookie season, Theo Johnson is starting to show fantasy potential with Jaxson Dart in this Giants offense. He has four top-10 fantasy tight end finishes in the last six weeks with four touchdowns during that span.
Targets are everything for the tight end position with so many second-tier fantasy options grouped together. Johnson set career highs with eight targets for seven catches and 75 yards against the Bears last week. He has seen at least 80% of the tight end target rate each of the last three weeks and seems to be a trusted safety blanket for Dart.
The upside is capped for Johnson without elite athleticism or target share, but his touchdown potential and uptick in usage keep him in the starting tight end conversation for fantasy owners.
Atlanta Falcons, D/ST (11%)
The Falcons defense brought their suffocating pressure potential across the Atlantic on Sunday in a disappointing overtime loss to the Colts in Berlin. They aggravated Daniel Jones all day with seven total sacks and two turnovers.
Unfortunately for the Falcons, Jonathan Taylor could not be stopped and turned in the single best running back performance of the season with 32 rushes for 244 yards and three scores. The Falcons have two straight games with at least six sacks and two turnovers. They face a Panthers team this week that has failed to score 17 points in any of their last four games.
Pictured: Theo Johnson
Photo Credit: Imagn
