Fantasy Football waiver wire candidates after Week 11.
ArticlesFantasy SportsFeaturedNFLOriginalsBy Reice Shipley on

Week 11 of the 2023 NFL season is officially behind us, and those near the bottom of their league in fantasy football may be looking to make some significant changes to their respective fantasy teams.

For those who are looking to turn around their fantasy football fortunes, here are the top five pickup candidates that are available in over 50% of leagues on the ESPN Fantasy Football platform going into Week 12.

Week 11 Recap:

A number of players listed in my Week 11 waiver-wire column did not end up living up to expectations. Chargers rookie wide receiver Quentin Johnston continued to struggle despite receiving some solid opportunities, only putting up 4.2 fantasy points.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd underperformed like much of the Bengals offense after star quarterback Joe Burrow exited with an injury. And Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks had a pretty quiet day as well, scoring only 7.2 fantasy points on Sunday.

The only saving grace in Week 11 amongst the players I recommended in Week 11 came from Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who had another solid performance with 16.94 fantasy points on Sunday Night Football.

Let’s get back on track with more impact players heading into Week 12.

5. Isaiah Likely, TE, Baltimore Ravens

  • Week 11: 0 fantasy points (PPR)
  • Rostered: 0.9 %
  • Week 12 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

Likely has served as the Ravens backup tight end for most of the season, resulting in him receiving very few opportunities to prove himself behind star tight end Mark Andrews.

Unfortunately for the Ravens, Andrews suffered a devastating left leg injury in Week 11 that will likely end his season.

Likely has shown in the past that he can thrive in a feature role with the Ravens without Andrews in the picture. In two starts last season, he combined for nine receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown.

He obviously won’t be as impactful to the Ravens as Andrews was. But even if he sees 80 percent of Andrews’ offensive production for the rest of the season, he would be an impact player to watch in fantasy football.

4. Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts 

  • Week 11: N/A (Bye Week)
  • Rostered: 44.3 %
  • Week 12 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Downs has frequently been on this list throughout the season as a waiver-wire option. But his ownership percentage has dropped in fantasy recently thanks to the Colts Bye Week in Week 11 and a number of lackluster performances from him in Week 9 and Week 10.

However, you certainly may way to considering adding Downs back to your fantasy team ahead of Week 12, particularly because the Colts have an excellent matchup in Week 12.

Downs and the Colts will be facing off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who allow the second-most passing yards per game in the NFL.

If you have been playing Downs in fantasy for much of the season, you likely are quite pleased with his performance. He has five games of double-digit fantasy scores on the year.

If you haven’t yet added Downs to your fantasy team, doing so ahead of a great matchup on paper for him would likely be a wise decision.

3. Odell Beckham Jr, WR, Baltimore Ravens

  • Week 11: 15.6 fantasy points (PPR)
  • Rostered: 43.8 %
  • Week 12 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

Beckham Jr. got off to a slow start this season for the Ravens. But his role has been growing within this offense in recent weeks, leading to three straight double-digit fantasy point performances for the three-time Pro Bowler.

His latest performance in Week 11 is arguably his best of the bunch, hauling in four receptions for 116 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Beckham Jr. should also benefit in terms of fantasy production from the unfortunate injury to Andrews for the Ravens, making him a prime candidate to be added to most fantasy teams for the rest of the year.

2. Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers 

  • Week 11: 16.3 fantasy points (PPR)
  • Rostered: 39.2 %
  • Week 12 opponent: Detroit Lions

The Packers haven’t exactly been the most productive offense this season in the first year with Jordan Love under center for the team. However, Doubs has quietly been an extremely productive and consistent target for Love for much of the year.

He had a solid game on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, hauling in five receptions for 53 yards, including a key touchdown catch that ended up being the difference in a Packers victory.

This performance is the seventh double-digit fantasy performance from Doubs on the year. And a big reason for that is his excellent play while the Packers are in the red zone.

Doubs has been one of the most underrated red zone threats in the NFL. He has seven touchdowns on the year, tied for the third most from any pass catcher in the league.

This kind of touchdown upside is something that fantasy owners will be hard-pressed to find from other players on the waiver wire, making him an extremely high-priority player to pick up in fantasy heading into Week 12.

1. Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seattle Seahawks

  • Week 11: 12.9 fantasy points (PPR)
  • Rostered: 32.4 %
  • Week 12 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

Charbonnet has sat behind starting running back Kenneth Walker for much of the season. But an oblique injury to Walker in Week 11 knocked him out of the game, and Charbonnet took full advantage of the opportunity.

The rookie running back recorded 47 rushing yards on 15 carries, while also hauling in six receptions for 22 yards.

Charbonnet has had a role in the Seahawks offense even while Walker was in the picture. But if Walker does miss any time with his injury, Charbonnet should take on a pretty large role in Seattle moving forward.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told reporters on Monday that the team “needs to learn more” about Walker’s injury. They will then determine how much time he will miss.

The Seahawks have a short week ahead of them in Week 12, facing off against the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving night. That makes it even more likely that Walker will likely miss the game.

If Charbonnet is indeed the lead back for the Seahawks, he should be the top player that you add to your fantasy team going into Week 12.

Honorable mentions:

  • Jayden Reed (WR, Green Bay Packers)
  • Elijah Moore (WR, Cleveland Browns)
  • Ty Chandler (RB, Minnesota Vikings)
  • Jordan Love (QB, Green Bay Packers)
  • Greg Dortch (WR, Arizona Cardinals)

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.

View all posts by Reice Shipley