Five Best Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 11

An interesting week in the fantasy world means an interesting week for the waiver wire. The Falcons are down to one reliable option at running back, the Cowboys' run game was putrid but the pass game was the best out of any in the league this week, and Demaryius Thomas has re-entered our purview. With all of this in mind, here are your best waiver wire options for your fantasy team this week as we gear up for fantasy playoffs. (All stats via standard ESPN PPR leagues)

1. Brian Hill, RB, Atlanta Falcons (Available in 99 percent of ESPN Leagues)

Devonta Freeman is slated to miss a few weeks with a foot injury, which leaves Hill as the only viable option in the Falcons' backfield. He already showed what he can do in that role after Freeman went down early this week, gaining 60 yards on the ground and catching a touchdown pass for a total of 14.1 fantasy points. It's hard to bet on the Falcons this year, but Hill represents a decent flex option with a high ceiling, simply because no one else is going to run the ball.

2. Kendrick Bourne, WR, San Francisco 49ers (Available in 100 percent of ESPN Leagues)

Bourne showed up on Monday night with a surprising performance, catching four balls for 42 yards and a touchdown to add up to 16.1 fantasy points. While it seems like he appeared from nowhere, he's been involved in the offense all year and has posted at least one catch in every game. This could be a sign that he's becoming one of Jimmy G's top targets, and could be in line for an even bigger role if Emmanuel Sanders misses time. When in doubt, bet on the system, and Kyle Shanahan's is one of the best in the league.

3. Oakland Raiders Defense (Available in 99 percent of ESPN Leagues)

This one is for all of you who own either the Seattle or Tennessee defense and have to pick someone up off waivers to compensate for the bye this week. This unit isn't particularly dominant, but their beatdown of Philip Rivers showed they can, at the very least, be opportunistic as they posted 17 fantasy points. Most importantly, they're playing a Bengals team led by Ryan Finley this week. This is a low-risk, high-reward play if you're in dire need of a defense.

4. Demaryius Thomas, WR, New York Jets (Available in 95 percent of ESPN Leagues)

The Jets' offense looked better than anemic for the first time since they took down the Cowboys, and Thomas was a large reason for that. Now that he's fully healthy and comfortable , he's emerged as the reliable big-body target for Sam Darnold that every young quarterback needs. He put up six catches for 84 yards and 14.4 fantasy points; while his touchdown count may remain low if the Jets offense continues to struggle, he appears to have a high ceiling in PPR leagues.

5. Randall Cobb, WR, Dallas Cowboys (Available in 79 percent of ESPN Leagues)

Cobb has been pretty quiet in Dallas after heading there in free agency over the offseason, but he exploded against the Vikings as the Cowboys' passing attack thrived. He caught six passes for 106 yards and a touchdown, putting him at 22.6 fantasy points on the day. How much of a role Cobb will have when the running game is thriving remains up in the air, but he's pretty available for a guy with 12 catches over the last two weeks.