Week 11 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Waiver Adds: Alec Pierce, Troy Franklin and More

I hope you read last week's waiver article, as two of my top adds from last week will once again be the top wide receiver waiver pickups for Week 11.

This actually isn't too surprising, as we are at the stage of the season where one big statistical week — without a change in usage — can safely be ignored (looking at you, Week 9 DeMario Douglas). So the top waiver pickups are either WRs in changing scenarios, or the same overlooked players who have quietly had good usage all season. Without further ado, here they are: 

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Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants (63% Rostered)

Robinson actually wasn't in last week's article, but that was literally just the second time all season I didn't feature the Giants' short king WR1.

With another solid outing on Sunday (six catches on 11 targets for 62 yards), Robinson now ranks as the WR34 in half-PPR points per game, WR19 in total points, and WR11 in targets. Hopefully, this is the final time I have to say he should be rostered in all formats before he finally reaches at least a 75% roster rate. 

Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts (30.2% Rostered)

Pierce's big game in Germany (four catches for 84 yards, a score, and 16.4 half-PPR points) isn't just obvious with hindsight. It was obvious with foresight, as Pierce already ranked as the WR12 in receiving yards per game heading into Week 10.

He also had excellent underlying usage, which is now even better at a 20% target share and a 47% air yards share in the Colts' offense to go with a league-leading 125 air yards per game.

The only thing keeping Pierce from clear fantasy relevance prior to this week was a complete lack of touchdowns. Prior to Week 10, Pierce easily led the league with 501 receiving yards without a TD. Now that he has finally scored, the cat is out of the bag about his fantasy potential.

Hopefully, you got him last week; if not, he is worth fighting for on waivers this week.  

Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos (57.7% Rostered)

Franklin is another player who has had solid usage all season, but he has really taken things to another level in recent weeks. Over the last three weeks, the sophomore leads the Broncos in route participation rate (88%), target share (28%), and air yards share (48%). And this isn't just one big game skewing a small sample: he has outpaced Courtland Sutton in both routes and targets in each of the last three weeks individually as well.

Unsurprisingly, this usage is turning into production: Franklin has 14.2 half-PPR points per game over this sample. As long as this keeps up, he should replace Sutton in weekly rankings as a genuine WR2. Even if he slows down, the sophomore is clearly breaking out and should be rostered and started in all leagues. 

Tez Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (37.6% Rostered)

Unlike the previous names, Johnson doesn't have pristine usage on his side. Even if we only go back to Week 6, therefore excluding games where either Mike Evans or Chris Godwin were active, his numbers are just okay: a 15% target share and a 24% air yards share on an 80% route participation rate. 

But it's hard to argue with Johnson's production. He's averaging 12.5 half-PPR points over this four-game sample, admittedly with help from an unsustainably high TD rate (four TDs on just 14 receptions). Yes, he's not likely to keep scoring so often, but he could easily follow in the footsteps of fellow Tampa Bay rookie WR Emeka Egbuka by offsetting inevitable regression with increased volume.

Even if he doesn't, Johnson has clearly shown enough scoring potential as Baker Mayfield's WR2 that he should be rostered as long as Godwin and Evans are sidelined. 

Mack Hollins, New England Patriots (1.1% Rostered)

Three different Patriots receivers scored between 13.1-13.7 half-PPR points on Sunday: Stefon Diggs (who just keeps getting away with it by producing in a part-time role), Kyle Williams (we'll get to him shortly), and Hollins (we'll get to him now).

Of the three, Hollins had clearly the best role: with Kayshon Boutte sidelined, he led New England in route participation (81%), target share (32%), and air yards share (45%). 

As a matter of fact, Hollins' 81% route participation rate was actually the second-highest number posted by a Patriots' WR all season (Boutte hit 88% in Week 8 prior to getting injured in Week 9). As long as Boutte remains sidelined by a hamstring injury, the former Bill and certified weird dude seems set to replace him as an every-down deep threat. 

And, based on a whopping sample size of one week, Hollins is actually more effective at earning targets in that role than Boutte was — his 10 targets this week easily beat Boutte's season average of 3.3 and high of eight. Even if Hollins doesn't see a 30%+ target share every week, being on the field with Drake Maye every week was enough for Boutte to be a boom/bust flex play; there's no reason he can't do the same. 

Kyle Williams, New England Patriots (3% Rostered)

With all that said about Hollins, it's hard to get too excited about his ceiling. At the end of the day, it's very unlikely that the 32-year-old journeyman is actually about to break out as a certified stud. Williams, a third-round pick in this year's draft, brings more of that unknown upside.

Prior to Boutte's injury, Williams played a limited role in New England's offense, never reaching a 30% route share and with just 20 receiving yards on the season. Well, he blew past both those marks on Sunday, finishing with 72 yards and a score on a 53% participation rate.

Of course, literally all of Williams' production came on one long TD; he failed to catch his only other of two targets on the day. Chances are, he remains in a limited role and never even becomes close to a startable fantasy option. But when a Day 2 rookie sees expanded use and flashes big-play ability while playing next to a potential MVP QB, it's worth at least monitoring.  

Tyler Lockett, Las Vegas Raiders (2.4% Rostered)

If you're in a league deep enough that you didn't scoff at Williams, but you also need someone you could potentially start next week, Lockett might be the guy for you. Lockett began the season with the Titans, but was eventually released and reunited with Geno Smith and Pete Carroll in Vegas. After they traded Jakobi Meyers during the week, the Raiders relied on the 33-year-old as their WR2 in Week 10.

On Thursday night, Lockett ranked second to Tre Tucker in route participation rate at 66% — a lower number than most WR2s but not truly terrible. He also actually led the Raiders' offense with six targets, catching five for a team-high 44 yards.

That may not sound like (or even be) much, but it was good for a WR37 finish on the week (pending MNF) even in a game where the Raiders got absolutely nothing going offensively. That's not nothing.