Sneaky Starts, Pivot Plays, and Post-Waiver Pickups for Week - Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Baker Mayfield, Cade Otton, Tyler Allgeier

November 11, 2023

Michael Florio's fantasy football sneaky starts, pivot plays, and post-waiver waiver pickups for Week 10 of the NFL season. Start 'em as under-the-radar fantasy sleepers this upcoming week.

This is the toughest bye week we will have to get through this season. Sure, there was a week with six teams on bye already and there is another in a couple of weeks. But it's the quality of teams that are on a bye this week that makes it so tough. We have to set our lineups without arguably the three best offenses in the NFL the Eagles, Dolphins, and Chiefs. Add in the fourth team on bye, the Rams, who have multiple high-end fantasy options.

Oh and if the bye weeks weren’t enough, there are still plenty of injuries to deal with. I am not sure I remember a season with as many injuries to QBs as this one. And of course, that has a huge impact on the offenses as a whole, not just the QB position. Many managers are in need of streaming or pivot options this week, so you have come to the right place.

Our fantasy lineups may not be championship-ready this week, but that is fine. We are not trying to win a title this week. We are just trying to survive, secure a W, and move on to Week 11.

Quarterback Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Baker Mayfield has been much better than expected this season. He has topped 19 fantasy points in two straight and cleared 18 in four games this season. He has been under 16 in just two games, showing that he brings both a safe floor and some upside. The Titans secondary is certainly one that can be had and the Buccaneers have the playmakers to beat them downfield. Mayfield is a strong streaming option this week.

Baker Mayfield reads the two high and know he has a 1-on-1 with Cade Otton and an LB

No Shaky Mayfield here or most of the game.

Good placement. pic.twitter.com/Anh5HA0Fl2

— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) November 6, 2023

Joshua Dobbs is like Batman. Teams in need of a QB throw out the signal and he just shows up and takes care of business. He was learning the cadence on the sideline and still dropped 25 fantasy points. It was his fourth game over 20 fantasy points this season. He is in a friendly pass-first system with good weapons. Dobbs will be a useful fantasy option moving forward and is very much in play this week.

Will Levis has started two games and had very mixed results. In his first start, he threw four touchdowns and scored 27 fantasy points, and in the other, he was just under nine points. Down performances should be expected with a rookie quarterback, but the upside is there. Levis has a strong arm and can win downfield meaning that he can score points in chunks. The Bucs have given up a ton of production through the air lately. Levis is a high-upside streaming option.

Derek Carr scored between 16.3 and 18.3 fantasy points in four straight games. He has topped 300 passing yards in three of those games and thrown multiple passing touchdowns in two straight. He is putting up better and more consistent fantasy numbers than he was earlier in the season. He doesn't bring a bunch of upside but he is a safe floor pivot option.

Running Back Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Keaton Mitchell had a breakout performance last week, turning nine carries into 138 yards and a touchdown. He picked up 103 yards over expectation. It could have been a one-week blip but the potential for it to be more is there. The Ravens have struggled to find any sort of explosiveness from their running backs this season and Mitchell provides that. He has a difficult matchup against the Browns but he is an upside option for those in need of a bye or injury replacement.

RB @_KeatonMitchell has been voted the NFL's FedEx Ground Player of the Week!! pic.twitter.com/wI3siK7CIN

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 8, 2023

Tyler Allgeier is a thorn in the side of fantasy managers but he is in play as a sleeper this week. Not only did he out-touch Bijan Robinson last week, but he has 10 red zone carries this season compared to just two for Robinson. Pair that with the fact that the Cardinals have allowed the most red zone touches to backs and you see why he is a sleeper. The Red Birds have also allowed the third-most fantasy PPG to backs. You can plug him in and hope for a touchdown or two.

Arthur Smith believes Tyler Allgeier is "one of the best goal line and short-yardage backs in the league"

so listen to him and act accordingly pic.twitter.com/VQonPxzalb

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) November 7, 2023

Ezekiel Elliott is not someone you typically want to start but desperate times call for desperate measures. He is good for at least six to eight carries per week, but every so often will surprise with more. He also had five targets last week. Elliott can vulture touchdowns at times and that is what you are hoping for out of him this week since the Colts have given up the second-most rushing touchdowns to backs.

Leonard Fournette could be active for the Bills on Monday Night Football. If so, he immediately becomes a deep sleeper. If not, that role will be played by Latavius Murray. This is about the matchup as Denver has allowed the most fantasy PPG to RBs this season. That includes the second-most rushing yards, most yards per carry, sixth-most rushing touchdowns, and are in the top five in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns to backs. It's all about trying to take advantage of the matchup.

Wide Receiver Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the Seahawks leading receiver in Week 9. He ran 28 routes (Tyler Lockett led the way with 31), and caught six of seven targets for a team-high 63 yards. He has an amazing matchup this week against the Commanders. Washington has allowed the second-most yards, touchdowns, and third-most fantasy PPG to receivers this season. They have been in the top four since Week 5 as well. JSN is a sneaky start this week.

Geno Smith connects with a wide-open Jaxon Smith-Njigba for his first career TD

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/TNXkNSsvmt

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 22, 2023

Rashid Shaheed’s last five games have been a microcosm of his season. In three of those games, he has less than 30 yards. But in the other two, he has 85 and 153 yards with a touchdown in each. He brings a low floor but a ton of upside. He is especially helpful in heavy bye weeks like this. With so many big-name players on bye, you could look at your lineup and chalk it up as an L. Plug Shaheed in, and if he has a down game, oh well. But if he hits, he could win you the week.

Jameson Williams is like the poor man’s version of Shaheed. He brings no floor at all, but a high ceiling. He just has not shown the upside that Shaheed has yet. But, it's a very favorable matchup against the Chargers who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy PPG to receivers (it was the most before playing the Jets). The hope is that Williams is more acclimated into the Lions offense after the bye week.

Noah Brown had his first 100-yard game last week since high school. He caught all six season-high targets for 153 yards and a touchdown. He has had five or more targets now in three straight games and gave you just under nine fantasy points the week prior. The Texans are throwing the ball a bunch and having a lot of success doing so. As long as Robert Woods is out, Brown remains an upside swing receiver.

Khalil Shakir has topped nine fantasy points in two straight games. The week prior he caught all six of his targets for 92 yards and over 15 fantasy points. He is more involved as the Bills are using more three-receiver sets in place of the two-tight-end sets they were using in the early part of the season. He is a pivot option in deeper leagues.

Tight End Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Cade Otton had a potential breakout game last week going for 70 yards and two touchdowns, dropping 23 fantasy points. He has now topped eight fantasy points and six targets in three straight games showing that he is a consistent option in the Bucs passing attack. He leads all tight ends in snaps played this season and has the second-most catches and targets on the Bucs over the last three weeks. That usage is enough to have him in play this week with four teams on bye.

Jonnu Smith has more targets from Taylor Heinicke than Kyle Pitts. After a couple of down weeks, he bounced back with a 100-yard game with a touchdown in Week 9. He also ran the ball near the goal line. He has now reached double digits in four of his last six games and has just two games with fewer than eight fantasy points. If you start any Falcons tight end in fantasy right now, it should be Smith.

Gerald Everett didn’t do much in his return to the lineup last week, but he had scored a touchdown and topped double-digit fantasy points in his prior two games. He does not bring much of a floor, but what streaming tight ends do? The Lions have allowed the seventh-most fantasy PPG to tight ends this season. He is a streaming option on a Chargers offense that needs another pass catcher to step up.

Noah Fant is in play for those of you in need of a tight end in deeper leagues. It's purely about the matchup here though. The Commanders have allowed the sixth-most yards and most touchdowns to tight ends since Week 5.

Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio.

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