Top 5 Fantasy Football Handcuff Running Backs To Stash in Week 11 - Waiver Wire Pickups

We've reached the point in the season where waivers are becoming more and more barren. Despite this, there are still waiver wire gems to be had, and certain players that are still available have intriguing upside.

They may be harder to find, but five in particular have clear paths to fantasy production and could be solid fill-ins for your RBs who are injured, on bye weeks, or have been producing so poorly that some fantasy managers are considering benching them (like you, Travis Etienne Jr.).

So who are five running backs worth stashing ahead of Week 11 of NFL action?

Audric Estime, Denver Broncos

This one's obvious, but Denver Broncos running back Audric Estime seems to have taken over his team's backfield. It may not be the best idea to start him in all leagues yet, considering he didn't catch any passes in Week 10, but he has a much easier matchup than the Kansas City Chiefs coming up.

Get ready Audric Estime stans, you’ve got one seriously great 15/62/0 line coming this weekend.

— Wyatt 🥃 (@WyattB_FF) November 15, 2024

He'll face the Atlanta Falcons, who have a much worse run defense, in Week 11. Stash him and wait to see what unfolds on Sunday.

Keaton Mitchell, Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens organization has been vocal about getting running back Keaton Mitchell, who returned from a 2023 ACL tear, more involved in the offense. He'll play behind elite RB Derrick Henry, so it's likely his touches will be limited, but there's plenty of upside if he can approach his 2023 greatness.

#Ravens HC John Harbaugh on what the backfield will look like with Keaton Mitchell:

“I do see a little bit of a three-headed monster there, potentially… Hopefully that’s something that can start to develop for us.”

Harbaugh has a 60% reliability rating on depth chart… pic.twitter.com/Owao2ND6XT

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) November 11, 2024

His ridiculous speed and acceleration mean he can break off a big one at any time. He's worth stashing because you're better off using a bench spot in most leagues than waiting for his blow-up game and having to use FAAB or waiver priority to snag him.

Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears got back into the fold in Week 10 after missing three contests due to a hamstring injury. He carried the ball seven times for 47 yards and caught all three of his targets for four yards. It was a decent workload for the second-year pro.

Tyjae Spears made his return to play in week 10 and split work in the Titans backfield.
4️⃣6️⃣% of snaps and 1️⃣0️⃣ touches & 5️⃣1️⃣ total yards.

Is he going to become a flex worthy play moving forward⁉️pic.twitter.com/JRE2VXj2cI

— PlayerProfiler NFL (@Profiler_NFL) November 15, 2024

In deeper leagues, this is flex-worthy usage. Hopefully, for the sake of his PPR value, he can continue to be involved in the passing game.

Khalil Herbert, Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals running back Khalil Herbert didn't get off to a good start in his first game with his new team in Week 10. He tried to take a handoff from quarterback Joe Burrow but wasn't able to secure it. However, he makes sense as a handcuff or a bench stash.

First carry of Khalil Herbert's Bengals career? A fumble. Luckily, he recovered. pic.twitter.com/aq8gRGyk52

— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) November 8, 2024

Lead back Chase Brown is getting a ton of volume, and it's possible that the team eases Herbert into a committee -- that's what they intended on doing with RB Zack Moss (neck), who's now out for the season, anyway.

Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins

Wright didn't do much in Week 10, but he'll face the Las Vegas Raiders, who have a very poor run defense, in Week 11. The Rams defensive line and linebackers proved too stout for Miami's running backs, and all were inefficient with their carries last week, but that shouldn't be the case on Sunday.

First carry of Khalil Herbert's Bengals career? A fumble. Luckily, he recovered. pic.twitter.com/aq8gRGyk52

— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) November 8, 2024

Las Vegas is likely destined for a poor record and an early draft pick in 2024. The Dolphins are a team fighting for their playoff lives with an outside shot at making it in. Expect Miami head coach Mike McDaniel to heavily exploit the Raiders' weaknesses against the run. It also helps that Raheem Mostert was effectively benched after losing a fumble in Week 9.

We could see Wright's role grow in the offense, making him worthy of a bench stash.

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