Overspend for these Week 11 Fantasy Football FAAB Players: Russell Wilson, Audric Estime, Ricky Pearsall, Davis Allen

The NFL regular season has several weeks left, but the fantasy football season is winding down and playoffs are drawing near.

With that in mind, it’s time to continue our FAAB series where I identify four players to overspend on. We’re back with another story on week 11 FAAB players to possibly overspend on. 

Also be sure to check out Daniel Hepner’s FAAB story for week 11.

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Overspend on Russell Wilson

Wilson led the Steelers to another win in week 10. He completed just half of his 28 passes for 195 yards, but threw three touchdowns to deliver a nice fantasy score. Wilson was also picked off, rushed for three yards on four carries and did not lose a fumble.

Through three starts, Wilson is completing just 58.8% of his passes, but for 737 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception. He has 13 rushing yards and a score on 10 carries.

Wilson isn’t what he once was as a fantasy player, but he’s been a solid fantasy option in all three weeks he’s started. The best thing about Wilson is that he’s got more favorable matchups ahead.

He’s got the Ravens, Browns and Bengals twice, along with matchups against the Eagles and Chiefs. The Ravens are one of the most favorable matchups out there for a quarterback, while the Bengals also sit in the top five. The Browns are just outside the top 10, while the Chiefs are just average. The only real tough matchup is the Eagles.

I like what Wilson has shown so far, and would be willing to spend a couple extra bucks on him this week to try to lock in a fantasy starting quarterback for the remainder of the season. If you are sick of streaming quarterbacks and just want to play one guy the remainder of the season, I view Wilson as a good answer to that.

Overspend on Audric Estime

Estime is rostered in just 4% of leagues. He was part of Hepner’s story, and is a big-time waiver wire option this week. 

Estime had 53 rushing yards on 14 carries in week 10. It might not seem like a big deal, but it was the first time he went over five carries in a game. He hadn’t played more than 10% of the team’s offensive snaps, but got 45% this week.

Fantasy owners are hoping this was the first step in Estime taking over the lead role in Denver. He got nine more snaps than Javonte Williams and 19 more than Jaleel McLaughlin. Estime wasn’t particularly effective with his touches, but he was the clear lead back.

Hepner suggested paying $6-11 on a conservative bid, $21-41 on an aggressive bid and to empty your remaining budget if you are desperate for a fantasy RB.

There’s certainly some risk involved, but not many RB1s emerge at this point of the season, so it’s worth taking a swing on Estime. The Broncos’ offense has been better than most expected behind rookie quarterback Bo Nix, and Denver might not be turning to the rookie back Estime as the season winds down.

The only somewhat negative thing about the Estime situation is that his schedule ahead is not great. The Broncos have the Falcons, Raiders and Browns before a week 14 bye, then the Colts, Chargers, Bengals and Chiefs to round out the season.

Only the Raiders are a top-10 favorable matchup for Estime. Indy is an average matchup, and every other defense ranks in the top 10 at slowing opposing fantasy RBs.

If you are desperate enough for a team’s lead back though, Estime is still worth a few extra bucks going into week 11.

Overspend on Ricky Pearsall

Pearsall just fits into the criteria I set up a few weeks back - being owned in less than 50% of leagues. That won’t be the case after waivers process this week.

Pearsall had 73 yards and a touchdown on four receptions and six targets in week 10. It was his first touchdown across three games played, but second straight game in which he had four catches.

Even with Christian McCaffrey and Jauan Jennings active, Pearsall was on the field for 64% of the team’s offensive snaps. Sure, you’d like to see that number even higher, but he’s delivered two good fantasy showings despite the somewhat limited playing time.

Another thing working in Pearsall’s favor is a favorable schedule ahead. The Niners have games against the Seahawks, Packers, Bills, Bears, Rams, Dolphins, Lions and Cardinals to cap the season.

The Lions and Seahawks are top-10 favorable matchups, while the Rams are just outside the top 10. The Cardinals are just average, while the Packers are just below average. The Bills are a bit tougher, while the Dolphins are a bit more tough than them. The Bears are the toughest matchup of the bunch, but have been shaky of late.

While not every matchup is favorable, or even average, I like the idea of playing members of the San Fran offense. CMC being back should only open things up, and once this Niners’ offense gets rolling, everyone can turn in monster fantasy showings.

Spend a couple extra bucks on Pearsall and get yourself a good starting option for when bye weeks decimate your roster in weeks 11, 12 and 14.

Overspend on Davis Allen

Allen might be a bit of a surprising name to see here, but once I lay out some numbers, you’ll see why I like him.

First off, Allen had 34 yards on five receptions and six targets on Monday night. It was just the fourth game he’s been targeted in, and second in which he’s caught a pass. 

He’d barely been playing in weeks 1-5, but since then, his snap percentages have been rising. Allen played 22% of the snaps in week 7, 39% in week 8, 55% in week 9 and finally 80% in week 10.

He appears to have overtaken Colby Parkinson in the LA tight end room. There’s still a chance Tyler Higbee returns later in the season, but it’s unlikely he will immediately go back to playing every snap after a major injury. Allen looks like the top LA tight end for the remainder of the season as a result.

This is another case of a promising fantasy player who is hurt by a tough schedule ahead. However, with not many great, or even good, tight ends in the league this season, I’m not as concerned about that schedule.

He takes on the Patriots, Eagles, Saints, Bills, 49ers, Jets, Cardinals and Seahawks to cap the season. Only the Seahawks are a decent matchup for Allen, and they aren’t even in the top 10. Most of these teams are in the top 12 in slowing opposing fantasy TEs.

I still like the trajectory Allen is on, and would be willing to spend a couple of bucks on him. It shouldn’t cost you much, and if he doesn’t pan out, you should have money left over to chase another TE. At least try stashing Allen for a week or two to see if his week 10 performance was a sign of things to come.