Week 11 Late Week Players To Add: Luther Burden, Tyler Badie, and More

The final four weeks of the fantasy football regular season are here. The season always goes by too fast, but the good news is that we still have the most exciting stretch ahead of us. The performances that win fantasy championships are some of the most memorable aspects of the NFL season, and that is what we are going to experience over the next two months.

Hopefully your team is already in playoff position and starting to plan ahead for Weeks 15-17. But if not, don't worry, Fantasy Life has you covered with all the waiver advice, start/sit projections, and rankings to help you finish the season strong.

Players To Add For Week 11 Fantasy Football

Luther Burden, WR, Chicago Bears - 8% rostered

DJ Moore suffered a shoulder injury in Week 10, which led to a season-high route participation for Luther Burden. We don't know whether or not Moore will be available in Week 11, but if he misses the game or is expected to have a reduced role, I like the upside that Burden provides.

Not only do I think Burden is a talented player who can capitalize if given a larger role, I also think his role as a lower aDOT receiver who plays from the slot nearly 40% of the time could be a good fit for this matchup against the blitz-happy Minnesota Vikings defense. Caleb Williams may be forced to get the ball out quickly on a regular basis in this game, which aligns with the types of routes that Burden and Olamide Zaccheaus will be running.

Admittedly, Zaccheaus will probably project for more points in Week 11, but I like adding Burden because of his upside for the rest of the season if we see a breakout performance. As a highly drafted rookie, Burden is expected to be a big part of the Bears' future plans, so his role should grow over the course of the season, but Moore's injury may fast-track that process.

A Steelers TE (Jonnu Smith - 17% rostered, Pat Freiermuth 16% rostered)

To the frustration of fantasy managers everywhere, the Pittsburgh Steelers use a three-man rotation at the TE position. It is difficult to predict whether Jonnu Smith, Pat Freiermuth, or Darnell Washington will see the most targets any given week. There are only certain matchups where it makes sense to take the risk of guessing wrong because the upside is high enough for whoever does hit, and that is the situation we have in Week 11 with the Steelers taking on the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bengals have been historically bad against opposing TEs this season, allowing 19.4 half-PPR points per game to the position. That is the most in the NFL and four fantasy points more per game than the second-worst defense.

Arthur Smith loves to use TEs as a focal point in his offense, so this sets up as the perfect opportunity for one or more of the Steelers' TEs to have a big game. This game also has a 48.5 point total, so Vegas expects points to be scored. It's a good bet that at least one of the TDs in this game goes to a Pittsburgh TE, so take your pick of their primary pass catchers if you need a streaming option in Week 11.

Tyler Badie, RB, Denver Broncos - 1% rostered

Sean Payton loves nothing more than an RB committee, so with JK Dobbins expected to miss time due to a foot injury, we should expect both RJ Harvey and Tyler Badie to have increased roles. Harvey will be the lead rusher, but Badie will be involved, particularly as a pass catcher.

With the Chiefs coming to town as 3.5-point favorites, there is a reasonable chance Denver has to pass to keep up in this game, which should give Badie a decent baseline for touches. He isn't my favorite streaming option for Week 11 because of the stout Chiefs defense, but early indications are that Dobbins is facing a multi-week injury, so that makes Badie worth stashing on the end of your bench in case he impresses in an expanded role this week.

Brian Robinson Jr., RB, San Francisco 49ers - 26% rostered

Yes, Brian Robinson has scored in two consecutive weeks, but that isn't why he is on my radar as a late-week waiver add. This recommendation is more about having the clear handcuff in one of the NFL's best run schemes.

Christian McCaffrey has the most touches of any player in the NFL after missing almost all of last year with multiple injuries. He's been reliable thus far this season, but there is a decent chance he could miss time this year if his large workload eventually takes a toll. In that scenario, Robinson would likely be a high-end RB2 who would be a quality start in every fantasy league. This is extra valuable for CMC managers, but even if you don't have him, I still like adding Robinson as a rare waiver wire player with actual league-winning upside.

Keaton Mitchell, RB, Baltimore Ravens - 2% rostered

I am a proud Keaton Mitchell truther and will go to battle for the fact that he is way more talented than his role this season suggests. That may slowly be starting to change, however, as Mitchell has gotten four carries in each of Baltimore's last three games. It isn't much, but it is a notable change from earlier in the season when Mitchell was mostly a healthy scratch and the backfield touches went exclusively to Derrick Henry and Justice Hill.

We also have some recent coachspeak from John Harbaugh saying he wants to get Mitchell more involved. I take coachspeak with a massive grain of salt, but it is another positive indicator that gives me hope that the Ravens' coaching staff recognizes his talent.

The primary reason Mitchell makes the column this week is that fellow RB Justice Hill missed Wednesday's practice with a toe injury. It is too early to say whether Hill will be in or out for Sunday's matchup with the Browns, but if he were to miss that game, Mitchell should step into a larger role as the clear backup and passing-downs back.

In a game where the Ravens are favored by 7.5 points, there could be ample opportunity for Mitchell to rack up touches in garbage time in addition to a decent baseline role. If Hill is ruled out, I like Mitchell as a sneaky flex play who could get 8+ touches and has the explosive ability to rip off a big play on any one of them.