Unless you’re the world’s biggest Tyler Shough fan, Week 11 isn’t exactly a minefield when it comes to quarterback byes. Still, in deeper formats, there’s always at least a couple people looking towards the waiver wire for a streaming option under center.
Here are my top three QB pick-ups for the coming week of NFL action.
Week 11 Waiver Wire QB Rankings
1. Aaron Rodgers, Steelers vs. Bengals | Yahoo! Rostered: 38%
It’s funny to think about Aaron Rodgers being a touchdown-dependent QB in fantasy, but that’s sort of how his season has gone. Rodgers is 18th among all quarterbacks in passing yards (1,853) and he possesses the lowest aDOT of any QB with at least 200 drop backs this season (6.5). However, he’s tied for fifth with 18 touchdown passes, as a whopping 78.3% of Pittsburgh’s trips to the end zone this season have come through the air — the second-highest mark in the NFL. Either way, there’s almost no better matchup for a quarterback than the struggling Bengals. Cincinnati is coming off a bye in Week 10, but an extra week of practice isn’t going to cure this secondary. The Bengals are surrendering an AFC-worst 7.6 yards per opponent pass attempt this season and an NFL-worst 2.6 opponent passing touchdowns per game. The last time Rodgers faced Cincinnati in Week 7, he racked up 249 yards and four TDs. Something similar could be in store for Sunday.
2. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins vs. Commanders | Yahoo! Rostered: 19%
It’s been a rough season for Tua Tagovailoa, who leads the NFL in interceptions (13) and is averaging a paltry 0.42 fantasy points per drop back. However, I was somewhat encouraged by the performance I saw last week against the Bills. Though Tua was picked off twice, both came on heaves towards Jaylen Waddle, as Tagovailoa finished the game averaging 9.9 air yards per attempt. Even after the 30-13 victory, Mike McDaniel noted that he “pumped” that his QB was taking some chances and throwing up some “opportunity” balls. I’d hope that the Dolphins’ offense keeps that aggressiveness heading into a soft matchup in Week 11. The Commanders have been absolutely picked apart by opposing QBs since the beginning of Week 7, with Dak Prescott, Patrick Mahomes, Sam Darnold and Jared Goff all winding up with at least 260 yards passing and three touchdowns in that span of time. Miami is low on weapons with Tyreek Hill (knee) and Darren Waller (pectoral) on IR, yet a meeting with Washington’s secondary is to juicy to overlook.
3. Geno Smith, Raiders vs. Cowboys | Yahoo! Rostered: 15%
Geno Smith has thrown more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11) this season, so it’s not shocking to find out that he’s available on the waiver wire in 85% of Yahoo! leagues at the moment. The last time we saw Smith, he was hobbling on the sideline in Las Vegas’ ugly 10-7 loss to Denver on Thursday Night Football; however, the veteran pivot should be able to go in Week 11 with the extra few days of rest. Say what you will about Smith’s performance in 2025, but the 35-year-old has produced in advantageous matchups. In fact, 63.6% of Smith’s 11 passing touchdowns have come in two starts this season: Week 3 against the Commanders and Week 9 against the Jaguars — two teams that rank in the top five of most fantasy points allowed per game to opposing QBs. You know who ranks No. 1 on that list? The Cowboys. Only one quarterback hasn’t exceeded 20 FPTS when going up versus Dallas’ secondary in 2025, and that was only because Jayden Daniels got hurt in the middle of his Week 7 start. I wouldn’t trust Smith unless you have to, but he should be a lock in two-QB formats this Sunday.
