Rhamondre Stevenson's knee just gave New England's backfield to a back rostered in about 5% of ESPN leagues. Stevenson won't play Sunday in Munich. TreVeyon Henderson is still out after a hospital stay for neurological symptoms, and Lan Larison is the only other running back on the 53-man roster. Corey Kiner is the top claim of the week. Josh Jacobs' broken finger, Tank Dell's comeback and a 49ers receiver room that mostly lives in the training room fill out the rest of the board.
Receipts
Deshaun Watson. In Week 7 we called him up. He scored 19.2 and finished QB10. Hit. And he's back in the chair: ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports Cleveland is going back to him as the starter against Houston.
Pierre Strong Jr. We called him down that same week. Zero points, RB66. Hit. Jacobs' injury doesn't save him either (see Kaleb Johnson).
Top claims
Corey Kiner (NE, RB): add and start
The door: Stevenson has a plantaris tendon injury behind the knee, and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says he'll miss "the next few weeks." Henderson's timeline is unknown. Boston.com has Kiner at the top of the depth chart.
The proof: Until now this was a spell role: 13% of the snaps and 5.8 opportunities a game. So this is a promotion, not more of the same. He's made the spell work count, with 50 carries for 244 yards (4.9 a carry), including eight for 55 and a touchdown against Green Bay. Mike Vrabel says he's "done a really nice job" but needs to get better at picking up pressure. That leaves passing downs open for Larison.
This week: Detroit gives up the third-fewest running back points, 15.8 a game. That matters less than the game: Patriots-Lions has a 51.5 total, the second-highest of the week, and New England is implied for 24.5. The early-down and goal-line back in that game is an RB2.
FAAB: 15–20%. Drop Devin Singletary.
What changes the order: the Patriots trading for a running back before Tuesday afternoon's deadline. If they do, Kiner falls behind Dell.
Tank Dell (HOU, WR): add
The door: Dell started the year on IR, still working back from the knee injury that ended his 2024 season. At the Chargers he caught four passes for 105 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown from C.J. Stroud, and his nine targets led the team.
The catch: he ran just 22 routes, third on the team. Nine targets on 22 routes is a rate that won't hold. What needs to grow is the routes.
This week: at Cleveland, with a 39.5 total and Houston implied for 22. It's not a shootout. He's a WR3/FLEX with a big-play shot every week, and the rest-of-season upside is what you're paying for.
FAAB: 10–14%. Cut Michael Wilson for him.
What changes the order: if Jacobs goes on IR before your waivers run, Kaleb Johnson moves ahead of Dell.
Kaleb Johnson (GB, RB): add
The door: Jacobs fractured his right ring finger in the first quarter at New England and needs surgery this week. Matt LaFleur hasn't ruled out IR, and CBS reports he'll miss up to three weeks. MarShawn Lloyd (knee) didn't play Sunday.
The proof: Johnson ran 14 times for 68 yards and his first career touchdown in relief, the best rushing day by a Packers back this season. Strong got eight carries for 22 yards.
This week: Minnesota comes to Lambeau as a 4.5-point underdog, probably with Carson Wentz at quarterback after Monday's 81-yard, three-turnover night. That points to Green Bay running out the clock late.
The counter-case: the consensus bid is around 2%, and the worry is a crowded backfield. LaFleur says there's a "good chance" Chris Brooks comes off IR this week, and Lloyd could be back too. But Brooks is the pass-protection and receiving back, not the early-down back. Johnson is the favorite for early downs after the best day by a Packers back this season, but one relief game isn't a promotion. LaFleur hasn't named a starter, and Lloyd and Strong are still in the room. You're paying for the inside track, not a locked role.
FAAB: 8–12%, or 15% and up if Jacobs goes on IR. Cut Pierre Strong Jr. for him.
What changes the order: if Lloyd is a full participant by Wednesday, this becomes a three-way split and Johnson drops below Watkins.
Jordan Watkins (SF, WR): add
The door: Kyle Shanahan isn't expecting Mike Evans (Achilles tendinitis) to be ready. Deebo Samuel has missed three straight games with a hamstring injury, and Christian Kirk went to the reserve list Nov. 7.
The proof: He played 76%, 76% and 77% of the snaps in his last three games. Sunday he led the 49ers with 26 routes and caught all four targets for 86 yards and a deep touchdown against the Raiders.
This week: at Dallas in the week's highest total, 55.5, with San Francisco implied for 30. The Cowboys allow 29.0 receiver points a game, seventh-most.
FAAB: 3–5%. One more body for these routes: Demarcus Robinson came off injured reserve Nov. 7. That's why the bid comes down. Don't cut Adonai Mitchell to make room (see Drops); drop your weakest bench dart instead.
What changes the order: Samuel could return to practice Wednesday. If Deebo gets a full week of practice in, Watkins goes back to being a dart throw.
Adds by position
QB: Drew Lock (SEA), stream. Sam Darnold (quad, broken rib) is out, and Mike Macdonald calls Lock's oblique "something that we can manage." Lock plays at Las Vegas, which allows 20.4 quarterback points a game, third-most. If he's held out of practice into Thursday and Jalen Milroe takes the first-team reps, pivot to Watson.
TE: Brevyn Spann-Ford (DAL), stream. Jake Ferguson sprained his MCL and PCL and will miss multiple weeks. With Ferguson banged up, Spann-Ford played 88% and 70% of the snaps the last two games, and now he gets that 55.5-point game. The risk is Luke Schoonmaker coming back from a groin injury. If Schoonmaker practices in full by Friday, look elsewhere.
DST: Packers, stream. Kyler Murray's hamstring kept him out Monday, and Wentz turned it over three times in his place. Minnesota is implied for just 19, and the Packers D is rostered in only 19% of ESPN leagues. What flips it: Minnesota trading for a veteran quarterback before the deadline.
Stashes
- Lan Larison (NE, RB): he's the only other back on the 53. If Kiner gets hurt or Stevenson's "few weeks" turns into more, Larison is next up.
- Tutu Atwell (LAR, WR): Puka Nacua is headed to IR, and Davante Adams is on a 6-to-10-week hamstring timeline. Atwell played 47% of the snaps with five targets Sunday. But when Nacua missed Weeks 2 and 3, the next men up were Konata Mumpfield and Jordan Whittington, so Atwell is fighting both of them for these routes. He only matters if he wins that fight and becomes the full-time No. 2.
- Chris Brooks (GB, RB): a "good chance" to come off IR this week. If Jacobs lands on IR too, Brooks is the PPR half of the backfield.
Drops
- Cut Devin Singletary for Kiner. John Harbaugh says Cam Skattebo is "full go" for Thursday. Singletary turned 21 carries into 31 yards as the fill-in.
- Cut Michael Wilson for Dell. He has a neck fracture and is out for the season.
- Hold Adonai Mitchell. Zero catches on seven targets Sunday looks ugly, but seven targets means he still has a role. He also had a career-high 142 yards against the Raiders the week before. Garrett Wilson is still in the concussion protocol with no return date, so Mitchell keeps the volume until Wilson is actually back. Revisit then.
- Superflex: cut Gardner Minshew for Jacoby Brissett. Minshew likely needs season-ending surgery on his throwing elbow, per NFL Network. Jesse Minter has Brissett starting Monday against the Chargers, and Lamar Jackson's thumb is on a six-to-nine-week timeline.
- Don't cut Puka Nacua. McVay expects him out at least a month. He belongs in an IR slot, not on the waiver wire.
Claim order
- Corey Kiner
- Tank Dell
- Kaleb Johnson (RB-needy teams take him second; if Jacobs goes on IR before waivers run, he's second for everyone)
- Jordan Watkins
- Drew Lock (QB-needy only; in superflex, Jacoby Brissett goes here)
- Brevyn Spann-Ford
- Packers DST
- Lan Larison
- Tutu Atwell
- Chris Brooks