Roundtable: Late-Week Replacement Picks

Every Friday during the season, I pen the Replacements feature -- a look at free agents in most leagues who could deliver production as last-minute replacements. This week, the Footballguys staff takes their shots. 

Welcome to Week 11 of the 2024 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.

This week's roundtable features these four topics:

• Giants QB Lock's Potential
• Cowboys QB Lance's Potential
• Late-Week Replacement Picks (see below)
• Rookie QBs: Nix vs. Daniels

Let's roll. 

Late-Week Replacement Picks

Matt Waldman: Here's a list of players likely on a majority of waiver wires heading into the weekend.  

• WR Malik Washington 
• TE Tanner Hudson
• WR Jermaine Burton
• WR Tylan Wallace
• WR Jalin Hyatt
• WR Devaughn Vele
• WR Kevin Austin Jr
• RB Jordan Mims
• WR Mack Hollins

Pick one to monitor as a potential roster addition in the coming weeks. Pick one to add preemptively as a bet he emerges in a week or two and you're ahead of a bidding war. And, pick one to add now to give you some amount of value as a desperation play due to injuries. 

Monitor

Dan Hindery: This list is rough. I can’t see any of these players contributing to a solid fantasy lineup at any point this season.

Waldman: I agree, but these scenarios are why you're in the big leagues, my man. Let's stretch the envelope here for some of our diehards who must consider these options in larger formats. 

Hindery: Jermaine Burton might be the one worth keeping an eye on, though. He needs two things to go his way to have any chance at fantasy relevance. First, he needs Tee Higgins' injury to linger; if both Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase are healthy, his chances are slim.

Second, he needs to stay focused and keep earning the trust of Joe Burrow and the coaching staff. Reportedly, he had a solid week leading up to the Week 10 Thursday night game, despite his no-call, no-show before the Week 9 matchup that led to a benching. 

Matt Montgomery: I agree with Dan; Jermaine Burton, despite the horrible press he received last week, will eventually become a quality starter for the Bengals. Before his lapse in judgment, he was beginning to play significant snaps and was even productive on the field. I think his apology tour is nearly over and I expect him to be a contributor for the Bengals down the stretch.   

Sean Settle: Add me to the chorus on Jermaine Burton, who has all the tools to be an elite receiver. He was very polished in college and showed the ability to make big plays all over the field. However, he has not adapted to this next level and was recently benched due to breaking team rules. With Tee Higgins hurt and not a lot of talent outside of Ja'Marr Chase, Burton could get an extended look in the coming weeks as the Bengals fight for a playoff spot. Watch the next few weeks and see if he gets a bigger snap share before making the pickup. 

Jason Wood: Jermaine Burton needs maturity and was punished just two weeks ago for unexcused absences. But the talent we saw on his collegiate film is enticing, and Joe Burrow is arguably the league's best passer right now. Burton played 48% of the snaps last week and could be an enticing option late in the season if (a) Tee Higgins remains hurt and (b) either Ja'Marr Chase or Andrei Iosivas gets hurt.  

Corey Spala: I would also monitor Jermaine Burton. We are unsure if Tee Higgins will be returning; at least there has been no word in regards so far. Burton out-targeted Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin in Week 10. We will need to monitor  Higgins' injury news to understand if Burton will be added. 

Phil Alexander: Monitor Devaugh Vele. He would have been my "add now," but trying to guess Sean Payton's wide receiver rotations each week has proven a fool's errand. If Vele trails only Courtland Sutton on Denver in wide receiver routes run for a second straight week, you can feel better about making a move for the intriguing 26-year-old rookie.