On paper, Week 12 looked like a lame-duck NFL slate. In some ways it was. In others, it actually exceeded expectations. Meanwhile, on the fantasy football front, the action only continues to get hotter with the playoffs now just two weeks away in the majority of leagues. If you are among the many managers fighting for their playoff lives, making savvy fantasy football waiver wire pickups could be all the difference. Even if you are already sitting pretty in the standings, make sure to shore up that bench depth now and be glad you did later!
As always, managers are advised to prioritize situations, snap counts, workload and target shares over a one-week scoring output when deciding on which players to claim. These are the stats and trends that will better predict sustainable success. Here are our top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 13.
Note: Players must be owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues to be included in the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups column. Ownership percentages will reflect their status on Tuesday mornings ahead of standard waiver processing.
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Best Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 13
QB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (32.5%)
Based on ESPN player ownership percentages, there must be a lot of 2QB or Superflex leagues taking place this year. Unfortunately, I highly doubt that’s the case. The quarterback waiver wire is slim pickings heading into Week 13 as managers continue to overvalue the position in fantasy football. Of those who are available and qualify on a percentage basis, Matthew Stafford merits consideration. The Rams’ signal-caller has had some dud performances this season but has been steadier lately since the return of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Stafford has thrown for multiple touchdowns in four of the last five games and gets the New Orleans Saints in Week 13.
Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers (49.5%)
Even Russel Wilson barely qualifies for our fantasy football waiver wire pickups column as his ownership is just barely below the 50% threshold. As expected, the majority of his fantasy scoring outputs haven’t been extremely flashy. Such is life when quarterbacking a Steelers offense whose primary goal is to run the football and muck things up. That said, Wilson has produced over 13 fantasy points in four of five games since taking over the starting job. Upcoming matchups against the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns are far less intimidating than in recent years.
MORE: NFL Power Rankings Week 13 – Lions’ Dominance Continues
Could it be time for a change atop the official FlurrySports NFL Power Rankings? Click through the latest update to find out and see where your team stacks up heading into Week 13!
RB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Gus Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers (23.5%)
Plenty of fantasy managers are panicking following this week’s Monday night game as JK Dobbins exited with a knee injury in the first half and did not return. The jury is still out on whether he will miss any additional time. Given Dobbins’ history with injuries, it seems fair to brace for the worst. Regardless of the outcome, Gus Edwards is sure to see an ownership spike when waivers are processed this week.
If Dobbins misses any length of time, Edwards will be the focal point of the Chargers backfield. Even if this injury doesn’t have prolonged consequences, it might be well worth rostering Edwards as an RB handcuff option ahead of the Fantasy Football Playoffs.
Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons (41.6%)
Given the presence of Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier’s value is primarily tied to being a top fantasy football RB handcuff option at this stage in the game. However, managers shouldn’t overlook his status in the general RB waiver wire pecking order either. With the Falcons on bye this past week, his ownership dropped significantly. Even with Robinson looking like a potential league-winning back, Allgeier has quietly seen double-digit carries in three of Atlanta’s last six games. As his involvement in the passing game is limited, it would take an unfortunate injury to make Allgeier anything more than a FLEX consideration.
Jeremy McNichols, Washington Commanders (1.2%)
Much like Ameer Abdullah this past week, there’s a chance that Jeremy McNichols could make the jump from RB3 on the depth chart to starter for the Commanders in Week 13. Brian Robinson was forced out of last week’s game multiple times with an ankle injury. After initially coming back, he aggravated it further. Meanwhile, Austin Ekeler sustained a concussion late in the game. With the status of each of Washington’s top two RBs in jeopardy, McNichols has to be mentioned and considered among this week’s fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
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WR Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers (36.3%)
Since the Panthers traded Diontae Johnson prior to the deadline, the receiving corps is truly a mix of aged veterans and promising young talent. As Carolina clearly has an eye towards the future, one has to believe that Xavier Legette will get plenty of targets and opportunities weekly. He is now in the midst of a stretch in which he has seen at least six targets and has four receptions in three of the last four games.
In addition to Legette, it also potentially wouldn’t hurt to consider Adam Thielen (27.7%) amongst this week’s fantasy football waiver wire pickups. Thielen has a reputation for being a security blanket and performed better than expected in his Week 12 return from a hamstring injury. While we’re not saying to try and have two Panthers wideouts on your roster, putting in a bid for both players and landing one could improve your WR depth.
DeMario Douglas, New England Patriots (29.2%)
Yet another week of maintained consistency in terms of target share and production for DeMario Douglas lands him right back in this fantasy football waiver wire pickups column. The second-year pro has now seen nine, five, six and seven targets in the last four games, respectively. He has not found the end zone in any of those games but has scored at least nine PPR points in each of them. Even on what was a sorry day for the Patriots offense collectively, Douglas still provided managers with a decent outing. In PPR formats, his floor appears to be relatively stable at this juncture.
TE Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears (37.8%)
Should we expect Cole Kmet to be a game-changing fantasy asset the rest of the season? Absolutely not. The fourth-year pro had two games with over 24 PPR points early on in the season but has largely been quiet since. In fact, his Week 12 showing was by far the most promising since. The Bears showed a strong desire to involve Kmet in the passing game as he was peppered with 10 targets and caught seven of them for 64 yards. While this was encouraging and rejuvenated the desire to roster him, trusting it to be maintained going forward is still tough to do.
Noah Gray, Kansas City Chiefs (1.8%)
Noah Gray now has back-to-back games with two touchdowns scored. The Chiefs offense had a positive showing in Week 12, albeit against the sorry-ass Carolina Panthers defense. Then again, the fact that Gray’s number continues to be called cannot be overlooked. His volume, target share and workload still make him difficult to trust every week. However, if you have an extra roster spot to fill, maybe take a chance and see if this TD upside can continue.
