FlurrySports discusses the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for NFL Week 13, including Juwan Johnson from the New Orleans Saints.
For all of the tremendous matchups that this past week served up on paper, there was a lot of lackluster offensive football being played on the field. Fortunately, there were plenty of close games and thrilling action. On the downside, there were also a lot of injuries, including several to impactful fantasy football performers. As a result, getting a leg up on the rest of your league with fantasy football waiver wire pickups will be paramount heading into Week 12.
Also, just a friendly reminder that time flies when we’re having fun! Exhibit A: only three more weeks separate us from the start of the fantasy playoffs! It’s time to buckle down to make sure you have a shot at championship glory and/or improve your playoff seeding.
As always, snap counts, injury news and usage rates remain the focal points of our waiver wire recommendations. Here’s a look at some of our favorite fantasy football waiver wire pickups to target ahead of Week 12.
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.
Best Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 12
QB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (47.9%)
Who wouldn’t want to go out and make Sam Darnold one of their fantasy football waiver wire pickups after whatever that was on Sunday!? Darnold was back to seeing ghosts and tossed four interceptions in the Seahawks’ pivotal divisional showdown against the Rams in Week 11. Couple that hideous display with the three turnovers he committed two weeks ago, and Darnold has now failed to score five fantasy points in back-to-back games. Course correction figures to come in Week 12 as Seattle visits the lowly Tennessee Titans. With a couple of solid fantasy QBs on bye this week, Darnold finds his way into the streaming conversation.
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals (23.6%)
With the Cardinals playing from behind all game on Sunday, Jacoby Brissett was forced to sling it. The byproduct of this was him breaking the single-game completions record. Despite a pair of interceptions, Brissett surpassed 20 fantasy points and has now finished with over 19 points in all four games since inheriting the starting job in Arizona. Making this performance all the more impressive was that he was without top wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. Brissett is once again a fantasy football waiver wire pickups target at the QB position in Week 12 with another favorable matchup against Jacksonville looming.
RB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals (49.7%)
We have been trying our best to alert you to the looming return of Trey Benson for a couple of weeks now. As said, his return could realistically happen in Week 12; this might be your last opportunity to check his availability and make what could be a massive waiver wire add as we head down the stretch of the season. The Cardinals’ backfield continues to be a hodgepodge ordeal in Benson’s absence. The second-year pro out of Florida State will have the clear upper hand to lead the charge when he does retake the field and will promptly be in RB2 territory on a weekly basis. He remains available in just over 50% of ESPN leagues for this waiver cycle.
Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers (42.2%)
The Steelers were hit hard by injuries in Week 11. Aaron Rodgers’ status moving forward could be in doubt due to a wrist injury, and Jaylen Warren also sustained an ankle injury in the team’s win on Sunday. Although Warren’s own comments about the nature of the injury post-game were positive, Kenneth Gainwell could be a smart fantasy football waiver wire pickups target as an insurance policy. A pair of touchdown receptions inflated his stat line this past week, but Gainwell has been able to provide FLEX-caliber production with Warren in the lineup on a number of occasions, thanks to his pass-catching role.
Chris Rodriguez Jr., Washington Commanders (6.7%)
To preface this fantasy football waiver wire pickups option, it should be noted that the Commanders will be on bye in Week 12. That said, if you have an extra roster spot available or are sitting pretty in the standings with the flexibility to take an upside swing, Chris Rodriguez Jr. is worth a look on the waiver wire this week. The third-year pro saw 15 carries compared to Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s nine on Sunday and was far more productive with his touches. For all of the hype that Croskey-Merritt received coming into the year, he hasn’t played well. This offense clearly has issues, but Rodriguez looks like the Washington RB to own at this juncture.
Emanuel Wilson, Green Bay Packers (5.8%)
Unfortunately, the injury theme will be a big part of the RB fantasy football waiver wire pickups discussion this week. Packers’ star Josh Jacobs is also one to monitor closely after he suffered a knee injury on Sunday. While early reporting suggests that it is not serious or season-ending, Jacobs’ short-term status for Week 12 specifically is very much up in the air. Emanuel Wilson stepped in and played 39 snaps for Green Bay following the injury and would have a favorable runout if Jacobs misses the next game given that MarShawn Lloyd still has not returned to team practice.
WR Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers (26.2%)
Poor quarterback and offensive line play continue to bog down the Packers’ entire offense. The story largely remains the same here regarding the pass-catchers, but Christian Watson is still under-rostered relative to what his potential is and certainly relative to his upside. Week 11 saw him deliver an upside-caliber performance with a pair of touchdown catches. What we’re more intrigued by is the fact that his snap count has quickly risen since returning from injury four weeks ago and that he has been targeted at least four times in every game. His ownership remains significantly lower than Romeo Doubs (75.7%).
Jayden Higgins, Houston Texans (19.7%)
Plenty in the fantasy football community were excited about Jayden Higgins coming into his maiden NFL season. It’s taken some time for him to establish consistent usage within the Texans’ offense, but we seem to have reached a point where he is worth considering amongst fantasy football waiver wire pickups. Higgins was second on the team in snaps played at the WR position on Sunday, ahead of both Christian Kirk and Xavier Hutchinson. It also marked the third time in the last four games that he was targeted at least seven times and finished with at least four receptions.
Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals (15.3%)
Kudos to those managers who not only rostered but dared to start Michael Wilson in Week 11. If you were among that slim group, you were certainly rewarded. With Marvin Harrison Jr. sidelined, Wilson filled in admirably as the Cardinals’ top wideout. He smashed his previous career-highs in targets, receptions and yards en route to a WR1 finish in fantasy scoring. While we certainly aren’t expecting this kind of performance to be replicated, there’s no denying that the switch to Jacoby Brissett at QB has completely revitalized Arizona’s passing attack. Thus, even if Harrison returns in Week 12, Wilson might still be able to deliver WR3/FLEX value.
TE Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (35.0%)
Let me just kick things off here by saying good luck to those managers who are hunting for a TE amongst fantasy football waiver wire pickups this week. The options aren’t exactly thrilling, to say the least. Juwan Johnson leads us off in the column for the second straight week. With the Saints coming off a bye, his ownership did not change from this time a week ago. With 23 total targets over the last four games and a pair of touchdowns mixed in, Johnson seems to have gotten past his three-week lull from the second month of the season. He remains the best option to add at the position.
Mason Taylor, New York Jets (13.1%)
I am really excited to see what Mason Taylor can do in future seasons with competent quarterback play. As it stands now, his fantasy upside remains severely capped by the limitations of Justin Fields as a passer. The rookie continues to play the vast majority of snaps, and he caught all four of his targets last Thursday night. For what it’s worth, the Jets could probably provide a modest spark to their passing attack by making Taylor a bigger part of the game plan. Taylor will largely remain TD-dependent in Week 12, but a bump in targets could elevate his PPR floor in a matchup against Baltimore where the Jets figure to be trailing yet again.
Brock Wright, Detroit Lions (1.3%)
With Sam LaPorta being placed on IR and set to miss at least three more games, Brock Wright assumed the lead-TE responsibilities for the Lions in Week 11. Detroit was a complete mess offensively against the juggernaut that is the Eagles defense, but it’s worth noting that Wright played 40 of 59 offensive snaps and was targeted seven times. Of course, Jared Goff should be a bit more comfortable in the pocket this coming week against the New York Giants. That said, the opportunity is potentially there for Wright to be a deep-league fantasy football waiver wire pickups flier for TE-needy managers during LaPorta’s absence.
Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok for more great FlurrySports content.
