Waiver wire pickups are much more important than it’s ever been before in any fantasy season, with the amount of injuries sustained thus far. It seems like there’s more names added to the list each week. With zero teams on a bye week this week, you won’t need to work the waiver wire as much, but there are numerous options under 60 percent ownership that could help your fantasy team.
I’ve said it every week thus far: active fantasy managers win their leagues. Working the waiver wire each week can prove to be crucial come fantasy playoff time. Injuries are unpredictable and you never know which one of these guys could end up starting in your fantasy championship roster.
Here are top waiver wire pickups for Week 12 worth adding to your fantasy roster. Players are chosen based on their schedule strength moving forward as well as their usages and efficiencies in their respective offenses.
And, of course, some players will be added near the end that are drop-worthy candidates, but no by means are must-drops.
Players must be owned in less than 60 percent of ESPN leagues to be included in the fantasy football Week 12 waiver wire pickups column. All ownerships for waiver wire players will be provided and will reflect that of Monday evening.
Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups
Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders (37.9%)
Carr’s ownership has fluctuated all year because of his up-and-down performances, but he surpassed 20 fantasy points in Week 11 for the first time since Week 5 against the Chiefs. He could be a sneaky add as we head into fantasy playoff time because he plays ATL, NYJ, IND, and LAC in his next four games. Atlanta allows the most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks at 30.1 FPPG. Both the Jets and Chargers rank in the bottom-ten of the league as well for points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Carr has tons of upside heading into these next few weeks and if you’re having quarterback issues, he could be your saving grace to help your team sneak into the playoffs.
Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts (9.4%)
I never thought I’d add Rivers to this weekly article, but his past performances say otherwise. Last week against the Packers, he threw for 288 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception while leading his team to victory. The Colts have been dominant beating the Titans and Packers in back to back games so they’re likely going to continue the strong play. Indianapolis faces TEN, HOU, and LV in their next three games which are all ideal for Rivers to put up good fantasy numbers for your team. Tennessee allows 23.4 FPPG to opposing quarterbacks while Houston and Las Vegas both allow over 20 FPPG. As long as Rivers keeps spreading the ball around to all of his receivers, he’ll continue to be a solid fantasy option.
Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups
Damien Harris, New England Patriots (56.2%)
With Rex Burkhead potentially out for the season, it frees up some room in the crowded New England backfield. Harris is the clear RB1 and one would imagine his role increases even more now. The Patriots don’t have much to play for anymore at this point regarding their playoff chances and record, but HC Bill Bellichick still isn’t going to allow his team to be undermined. New England faces ARI, LAC and LAR in their next three matchups who are all in the top-half of the league for points allowed to opposing running backs. It’ll be tough for Harris to return solid value with these matchups, but he has the talent and upside to do it.
[sc name=”newsletter” ]Salvon Ahmed, Miami Dolphins (42.9%)
After carrying the ball over 20 times in Week 10 for Miami totaling 16 fantasy points, Ahmed claimed the lead role again in Week 11. He also became involved in the passing game catching five of six targets for 31 yards. With Myles Gaskin nearing a return in a week or two, it’s unclear how Miami will continue to use Ahmed in the game plan. Miami has some prime matchups approaching with NYJ and CIN in their next two games. The Jets allow 18.2 FPPG to opposing running backs while the Bengals allow 17.1 FPPG. In an offense featuring an inexperienced rookie quarterback, it’s likely that the Dolphins commit to the running game early and roll with it in both games.
J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens (48.3%)
JK Dobbins will be out for Week 12 with COVID, though he is still a waiver wire pickup for us.
Wow, the Ravens finally figured out that their 21-year-old rookie running back is more effective than a 30-year-old Mark Ingram! Last week against the Titans, Dobbins led the team in carries, with 15 for 70 yards and a touchdown while catching two passes for 15 yards. Baltimore faces PIT, DAL, CLE and JAX in their next four games, which could be big for Dobbins and the Ravens. Excluding Pittsburgh, all three defenses allow more than 15 FPPG to opposing running backs,Cobb with Jacksonville nearly allowing 20. Moving forward, Dobbins should be a trustworthy RB2 with how much the Ravens run the ball.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups
Cole Beasley, Buffalo Bills (47.9%)
The Bills are coming off their bye week after losing to a Hail Mary touchdown with one second left in Week 10 against the Cardinals, so they’ll be playing tough. Buffalo’s schedule gets tough as they face LAC, SF, PIT, and DEN in their next four games but in an offense that passes as much as the Bills, owning Beasley could pay off big-time. He seems to be one of Allen’s favorite targets, especially in crucial downs. Buffalo is also only one game ahead of the Dolphins for the AFC East division, so they’ll likely be playing their best in this stretch. At least two of those matchups could turn into shootouts which will be huge for any Bills receivers and running backs considering how much Allen spreads the ball out.
Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts (25.7%)
After being targeted seven plus times in back to back games from injury, Pittman Jr. was only targeted three times in Week 11, but reeled in a big touchdown. Indianapolis faces TEN, HOU, and LV in their next three games. Tennessee allows over 25 FPPG while Houston and Las Vegas allow over 23 FPPG to opposing wide receivers. Pittman Jr. seems to be one of Rivers’ favorite targets and due to his big-play ability, they’ll likely keep getting him the ball. To solidify their chances of winning their division, they’ll play these few games tough, especially with two of them being division games. The Colts have such a good playoff schedule for all major fantasy positions making Pittman Jr. even more intriguing as we head into the fantasy playoffs in a few weeks.
Breshad Perriman, New York Jets (14.6%)
I never thought I’d mention a single Jets receiver but here we are. Perriman is a borderline WR3 in most fantasy leagues right now, but with how he’s performed the past two games, I like his upside. The Jets face MIA, LV, and SEA in their next three games, and although it isn’t likely that they’ll win those games, they should still be able to move the ball. With Joe Flacco starting, he’s been targeting Perriman quite a bit with 11 targets in two games including three touchdowns. Perriman is more worth the look in deeper leagues as it’d be a risk to start him in 10 team leagues because he’s very boom or bust. The next few defenses allow over 20 FPPG to opposing wide receivers, so he’s worth the shot. But remember, he plays for the Jets.
Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups
Jordan Reed, San Francisco 49ers (12.6%)
The tight end position has been a dumpster fire all season unless you own Kelce or Waller but Reed’s usage and efficiency is intriguing. The 49ers offense is banged up so there aren’t many receiving options for QB Nick Mullens to throw to. The 49ers face LAR and BUF in their next two matchups, which could bode well for Reed’s fantasy value. The Rams defense has been stout in all areas of the game thus far but Buffalo allows 9.2 FPPG to opposing tight ends. Week 13 could be a big game for Reed because of Buffalo’s emphasis on pushing everything to the middle of the field and clogging the sidelines. In the four games Reed has started, he’s seen 22 targets including two touchdowns.
Jimmy Graham, Chicago Bears (51.5%)
Despite the Bears offense’s inefficiencies, Graham has somewhat stayed consistent this season. He saw five or more targets in six straight games, but was shut out on only two targets in Week 10 against Minnesota. The Bears struggle with both running and passing the ball, but Graham continues to see the targets. His usage is there but it seems like his ceiling is very dependent on touchdown catches. Both Graham and Allen Robinson are their go-to red-zone targets, but they struggle to even get near the red-zone most of the time. If you need an upgrade at the tight end position, he’s worth the look but just know he’s a risky play unless the Bears offense improves.
Drop Candidates
QB: Baker Mayfield, Jake Luton, Alex Smith
RB: Mark Ingram II, Rex Burkhead, James White
WR: T.Y Hilton, Henry Ruggs III, Golden Tate
TE: Greg Olsen, Darren Fells, Tyler Higbee
Deeper-League Waiver Wire Considerations
QB: P.J Walker, Joe Flacco
RB: Frank Gore, Devontae Booker, Jordan Wilkins
WR: Marquez Valdez-Scantling, Josh Reynolds, Darnell Mooney
TE: Richard Rodgers, Trey Burton, Dalton Schultz
