Waiver Wire Week 13
The fantasy football playoffs are ALMOST HERE this fantasy football season! Time to build on your success so far this season through the waiver wire. This will not only be useful to those who are looking for options in Week 13 but for that final playoff push or those looking ahead with playoff spots locked in! This list compiles players available in most leagues on Yahoo.com! Remember dominating the waiver wire is crucial to your fantasy football league. So get that FAAB budget (or what’s left) ready to spend on some waiver wire pickups for Week 13! It’s crunch time folks. Also, the bye weeks are finally over!
QUARTERBACK
You need to be smart when it comes to the quarterback position. Outside Lamar Jackson, no quarterback has been a consistent must-start player week in and week out. So if you feel that a streamer gives your team a better chance to win than it is time to make the pivot.
Sam Darnold
Darnold has now scored over 22 fantasy points in three straight weeks and has scored over 30 fantasy points in his last two games. The Bengals have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks over the past four weeks, so Darnold is a priority streamer in Week 13. Darnold then plays Miami in Week 14 so he is a streaming quarterback you can use for the next two weeks.
Nick Foles
Less Than 33% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
Over the past two weeks, Foles has attempted the most passing attempts (95) and had the most dropbacks (103) of all quarterbacks in the NFL. You have to love the matchup versus the Buccaneers that have allowed the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks over the past four weeks.
Mitchell Trubisky
Less Than 18% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
Trubisky in his career does not “own” many teams, but he sure owns the Lions. In his last three games versus Detriot, he has either thrown for three passing touchdowns or thrown for over 300 passing yards. Before they held Dwayne Haskins to less than seven fantasy points last week, they had allowed at least 18 fantasy points to every other quarterback this season except for one. What better way to enjoy Thanksgiving than to know you are streaming Trubsisky on Thursday.
Andy Dalton
Less Than 6% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
Dalton has been re-named the starter for the Bengals and I do like the spot for him. Before he was benched for Ryan Finley, Dalton had scored under 19 fantasy points just twice in two of his matchups. Those came in games in predictability difficult spots versus the Ravens and Steelers. That is not the case in Week 13, where he draws the Jets’ defense that is a pass funnel defense. The Jets on the road this season have allowed 2.2 touchdowns per game, and overall by PFF rank eighth-worst in pass-rush grade.
Honorable Mentions: PHI Carson Wentz at MIA, CAR Kyle Allen vs WAS
RUNNING BACKS
Always be aggressive from the waiver wire with running backs. With injuries so common at the position you never know when a back-up running back will find himself very quickly into a bell-cow workload. In this case, it is also worth it to be proactive with speculative adds to backups with injuries to starting running backs. Especially as we are now concluded with the bye-weeks. This week’s backup running back to target includes Rashaad Penny!
Nyheim Hines
Less Than 30% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
He was not great on Thursday night losing his majority of touches to Johnathan Williams in the passing game. However, he did still have 51 rushing yards on nine carries and I love the spot for him versus the Titans. Eric Ebron has been placed on IR, which could open more opportunities for Hines in the passing game. Tennesse this season has allowed the second-most receptions and most targets to running backs this season.
Rashaad Penny
Less Than 20% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
Is this the end of the Chris Carson era in Seattle? As of now, Penny has had plenty of chances to overtake the job from Carson with his prolonging fumbling issues. However, Penny finally capitalized in Week 12, where he rushed 14 times for 129 yards and one touchdown in the Seahawks’ 17-9 victory. Pete Carroll has come out and said “no reason not to get [Penny] back in there” in Week 13 against the Vikings. Penny played a season-high in snaps in Week 12. This is an extremely difficult spot for either running back as the Vikings have allowed the seventh-least points to the position and the only running backs that have scored double-digit fantasy points versus them outside Adrian Peterson have scored touchdowns. Seattle is averaging just .6 rushing touchdowns at home this season. Minnesota is allowing an average league-low .3 touchdowns on the road this season. I think he’s a better add and stash than start this week.
Darrel Williams
Less Than 6% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
This backfield has been a mess all season, but when Williams has been featured he has played extremely well. If Damien Williams or LeSean McCoy is out in Week 13 that would thrust Darrel into a significant role on the Kansas City offense. Damien Williams looked to be taking over in the Chiefs’ backfield, but of course, he went down with a rib injury in Week 11. McCoy (55% owned) ended up scoring a touchdown, but then he left with a concussion. Kansas City returns off the bye, but there is a scenario where Darrel Williams is starting in Week 13. Darrel Williams led the backfield in touches with 13 and saw all the late work in the fourth quarter in Week 11.
Bo Scarborough
Less Than 43% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
He has now seen 32 carries over the last two weeks and came extremely close to surpassing the century mark in Week 12. Now the Bears’ defense has been extremely up and down this season, but if we recall last year on Thanksgiving against an elite Bears’ defense LeGarrette Blount was able to rush for 88 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns. If Blount was able to do that last year versus an even better defense, I think Scarborough should be an RB2 in Week 13. The Bears are allowing 1.2 rushing touchdowns, 60% rushing touchdown percentage, 30.6 rushing attempts, and 6.8 rushing first downs per game on the road this season.
Honorable Mentions: ARI Chase Edmonds vs LAR, PIT Benny Snell vs CLE, BAL Gus Edwards vs SF, MIN Alexander Mattison at SEA, PHI Jay Ajayi at MIA
WIDE RECEIVERS
Receivers are much more volatile by nature, so consider asking yourself how often you will start this receiver you bid aggressively on the waiver wire? Understand how you will use this player when they are added to your roster. Are you adding them to start them in Week 13 or are looking at their playoff schedule? This can help determine priorities when addressing the waiver wire.
Pro Tip: With us entering Week 13, it is time to trim the fat of your rosters. With it this late in the season, it is time to get rid of those extra depth pieces and acquire more players with extremely high upside to fill out your bench. As much as you think you need your WR6 on your bench…you are probably better off grabbing another running back or second defense.
Chris Conley
Less Than 15% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
I mentioned above how often the Jaguars were passing the ball a ton and that carries over to the very-low owned Chris Conley. He has 16 targets over the past two weeks with ten receptions for over 100 yards. In Week 12 Conley led the Jaguars in air yards and over the past two weeks, Conley ranks fifth in the NFL overall in the total air yards (269) with an 18% target market share. It’s also extremely helpful that Conley draws the Buccaneers who have allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers over the past four weeks.
Mecole Hardman
Less Than 15% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
We still do not know the availability of Tyreek Hill, though the reports are promising that he will be back. However, if he is not Hardman would see an insane uptick in potential production. Regardless with the Chiefs playing the Raiders who have allowed the most passing plays (55) over 20 or more yards this season and second-most passing plays over 40 yards (12) this is the time to use Hardman.
Sterling Shepard
Less Than 54% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
Shepard saw nine targets in his first game back from injury and it comes at a time when Golden Tate could miss potential time. Shepard led the team in targets and receptions but had just 15 receiving yards. Darius Slayton is also worth an add as even in the tough spot he still compiled 67 receiving yards on four receptions with seven targets.
Randall Cobb
Less Than 30% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
Cobb has now seen four weeks with at least seven targets and we have seen the floor/ceiling from that target projection. In Week 9 Cobb had six receptions on eight targets for 35 yards. In Week 10 Cobb saw the same volume (eight targets, six receptions), but this time he went for 106 yards and one touchdown. He followed this performance up in Week 11 with another 100+ yard outing going for 115 and another score on just four receptions. And most recently in Week 12, he had four receptions for 86 receiving yards. With Amari Cooper and Jason Witten continuing to be inconsistent Cobb is emerging as a nice WR3 play on one of the league’s best passing attacks.
Anthony Miller
Less Than 12% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
With the Bears game being played on a Thursday, Miller is in a prime spot to produce because Taylor Gabriel is currently in the league’s concussion protocol. He had seven targets in Week 12 going for 77 yards. If Gabriel is out and Darius Slay shadows Allen Robinson, Miller should be able to operate freely versus the Lions defense that has allowed the fourth-most receiving yards to receivers over the past four weeks.
Honorable Mentions: TEN A.J. Brown at IND, PIT James Washington vs CLE, BUF Cole Beasley at DAL
TIGHT END
Jack Doyle
Less than 33% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
Eric Ebron has been placed on injured reserve making Doyle the tight no.1 in Indianapolis. Mo-Alie Cox is an interesting add in deeper formats as a red zone threat.
Ryan Griffin
Less than 44% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
Still the most widely available tight end he should be added if anybody needs a tight end this week. Griffin has scored nine-plus points in three of his last five games and the Bengals are the worst team versus the position this season over the past four weeks.
Ben Braunecker
Less than 0% Owned in Yahoo Leagues
He is the starting tight end of the Bears right now with both Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen both out with injuries. Over the past two weeks, he has run the eighth-most routes in the NFL at tight end and he caught a touchdown the last time he faced the Lions.
Honorable Mentions: David Njoku CLE at PIT
For defenses, you want to target the teams with the highest spreads. That assumes that the team will be winning thus forcing the opponent to have to be throwing more; creating more opportunities for sacks, fumbles, and interceptions. You do not want to start even great defenses against teams that are run-heavy. A theme with some of these defenses is they are home favorites.
- Philadelphia Eagles (41% Owned) – Miami Dolphins Week 13, Giants Week 14, and Redskins Week 15. Your defense for the next three weeks!
- Carolina Panthers (34% Owned) – Washington Redskins with Dwanye Haskins under center is always preferred.
- Los Angeles Chargers (31% Owned) – Brandon Allen and the Denver Broncos offense is one to target with a defense.
- Tampa Bay (2% Owned) – Games with the Buccaneers always produce a ton of passing plays so there are opportunities for sacks and turnovers. Jacksonville has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to defenses over the past four weeks.
