Targeting weekly waiver picks is a completely subjective business,
but this column hopes to point out some obvious and not-so-obvious
selections to help your team from week to week while you strive
to collect fantasy wins, reach your league playoffs and win the
elusive title that your friends say is out of your grasp. While
I’m a big proponent of making trades to bolster your roster,
the waiver wire can be an almost limitless resource when it comes
to discovering fantasy value in strange places. Each week, I’ll
highlight some of the popular (and not-so-popular) players who can
help your squad and may still be available in your league.
Jared Goff,
LAR – I’ll update after tonight’s game, but for now, Goff looks
like a possible plug-n-play next week facing the Cardinals in
Arizona. He’s owned in about 60 percent of ESPN leagues and still
has a host of talented receivers.
UPDATE: Goff completed 26-of-37
passes for 212-0-2 in the Week 12 loss to the Ravens on Monday
night, but this Sunday against the Cardinals offers a much better
range of outcomes. He’s due for a big game and should have
a much easier time completing throws to his top receivers.
Mitchell Trubisky, CHI – Nobody really wants to start Trubisky
in fantasy, and with bye weeks over, they hopefully won’t
have to. But the matchup in Week 13 is a favorable one (@DET)
and he’s shown some improvement lately, including a 278-1-2
performance against the Giants in Week 12.
Baker Mayfield,
CLE – We really nailed two QBs this week, as Mayfield completed
24 of 34 pass attempts for 327-3-1 during Sunday’s 41-24 win over
the Dolphins, and Sam Darnold had a big day as well. Mayfield
has now eclipsed the 300-yard mark three times this season, and
next Sunday against the Steelers could yield another big total.
Nick Foles,
JAC – Foles had a disappointing day Sunday, throwing for just
272-0-0 and adding 20 yards on three carries. He has a more favorable
matchup next Sunday against the Buccaneers, and while there’s
no plans to change back to Gardner Minshew, it’s a possibility
at some point.
UPDATE: While the Jags have been
getting questions about Minshew getting another shot, Marrone
doesn't seem like he’s prepping to abandon Foles just yet.
Sam Darnold,
NYJ – Darnold seems to have turned a corner. He completed 20-of-29
passes for 315-2-0 on Sunday, adding 16 yards and a touchdown
on four carries. He’s got a great matchup in Week 13 facing the
0-11 Bengals and is on the QB1 and DFS radar.
Running Backs
Rashaad Penny,
SEA – Chris Carson figured to get the majority of touches in the
Seattle backfield, but Penny had a monster day on Sunday, rushing
14 times for 129 yards and a TD in the win over the Eagles. His
breakout day included a career-best 58-yard TD scamper in the
fourth quarter, as Penny showed some of the abilities that earned
him a first-round selection in 2018. HC Pete Carroll could stick
with the hot hand in Week 12 against the Vikings, but it’s a much
tougher matchup.
Benny Snell,
PIT – Snell returned from a knee injury and finished with 98 yards
on the ground and added a five-yard catch during Sunday’ s 16-10
win over the Bengals. Snell has a tougher matchup against the
Browns and we’ll have to monitor the backfield injuries.
UPDATE: For now, it sounds like
Conner won’t be ready for the Week 13 game with the Browns,
making Snell a safer RB2/3 option. Devlin Hodges gets the start
at QB, so that could help Snell’s ceiling as well.
Derrius Guice,
WAS – Guice didn’t do much on Sunday, rushing for 32 yards on
10 carries and adding a six-yard catch in the 19-16 win over Detroit.
He’s splitting carries with Adrian Peterson and gets a favorable
matchup in Week 13 against a Carolina defense ranked 29th in the
league against RBs.
Jonathan
Williams/Jordan
Wilkins, IND – Williams finished with 104 yards and a TD on
26 carries (3-17-0 receiving), and Wilkins logged just one offensive
snap. J-Will is the clear lead back with Marlon Mack sidelined.
Jaylen Samuels,
PIT – Samuels carried just twice for 6 yards and caught 3-26-0
in Sunday's 16-10 win over the Bengals. With James Conner (shoulder)
ruled out again, Samuels should have gotten more work, but it
was Snell (returning from a knee injury) who led the team with
22 touches and looks to be the Steelers primary option with Conner
sidelined.
Bo Scarbrough, DET – Scarbrough ran for 98 yards on 18
carries in the tough loss to Washington, losing a fumble during
the game. It’s probably best to avoid the Detroit backfield
on Thursday against the Bears defense that ranks fourth-best in
the NFL vs. RBs.
Gus Edwards,
BAL – UPDATE: Edwards rushed 14
times for 55 yards in the Ravens’ Week 12 win over the Rams,
but Lamar Jackson and the first-team offense was so busy scoring
TDs they forgot to give ol’ Gus his requisite goal line
carries. Next week, he’ll still make a possible flex play
in deeper formats.
Wide Receivers / Tight Ends
Will Fuller, HOU – Fuller finally got back in action for
the Texans after dealing with a hamstring injury and caught 7-140-0
on 11 targets on Thursday night. He’s owned in about 65
percent of ESPN leagues and should be in good shape for a Week
13 matchup against the Patriots. He closes out the season with
three favorable matchups (@TEN, @TB, TEN).
A.J. Brown, TEN – The dynamic rookie WR hauled in four
of his five targets for 135 yards and a score in the Week 12 win
over the Jaguars. Brown (15-25 percent owned) led the team in
targets, receptions and yards but is likely to remain boom-or-bust
WR3/4 for the remainder of the season, including in a favorable
draw against the Dolphins in Week 13.
James Washington, PIT – Washington (20-25 percent owned)
caught 3-98-1 on seven targets on Sunday and seems to have decent
rapport with Devlin Hodges as well. He led the Steelers in targets
in Week 12 and looks for another solid game against Cleveland
in Week 13.
Robby Anderson, NYJ – Anderson hauled in four of five targets
for 86 yards and a TD in Sunday's 34-3 win over the Raiders, delighting
DFS and season-long owners who plugged him in. He’s been
spotty this season as the Jets offense as struggled, but he’s
in great shape for a matchup against the Bengals in Week 13.
TE Jack Doyle,
IND – With Eric Ebron (ankle) hitting the IR, Doyle should see
more offensive snaps and a larger volume of the targets. Former
VCU hoopster Mo Alie-Cox is the other TE of note on the roster,
though he’s struggled with hip and thumb injuries this season
and has been limited to about 20 snaps per game.
Anthony Miller, CHI – Miller has been a popular target
for Trubisky over the past couple of weeks and he caught six passes
for 77 yards in the Bears’ win over the Giants on Sunday.
Miller has now seen at least nine targets in consecutive weeks
and has surpassed 50 yards five times over his last seven contests.
He’s a solid WR3/4 with some upside.
Deebo Samuel,
SF – Samuel caught both of his targets for 50 yards and a TD in
Sunday’s 37-8 win over Green Bay, remaining an important offensive
cog (albeit with a much lower target volume) even with George
Kittle and Emmanuel Sanders active. He’s got a much tougher matchup
in Week 13 against the Ravens.
DeVante Parker,
MIA – It was a good week for our WR recommendations. Parker hauled
in 6-91-0 on 11 targets on Sunday, and now has at least five receptions
in five of the last six games. He’ll be a decent WR3 heading into
Week 13 against the Eagles.
Randall Cobb, DAL – Cobb caught 4-86-0 on seven targets
in the loss to the Patriots, and while he’s a solid part
of this potent offense, he may find it tough to break through
against the Bills on Thanksgiving.
TE Ryan Griffin, NYJ – Another TD! Griffin caught 3-13-1
in Sunday's 34-3 win over the Raiders and now has five TDs with
the Jets in 2019, including four in the past five games. He’s
a must-own TE1 in all formats.
N’Keal
Harry, NE – Harry only had one catch on Sunday, but he made
it count, hauling in a 10-yard touchdown – the game’s
only TD – in the win over the Cowboys.
