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
for that elusive title that your friends say is out of your grasp.
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 that
might be available in 12-team PPR leagues. I’ll also provide
a brief update on the players I covered the previous week.
Ryan Tannehill,
TEN vs. Cincinnati – Tannehill gets to face a vulnerable Cincy
defense in Week 12 after completing 22-of-27 passes for 333-2-1
in the Titans’ 27-17 win over the Packers on Thursday night.
UPDATE:Jimmy
Garoppolo, SF vs. New Orleans – It may seem bizarre to highlight
a notoriously weak fantasy football QB in an unexciting matchup,
but Garoppolo’s teammates love him, he’s been surprisingly consistent
in the 15-20 fantasy point range since Week 4, and he’s coming
off his best game of the season against the Cards in a 38-10 victory
on MNF (224-4-0). He’s only about 50% owned, the offense is loaded
with dynamic options and the 49ers are playing excellent football
right now.
Derek Carr, LV at Seattle – Carr’s 307-2-0 in Sunday’s
22-16 win over the Broncos is a promising antecedent to another
must-win game in Seattle in Week 12. His rapport with Davante
Adams is unmistakable and a big part of his success in the past
few weeks.
Matt Ryan, IND – Ryan completed 23-of-32 passes for 213
yards against Philadelphia on Sunday and faces the poor Steelers
secondary in Week 12. Giddyup!
Kenny Pickett, PIT – Pickett completed 25-of-42 passes
for 265 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 37-30 loss to the Bengals.
He added two rushing attempts for 14 yards and appears to be trending
up heading into the Week 12 matchup with Indy.
Deshaun Watson,
CLE – Watson (suspension) remains on track to make his Browns
debut Week 13 in Houston.
Running Backs
Samaje Perine,
CIN at Tennessee – Joe Mixon left Sunday’s game with a concussion
and Perine went nuts – catching four passes for 52 yards and three
(!) TDs and adding 11 carries for 30 rushing yards. He’ll be the
priority add despite the difficult matchup with Tennessee.
Isiah Pacheco,
KC vs. Los Angeles Rams – Pacheco rushed 15 times for 107 yards
in Sunday’s 30-27 win over the Chargers. He wasn’t targeted in
the passing game (that role is mostly handled by Jerick McKinnon)
but with Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) playing poorly and being
phased out even before his latest injury, Pacheco could be in
line for the bulk of the rushing work.
Latavius
Murray, DEN at Carolina – Murray ran for 49 rushing yards
and a score against the Raiders and added 4-23-0 receiving – numbers
that could get even better as the Denver backfield thins out and
leaves him and Marlon Mack as the top two viable options. The
team waived Melvin Gordon on Monday after he fumbled at the goal
line and was benched during Sunday’s loss. Chase Edmonds is expected
to miss several weeks due to a high ankle sprain suffered in Week
11. Murray has scored four touchdowns in six games, and since
Mack has yet to play an offensive snap in 2022, Murray will be
a popular add and could be unavailable after waivers run this
week.
Damien Harris,
NE at Minnesota – Harris (still available in over a third of ESPN
leagues) returned to action for New England took a few touches
from Rhamondre Stevenson, finishing with eight carries for 65
yards and 2-28-0 receiving yards in Sunday’s 10-3 win over the
Jets. The matchup with Minnesota could see both backs do well
in Week 12.
Elijah Mitchell,
SF – UPDATE: Mitchell rushed
nine times for 59 yards on Monday night. The Christian McCaffrey
trade effectively declawed his fantasy value but there’s
still a wisp of relevance as a change-of-pace to CMC.
Jaylen Warren,
PIT – Warren left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury and Najee
bounced back with a stronger game than we’d seen all year.
UPDATE: The injury is not
considered significant, but Harris will be the workhorse this
week. Benny Snell could fill in the blanks if Warren can’t go.
Demarcus Robinson, BAL at Jacksonville – Robinson had a
huge day (9-128-0) in the Ravens’ 13-3 win over the Panthers
on Sunday and appears to be settling in as the WR1 in Baltimore
after his big week.
Parris Campbell, IND vs. Pittsburgh – Campbell caught five
passes for 67 yards on six targets against Philadelphia on Sunday
and should continue to see myriad targets alongside Michael Pittman
Jr., but Campbell is owned in about half of fantasy leagues while
MPJ gets all the love from owners.
Treylon Burks, TEN vs. Cincinnati – Burks hauled in 7-111-0
on eight targets in the TNF win over the Packers and looks to
build on his solid rookie campaign in a Week 12 home matchup against
the Bengals.
TE Austin Hooper,
TEN vs. Cincinnati – Looking for a sneaky TE add? Hooper brought
in all four targets for 36 yards and two TDs in Week 12 and gets
a solid matchup like his teammate Treylon. He’s sporting a 15-172-2
line over his last five games, but the TE2 upside is there with
TD dependence.
Christian Watson, GB – Watson followed up his Week 10 breakout
with another multi-TD game as he brought in four of six targets
for 48 yards and two scores on Thursday night. He’s a high-risk,
high-reward WR3 moving forward.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, TEN – The Titans offense got going
a little on Thursday night, but Burks, TE Austin Hooper and Derrick
Henry seemed to fare the best. Westbrook-Ikhine tallied just two
measly catches on two targets for 28 yards in the win over the
Packers.
Kadarius Toney, KC – Toney left Sunday night’s game
with a hamstring injury in the first half and was subsequently
ruled out of the remainder of the contest. The second-year WR
has an extensive history of hamstring issues over his brief NFL
career, so we can’t count on him playing Week 12 against
the Rams and the injury could linger into the subsequent weeks.
Darius Slayton, NYG – Slayton had five receptions on 10
targets for 86 yards in Sunday’s 31-18 loss to Detroit,
and his fantasy stock should remain up should Wan’Dale Robinson
miss time.
