This is the Waiver Wire Week 13!
Waiver Wire content is a grind and a lot of hard work. But there is great satisfaction when you recommend a player for weeks and weeks, and then they start to put up bigtime fantasy production. Jayden Reed is a player I hope all of you have rostered right now. I continually had him in the Top 10 for a large portion of the season, and we are now starting to see him flourish. I loved seeing Reed score on Thanksgiving Day, and he is now one touchdown behind the lead among all rookies.
Reed is now rostered in almost 50 percent of Yahoo Leagues, so I cannot write about him anymore. I wish I could because this week lacks a lot of impact players on the Waiver Wire.
We also have the nightmare of six teams on Bye Weeks with two more on the way in Week 14.
BYE WEEKS
Week 13
Baltimore
Buffalo
Chicago
Las Vegas
Minnesota
New York Giants
Week 14
Arizona
Washington
NOTE: AS A REMINDER ALL PLAYERS LISTED ARE AVAILABLE IN 75% OR MORE OF YAHOO LEAGUES UNLESS LISTED AS A SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD.
Quarterbacks
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADDS: Jordan Love | Green Bay (52%) and Matthew Stafford | LA Rams (48%)
These are both solid additions this week. Derek Carr (44%) is also a stronger addition than anyone else on this list.
Kenny Pickett | Pittsburgh (16%)
Is there a post-Canada bump? Pickett passed for a season-high 278 yards in his first game without Matt Canada. Pittsburgh continually targeted the middle of the field with Pat Freiermuth having one of the best games of his entire career. We need to temper our expectations here, but Pickett could post low-end QB2 numbers for the rest of the season. The main driver holding back Pickett is TD passes. He has only had six the entire season.
Gardner Minshew | Indianapolis (16%)
Hello darkness, my old friend. The Waiver Wire is wiped clean this week, so it is time to turn back to Minshew. And when I say turn back, I mean turn back begrudgingly. Minshew has not had a big fantasy performance since Week 7.
However, he did pass for 251 yards and a ran for a TD in Indianapolis’ win over Tampa Bay. This week he faces against a beatable Tennesee secondary. This is definitely not a ceiling play. Rather, it is a floor play that will post mid QB2 numbers.
Will Levis | Tennessee (25%)
Levis has not passed for less than 200 yards for three straight weeks. The four-TD outburst against Atlanta feels like five seasons ago. Tennessee was firmly in control and did not have to do much of anything in the second half of Sunday’s win over Carolina. Levis will have a chance to put up stronger fantasy numbers in a Week 13 divisional matchup against Indianapolis.
Aidan O’Connell | Las Vegas (5%)
O’Connell is on the Supeflex radar. He has passed for 529 passing yards over his last two games played. After the Week 13 bye, O’Connell faces the Vikings and Chargers- two plus matchups for QBs.
Running Backs
Roschon Johnson | Chicago (23%)
Johnson has yet to play on Monday Night Football at the time I am writing this article, so a lot could change, but he remains one of the better Waiver Wire additions available this week. D’Onta Foreman is injured and will miss Monday’s game. Johnson does have a Week 13 Bye, so this is more of a rest of season addition than one that can help you this week. Here is what I wrote about Johnson last week:
Johnson is our No. 1 add at the RB position this week. D’Onta Foreman exited Week 11’s loss to Detroit with an ankle injury, and Khalil Herbert was inefficient. Johnson could see a larger role in Week 12’s divisional matchup against Minnesota. The rookie has five games with two or more receptions this season, and Minnesota just conceded 14 RB catches to Denver.
Jeff Wilson | Miami (17%)
Wilson is one of the best Waiver Wire additions available this week. De’Von Achane was unable to go in Miami’s Black Friday win over the Jets, and Wilson saw a substantial workload. Wilson posted season highs in rushing attempts (11), rushing yards (56), and touches (14). Raheem Mostert continued his incredible fantasy run with two rushing TDs, and the explosive Achane will immediately resume a prominent role in the Miami offense whenever he is able to play.
However, Wilson’s contingent upside and the confidence the Miami coaching staff has in him cannot be ignored. If Achane misses, Wilson can be a flex consideration this week against Washington. If Mostert were to miss any time, Wilson could assume the goal line duties in one of the league’s best offenses.
Rico Dowdle | Dallas (12%)
Every week, I list Dowdle as a strong addition, and then I have to do it all over again the following week. Dowdle continues to remain a low-rostered player despite his incredible contingent value. If Tony Pollard misses time, Dowdle would be a top 15 RB no matter who Dallas was playing. Dowdle has also scored a touchdown in two of his last three games. This is the sort of player you need on your bench as a lottery ticket. If you have Tony Pollard, make Dowdle the top priority addition for your team this week.
Royce Freeman | Los Angeles Rams (13%)
Post Bye Week, Sean McVay has decided to take out the Rolls Royce. Freeman now has back-to-back weeks with 70 plus rushing yards and ran for a TD in Week 12’s win over Arizona. Kyren Williams stole the show, but Freeman is now looking like a consistent part of the LA offense. He has had 12 or more rushing attempts in four of his last five games.
D’Ernest Johnson | Jacksonville (1%)
Travis Etienne briefly exited Sunday’s win with a chest injury. If the injury was significant, Johnson would have been the No. 1 waiver wire add this week. This is just another reminder that Johnson is the handcuff in Jacksonville and should be treated like Dowdle. Johnson has had 17 touches in the past two weeks.
Samaje Perine | Denver (20%)
Perine was a popular draft pick this summer and is starting to see consistent touches in the Denver backfield. In Week 11, Perine caught a season high seven passes. In Week 12, Perine had his first rushing TD of the season.
He is still a handcuff to Javonte Williams but is more of a handcuff plus. He cracks the top 10 for the first time this season.
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD Kenneth Gainwell | Philadelphia (27%)
Gainwell was quiet in Week 12’s overtime win over Buffalo, but he did see three targets. Rashaad Penny was inactive. Gainwell is one of the more valuable handcuff backs in the league right now due to the quality of the Philadelphia offense.
Latavius Murray | Buffalo (18%)
James Cook dropped a would-be TD pass. Murray had a season high five targets and finished with 48 combined yards. Cook ended up turning things around and finished the game with six catches. Murray is a stash. However, if Cook were to miss time, Murray could be a thing…or maybe it could be Leonard Fournette (see below).
Michael Carter | Arizona (2%)
Game flow helped, but Carter had his most promising game as a Cardinal. He caught all four of his targets and out carried Emari Demercado 4-3. Carter is a speculative addition for sure, but Arizona could get him more involved over the rest of the season.
Leonard Fournette | Buffalo (13%)
Buffalo RBs ran for less than 3.3 yards per carry in Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia. It may be time for Lenny.
Elijah Mitchell | San Francisco (17%)
Zamir White | Las Vegas (2%)
Chase Edmonds | Tampa Bay (1%)
Matt Breida | New York (1%)
Josh Kelley | Los Angeles Chargers (15%)
If you have the room, roster a handcuff. Some are less inspiring than others, but as the season progresses, it becomes more and more of a weekly game.
I do not need a player to score for an entire season. I need them to score for a few weeks, and in some cases only one week.
Wide Receivers
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADDS Demario Douglas | New England (36%)
Douglas is an obvious addition if still available. In shallower leagues, Jayden Reed (48%) is an auto add.
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD Curtis Samuel | Washington (28%)
Samuel was a frequent mention in this article earlier in the season, and he is now firmly back on our radars for the stretch run and fantasy playoffs. Washington was blown out on Thanksgiving, but Samuel was the lone bright spot. He posted season-highs of 12 targets, nine catches, and 100 receiving yards. Samuel led Washington with a 27 percent target share. He is a must-add this week, but bear in mind that his bye week falls in Week 14.
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD Joshua Palmer | Los Angeles Chargers (27%)
Palmer is eligible to return from the I.R. this week. His arrival is much needed with LA struggling to find consistent production besides Keenan Allen. Disappointing rookie Quentin Johnston is now dealing with a rib injury. As soon as Palmer is ready to go, look for him to step right back into his role as the team’s secondary WR target to Allen. In Weeks 3-8, Palmer had four games with seven or more targets. He is a low-end WR3/high-end WR4 immediately.
Greg Dortch | Arizona (2%)
Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in. Do not try and analyze or overthink this one. Dortch was invisible for the entire season, then Kyler Murray returned and Michael Wilson missed time and, well, Dortch has been targeted 17 times over the last two weeks.
I do not know what is going on in the internal process of the Arizona coaching staff. Maybe Kyler Murray just really likes Dortch? Any way you cut it; we cannot ignore the volume.
Justin Watson | Kansas City (4%)
Watson is hardly an exciting player to discuss, but we cannot ignore Patrick Mahomes receivers who have caught TD passes in back-to-back games. In Week 11, Watson was targeted 11 times. In Week 12, Watson’s targets dipped to three, but he managed to find the end zone. Besides Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice, there are no fantasy-relevant pass-catching weapons in KC. Consider Watson a speculative add to see if this could become a thing.
Jalin Hyatt | New York Giants (3%)
I want Hyatt to be a thing, so I will be optimistic with him this week on the Waiver Wire. The Giants head to their bye week on a two-week winning streak. In a 10-7 game, Hyatt delivered with multiple big plays, including receptions of 29 and 41 yards. Hyatt finished with season highs in targets (six), catches (five) and yards (109). The speedy rookie ending the season on a high note would be a good sign for New York to find some hope for the future in a WR corps that has failed to deliver.
Marvin Mims | Denver (9%)
Mims has had back-to-back weeks with three targets. In Sunday’s win, Mims finished with 35 total yards- his highest total since Week 4. I am not optimistic about him seeing a huge role in any upcoming week, but Mims would put up fantasy numbers if he had a high usage role.
On the bright side, his ADP will not be too high when I draft him in 2024.
Jameson Williams | Detroit (22%)
Williams keeps flashing low-end fantasy production. He has 95 combined receiving yards over his last two games. His snap shares have been 50+ plus for two straight games. If we treat Williams like he is a rookie and not a second-year player, there is reason for optimism. He has contingent upside if one of the high-end Lions skill position players were to miss time.
Jonathan Mingo | Carolina (5%)
Carolina cleaned house, firing head coach Frank Reich as well as RB coach Deuce Staley. I am not sure what direction this offense is headed in, and I am not sure they are either. One thing is for sure: we have seen increased usage lately for Mingo. Mingo has now had at least six targets in three straight games. He finished Sunday’s loss with 60 receiving yards- his second-highest total of the season. This is a lousy offense but look for Mingo to continue to be a big part of it. I am prioritizing him because of the opportunity with a new play caller. Although, it may be wise to ignore everything I just wrote and stay away from all Panthers.
Michael Wilson | Arizona (10%)
Wilson missed his second straight game. If he returns this week, look for him to see six or so targets and some downfield shots against a beatable Pittsburgh secondary. Arizona has their Bye in Week 14, making Wilson less appealing.
Khalil Shakir | Buffalo (17%)
Shakir is on a Bye week and could be cut. If you are in a deep league, he gives you exposure to the Buffalo passing game.
Cedric Tillman | Cleveland (0%)
Cleveland selected Tillman in the third round of the 2023 draft, and he served as a depth piece for most of the season. Donovan Peoples-Jones was traded at the deadline, opening up more opportunities for Tillman.
After a slow and steady playing time increase starting in Week 9, Tillman finally flashed. In Cleveland’s loss to Denver, Tillman posted career highs of four catches and 55 receiving yards. Amari Cooper is now dealing with a rib injury, and if he misses time, Tillman could be a full-time player this week.
Hunter Renfrow | Las Vegas (1%)
Josh McDaniel gets fired, and Renfrow starts playing. As simplistic as it sounds, Renfrow was in fantasy purgatory, buried under McDaniel. Renfrow has now caught nine passes over the past two weeks. Las Vegas has a chance to self-scout during their bye week, and we could see more of Renfrow in the weeks to come.
Rashod Bateman |Baltimore (18%)
Bateman saw an uptick in snaps in Baltimore’s first game without Mark Andrews. He has now posted snap shares of 70+ percent in back-to-back games. With the Ravens on bye this week, consider stashing Bateman to see if he sees an increased role down the stretch.
AT Perry | New Orleans (3%)
Deep league managers should look to Perry if Rashid Shaheed‘s quad injury worsens. This week, Perry could be a desperation streamer with Shaheed and Olave set to miss as New Orleans will have to keep up with the explosive Detroit Lions.
Tight Ends
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD Cade Otton | Tampa Bay (29%)
Otton continues to deliver low end, but consistent PPR production at the TE position. He has now had at least four catches in five out of his last six games. This sort of consistency cannot be ignored at a position that is so difficult to find weekly production in.
Otton is a strong TE2 to roster for the fantasy playoffs. He showed his ceiling in Week 2 with six catches for 70 yards and two TDs.
Juwan Johnson | New Orleans
Johnson is a strong streaming option this week against Detroit. He is coming off of a season-high of seven targets and 45 receiving yards. Chris Olave will likely miss with a concussion, and Rashid Shaheed suffered a thigh injury. Johnson could see an outsized role against a Lions team that has been generous against opposing TEs. Last week, Tucker Kraft found the end zone against Detroit. Johnson could make it two weeks in a row.
Tucker Kraft | Green Bay (1%)
Luke Musgrave is now on the I.R., and Kraft stepped into a nearly every down role. Kraft caught a first-quarter TD but was only targeted three times. Still, there is some optimism. He has now had at least two targets in three straight games, and it seems like only a matter of time before his target totals start to increase. Like Musgrave, Kraft was a Day Two selection, and the Packers offense is showing signs of life. His next two games are difficult, but a Week 15 matchup with Tampa Bay is promising.
Tyler Conklin | New York Jets (16%)
Our favorite break glass in case of emergency TE option. If you are in a jam, consider Conklin.
He has now has at least five targets and four catches in three of his last four games. He is a no ceiling, low floor safety blanket.
Greg Dulcich | Denver (8%)
Dulcich is a speculative addition. He is due to come back soon from the I.R. just as the Denver offense is improving.
Overall Top 10
1- Roschon Johnson RB Chicago
2- Curtis Samuel WR Washington
3- Jeff Wilson RB Miami
3- Cade Otton TE Tampa Bay
4- Rico Dowdle RB Dallas
5- Joshua Palmer WR Los Angeles Chargers
6- Greg Dortch WR Arizona
7- Jalin Hyatt WR New York Giants
8- Royce Freeman RB LA Rams
9- D’Ernest Johnson RB Jacksonville
10- Juwan Johnson TE New Orleans
