24 Nov Week 12 Waiver Wire Roundup – Turkey Day Offerings
Week 11 saw the end to a promising rookie season and the encouraging play from everyone’s favorite tight end/gunner/quarterback. The waiver wire options continue to be good sources of fantasy production heading into a fun Turkey Day slate, and the twilight of the fantasy regular season.
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Quarterback
Taysom Hill
New Orleans Saints – Rostered at 43% Yahoo!, 84% ESPN
Taysom Hill is not going to be confused for Drew Brees any time soon, but it was encouraging to see him utilize his best offensive weapons, including his legs. The only anomaly from his performance was the lack of production with Alvin Kamara in the passing game. Quarterbacks with the rushing upside of Hill’s will always have a place on fantasy rosters.
Kirk Cousins
Minnesota Vikings– 42% Yahoo!, 19% ESPN
Kirk Cousins was excellent in Minnesota’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He has Carolina at home in Week 12 and a trip to Jacksonville Week 13. Cousins is arguably the best streaming option heading into the fantasy playoffs. If he pulls off QB1 performances over the next two weeks, he could have more top 12 performances than Matthew Stafford, Ryan Tannehill, and Carson Wentz, all of whom were drafted before Cousins to start the season.
Running Back
Kerryon Johnson
Detroit Lions – 16% Yahoo!, 27% ESPN
If D’Andre Swift cannot get out of concussion protocol prior to their Thanksgiving Day game, Kerryon Johnson is a desperation play. The Houston Texans allow the most yards per carry to opposing running backs, and Johnson saw five of the six running back targets for Detroit in Week 11 while getting one less catch than Adrian Peterson.
Gus Edwards
Baltimore Ravens – 28% Yahoo!, 7% ESPN
COVID has struck the Ravens backfield, and Gus Edwards is the only trusted back to not fall ill. If one or both of J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram miss Thursday’s game, Edwards will be in for a healthy workload, albeit against a tough Steelers run defense.
Salvon Ahmed
Miami Dolphins – 64% Yahoo!, 42% ESPN
Salvon Ahmed has been the lead dog for Miami the past two weeks, seeing double-digit carries in each game, including five catches during Week 11’s loss. Myles Gaskin could return soon, making Ahmed’s future role muddled.
Frank Gore
New York Jets – 10% Yahoo!, 9% ESPN
La’Mical Perine is expected to miss time with an ankle sprain, so Frank Gore is going to get most of the carries, for what it is worth. You could do worse!
James White
New England Patriots – 40% Yahoo!, 36% ESPN
The Patriots lost Rex Burkhead for the year, and in his absence James White saw an extended run. White is a PPR mainstay that should see an uptick in production without Burkhead. The Patriots welcome Arizona to Foxboro Week 12.
Wide Receiver
Michael Pittman Jr.
Indianapolis Colts – 44% Yahoo!, 24% ESPN
The rookie hit double-digit fantasy points for the second straight week, good for his second WR2 performance over that span. Michael Pittman’s chemistry with Philip Rivers has not only sparked his fantasy production, but it is spreading throughout the offense. A healthy Pittman is good for Indy and fantasy teams.
Tim Patrick
Denver Broncos – 21% Yahoo!, 14% ESPN
Tim Patrick is severely under-rostered in season-long fantasy. He has 10-plus fantasy points in six of nine games played this season and has a true DGAF quarterback slinging the ball around. Denver is not particularly good and should be in pass-heavy game scripts going forward.
Breshad Perriman
New York Jets – 11% Yahoo!, 14% ESPN
Breshad Perriman has been a top 40 receiver in three of his six games this season. That is impressive considering the turmoil the Jets offense has faced all season, including Perriman’s own health issues. His production is erratic because of said offense, but it is clear that the offense is better when Perriman is a focal point.
Keelan Cole
Jacksonville Jaguars – 28% Yahoo!, 15% ESPN
The imminent return of Gardner Minshew should revitalize all Jaguars passing options. Keelan Cole has emerged as the second receiver in an offense that depends on playing catch-up offensively. If your fantasy team has players with Week 12 and 13 byes, Cole is a worthwhile waiver wire add. Jacksonville gets Cleveland and Minnesota the next two games.
Allen Lazard
Green Bay Packers – 42% Yahoo!, 32% ESPN
MVS picked a bad week to have an untimely fumble, as Allen Lazard was eased back into the offense Week 11 and is expected to slot behind Davante Adams on the target share list. Lazard is an auto play if he is on your waiver wire.
Steven Sims
Washington Football Team – 2% Yahoo!, 2% ESPN
WFT’s slot receiver caught all three targets his saw Week 11 and logged the team’s only receiving touchdown. Steven Sims is also being eased back into his team’s offense, playing 20 snaps this week. His role is secure in this offense, and on a short week he will be depended on against a porous Cowboys defense.
Tight End
Dalton Schultz
Dallas Cowboys – 21% Yahoo!, 24% ESPN
I hate to harp on the tight end position again, but it continues to be a desert of despair. Dalton Schultz put up 12.5 PPR points in Week 11 and will finish as a TE1 for the week. Schultz gets the Football Team on Thanksgiving, and although the secondary is questionable, they have done okay against tight ends. WFT has allowed five touchdowns to opposing tight ends, with two of them coming in one game.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Anthony Firkser
Tennessee Titans – 1% Yahoo!, 1% ESPN
Jonnu Smith left Sunday’s win over the Ravens with an ankle injury. If he were to miss Week 12 and beyond, Anthony Firkser is thrusted into the TE1 conversation. The Titans utilize tight ends in the red zone, and the Titans have double-digit touchdowns passes to the position. Firkser caught four of five targets in Week 11 with Smith missing time.
Jordan Akins
Houston Texans – 2% Yahoo!, 2% ESPN
Jordan Akins is worth a flyer off the waiver wire. The Texans are expected to be without Randall Cobb for a few weeks, and no one is going to expect Keke Coutee to command all his targets. Akins had his second-most targets and catches of the season last week, and a soft Lions defense is next on Thanksgiving.
Jeff has been playing fantasy sports since 2001. He has covered and written about fantasy, high school, and professional sports for over five years. When not grinding articles and fantasy lineups, he spends time with his wife and two kids, runs for charity, and continues to get progressively worse at golf, no matter how hard he tries.