Before and after Thanksgiving week, every fantasy football decision we make starts to take on increased importance. With the trade deadline passed in most leagues, free-agent and waiver-wire pickups now serve as the only way to improve our teams from week to week. Our Week 13 waiver wire watchlist will pinpoint the players at each position we believe will yield the greatest value, both next week and for the remainder of the fantasy season and playoffs.
Yours truly has highlighted studs before their breakouts all season, a big reason why most of my fantasy teams have enjoyed strong campaigns despite myriad injuries. Our watchlist has pointed readers in the direction of C.J. Stroud, Devin Singletary, and Puka Nacua when they were all under 50-percent rostered. Now, those guys look like league-winners — not bad for speculative adds that cost $0 in FAAB and didn't use up a waiver priority.
We've been telling you all year: make the most of your open roster spots, or one of your opponents will. Try to anticipate who will be Week 13's top pickups after strong performances this weekend. Be proactive about your bye weeks and bad matchups by choosing your upcoming streamers now. By adding potential boom players as free agents before their breakouts, you find solid production without burning a valuable waiver claim or FAAB money.
WEEK 12 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit
At this part of the season — especially with six teams on bye next week — we're all playing matchups each week, with many just limping from matchup to matchup due to injuries. If you're in that camp, it's smart to plan ahead and get your first choice before other owners jump into the frenzy once new information emerges. Our waiver-wire watchlist helps you think about the future while the rest of your league is thinking about the present.
Some shallower leagues don't feature enough roster spots to really take advantage of "planning ahead" — but for those in leagues that do, our week-ahead watchlist will be helpful all year long. Even though you won't pick up most (or in some cases, all) of these players, it's at least worth watching their snap counts and target shares to file away for later.
WEEK 12 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Watchlist
Reminder: This list was put together in the lead-in to Week 12, looking forward to the players who could be popular waiver wire targets ahead of Week 13. If you have a roster spot to play with, these are free agent options you could grab early to beat the waiver buzz.
All these players are below 50 percent ownership on Yahoo unless otherwise specified.
Week 13 Fantasy Waiver Wire Watchlist: QB
WEEK 13 BYES: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants.
Derek Carr, Saints (vs. Lions in Week 13, 42 percent rostered)
Carr has basically become a perma-stream, never quite good enough to warrant rest-of-season ownership but always just appealing enough to merit plug-and-plays in strong matchups. Detroit's defense has improved mightily over the years, but it still allows high-floor QBs with strong skill-position players to put up respectable fantasy numbers. In fact, the Lions' D has actually surrendered the ninth-most fantasy points per game to QBs this season. In a week marred by byes and injuries, Carr in a dome in what could be a shootout seems like a strong one-week option.
Gardner Minshew, Colts at Titans (14%)
Minshew has hit the skids a bit over the past couple of weeks, but he has also been playing teams you don't need to put up monster numbers against to beat (the Panthers and Patriots). We also take what happens in Germany games with a grain of salt. We can take as much from Indy's past two matchups as we can take from its two before that, in which Minshew put up fantasy scores of 31 and 19, respectively, against the Browns and Saints. This week could be a get-right game for the mustachioed QB, as Tennessee's defense has struggled in just about every way over the past month. Baker Mayfield and Trevor Lawrence combined to score 58.5 fantasy points against the Titans over the past two weeks. Invite the Gardner in for a casual stream (and we're not talking about Netflix and chill, you filthy animals).
Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers vs. Panthers (50%)
The Panthers generally get destroyed on the ground, lowering the stream ceilings of QBs, but we still like Mayfield next week if we find ourselves in a pinch. The veteran has quietly put up 22.3-plus fantasy points in three of the Bucs' past four games, and he often benefits from dump-offs and screens to running back Rachaad White and tight end Cade Otton. Plus, with the TD-upside that consistently comes with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Mayfield's floor will always be high. Even if you don't stream him next week, Tampa has juicy matchups against Atlanta and Jacksonville looming in the weeks to come.
MORE POTENTIAL WEEK 13 QB STREAMS (it's not great): Kenny Pickett, Steelers vs. Cardinals (16%); Bryce Young, Panthers at Buccaneers (15%)
WEEK 12 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 13 Fantasy Waiver Wire Watchlist: RB
WEEK 13 BYES: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants.
Jeff Wilson Jr., Dolphins (12 percent rostered)
With stud rookie De'Von Achane aggravating his MCL injury one snap into his return from IR and Salvon Ahmed hitting the IR with a foot injury, Jeff Wilson Jr. has returned to fantasy relevance as a high-ceiling handcuff to Raheem Mostert. JWJ battled ailments of his own earlier in the season, but he's not currently listed on the Dolphins' injury report, so we're stashing him at the very least. He had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and six TDs last season, so he's far from washed, and any running back with a role in this high-flying Miami offense has value. Mike McDaniel could very well play it safe with Achane, especially during a relatively soft stretch in the Dolphins' schedule.
Tyjae Spears, Titans (38%)
It sure feels like something has been wrong with Derrick Henry this season, as the two-time rushing champ has put up some of the worst single-game performances of his career. Matchups with Carolina, Indianapolis, and Seattle over the next five weeks — three of the five most generous rushing defenses in the NFL — should either serve as get-right games or rock-bottom for King Henry. It's possible the stud veteran feasts and Spears does as well, and it's also possible Henry gets shut down if he is in fact injured, at which point Spears' value skyrockets. Either way, we're stashing the rookie, who has averaged 5.2 yards per carry this season.
MORE POTENTIAL RB PICKUPS: Zack Moss, Colts (50%); Ty Chandler, Vikings (46%); Ezekiel Elliott, Patriots (39%); Jerick McKinnon, Chiefs (29%); Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles (26%); Dalvon Cook, Jets (23%); Roschon Johnson, Bears (20%); Samaje Perine, Broncos (19%), Royce Freeman, Rams (15%), Rico Dowdle, Cowboys (13%)
WEEK 12 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 13 Fantasy Waiver Wire Watchlist: WR
WEEK 13 BYES: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants.
Noah Brown, Texans (47 percent rostered)
Brown has been dealing with a knee injury that already sidelined him from Week 11, but he likely won't be in street clothes much longer. So, why is this dude available in over half of leagues? You want every high-usage part of this high-flying C.J. Stroud offense, and Brown absolutely qualifies for that classification when healthy. Across Weeks 9 and 10, he caught 13-of-14 targets for 325 yards and a TD, good for 51.5 PPR points. Stash this dude ASAP if he's available. Houston has two games against Tennessee in the fantasy playoffs.
Jayden Reed, Packers (44%)
Reed has broken out in a major way over the past couple of weeks, posting two straight games with over 19 PPR points. During that stretch, the rookie hauled in nine-of-11 targets for 130 yards and a TD, and he also added a long rushing TD. Just look at Green Bay's wideout-friendly schedule from Week 14 on: @ NYG, vs. TB, @ CAR, @ MIN. That's as juicy as a freshly-basted Butterball.
Elijah Moore, Browns (42%)
Moore has flown under the radar a bit, quietly posting 27.4 PPR points over the past two weeks in a Cleveland offense that only the true sickos can stand to watch. He's getting the targets (seven in two straight weeks and seven-plus in seven different games on the season) and he's making the catches (11 for 106 and a TD over the past two games). At the least, stash Moore and wait to see if he keeps this up. If he balls out this weekend, you'll be ahead of the curve and ready to flex next week while your leaguemates clamor to the wire for help.
A.T. Perry, Saints (2%)
We're going deep with this one, in part because he's talented and in part because veteran Saints wideout Michael Thomas just hit the IR with a knee injury suffered in Week 10. In that same week, the rookie Perry caught two of his first four NFL targets and even found the end zone, finishing with a very respectable 11.8 PPR points. You can't possibly trust him enough to start him just yet, but he's well worth a stash considering how often Derek Carr and company have been passing the ball. Thomas's vacated targets (6.4 per game) can't all go to Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, after all. New Orleans has a favorable rest-of-season schedule for the passing game, including the Giants and Buccaneers in the fantasy playoffs, so consider grabbing A.T. ASAP.
MORE POTENTIAL WR STASHES: Rashid Shaheed, Saints (47%); Demario Douglas, Patriots (34%); Curtis Samuel, Commanders (29%); Zay Jones, Jaguars (20%); Jameson Williams, Lions (22%); Odell Beckham Jr. (44%) and Rashod Bateman (17%), Ravens; Khalil Shakir, Bills (14%)
Week 13 Fantasy Waiver Wire Watchlist: TE
WEEK 13 BYES: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants.
Tyler Conklin, Jets vs. Falcons in Week 13 (17 percent rostered)
Conklin has been one of the bright spots in an otherwise dismal Jets' offense, and perhaps New York changing from Zach Wilson to Tim Boyle will benefit him (it couldn't possibly make things worse). The Falcons have surrendered the third-most fantasy points per game to the tight end position, most recently giving up 14 to T.J. Hockenson and 21 to Trey McBride. Honk if you're streaming the Conk!
Hunter Henry, Patriots vs. Chargers (29%)
The Patriots' wide receiver corps has been historically bad, so Mac Jones often looks to his favorite tight-end target on third down and in the red zone. The Chargers' defense has also been bruta, allowing the third-most total yards and passing yards and the second-most fantasy points per game to the TE position, so you could do a lot worse than Henry as a one-week fill-in.
Jonnu Smith, Falcons at Jets (28%)
He shouldn't be a streaming option because Kyle Pitts should be getting 100 percent of his targets, but this is an Arthur Smith offense we're talking about, so of course Smith is relevant. New York will likely limit the damage Drake London and Van Jefferson will do out wide, but Smith and Pitts could put up some decent numbers. Gang Green has allowed a tight end to score double-digit fantasy points in each of the past two weeks.
MORE POTENTIAL WEEK 13 TE STREAMS (last resorts): Pat Freiermuth, Steelers vs. Cardinals (48%); Juwan Johnson, Saints vs. Lions (9%)
Week 13 fantasy defense streamers and sleepers
WEEK 13 BYES: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Bengals in Week 13 (41 percent rostered)
The Jags aren't half-bad in plus matchups, scoring double-digit fantasy points four times and at least seven standard D/ST points seven different times. We like their sack and takeaway upside at home against the Joe Burrow-less Bengals.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Panthers (29%)
You had me at Carolina. The Panthers have surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points per game to D/STs this season, most recently getting shellacked by Indy (26 fantasy points) and Dallas (21 fantasy points) in two of the past three weeks. Hell, even the lowly Bears D put up seven against this bumbling offense.
Los Angeles Chargers at Patriots (18%)
They're far from our first D/ST choice, especially without Joey Bosa (foot), but the Chargers can certainly put up some defensive points against either Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe and the Island of Misfit Pass-Catchers that New England has become.
Indianapolis Colts at Titans (12%)
Indy has been a more-than-capable stream when picked at the right spots, and Will Levis has been abysmal since his heroic NFL debut. The Colts can ground-and-pound Tennessee to death and push Mike Vrabel one step closer to termination.
Atlanta Falcons at Jets (10%)
The Falcons have an underrated pass-rush and some studs in the secondary who can come up with big takeaways, so the ceiling should be pretty high against a Jets team yielding the second-most D/ST points in the NFL. It doesn't matter whether it's Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle, or whoever else they stick under center at this point — Nathaniel Hackett's offense will still suck. New York has posted the worst third-down conversion rates and red-zone TD rate in the modern history of the NFL.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Browns (6%)
Cleveland wins ugly games, so the Browns and Rams should both be in play at D/ST next week. A home game against either Dorian Thompson-Robinson or P.J. Walker? We'll take it — and so will Aaron Donald.
