Monday Night Football in Mexico yielded one of those games fantasy football owners won't forget -- largely because two key Chiefs players (Tyreek Hill, Damien Williams) exited early and likely swung many fantasy matchups. Both of Williams' handcuffs (Darrel Williams and LeSean McCoy) scored, while a variety of receivers chipped in but didn't make a mark in Hill's absence. Even with the Chiefs on bye next week, at least a couple of these players will be among the top Week 12 fantasy waiver wire pickups and free agent adds. And once again, expect a good amount of activity after waivers clear around 4-5 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning in Yahoo and ESPN leagues.
Our full free agent list starts with the sure-to-be top pickups of the week -- RBs Jonathan Williams, Bo Scarbrough, and Derrius Guice. There are also several TEs worth a look (Jacob Hollister, Ryan Griffin, David Njoku), and they actually have long-term appeal as opposed to just streamer potential (although we have some matchup-based streamers, too). As always, we have several interesting WRs (Deebo Samuel, Randall Cobb, James Washington), a couple fill-in QBs (Jacoby Brissett, Sam Darnold), and plenty of streamer D/STs at the end of the list. If you're one of those super-creepy fantasy owners who's "into" kickers, you can also check out our Week 12 kicker rankings.
MORE WEEK 12: Waiver wire | Snap counts | Fantasy playoff SOS
With just two weeks before the fantasy playoffs start, this might be a virtual must-win matchup for a lot of fantasy owners. There's no point in holding back your waiver claim unless you're absolutely set. Considering injuries are mounting and four relatively important teams are on bye (Cardinals, Chargers, Chiefs, Vikings), chances are you need something. Perhaps just as important, your opponent might need something. Either way, the aforementioned RBs are worth high claims, and if you need a TE or QB, you can make cases for a few players at those positions, as well. This will be a busy waivers and free agency period, so don't sit on the sidelines.
WEEK 12 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
LISTEN TO THE SN FANTASY WEEK 12 PREVIEW PODCAST BELOW
Top fantasy football waiver wire pickups and free agent adds for Week 12
Unless otherwise noted, only players owned in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues considered.
Darrel Williams/LeSean McCoy, RBs, Chiefs. Starter Damien Williams exited late in the second quarter on Monday night's game because of a ribs injury. The severity is unknown at this time, and with the Chiefs on bye in Week 12, he might not miss any games. Either way, Darrel Williams and LeSean McCoy, who's available in 45 percent of Yahoo leagues, are worth pickups. Both scored touchdowns on Monday, with Darrel Williams holding the edge in carries (11 to 7) but McCoy getting more targets (6 to 3) and total yards (57 to 43). Kansas City's backs have a slightly favorable matchup against Oakland in Week 13, so whoever is starting will have value.
WEEK 12 DFS LINEUPS:
FD cash | FD GPP | DK cash | DK GPP | Y! cash | Y! GPP
Mecole Hardman/Demarcus Robinson, WRs, Chiefs. Tyreek Hill suffered a strained hamstring early in the first quarter on Monday and spent the rest of the evening watching from the sideline. No wideouts stepped up in his absence, with most of the passing production going to Travis Kelce, but we know from when he was out earlier in the year that both Hardman and Robinson have potential value. In Weeks 2-5 when Hill was out because of a shoulder injury, Hardman hauled in 12-of-22 targets for 246 yards and two TDs. Robinson caught 16-of-25 targets for 281 yards and three scores in that span. Hardman was actually a little more consistent, posting at least 11.9 PPR fantasy points in three-of-four games. Because Kansas City has a Week 12 bye, we can't say whether Hill will miss more time, but Hardman and Robinson are worth grabbing just to be safe.
MORE WEEK 12:
Waiver pickups | FAAB planner | Stock watch | Snap counts | Fantasy playoff SOS
Jonathan Williams/Jordan Wilkins, RBs, Colts. Sticking with the teammates theme, both Colts running backs are worth a look after Marlon Mack broke his right hand on Sunday. He reportedly underwent a procedure on Monday and will miss at least Thursday's game and likely more. Wilkins had been serving as Mack's handcuff all year, but an ankle injury has kept him out the past two games. Williams rushed for over 100 yards in Mack's absence in the second half in Week 11. We're guessing Williams will start and receive 15-plus carries against Houston on Thursday night, but clearly both of these backs could have their moments over the next few weeks. Indy's schedule through Week 16 isn't particularly favorable for RBs, with games @HOU, vs. TEN, @TB, @NO, and vs. CAR on tap. Only the Panthers game in Week 16 is favorable, but any starting RBs should be owned this late in the year.
WEEK 12 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
Trey Edmunds/Benny Snell Jr., RB, Steelers. With James Conner's status "up in the air" for Sunday's game against Cincinnati, Pittsburgh might turn to Edmunds to split carries with Jaylen Samuels like it did back in Week 9 when Conner was out with the same shoulder ailment. In that game, Edmunds actually led the Steelers in carries (12) and totaled 73 yards. The next game, Samuels dominated carries (14) and Tony Brooks-James actually had two more rushes than Edmunds, but with Samuels struggling on the ground (just 29 yards that week), it's unclear how the Steeelers will operate this time around. If Snell (knee) is healthy, he could also operate as the lead runner in Pittsburgh's backfield, like he did back in Week 6 when Conner originally hurt his shoulder. Snell had 75 yards on 17 carries that game. The Bengals allow the fourth-most fantasy points per game to RBs, so there's potential FLEX value here if Edmunds or Snell can get 10-plus carries again. They're not prime waiver claims like Williams, Bo Scarbrough or Derrius Guice, but they should be picked up in free agency.
Check out our full Week 12 waiver list for additional waiver wire and free agent ideas, including RBs Bo Scarbrough and Derrius Guirce, plus a ton of QB/WR/TE/DST streamer suggestions.
