Wednesday afternoon football? Waivers clearing on Friday morning in ESPN and Yahoo leagues? Sure, why not? It's been that kind of year, so let's keep getting weird. Even though you have two more days than usual to figure out who deserves to be among the top Week 13 fantasy waiver wire pickups and free agent adds, it's important to start whittling down your list. Whether it's a handcuff RB like Devontae Booker, Brian Hill, Benny Snell, Anthony McFarland, or Carlos Hyde, a potential WR3 like Allen Lazard or Keke Coutee, or a streamer QB, TE, or D/ST, you need to have your targets ready for when the free agent free-for-all begins later this week.
Our full free agent list is packed with some underowned RBs (Cam Akers, Frank Gore), WRs (Sterling Shepard, Breshad Perriman), TEs (Jordan Reed, Trey Burton), and even some QBs (Kirk Cousins) who could help in the fantasy playoffs. We also have streamer suggestions at QB, TE, and D/ST, which can be found at the end of this list. If you're in the market for a hot new kicker or just want to waste more of your life, you can check out our Week 13 kicker rankings.
WEEK 13 FANTASY: Top pickups | RB Handcuff Chart
There are some legitimate candidates for high waiver claims this week, but much will depend on injuries. If Josh Jacobs (ankle), Todd Gurley (knee), or James Conner (COVID) are projected to miss Week 13, then Booker, Hill, and either Snell or McFarland (whoever plays more on Wednesday) will be worth all-in moves. Akers and Gore might be at that point already, but neither has a particularly high ceiling (though Akers could in a week or two). More injuries are sure to pop up later in the week, and with waivers not clearing until Friday in many leagues, fantasy owners will have a chance to react to those before free agency.
If you have to win to get into your playoffs and you have a glaring need at WR (or TE...or QB...), then you might as well use a claim on the best option. You could easily wind up regretting that if you make the playoffs, but there's really no reason to hold anything back now.
WEEK 13 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 13
Unless otherwise noted, only players owned in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues considered.
Benny Snell Jr. and Anthony McFarland Jr., RBs, Steelers. With James Conner on the COVID list, Snell and McFarland Jr. are expected to take over as Pittsburgh's lead RBs in Week 12. It's unclear which will handle more carries, but Snell has served in the lead-back role before, so he could have the inside track. Whoever gets more carries could also start in Week 13 against Washington depending on Conner's status. If Conner is expected to be out in Week 13, Snell or McFarland would be a top waiver pickup and worth a high claim, but if Conner is expected to play, Snell and McFarland are nothing more than a free-agent fliers.
WEEK 13 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Keke Coutee, WR, Texans. With Will Fuller serving a six-game suspension for a PED violation, Coutee will step up as Houston's No. 2 receiver. Since Randall Cobb (toe) got hurt early in Week 11, Coutee has caught four-of-seven targets for 27 yards and a TD. Obviously, he'll need to do much more than that to be fantasy relevant, but given how well Deshaun Watson is playing, Coutee has a chance to be a decent WR3 or flex in PPR leagues with the extra targets. The only downside is his schedule (Colts, Bears, Colts, Bengals), but both the Colts and Bears have struggled recently, so Coutee is still worth a free-agent flier.
WEEK 13 FANTASY: Top pickups | FAAB budget planner
Carlos Hyde, RB, Seahawks. Hyde didn't do much on Monday night with Chris Carson back, but he surprisingly received seven more carries (15) and had a touchdown called back. It's possible Carson will see a bigger workload as he gets healthier, but either way, Hyde deserves to be owned as a potential flex. At the very least, he's a must-have handcuff, as he'd be in a high-volume if Carson gets hurt again.
Allen Lazard, WR, Packers. Lazard hauled in four-of-six targets for 23 yards and a TD on Sunday night, making him second among all Packers receivers in targets. It seems clear he's the No. 2 behind Davante Adams, and that could lead to plenty of fantasy points in any matchup. With upcoming games against Philadelphia, Detroit, Carolina, and Tennessee, Lazard has WR3 upside the rest of the way.
For additional waiver/free agent suggestions, including handcuff RBs Devontae Booker, Brian Hill, and Jordan Wilkins, and many more, check out our full Week 13 list.
