Alexander Mattison is the unquestioned top waiver wire target after Dalvin Cook was carted off in Week 12 with a shoulder injury that will cause him to miss time. He ended up playing 40 percent of the snaps in Week 12, with seven carries for 21 yards and a touchdown. He also saw three targets, catching two targets for seven yards. We have seen Mattison without Cook already this season. When Cook missed Week 3 and 5, Mattison topped 23 fantasy points in each of those games. He had 32 touches in each of those games and topped 150 total yards in both. That sort of usage is hard to find off of the waiver wire. Mattison would also have a dream matchup against the Lions next week – meaning with Cook sitting he is an RB1 with top-five upside. He is the unquestioned top waiver wire target of the week and is further proof why the high-end backup RBs are worthy of rostering, even if you don't have the starter, as they are an injury away from becoming must-start options.
Dontrell Hilliard is another back worth targeting off the waiver wire this week. He played exactly half the snaps in Week 12 and saw 12 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown, adding in two targets in the passing game for the Titans. His big play was a 68-yard touchdown run, showing he has some burst. Hilliard finished with 18.3 fantasy points, this a week after he scored 16 in a game he finished with 10 targets. D’Onta Foreman played 50 percent of the snaps and rushed for 19 times for 109 yards. He caught his long target for three yards. Those numbers are a little deceiving though, as he saw eight carries and 37 of those yards in the fourth quarter after the Titans were already down big. Still, that volume should not be ignored either. Additionally, Foreman saw two touches inside the 5-yard line, compared to Hilliard's one. With Adrian Peterson now gone, this looks like a two-headed backfield. Foreman is the safer floor play, as he will see early down usage more often, but Hilliard brings the higher ceiling as he can be used in the passing game and has shown some more explosiveness. The only concern for Hilliard is what role will Jeremy McNichols play when he returns. The Titans RBs are priority adds this week, even with the Titans on bye next week.
Teams on bye: Browns, Packers, Panthers, Titans.
Check if available: Elijah Moore, Devin Singletary.
You can drop: Emmanuel Sanders, Zack Moss, Latavius Murray, Cam Newton, Ryan Tannehill, Jeff Wilson Jr., Courtland Sutton, Dan Arnold.
Do not drop: Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Ja’Marr Chase, Lamar Jackson, Jerry Jeudy, Mike Williams, Kyle Pitts, Miles Sanders, Rashod Bateman (getting close on those last three).
Quarterback
Carson Wentz has been dropped in a good amount of NFL.com leagues after two down performances leading into Week 12. That should change after Wentz went for 20 fantasy points against the Bucs, throwing for 306 yards with three scores, two interceptions and 21 rushing yards. Wentz has now topped 17 fantasy points in nine of 12 games this season. In Week 13, he faces the Texans, who he scored 17 fantasy points against in a Week 6 blowout. He is a strong streaming option in the favorable matchup.
Taysom Hill just got a contract extension from the Saints, who have lost four in a row behind Trevor Siemian. Hill was nursing a foot injury did not play a snap on Thanksgiving, but he was the lone backup QB on the Saints roster. A change at the helm could occur, as all signs are pointing to Hill getting the Week 13 start, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Last year in his four starts, he scored between 17.5 and 24.2 fantasy points each week. He rushed for over 40 yards each week and had two games with multiple rushing touchdowns -- while seeing more carries inside the 5-yard line than Alvin Kamara in that span. Grab Hill now as a change seems likely.
Trevor Lawrence threw for 228 yards with a touchdown and interception, while running for 39 yards. In total, he scored 17 fantasy points, enough to make him a QB1 on the week. But that is not why you should add him. One big positive is him running more. The hope is that he continues to do that more, while taking some steps as a passer. The Jaguars have a great schedule after the Rams next week, getting the Titans, Texans and Jets in consecutive weeks. This is purely for deeper leagues or two-QB formats if he is somehow out there.
Running back
Chuba Hubbard and Ameer Abdullah are both must pickups off the waiver wire after Christian McCaffrey (ankle) was placed on season-ending IR. Hubbard averaged over 20 touches per game and 12.94 fantasy PPG in Weeks 4 through 8 when McCaffrey was sidelined earlier this season. While that is not CMC-type numbers, it is enough to make him a weekly start, meaning he has to be prioritized off the waiver wire. He is the preferred option here, and after Mattison as the top target on the waiver wire heading into Week 13. Abdullah led the way for the Panthers in Week 12, playing 51 percent of the snaps to go with two carries and fix targets. He finished with 22 yards in what was a blowout where Cam Netwon was benched in the fourth quarter. There was some talk of getting him more involved before McCaffrey returned, so Abdullah is also worthy of a stash right now as well, just in case he sees more volume than anticipated. He is not nearly as high of a priority as Hubbard, but still a candidate worth taking a flier on.Â
Boston Scott led the Eagles with 51 percent of the snaps and with 15 carries -- six more than Miles Sanders saw. Scott also added three targets in the passing game. He finished with 72 yards and a touchdown for the Eagles. He saw the Eagles' only two RB touches inside the five-yard line as well. It's a strange turn of events after Sanders was looking like the lead Eagles back, but Scott should not be ignored – especially with a great matchup against the Jets on tap next week.
Jamaal Williams could see a lot more work this week as D'Andre Swift is dealing with a shoulder injury. It knocked him out of the Thanksgiving game and now has him up in the air for Week 13. Williams saw 15 carries for 65 yards, while catching all five of his targets for 18 yards. If Swift is out in Week 13, Williams would be an RB2 off of volume alone in a matchup against the Vikings, who rank middle of the pack against running backs. If Swift plays, Williams is best left on the bench. But, he is worth holding onto with Swift so banged up and the Lions clearly in the rebuilding process.
Tevin Coleman led the Jets with 47 percent of the snaps as well as with 16 carries. He led Jets running backs with three targets as well. He finished with 70 yards and nine fantasy points. It's not a great fantasy day by any stretch, but it is the second straight week he has paced the Jets backfield since Michael Carter was injured. Carter was placed on IR and will miss at least the next two weeks. Coleman is appearing like the lead back for the Jets. For those in deeper leagues, Austin Walter played 24 snaps and saw nine carries for 38 yards and a touchdown. He also saw all of the Jets RB touches inside the 5-yard line.
Matt Breida played 32 percent of the snaps on Thanksgiving, seeing nine carries for 26 yards and two targets, catching them both for 29 yards and a score. Breida is looking like the Bills' most explosive option, while also seeing more pass game usage as of late. He does not have the safest floor, but he has shown some upside as of late and they are fans of him in Buffalo. Devin Singletary remains the lead back there, and should be rostered if he is available, but Breida is worthy of a flier moving forward.
Wide receiver
Van Jefferson saw nine targets in Week 12, behind only Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham, who each saw 10. Jefferson caught three for 93 yards and a touchdown, while playing 98 percent of the snaps. Jefferson has seen at least seven targets in three straight and four of the past five games. Jefferson is clearly a big part of the Rams offense, especially as a field stretcher, meaning he is in play each week as a WR3 or flex option. His upside each week is high, depending if he and Matthew Stafford can connect on a deep shot. He would be the top receiver target this week.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling saw nine targets in Week 12, tied for the most on the team with Davante Davis. That is a week after he saw a team-high 10 targets. This week he caught four of them for 50 yards. A week ago, he caught four for 123 yards and a touchdown. We know he possesses great down-field ability, but the consistent volume is new for him. That type of volume, paired with what he can do as a field stretcher, is enough to make him a weekly flex option, with much more upside. He is clearly the second option in this passing game.
Kenny Golladay went from being a mid-round fantasy pick to a waiver wire flier heading into Week 13. He saw a team-high seven targets, catching three for 50 yards. Before the game there was a report that the Giants wanted to get Golladay into the end zone for the first time all season, and they did force him an end-zone target. Still, the Giants are starting to feel the heat of their big offseason acquisition being a bust and could continue to force volume his way. He loses a lot of shine if Kadarius Toney and Sterling Shepard return, but if they are out again in Week 13 then Golladay would be a streaming option next week against Miami.
T.Y. Hilton saw five targets, catching four of them for 28 yards and a touchdown. He did not see huge volume, but Carson Wentz seems to trust Hilton in big spots. He has now seen five targets in two straight games as well and next week faces the Texans – a team he has thrived against in his career. He scored 12 fantasy points against them earlier this season, but that was on limited snaps in his first game back from the IR. He is a streaming flex option next week.
Josh Reynolds has ran the second-most routes among Lions receivers the last two weeks and tied for the team lead in targets on Thanksgiving (five). He led the Lions with 70 yards and scored a touchdown. He has clearly been a focal point of the offense since the Lions acquired him two weeks ago. Now only is he seeing some volume, but he is the receiver they are now taking downfield shots with as well. He has a very strong matchup next week against the Vikings and is actually in play as a streaming option.
Kendrick Bourne was second on the Patriots with six targets, catching five of them for 61 yards and two touchdowns -- good for 23 fantasy points. He has not reached that number in two of his past three games. He has been up and down all year, but he has shown to have a high ceiling as of late. He has four or more targets in six straight games. The Patriots have a tough matchup next week against the Bills, but if you are in need of a flex option, Bourne has shown touchdown tendencies as of late. He is a boom-or-bust option.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is on bye next week, but do not forget about him on the waiver wire. With A.J. Brown now joining Julio Jones on the IR, Westbrook-Ikhine is the default wide receiver one in Tennessee. He saw a team-high five targets, catching two for 25 yards and a touchdown. It might not sound like much, but he led the Titans in every receiving category in this one, as Ryan Tannehill didn't even throw for 100 yards. It may be tough sledding for Tennessee for now, but NWI should see enough volume at least while the other two are sidelined. Plus, you can likely get him for cheap as he is on bye. Just remember, you have to search for him if you sort by weekly projections!
DeSean Jackson saw four targets against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, catching three of them for 102 yards and a touchdown. It's a step in the right direction after seeing just one target in his first two games with the Raiders. He is clearly the Raiders' best deep threat and should see more volume not just because of this performance, but also because he gets the mini-bye to help get further acclimated in this offense. He is an upside shot worth taking, particularly in deeper formats.
Laviska Shenault Jr. saw a team-high nine targets, catching five of them for 33 yards. Also encouraging is the fact that he saw three targets in the red zone. He did not have a huge fantasy day, but this is his third straight game with at least five targets. It was also nice to see the Jags start using him in the slot more, as he ran 71 percent of routes from the slot. The Jags have a favorable schedule coming up and Shenault has upside if the offense around him can get going. For those in deep leagues, LaQuon Treadwell led the Jaguars with 53 receiving yards on eight targets, the second most on the Jags. He should continue to see playing time in three wide receiver sets with Jamal Agnew out for the year.
Russell Gage led the Falcons in targets (seven), catches (six), receiving yards (62) and touchdowns (one). He now has at least seven targets in three of four games and has scored at least 9.9 fantasy points in all three of those games. The issue is in that fourth game, he put up a zero. He does not bring the highest ceiling but seems to be seeing consistent volume. That puts him in play in deeper leagues.
Tight ends
Cole Kmet saw a team-high 11 targets in Week 12, catching eight of them for 65 yards. Not a bad Thanksgiving for the Bears tight end. Kmet has been playing better as of late, scoring over 14 fantasy points in two of the past three games. He has seen eight or more targets in each of those games, and has at least six targets in four of the past five games. The volume that he has been seeing means that he can be started, but ideally streamed in good matchups. Just know that he does have more upside than that, he just needs to show he can be consistent.
Foster Moreau can be added just in case Darren Waller's knee injury is more serious than being let on. He is an especially good pickup if your tight end is Waller. He finished last week with just one catch for three yards, but did see five targets and has played well previously when Waller missed time. In Week 7, Moreau caught all six of his targets for 60 yards and a touchdown. He will be involved if Waller is sidelined, meaning he is worthy of taking a flier off the waiver wire.
Jack Doyle led the Colts with six catches and 81 catches on seven targets. He also scored a touchdown, going for 20 fantasy points. Entering Monday Night Football, he is the only tight end to top 20 fantasy points in Week 12. It is his best game of the year, and he has only topped double-digit fantasy points once prior, but he has seen five or more targets in three straight games and has a favorable matchup next week against the Texans. He can be streamed in deeper leagues.
Ryan Griffin saw four targets in Week 12, catching three of them for 20 yards. That is not why you want to pick him up though. Nope, you want to pick him up because he faces the Eagles next week who struggle mightily against tight ends. Evan Engram wasn't able to take advantage of it, but prior, basically every tight end the Eagles faced went off against them, especially as of late. If you are in a deep league and in need of a streaming tight end, take a shot on the matchup with Griffin.
