10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets Heading Into Week 12
We're entering the homestretch of the fantasy football regular season.
Here are some of the best additions you can make to your squads this week. (I'll stick to players rostered on no more than 60% of Yahoo teams and also list some other viable pickups who may be available in shallower leagues or relevant only in deeper leagues).
Quarterbacks
Taylor Heinicke, Commanders
Roster Percentage: 14%
Taylor Heinicke gets a home date with the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12, making him a viable streamer.
Atlanta is miserable defensively. Our schedule-adjusted metrics rank them as the second-worst overall D, putting the Falcons in the bottom six against both the pass and the run. It's translated to fantasy success for opposing quarterbacks as the position is averaging 18.9 fantasy points per game versus Atlanta, the eighth-most.
Heinicke hasn't done much fantasy-wise in his four starts, but he's due for better touchdown luck. Despite the Washington Commanders putting up 55 points over the past two games, Heinicke hasn't accounted for a single touchdown in that time.
He's in a great spot in Week 12 and has the ability to take advantage of the soft matchup.
Others to Consider:
Jared Goff (52%; vs. Bills), Deshaun Watson (48%; eligible in Week 13), Marcus Mariota (43%; at Commanders), Ryan Tannehill (16%; vs. Bengals)
Running Backs
Samaje Perine, Bengals
Roster Percentage: 8%
Joe Mixon exited early with a concussion in Week 11, opening the door for Samaje Perine to see big volume. Perine made the most of it. He handled 11 carries and made four catches, scoring twice through the air.
The Cincinnati Bengals have a tough Week 12 date with the Tennessee Titans, but if Mixon is sidelined, Perine will be a solid RB2 play. He needs to be added everywhere unless we get positive Mixon news prior to waivers running.
Latavius Murray, Broncos
Roster Percentage: 23%
The Denver Broncos' backfield was going to be a three-headed mess in Week 11. But Chase Edmonds got hurt early, and Melvin Gordon's fumbling issues arose again, resulting in a busy day for Latavius Murray.
Murray received 17 carries in Week 11 while Gordon accounted for eight carries. Murray scored a short touchdown. Neither back was all that efficient, but they were both heavily involved in the passing game, with Gordon hauling in five passes and Murray making four grabs.
Murray has been pretty touchdown-dependent as part of a poor Denver offense. Volume is volume, though, and he's paced the team in carries in three straight weeks. He'll be an RB3 in Week 12.
Jerick McKinnon, Chiefs
Roster Percentage: 26%
Jerick McKinnon and Isiah Pacheco once again ran the show in the Kansas City Chiefs' backfield in Week 11, although Clyde Edwards-Helaire was going to be at least somewhat involved prior to getting hurt.
Pacheco is clearly the preferred option on early downs, and if you're in the nearly 40% of Yahoo leagues in which he's available, go get him. Pacheco turned 15 carries in 107 yards on Sunday night and has recorded 31 rushes over the last two games.
But Pacheco doesn't have a single target over those two games and has been targeted only three times all year. McKinnon is the passing-game back, and that's a valuable role to have when you play for the Chiefs.
McKinnon has played at least 38% of the snaps in six consecutive outings, including games with snap rates of 52%, 53% and 62% in that stretch. McKinnon's box score was quiet in Week 11, but he still played 52% of the snaps. In the previous two games before that one, McKinnon notched eight targets apiece.
McKinnon needs to be rostered in more than 26% of leagues, especially if you're in a PPR or half-PPR format.
James Cook, Bills
Roster Percentage: 17%
When the Bills traded for Nyheim Hines, I thought that might be the final nail in the coffin for James Cook's 2022 fantasy value. It hasn't worked out that way. Cook's role has actually grown a bit in recent weeks.
In Week 11, Cook got 11 carries, tying his season-high, and he's handled at least four touches in four straight games. He played 25% of the snaps last week, and he's out-snapped and out-touched Hines in all three of Hines' games with Buffalo.
If Devin Singletary were to go down, Cook looks like the back to have, although Hines' role will likely continue to grow as he gets acclimated to the offense. You can make a case for either as a high-upside handcuff. I side with Cook as of now.
Others to Consider:
Isiah Pacheco (64%), Rachaad White (60%), Gus Edwards (60%), Tyler Allgeier (52%), Kyren Williams (28%), Cam Akers (27%)
Wide Receivers
Treylon Burks, Titans
Roster Percentage: 20%
Treylon Burks is back from injury, and he's quickly become a focal point for Ryan Tannehill.
After a six-target game in Week 10, Burks saw eight targets this past week, catching seven of them for 111 yards. He gives the Titans a much-needed big-play threat out wide, and Burks has put up those numbers despite playing just 56% and 50% of the snaps in the last two games.
Tannehill is looking Burks' way often when the rookie is out there, and if Burks can start getting in on more snaps -- mainly more two-wideout sets -- he has a chance to be a real fantasy difference-maker the rest of the way.
Justin Watson, Chiefs
Roster Percentage: 8%
Kansas City came into Week 11 shorthanded at receiver, and then Kadarius Toney had to leave early due to injury. That thrust Justin Watson into close to an every-snap gig.
Watson played 88% of the snaps against the Los Angeles Chargers, and he caught three of four targets for 67 yards. His 88% snap rate was the highest among all KC skill players, and any pass-catcher who is on the field that much in this offense is someone who should interest us in fantasy. With Mecole Hardman on IR, Watson figures to continue to play a lot in the coming weeks.
Due to all of Kansas City's injuries at wideout, Skyy Moore showed a pulse and is possibly worth a look in deeper formats, but Moore still played on only 42% of the Chiefs' snaps. I am prioritizing Watson.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, Browns
Roster Percentage: 45%
I've written up Donovan Peoples-Jones in previous weeks, and he continues to be a quality fantasy producer.
DPJ has played at least 88% of the snaps in eight straight games. Over the past seven games, he's logged 44 targets and has 507 receiving yards. The thing bogging down his fantasy output was a lack of touchdowns, but he found paydirt for the first time in Week 11, registering five catches for 61 yards and a touchdown.
As things stand now, People-Jones is -- at worst -- a serviceable WR4, but with Deshaun Watson taking over in Week 13, DPJ's upside will get a shot in the arm. He could be a key piece down the stretch -- and in the fantasy postseason.
Others to Consider:
Christian Watson (73%), George Pickens (65%), Darius Slayton (51%), Michael Gallup (47%), Mack Hollins (16%), Demarcus Robinson (4%)
Tight Ends
Foster Moreau, Raiders
Roster Percentage: 40%
Foster Moreau played every offensive snap for the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11. He's been in on at least 96% of the snaps in five consecutive games.
Yes, please.
Moreau ended up with only three targets in Week 11, catching one for 33 yards. He's got an easier matchup coming up in Week 12 as the Raiders take on the Seattle Seahawks. Coming into Week 11, Seattle had given up the second-most half-PPR points per game to tight ends (15.7), and the Raiders-Seahawks clash has a fantasy-friendly 47.5-point total.
Others to Consider:
David Njoku (73%), Dawson Knox (71%), Greg Dulcich (61%), Evan Engram (36%)
Defenses
Miami D/ST
Roster Percentage: 23%
The Miami Dolphins host the Houston Texans in Week 12, and that puts the Miami D/ST in a dreamy spot. Entering Week 11, Houston had permitted the ninth-most fantasy points per game to oppositing D/STs, and Davis Mills threw a pick six to the Washington D/ST on Sunday.
With Miami on a bye in Week 11, you may be able to pick them up prior to waivers running if your league rules allow it.
Others to Consider:
Kansas City D/ST (46%; vs. Rams), Indianapolis D/ST (29%; vs. Steelers), New York Jets D/ST (46%; vs. Bears)
