The Wire - Week 12
By Levi Ellis
It’s hard to believe that we are already entering week 12 but here it is. The playoffs are right around the corner and for some of us it’s as simple as this “win and you’re in”. Whether you need to win out or whether you’re already locked in for the playoffs now is the time to work your waivers like you’ve never worked it before. Well the guys here at DynastyPros are here for you. Let’s take a look at this week's top waiver wire pickups.
Week 12 Byes - None
Quarterbacks
Tier 1 Quarterbacks
Andy Dalton - 22/32 203 yards, 3 tds, 1 int, 3 carries, 5 yards - This performance is exactly what Dallas had in mind when they signed Dalton. Dalton has years of starter experience and more weapons than he has ever had. If Dallas can protect him (big IF) then he could have significant value moving forward. 25% of your remaining FAAB.
Taysom Hill - 18/23 233 yards, 10 carries, 51 yards, 2 tds - Hill played well in his first start and he has at least two more games until Brees is back. The Saints have the Broncos this week so fire up Hill this week with confidence. 25% of your remaining FAAB.
PJ Walker - 24/34 258 yards, 1 td, 2 ints - If Bridgewater misses another game then roll Walker out against the Vikings defense. Walker played well enough last week to not only have fantasy relevance but also to lead the Panthers to the win. 10% of your remaining FAAB.
Tier 2 Quarterbacks
Gardner Minshew - Keep an eye to see if Minshew is healthy because if he is he should take back over as the starting QB. 5% of your remaining FAAB.
Best of the Rest (Tier 3)
Joe Flacco - 15/30 205 yards, 2 tds, 1 int, 1 carry, 2 yards - Flacco has actually performed pretty decently when give the opportunity this year. Minimum bid only.
Ryan Finley - 3/10 30 yards, 1 int - You will have to be desperate to start Finley but if you need him I’m sure he’s available. On the bright side Finley will have tons of talent to work with. They should really pay you to take him but you will have to make a minimum bid to get him.
Running Backs
Tier 1 Running Backs
JK Dobbins #1 Waiver Wire Priority of the Week - 15 carries, 70 yards, 1 td, 2 targets, 2 catches, 15 yards - Look I know Dobbins isn’t available in many leagues but if he’s available in just one league he’s worth mentioning in this article. The time has finally come that Baltimore may have finally realized Dobbins is too good to not get him on the field more. Dobbins could be a league winner if Baltimore continues to feed him. There’s not doubt this is a risk but that’s what fantasy football is all about. Follow your gut here. 100% of your remaining FAAB.
Wayne Gallman - Gallman was on bye last week so you may be able to sneak him through on waivers but he was darn good the prior two weeks. You need to own this guy. 25% of your remaining FAAB.
Damien Harris - 11 carries, 43 yards, 1 td, 2 targets, 1 catch, 11 yards - A few weeks ago I would have said the only problem with Harris is that he plays for the Patriots. Now the Patriots have finally picked a running back and have been feeding him. Last week he only finished with 11 carries but there’s still reason to believe the Patriots will continue to deploy Harris as the primary runner. Just keep an eye on Michel now that he has returned from injury. 25% of your remaining FAAB.
Kalen Ballage - 16 carries, 44 yards, 9 targets, 7 catches, 27 yards - He wasn’t efficient but dang he is getting the volume. Reports last week surfaced that Ekeler is still a few weeks a way from returning so deploy Ballage as needed. 25% of your remaining FAAB.
Myles Gaskin - See if he comes back from the IR this week but I suspect it will be at least another one to two weeks. If he’s back you need to go get him. 20% of your remaining FAAB.
Tier 2 Running Backs
Salvon Ahmed - 12 carries, 43 yards, 6 targets, 5 catches, 31 yards - Pay close attention to Gaskins health on this one. If Gaskins is still expected to miss then grab Ahemd. If Gaskins is trending towards playing then proceed with caution. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gaskins miss another one to two weeks. 15% of your remaining FAAB.
James White - 5 carries, 19 yards, 9 targets, 6 catches, 64 yards - White led the team in targets last week and now with the Burkhead injury White is not only the primary pass catching back, he’s the only pass catching back. He’s a target in PPR leagues. 10% of your remaining FAAB.
Adrian Peterson/Kerryon Johnson - The Lions play on Thanksgiving day and if Swift misses that game too then we could see a lot of Peterson and/or Kerryon and they have a good matchup against the Texans. 5% of your remaining FAAB.
Best of the Rest (Tier 3 Running Backs)
Carlos Hyde - 14 carries, 79 yards, 1 td, 3 targets, 2 catches, 16 yards - Reports have stated that Carson will be back next week but at the very least Hyde is a handcuff you should own. 5% of your remaining FAAB.
Zack Moss - Moss was on bye last week so his value hasn’t changed. Moss has looked good at times this season but his biggest issue has been his lack of touches. I think Moss is one of those guys that gets better the more carries he gets but Buffalo is only giving him a handful of touches each week. If something were to happen to Singletary then Moss would be a stud moving forward. In the meantime he’s a spot starter. 5% of your remaining FAAB.
Phillip Lindsay - 16 carries, 82 yards - Lindsay has the talent he just doesn’t have the touches on a consistent basis. He’s worth owning just in case something happens to Gordon but you can’t play him right now. 5% of your remaining FAAB.
Tony Pollard - 5 carries, 60 yards, 1 td - Pollard is one of the top handcuff backs in the league but this week he had stand alone value. He needs to be owned just in case something happens to Zeke but I’m curious if Dallas will try to find ways to involve Pollard more after his 42 yard touchdown run last week. Minimum bid only.
La’Mical Perine - 8 carries, 33 yards, 1 td, 1 target - Assuming he doesn’t miss next weeks game Perine is worth a look in deep leagues only. To put it simply, someone on the Jets has to provide offense although he isn’t a guy that I’m targeting. Minimum bid only.
Wide Receivers
Tier 1 Wide Receivers
Michael Pittman - 3 targets, 3 catches, 66 yards, 1 td - Pittman was my number one waiver priority last week and not much has changed. He’s a young player that is starting to break out and I expect more of this for the rest of the season. 75% of your remaining FAAB.
Corey Davis - 7 targets, 5 catches, 113 yards - Davis has performed really well this season and is finally starting to live up to his talent. Tannehill looks his way early and often. 25% of your remaining FAAB.
Nelson Agholor - 9 targets, 6 catches, 88 yards, 1 td - Believe it or not, he’s the number one wide receiver (not pass catcher because that title belongs to Waller) on this team and Carr is playing some great football. 20% of your remaining FAAB.
Allen Lazard - 4 targets, 2 catches, 18 yards - His first week back was anything but special but the key here is that he is “back”. His performance will improve. 15% of your remaining FAAB.
Breshad Perriman - 4 targets, 2 catches, 54 yards, 1 td - Is it just me or does it seem like Perriman is heating up again at the end of the season? 10% of your remaining FAAB.
Tier 2 Wide Receivers
Cole Beasley - Beasley was on bye so a lot of people won’t be thinking about him. He’s even more important to add if John Brown is projected to miss time. 10% of your remaining FAAB.
Damiere Byrd - 7 targets, 6 catches, 132 yards, 1 td, 1 carry, 11 yards - Byrd was amazing last week but I still don’t trust the Patriots passing game. With that being said it’s hard to ignore this type of performance especially from a team that is dying for playmakers. 10% of your remaining FAAB.
Laviska Shenault - If Shenault is back from injury he should be owned. Also keep an eye out if Minshew is healthy because I believe he increases Shenaults value as well. 10% of your remaining FAAB.
Jalen Reagor - 5 targets, 4 catches, 52 yards - Someone in Philly needs to step up so maybe it will be Reagor. 10% of your remaining FAAB.
Marvin Jones - 6 targets, 4 catches, 51 yards - It’s that one time of year again where you can play Marvin Jones, Thanksgiving Day football. In all seriousness if Golladay misses another week then Jones is a great flyer this week. He had a touchdown called back last week otherwise his week would have been even better.
Darius Slayton - Slayton has a huge ceiling but he also has a rock bottom floor. If you need high upside then you can’t do much better, just know the risk involved. 5% of your remaining FAAB.
Denzel Mims - 8 targets, 3 catches, 71 yards - Eight targets is really exciting to see and Mims has big play upside. He will likely be inconsistent from week to week but the talent is there. 5% of your remaining FAAB.
Best of the Rest (Tier 3 Wide Receivers)
Sammy Watkins - He will eventually be back and when he is he will get targets. I can’t guarantee that he will do anything with those targets but when you sit back and think about how much talent he has, the offensive system he plays in, the fact that defenses can’t focus on him with both Tyreek and Kelce in the mix and most importantly, he plays with the best quarterback in the league, then you have to consider this guy. 5% of your remaining FAAB.
Rashard Higgins - 4 targets, 3 catches, 65 yards - Higgins has been up and down but I blame the weather the last three weeks more than Higgins. Most people won’t be looking to add Higgins so he’s a sneaky player to grab this week with an upcoming matchup against the Jaguars. 5% of your remaining FAAB.
Russell Gage - 12 targets, 7 catches, 58 yards - With Julio in and out of the lineup Gage had a massive amount of targets with 12. If Julio misses then Gage will have an increased role. Unfortunately Gage didn’t do much with all those targets last week so keep that in mind. 5% of your remaining FAAB.
KhaDarel Hodge - 5 targets, 3 catches, 73 yards - Hodge tied for the team lead in targets last week and he did the most with them with a team leading 73 yards. Hodge is a deep sleeper player who you should keep an eye on but also keep an eye on the weather each week. Minimum bid only.
Zach Pascal - 3 targets, 3 catches, 54 yards - Pascal doesn’t have a high ceiling but he has a good floor. If you just want to avoid a goose egg then Pascal could be your guy. Minimum bid only.
Dez Bryant - 5 targets, 4 catches, 28 yards - Yes, you read that correctly, Dez Bryant. Dez was second on the team in targets last week with 5 and he caught 4 of them. He didn’t do much with them but keep in mind this guy hasn’t played football in three years so let’s see if he improves from week to week. Also keep an eye to see if Dez is signed to the active roster since he has now been promoted from the Practice Squad twice and that is the league limit this year. The Ravens now have to either sign Dez to the active roster, leave him on the Practice Squad for the rest of the year or cut him. Minimum bid only.
N’Keal Harry - 8 targets, 5 catches, 41 yards - Breaking News, N’Keal Harry still plays football. After weeks of being injured and MIA Harry has finally returned to relevance. I’m not confident his role will continue which is why he’s not ranked as a tier 2 target at this point but the talent is there so keep an eye on Harry. Minimum bid only.
Larry Fitzgerald - 10 targets, 8 catches, 62 yards - I love Fitz but I have to believe last weeks success was more about the matchup (Seahawks) than anything else. Either way Fitz is one the best to ever do it so keep an eye on him. Minimum bid only.
Tight Ends
Tier 1 Tight Ends
Robert Tonyan - 5 targets, 5 catches, 44 yards, 1 td - Bobby is back! It’s hard to ignore a guy that plays with this great of a quarterback and lack of a proven number two pass catcher. Yes, Lazard is back and could be that guy moving forward and I fully expect him to be but I also think Tonyan will get his targets each week. 10% of your remaining FAAB.
Eric Ebron - 7 targets, 4 catches, 36 yards, 1 td - Ebron has actually been pretty consistent this year. He’s not going to get you 20 points but then again what tight end not named Kelce is going to get you that. Ebron will get you 10-15 points most weeks though. 5% of your remaining FAAB.
Tier 2 Tight Ends
Dalton Schultz - 6 targets, 4 catches, 25 yards, 1 td - Schultz scored a touchdown last week but it was in the final moments of the game. Regardless of the touchdown though Schultz had 6 targets and he has performed well at times this season. 5% of your remaining FAAB.
Trey Burton - 5 targets, 2 catches, 25 yards, 1 td - Burton was second on the team in targets last week with 5 and he found the endzone again. Playing with Rivers (tight end concierge) alone got Burton on this list then factor in he has had a nose for the endzone this season and here you go. 5% of your remaining FAAB.
Will Dissly/Jacob Hollister - Greg Olsen is out which now means both Dissly and Hollister’s fantasy value will increase. My money is on Dissly as he continues to progress from last season's injury but I wouldn’t be surprised to see either guy or both guys have value. Minimum bid only.
Anthony Firkser - 5 targets, 4 catches, 33 yards - I don’t know why Firkser continues to get targets each week with players like AJ Brown, Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith ahead of him but Tannehill continues to look his way. Minimum bid only.
Jordan Akins - 6 targets, 5 catches, 83 yards - Akins is a is not a guy that I have confidence in but he does play with a great quarterback and there isn’t a more talented tight end on this roster. Minimum bid only.
Best of the Rest (Tier 3 Tight Ends)
Richard Rodgers - 2 targets, 2 catches, 48 yards, 1 td - Rodgers has played really well since Ertz has been out but Ertz is due back anytime and I would expect Rodgers playing time to be reduced greatly. Minimum bid only.
These guys are Dead to Me (redraft leagues only)
Joe Burrow - Injury
Jake Luton - I hope if you owned him it is a really deep league
Matt Breida - Back from injury and still not involved. Maybe they just don’t like him.
Rex Burkhead - Injury
Mark Ingram - Hasn’t been fantasy relevant for the whole season
Gus Edwards - Isn’t getting the touches
DeeJay Dallas - Carson should be back and Hyde already is
Alex Collins - Carson should be back and Hyde already is
Frank Gore - Yes he had a good game, yes you should still drop him
Joshua Kelley - Ballage has performed better than him and that should be enough of a reason
Troymaine Pope - No longer involved
Jordan Wilkins - You know why
Marquise “Hollywood” Brown - Just stop waiting on this guy
TY Hilton - Maybe you’re the new owner and you just didn’t know
Mecole Hardman - His role is too inconsistent
Henry Ruggs - His role is too inconsistent
Hunter Renfrow - His role is too inconsistent
Alshon Jeffery - He may be back but he’s not back if you know what I mean
Greg Olsen - Injury
Chris Herndon - Don’t fall for last weeks production and think he’s finally figured it out
David Njoku - Why did you still own him?
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