Fantasy Football Week 13 Waiver Wire
By Brandon Lane
QUARTERBACK
Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts
*Roster Percentage: 16%
With news that Jonathan Taylor could miss time with a thumb injury the Colts could rely more heavily on Gardner Minshew who in Week 12 completed 24-of-41 passes for 251 yards. They face the Titans who are much easier to attack through the air than on the ground. So if you are looking to stream at quarterback this week the SHEW could be your guy.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Roster Percentage: 49%
Much of the Week 12 buzz was about Kyren Williams and if you were someone who went up against him you probably lost (I am one of those). But the Rams QB Matthew Stafford also had himself a day throwing for 25-of-33, 229 yards and FOUR TUDDYS! Kupp and Nacua took a backseat to TE Tyler Higbee who reeled in two of those scores. It will be a tougher task this week when the Rams face the Browns stout defense.
Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
Roster Percentage: 44%
This game was ROUGH, the Saints were decimated with injuries and Derek Carr was outright awful. But as per usual he exceeded 300 yards through the air (304 yards to be exact). So with a trail of lackluster performances why recommend Mr. Carr as a pick-up? Welp, it’s a match-up play against a Lions defense has been very kind to quarterbacks this season and I expect the Saints to be playing from behind. Do keep an eye on those injury reports as the Saints had previously placed Michael Thomas on IR and lost both Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (quad) in Week 12. If either or both are out downgrade Carr in the ranks.
RUNNING BACK
Zack Moss, Indianapolis Colts
Roster Percentage: 49%
Don’t walk, RUNNN and grab him if available! Just when it looked like starter Jonathan Taylor was dominating touches in this backfield the Colts reintroduced Zach Moss into a timeshare role in Week 12. News broke today that JT will miss 2–3 weeks with a thumb injury. In Week 12 Moss ran the ball eight times for 55 yards and gained 15 yards through the air. Taylor will undergo thumb surgery this week making Moss THE priority add.
Jeff Wilson Jr., Miami Dolphins
Roster Percentage: 17%
De’Von Achane was sidelined with a knee injury and Jeff Wilson was once again elevated to the active roster. Wilson carried the rock 11 times for 56 yards and caught three balls for 17 yards. While Achane could return this week I think the Dolphins keep Wilson in the mix to do some of the heavy lifting down the stretch.
D’Ernest Johnson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Roster Percentage: 1%
Handcuff season is officially upon us and those who roster Travis Etienne had to be holding their breath when he exited in Week 12 only to return. But even before that we’ve seen D’Ernest Johnson take over the RB2 role for the JAGZ and see an increased role the past few weeks. In Week 12 he rushed seven times for 19 yards and had a nice catch for 42 yards. The Jaguars have already mentioned monitoring Etienne’s workload, so Johnson could have some low-end stand alone value but for now he’s an upside stash.
Ezekiel Elliott, New England Patriots
Roster Percentage: 40%
Once again Zeke makes the list as a boring low-end Flex option, but with six teams on Bye there are plenty of teams who could use a floor play. In Week 12 Elliott gained 46 yards on 8 attempts and caught both his targets for six more yards. The team has found recent success feeding starter Rhamondre Stevenson but with the quarterback play lacking they should continue to utilize Zeke as well. This week’s match-up against the Chargers defense is an inviting one.
Others to Consider:
Antonio Gibson (50%), Tyjae Spears (39%), Roschon Johnson (24%), Samaje Perine (20%), Royce Freeman (13%), Rico Dowdle (12%), Kendre Miller (5%)
WIDE RECEIVER
If available: Brandin Cooks (56%)
Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers
Roster Percentage: 48%
While we finally got a Christian Watson sighting, rookie Jayden Reed continues to find the end zone. Sure his yardage total of 34 yards isn’t eye popping but he saw eight targets and scored a touchdown for the 3rd game in a row. I do expect the Packers to struggle in this one facing a very solid Chiefs defense but they will be forced to throw the ball a ton to keep pace.
Noah Brown, Houston Texans
Roster Percentage: 45%
After being a top waiver add two weeks ago Brown was eventually ruled out for Weeks 11 and 12 with a knee injury. I’m listing him as a priority add again this week even if to stash him on your bench/IR. Even with the Texans ground game finding its groove the team will continue their pass heavy ways the rest of the season. Let’s not forget Brown was on FIRE the previous two weeks before his injury, gobbling up a whopping 325 yards.
Jalin Hyatt, New York Giants
Roster Percentage: 3%
Another rookie emerged in Week 12 and his name is Jalin Hyatt. Hyatt beasted reeling in five balls for 109 yards. There are two factors to be considered before snatchin’ him off the wire though: one is he plays for the Giants, and two, the Giants are on Bye this week. But in all seriousness Hyatt is a solid stash for teams with depth to add him and see how things play out down the stretch.
Demario (POP) Douglas, New England Patriots
Roster Percentage: 33%
Fantasy isn’t always pretty but sometimes you find a diamond in the rough and that is what Demario Douglas has been since he has taken on the WR1 role for the Patriots. He’s been a consistent option in PPR formats and in Week 12 he caught 6-of-9 targets for 49 yards. He did leave the game with a head injury but if he is good to go in Week 13 he gets a plus match-up against the Chargers.
Others to Consider:
Curtis Samuel (29%), Joshua Palmer (27% IR keep an eye on status), Jameson Williams (22%), Michael Wilson (10% INJ check status), Greg Dortch (2%), A.T. Perry (1%), Cedric Tillman (0%)
TIGHT END
If available: Isaiah Likely (51% BYE)
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
Roster Percentage: 49%
Last week Freiermuth was rostered in 51% of leagues just above the threshold, but I did mention him on “Winning the Wire” as a pickup if available because of the plus match-up. The Bengals have been thrashed by tight ends all season and Week 12 was no exception with THE MUTH going berserk hauling in nine of his 11 targets for 120 yards. While the match-ups moving forward won’t be as tastee as this one, follow that volume and let’s hope we get a TE1 option the rest of the way.
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Roster Percentage: 9%
I previously mentioned the injuries to the Saints WR corps and Juwan Johnson was one of the beneficiaries catching 4-of-7 targets for 45 yards. It’s likely Johnson sees a ton of volume this week and the Saints face a Detroit defense that has been getting pummeled through the air. Stream appeal!
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Roster Percentage: 22%
Otton has been a steady-eddie the past few weeks and last week was no exception when he caught all four targets for 45 yards. If you’ve been struggling with consistency at TE Otton could be a level playing ground.
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
Roster Percentage: 39%
The initial pregame report listed Tyler Higbee as a surprise inactive but it was later reported as a mistake. The Cardinals must not have seen the update as Higbee had his best game of the season finding pay-dirt twice while catching all 5 of his targets for 29 yards. But I’m gonna pump the breaks here as the Rams face the Browns this week who have been shutting down TEs all season long.
Others to Consider:
Gerald Everett (21%), Tyler Conklin (16%), Tucker Kraft (2%)
DEFENSE
Atlanta vs NYJ
Tampa Bay vs CAR
Jacksonville vs CIN
Los Angeles Rams vs CLE
Indianapolis @ TEN
*Roster percentages based on Yahoo
