The good news is that no teams will be on a bye in Week 12. The bad news is that we still don’t have a ton of great options on the fantasy football waiver wire. However, if you do need help, here are some key players to consider adding who are still available in the majority of Yahoo and ESPN fantasy football leagues.
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Fantasy Football: Week 12 NFL Waiver Wire Pickups
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints (57% available)
Hill is without question the top waiver wire option this week. The Saints decided to start him against the Falcons over Jameis Winston with Drew Brees (ribs) out, and he didn’t let them down. Not only did the Saints win going away, but Hill completed 18 of 23 passes for 233 yards and had 10 carries for 51 yards and two touchdowns. Brees is hoping to return in Week 15, so that means Hill should start three straight favorable matchups against the Broncos, Falcons and Eagles. It should be noted, however, he’s no longer TE-eligible in ESPN and Yahoo leagues, as he’s not listed as solely a QB.
Week 12 Waiver Wire Priority: 1 (20%-25% of FAAB budget)
Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts (56% available)
Even with T.Y. Hilton healthy, Pittman is emerging as the Colts’ top wide receiver. Across the last two games, Pittman has 10 catches on 11 targets for 167 yards and a touchdown. By contrast, Hilton recorded seven catches on 11 targets for 76 yards. With more targets coming his way now, Pittman is an excellent option to pursue on Yahoo and ESPN waiver wires with the Colts’ next four games coming against the Titans, Texans, Raiders and Texans again. All three of those teams are in the bottom-11 in the league in terms of passing yards allowed per game.
Week 12 Waiver Wire Priority: 2 (10%-15% of FAAB budget)
Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens (100% available)
As of early Tuesday morning, the Ravens are still scheduled to play the Steelers on Thursday despite multiple players testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday. Among the players who tested positive were Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins, two key parts of their running game. With them both out, that means Edwards should be busy, especially when you consider that the Ravens lead the league in rushing attempts. This is not an ideal matchup against a strong Steelers defense, but volume alone makes Edwards a viable starting option in Yahoo and ESPN fantasy leagues.
Week 12 Waiver Wire Priority: 3 (10%-15% of FAAB budget)
Frank Gore, New York Jets (90% available)
Gore just never seems to go away. The Jets are well on their way to a winless season, so it looked like La’Mical Perine could take some carries away from Gore down the stretch. However, Perine suffered an ankle injury against the Broncos in Week 11, which resulted in Gore rushing 15 times for 61 yards and a touchdown. Perine is expected to miss multiple games, so Gore is worth considering on volume alone despite a tough matchup against the Dolphins. When he faced them earlier this season, he had 11 carries for 46 yards and caught four passes for another 24 yards.
Week 12 Waiver Wire Priority: 4 (5% of FAAB budget)
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (72% available)
Jones’ problem throughout his young career has been limiting turnovers. The good news is that he didn’t turn the ball over in either of the Giants’ last two games. Although he still hasn’t thrown more than two touchdown passes in a game this season, he does have five games with at least 45 rushing yards. Upcoming are two favorable matchups against the Bengals and Seahawks, so if you need a quarterback and Hill is already gone in your league, Jones is at least a viable option in ESPN or Yahoo leagues.
Week 12 Waiver Wire Priority: 5 (3% of FAAB budget)
Denzel Mims, New York Jets (95% available)
If there is a bright side to the Jets being so bad, it’s that they often have to throw the ball a lot because they are down big in games. That’s helped Mims garner at least seven targets in three of the last four contests. He finished with a season-high 71 receiving yards against the Chargers in Week 11 and has some favorable matchups down the stretch, including facing the Raiders and Seahawks in Weeks 13 and 14, respectively. Don’t expect him to be your team’s top wide receiver in any given week, but he is in the discussion as a viable WR3 option.
Week 12 Waiver Wire Priority: 6 (1%-3% of FAAB budget)
Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys (79% available)
If any team needed a bye week, it was the Cowboys. The added time off helped Andy Dalton be able to return for their matchup Sunday against the Vikings. He threw three touchdown passes in the win, one of which went to Schultz. Schultz finished with six targets in the contest and now has three straight games with at least that many targets. The Cowboys’ porous defense should force their offense to throw the ball a lot, which means Schultz should continue to receive a significant number of targets moving forward. Week 12 brings a matchup against Washington, who has allowed six touchdowns to tight ends this season.
Week 12 Waiver Wire Priority: 7 (1%-3% of FAAB budget)
Marvin Hall, Detroit Lions (98% available)
As per usual, the Lions will play Thursday during one of the NFL’s three Thanksgiving contests. The quick turnaround means that they could still be without Kenny Golladay (hip), who hasn’t taken the field since Week 8. They could also be without Danny Amendola (hip), who was forced to sit out Week 11 against the Panthers. If one, or both, of those two wide receivers remain out for Week 12, then Hall could be busy against the Texans. The Texans have a dynamic offense, so the Lions could be forced to throw plenty in an effort to keep up. Also, the Texans defense has played poorly, allowing an average of 27.2 points a game. If you’re in a deep Yahoo or ESPN league and need help at wide receiver, things could be lining up nicely for Hall to be productive.
Week 12 Waiver Wire Priority: 8 (1% of FAAB budget)
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