Brian Hoyer could be a nice fill-in option at QB

Another week of action brought injuries to multiple stars, meaning fantasy owners may need to turn to the waiver wire for replacements in Week 13.

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Ownership totals are in ESPN leagues as of Tuesday.

Brian Hoyer – QB – Houston Texans

After playing poorly at the start of the season while being locked in a battle with Ryan Mallett, Hoyer has turned in a number of steady performances in a row and could be a decent replacement for Tony Romo or Peyton Manning owners.

In a five-game stretch between Week 4 and Week 8, Hoyer passed for no fewer than 232 yards with 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. Hoyer had to sit out nearly a game and a half due to a concussion but returned with a solid performance last Sunday in a blowout win over the New Orleans Saints.

The Texans are relying heavily on the passing game with Arian Foster out, and Hoyer has an outstanding home run threat to work with in DeAndre Hopkins. With a game against a Buffalo Bills’ defense that struggled in Week 12 against Alex Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs, Hoyer could be a sneakily good play for next Sunday and beyond.

Shaun Draughn – RB – San Francisco 49ers

With Carlos Hyde out indefinitely with a foot problem, Draughn has taken over the starting running back job in San Francisco and has done nothing to lose that role moving forward.

Draughn has received between 12 and 17 carries in his three games as the team’s starter. While he’s topped out at 58 yards and has yet to find the end zone, the number of touches gives him enough value for owners who need running back depth.

The fifth-year undrafted free agent out of North Carolina has caught 17 passes over those three games, giving him some extra value in PPR leagues. With a slightly more favorable matchup next week against the Chicago Bears, Draughn could score his first touchdown and really break onto a fantasy sense.

Cecil Shorts III – WR – Houston Texans

While Hoyer has led Houston’s offensive turnaround, Shorts has emerged as an important player and could have some upside moving forward.

Shorts hasn’t been receiving too many touches, with just eight catches over his past three games. However, Shorts has recorded a touchdown in each of the past two weeks, making him a potentially rewarding fantasy acquisition.

The Texans are starting to find more ways to get Short involved, including lining him up in the Wildcat formation. They even had him throw a pass for a score last weekend. Based on Shorts’ production recently, he should earn enough touches to be worth a look on the waiver wire.

Scott Chandler – TE – New England Patriots

It’s unclear how long Rob Gronkowski will be out with his knee issue, but Chandler will be a good pickup for that period with multiple star tight ends suffering injuries last week.

The Patriots have suffered enough injuries on offense to the point where Chandler may actually be one of Tom Brady‘s favorite targets for the next couple of games. Chandler received a team-high 11 targets on Sunday Night Football against the Denver Broncos, catching five passes for 58 yards and a touchdown.

At 6-foot-7, Chandler is a huge red zone target and should add to his total of three touchdowns this season in the coming games. With a favorable matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles coming up, Chandler should receive plenty of attention on the waiver wire this week.

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Nathaniel Reeves is a correspondent at FantasyPros. Follow him @njr3701.