Weekend Waiver Wire Stashes: Week 12 (2021 Fantasy Football)

Here are players to consider stashing ahead of this weekend’s slate of games.

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QUARTERBACKS

Taylor Heinicke at Raiders in Week 13
Heinicke is a solid streaming option this week against a Raiders defense that’s giving up 21.6 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, the third-highest total in the league. He had a three-TD game against a good Panthers defense in Week 11 and has thrown at least one TD pass in five consecutive starts. Heinicke has been adding fantasy value with his legs. He’s averaged 27.6 rushing yards per game this season. Since Week 7, Heinicke has been the QB11 in fantasy points per game.

Tyrod Taylor vs. Colts in Week 13
Taylor has three TD runs in four starts this season and is averaging 26.5 rushing yards per game. Taylor is always a wild card as a passer, but his mobility is a reliable source of fantasy goodness. Taylor is averaging 17.0 fantasy points a game this season and has a decent stretch of schedule the rest of the way, including a Week 13 matchup against a Colts defense that’s giving up 20.0 points a game to opposing quarterbacks.

RUNNING BACKS

Matt Breida vs. Patriots in Week 13
Breida is going to be a popular waiver claim this weekend. Rostered in just 18% of CBS leagues as of Friday, Breida had 9-26-0 rushing and 2-29-1 receiving in the Bills’ 31-6 Thanksgiving-night win over the Saints. He’s now sharing the Buffalo backfield with Devin Singletary and has apparently displaced Zack Moss, who was a healthy Week 12 scratch. Singletary played 45 snaps on Thursday, compared with 21 for Breida. But Breida has looked terrific in recent weeks, racking up 172 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in his last three games. He should be rostered in all leagues with 12 or more teams.

Jordan Howard at Jets in Week 13
Howard has been ruled out for Week 12 with what’s believed to be a relatively minor knee injury. If he’s able to come back for Week 13, he’ll be an attractive option against the Jets, who have given up a league-high 20 TD runs. The Jets are also allowing 29.2 fantasy points per game (0.5 PPR) to running backs. No other team is allowing more than 24.1 FPPG to running backs. Howard adds no value in the passing game but has 51-274-3 rushing in his four games this season.

Dontrell Hilliard bye in Week 13
I can’t promise you that Hilliard is going to play a significant role for the Titans going forward. It’s possible he might not even be active once Jeremy McNichols is able to return from a concussion that kept him out of action in Week 11 and will also sideline him for Week 12. But Hilliard played 51 snaps in Week 11, while Titans RBs D’Onta Foreman and Adrian Peterson played 15 snaps each. Peterson has since been released. Hilliard had 7-35-0 rushing and 8-47-0 receiving against the Texans in Week 11, and it’s possible he’ll continue to have a substantial role going forward. He’s worth stashing if you have the roster space.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Curtis Samuel at Raiders in Week 13
He’s only played 30 snaps all season and hasn’t suited up since Week 5, but Samuel has been practicing this week and appears ready to return from a groin injury. Samuel had 77-851-3 receiving and 41-200-2 rushing for the Panthers last season, and the Football Team could certainly use a healthy Samuel as a complement to lead receiver Terry McLaurin. DeAndre Carter has been playing that role in Samuel’s absence, and Carter has scored a touchdown in each of his last three games.

Laviska Shenault at Rams in Week 13
I can’t pretend to make this recommendation with any enthusiasm. Shenault has been a fantasy disappointment this season. But with Jamal Agnew sustaining a season-ending hip injury, Shenault is primed for an enhanced role. I know, I know – we said the same thing when D.J. Chark went down with a season-ending injury. But Trevor Lawrence really needs a short-area receiver he can lean on now, so Shenault could be in line for a major bump in targets.

TIGHT ENDS

Cole Kmet vs. Cardinals in Week 13
Kmet’s stat lines from his last three games: 6-87-0, 1-12-0, and 8-65-0. He’s seen 21 targets over that span, which includes an 11-target game against the Lions on Thanksgiving. Kmet hasn’t scored a touchdown this season, but he has six red-zone targets, and it seems like it’s only a matter of time before he hits pay dirt. Kmet’s Week 13 matchup against the Cardinals isn’t especially appealing, but he gets a good Week 14 matchup against the Packers and a great Week 16 matchup against the Seahawks.

DEFENSES

Minnesota Vikings at Lions in Week 13
Week 13 is a bad week for streaming defenses – there simply aren’t many attractive matchups for the defenses that are widely available on waivers. The Vikings, rostered in 33% of CBS leagues, have a favorable matchup against the winless Lions. Detroit has scored only 19 touchdowns this season and has taken 28 sacks. The Vikings are going to be a popular waiver claim next week, so it makes sense to save yourself a dollar or two in FAAB money by claiming them now if you have the roster space.

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NFL Streamers Waiver Wire NFL Weekly Advice Taylor Heinicke Tyrod Taylor Matt Breida Devin Singletary Zack Moss Jordan Howard Dontrell Hilliard Jeremy McNichols D’Onta Foreman Adrian Peterson Curtis Samuel Terry McLaurin DeAndre Carter Laviska Shenault Jamal Agnew D.J. Chark Trevor Lawrence Cole Kmet