It can be helpful to look beyond just Week 12 to get a leg up on your league mates with waiver-wire targets. Here are some options to stash this weekend that shouldn’t break your FAAB budget.
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Marcus Mariota (QB – ATL) – 39% Rostered
Nobody wants to roster Mariota, but he is the QB11 in total points on the season and has scored 19 or more fantasy points in three of his last four games. Mariota does have a bye week in Week 14, but it’s sandwiched between games against the Steelers and Saints who have given up the tenth and twelfth most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year. Mariota averages 39.6 rushing yards per game since Week 5 (sixth among QBs) and deserves to be rostered everywhere.
Ryan Tannehill (QB – TEN) – 18% Rostered
Over the last three weeks, Tannehill is the QB9, averaging 19.2 points per game. The Titans might not be a pass-first offense, but with Treylon Burks back on the field, they are showing the ability to win without just relying on Derrick Henry. That can only be a good thing for Tannehill.
Cam Akers (RB – LAR) – 51% Rostered
This week, the Rams released Darrell Henderson in the latest episode of “What’s going on in the Rams backfield.” After it looked like Akers would be traded a few weeks ago, he’s now the RB1 on a team that could need to rely on the ground game going forward.
Since Akers’ return to the starting lineup, he’s had 25 rush attempts over three games and the Rams seem keen to let him show what he can do. Against the Saints last week, Akers rushed 14 times for 61 yards, equaling his season high. The floor is low, but the Rams play several weak run defenses in the coming weeks, including the Raiders and Packers.
Jerick McKinnon (RB – KC) – 31% Rostered
Clyde Edwards-Helaire was placed on IR this week. McKinnon looks likely to be the next man up behind Isaiah Pacheco unless Ronald Jones – who has been inactive for every game this season – surprises us all. The Chiefs don’t lean heavily on their running game, but McKinnon has shown he can be useful in both rushing and receiving. He’s averaging 1.0 PPR points per touch, placing him 13th among running backs with 25 or more touches.
Deon Jackson (RB – IND) – 10% Rostered
Jonathan Taylor is the clear RB1 in this offense and looks to be healthy again. Still, Jackson has shown he’ll stay involved and has been counted on in the passing game in recent weeks, absorbing some of the role that Nyheim Hines left behind. Should anything happen to Taylor, Jackson would become a very valuable commodity for the rest of the season.
Donovan Peoples-Jones (WR – CLE) – 49% Rostered
Since Week 4, Peoples-Jones has averaged 72.4 receiving yards per game (15th among WRs). He has scored at least 11 PPR points in each of his last five appearances and is among the most consistent options outside of the upper tier of players. Thanks to their defense being so poor, the Browns have to rely on their passing game to get themselves back into games and that doesn’t look likely to change anytime soon.
Treylon Burks (WR – TEN) – 47% Rostered
After missing four games with turf toe, Burks looked fully healthy when he returned in Week 10 and has seen 14 targets over his last two games. Early on in the season, things didn’t seem to be clicking for the rookie, but he seems to have gained Tannehill’s trust as well as that of head coach Mike Vrabel. With potential shoot-outs coming against the Eagles and Chargers, Burks could be primed to make a big impact.
Parris Campbell (WR – IND) – 46% Rostered
The Colts have been messy, but since Week 6, Campbell is the WR10 in PPR formats on the back of three top-twelve finishes. In Campbell’s last four games with Matt Ryan at quarterback, he has averaged 18.5 PPR points and a 25-percent target share. The Colts will likely be put in more pass-heavy scripts going forward. Campbell is staying on the field and getting open. so he should be rostered everywhere.
Elijah Moore (WR – NYJ) – 26% Rostered
Moore has had a miserable season so far thanks, in part, to the poor play of QB Zach Wilson. It’s hard to imagine that Moore felt sorry for Wilson when the latter was benched this week. In the four games he has played with Mike White behind center, Moore’s average points per game (PPR) jump from 7.2 to 16.0.
White consistently makes more of the simple throws than Wilson who managed just four passing touchdowns in his seven starts this year. Moore could explode this week against a woeful Bears’ pass defense. He is a must-add before his value increases heading into next week.
Juwan Johnson (TE – NO) – 47% Rostered
The Saints aren’t as much fun this year as we might have hoped, but Johnson has quietly had a mini breakout with five touchdowns in his last five games. He has finished inside the top-ten tight ends in four of those games. At a position that can be difficult to navigate, this is great consistency. Johnson ranks 14th among tight ends with 47 targets on the season and has matchups against the Buccaneers and Falcons coming up. Both of those squads rank in the bottom half in fantasy points allowed to the position.
Trey McBride (TE – ARI) – 13% Rostered
Kyler Murray is yet to play a game since Zach Ertz‘s season-ending knee injury. When Murray returns, he’s likely to lean on McBride in a similar way to how he did Ertz over the past year. McBride faces a Chargers’ defense this weekend that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to the position. If he blows up this Sunday, then McBride will be very popular on waivers next week.
Indianapolis Colts DEF – 43% Rostered
The Colts’ defense has been a lot more organized than their offense this season, scoring seven or more fantasy points in five of their last seven games. They have also recorded 21 sacks in that span. In the fantasy playoffs, the Colts’ defense faces the Vikings, Chargers and Giants. All of those teams have issues on their offensive line and might provide good scoring opportunities.
Arizona Cardinals DEF – 16% Rostered
The Cardinals’ defense had a rotten performance against the Niners in Mexico City on Monday, scoring -4 points. That ended a run of five games over which they averaged 11.4 points. They will face the Chargers before a Week 13 bye. After that, the Cardinals face the Patriots and the Broncos. Both squads have had issues with their quarterbacks. This Cardinals’ defense has five defensive touchdowns and could deliver big in those matchups.
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