With Week 12 officially in the books, there are more names you need to know on this week’s waiver wire. You may be dealing with injuries, bye weeks, or just need to cycle players out on your bench. Whatever it is, the waiver wire is there to help. Let’s take a look at some of the best players that should be added this week on waivers to help lift your team into the playoffs.
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Top Priority Waiver Wire Pickups (If Available)
Ameer Abdullah RB (LV)
26% Rostered
Abdullah cashed in on his “emergency streamer” tag ahead of his matchup against the Denver Broncos with a 17.5-point performance. This marks the second straight week he has gone over 10+ fantasy points. If Alexander Mattison and Zamir White are unable to go on a short week, Abdullah does hold value against the Chiefs’ top-run defense. Abdullah’s primary value is as a pass catcher and the Chiefs have allowed over 6 points and 5.5 targets per game to running backs in the passing game. Abdullah is worth taking a look at on the waiver wire in PPR leagues due to his receiving upside.
Keon Coleman WR (BUF)
55% Rostered
Before the wrist injury, Coleman was starting to break out averaging 17+ points for two weeks. Coleman’s role in the offense as a big play threat will always separate his targets from the likes of Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid who both have higher target shares. This season Coleman ranks 22nd among receivers in average target distance while ranking 3rd in target quality rating. The Bills’ rest of the season schedule benefits perimeter receivers and will make Coleman a valuable asset to own down the stretch.
Jeremy McNichols RB (WAS)
1% Rostered
Both Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr. were unable to finish Sunday’s game due to injuries. If both players are unable to go this week, McNichols becomes a premium play against the Titans. This season McNichols is averaging 4.9 yards per carry in limited work and has four touchdowns on the season. Commanders running backs tend to be more effective due to the threat of Jayden Daniels legs providing McNichols with the perfect opportunity for a 12+ point performance this week.
Gus Edwards RB (LAC)
23% Rostered
Edwards is the hottest name on the waiver wire this week with J.K. Dobbins leaving last night’s game with a knee injury. After Dobbins left for injury, Edwards was able to salvage an inefficient performance with a touchdown. He will slot into the primary early-down runner if Dobbins were to miss any time and the Chargers have the 6th highest run rate this season. Despite their brutal schedule ahead, you do not find many running backs at this time of the year with the opportunity to have as much volume as Edwards could have the rest of the season if Dobbins injury is serious.
Taysom Hill TE (NO)
54% Rostered
Taysom Hill was the MVP of Week 11 after his 40-point performance against the Browns. Taysom Hill has always been a wild card in lineups with the ability to vulture goal-line touchdowns from Alvin Kamara. On Sunday he had a career day with 138 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns while hauling in 8 passes for 50 yards on 10 targets. He played 8 snaps at quarterback, 6 snaps at running back, and 18 snaps lined up at receiver. With the injuries at receiver, Hill has a higher floor than ever in fantasy football.
Worthy Waiver Wire Pickups
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine WR (TEN)
11% Rostered
Westbrook-Ikhine has been a touchdown machine with six touchdowns in his last seven games. At some point, he needed to be added to this list because of his ability to find his way into the end zone. During that seven-game stretch, he has seen at least four targets in five games while scoring over 10+ points in four games. I would be cautious of his floor though because he has scored a touchdown on 35.3% of his catches this season. Westbrook-Ikhine is more valuable in standard formats as he ranks as the WR8 since Week 6 and is worth rostering due to his big play ability.
Devaughn Vele WR (DEN)
5% Rostered
Vele has consistently slotted into the WR2 role for the Broncos in the last couple of weeks ranking second on the team in snaps and routes run over the previous three games. He has failed to score under 10 fantasy points in those three games while hauling in at least four catches in each game. Vele is a 6’5 receiver and is starting to see more red zone work with two targets in the red area in the last two games. He has a high ceiling against the Browns this week who are allowing nearly 30 points a game to opposing receivers. Vele is a great pickup on the waiver wire due to his increased role within the Broncos offense.
Antonio Gibson RB (NE)
17.4% Rostered
The Patriots decided to decrease Rhamondre Stevenson’s role on Sunday. Gibson led the backfield in offensive snaps at 30 and the team in rushing yards at 31. Stevenson on the other hand finished with 29 snaps while finishing with just 13 rushing yards on eight attempts. The change of guard in the backfield comes from the inefficiency of Stevenson this season as he is averaging under 4 yards per carry this season. The Patriots have good matchups for opposing running backs in the Colts, Cardinals, and Bills making Gibson a worthy add on the waiver wire this week.
Roschon Johnson RB (CHI)
21% Rostered
Despite only seeing three touches in the loss to the Vikings, Johnson continues to play a sizable role in the Bears offense. Since Thomas Brown took over as the offensive coordinator, D’Andre Swift has operated as the primary early down back while Roschon Johnson plays on third downs, two-minute drills, and goal line snaps. He has six of eight possible carries in the red zone in the last two weeks allowing him to score a touchdown in consecutive weeks. In the last two weeks, he has been able to reach 10 points once and slightly fell short of that mark this week. He is a premium handcuff and a streamer if you are down bad at running back.
Honorable Mentions
Quarterbacks
Russell Wilson (PIT) 38% Rostered
Caleb Williams (CHI) 11% Rostered
Running Backs
Trey Benson (ARI) 27% Rostered
Tank Bigsby (JAX) 38% Rostered
Jaylen Wright (MIA) 9% Rostered
Wide Receivers
Alec Pierce (IND) 24% Rostered
Noah Brown (WAS) 8% Rostered
Xavier Legette (CAR) 40% Rostered
Demario Douglas (NE) 23% Rostered
Tight Ends
Zach Ertz (WAS) 54% Rostered
Noah Gray (KC) 3% Rostered
Defenses
Los Angeles Chargers DEF 52% Rostered
Dallas Cowboys DEF 25% Rostered
Kickers
Matthew Wright (KC) 1% Rostered
Chase McLaughlin (TB) 48% Rostered
[…] under 10 fantasy points in those three games while hauling in at least four catches in each game. Vele is a 6’5 receiver and is starting to see red zone work with two targets in the red area in the […]