Our first extra large bye week of the season is here, and I will not sugar coat it: the streaming options at quarterback are not great.
On the bright side, there were not any major fantasy football injuries over the weekend, and several players should be returning from extended layoffs this weekend.
We are also nearing the end of the fantasy regular season as soon as this week depending on your format, so now is the time to load up on high-upside bench stashes where possible.
As a reminder, recommended adds are available in at least 60% of ESPN leagues, and the watch list consists of players worth monitoring.
The deep cuts section for running backs and receivers highlights players who are rostered in no more than 5% of ESPN leagues for all you “not in my league” degens.
I will not list recommended FAAB percentages for every player because that decision comes down to too many factors including league size, team weaknesses, and the aggressiveness of the other managers in your league.
That said, I will try to clarify when there is a player I am going big on in FAAB bidding.
Also, FAAB Lab is a great, crowdsourced way to get a feel for how much a player will cost in FAAB bidding each week.
Finally, I will not be ranking kickers and defenses because frankly I don’t care about them and want them to disappear from the game.
With those caveats out of the way, let’s get to it.
Best Quarterback Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 12
- Tua Tagovailoa
- Geno Smith
- Drake Maye
Best Running Back Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 12
- Roschon Johnson
- Gus Edwards
- Audric Estime
- Cam Akers
- Ameer Abdullah
- Dylan Laube
Best Wide Receiver Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 12
- Elijah Moore
- Adam Thielen
- Rashod Bateman
- Curtis Samuel
- Alec Pierce
- Mike Williams
- Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Best Tight End Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 12
- Jonnu Smith
- Will Dissly
- Luke Schoonmaker
- Ja'Tavion Sanders
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Best Quarterback Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 12
1. Tua Tagovailoa – Available in 57.3% of fantasy leagues
I am going outside of my roster limits because the pickings are slim at quarterback this week. Tagovailoa has not flashed a consistently high fantasy ceiling this season, and volume could be a concern as 7-point home favorites. Still, he has averaged 7.4 yards per attempt since returning from injury and tossed 3 touchdowns last week. The Patriots just gave up 4 touchdowns to Matthew Stafford.
2. Geno Smith – Available in 50.5% of fantasy leagues
Smith’s matchup with the Cardinals does not look as good on paper as it would have early in the season. The Cardinals have allowed one passing score over their last four games, a run that includes matchups against Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa. Still, we should get some volume out of Smith, who leads the league in pass attempts per game despite trailing off a bit lately, and this game has a solid 47.5-point total.
3. Drake Maye – Available in 82.3% of fantasy leagues
Maye has not been a fantasy superstar, but he has been a solid option who has provided a nice floor with his rushing ability. Maye is 10th among qualified quarterbacks in rushing fantasy points per game, and the Dolphins have allowed some big passing games as of late including 282 yards and 2 touchdowns to Gardner Minshew on Sunday. Maye might not be a high-end option this week, but he has a decent floor in a bad week for the position.
Watch List: I would not push back against anyone using Matthew Stafford coming off his 4 touchdown game, but the Eagles have decimated passing attacks since their bye week including shutting down Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels…It is a similar story for Jameis Winston, who has attempted 41, 46, and 46 passes in his three starts this season. Two of those resulted in good fantasy days, but his game against the Chargers left a lot to be desired. This matchup against the Steelers is even more difficult…It apparently will not be this week, but I still am of the opinion we will see Trey Lance start games this season.
Best Running Back Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 12
1. Roschon Johnson – Available in 85.8% of leagues
Johnson’s best case might be a Gus Edwards role (below) in a worse offense, but his usage in Week 11 was interesting. He only played 7 fewer snaps than D'Andre Swift, had just 4 fewer carries, and actually played more in the second half. Johnson also had 2 goal-to-go carries, converting one of them for a touchdown. The Bears have not been scoring enough recently for there to be a real trend, but since Johnson started playing more in Week 3, he has 6 of the goal-to-go carries with 5 touchdowns in those situations compared to 11 with 2 TDs for Swift. Ultimately, I would not expect Johnson to become the clear lead back, which is a problem given this offense and the upcoming schedule, but stashing him on the bench to see what happens makes sense.
2. Gus Edwards – Available in 74% of leagues
The Chargers giving Hassan Haskins two chances near the end zone was tilting to those who could have used an Edwards score in showdown lineups – not naming any names – but Edwards did still get around a third of the running back carries in a game the Chargers leaned pretty heavily into the pass (36 attempts). Edwards does not have a good matchup this week, but I would expect him to get more run in games the Chargers can control moving forward and hopefully get those goal-line touches.
3. Audric Estime – Available in 64% of leagues
I am not going to give up completely on Estime, but the rug pull by Sean Payton was impressive. Estime still ended up with 9 touches including promisingly 3 catches, but 7 of those touches came in the second half of an easy win. Javonte Williams out-snapped Estime 19 to 3 and out-touched him 9 to 2 in the first half. We have seen this backfield go back and forth, so holding Estime on the bench in deeper leagues still makes some sense, but Week 11 was certainly a disappointment for those (me) who took the plunge on Estime over the last couple of weeks.
4. Cam Akers – Available in 83.5% of leagues
Akers will serve as the placeholder for high-upside handcuffs like Braelon Allen, Trey Benson, Ray Davis, Blake Corum, and Jaylen Wright this week, but he has some added juice over that group after he handled 40% of the running back carries and scored a touchdown in Week 11. Aaron Jones entered that game with a rib injury, and 8 of Akers' 12 touches including his touchdown came after halftime, suggesting Jones might have been limited. Still, Jones has been banged up a few times this season, so perhaps the Vikings start working Akers in more down the stretch.
5. Ameer Abdullah – Available in 99.3% of leagues
6. Dylan Laube – Available in 99.9% of leagues
The injuries to Alexander Mattison and Zamir White mean we have to look at the Raiders’ backfield, especially given all the byes, but this is a situation I want to avoid as much as possible. Abdullah was the last man standing on Sunday and scored a touchdown, but he has not had double-digit carries in a game since the 2017 season. Dylan Laube has been a healthy scratch since he fumbled in his only career carry. No one in this backfield has been consistently productive this season, and we have no idea who will get the bulk of the work or even if Mattison and White will miss time. This situation is only for the desperate.
Watch List: As mentioned above, names like Braelon Allen, Trey Benson, Ray Davis, Blake Corum, and Jaylen Wright are worth stashing where possible as we head into the fantasy playoffs…It is worth noting Ezekiel Elliott did play 25 snaps despite getting just 4 touches and only ran 2 fewer routes than Rico Dowdle, but we should have no interest in the No. 2 back in this version of the Cowboys offense…Khalil Herbert did at least get some snaps on Sunday night, but it remains the Chase Brown show in the Cincy backfield.
Deep Cuts: Dameon Pierce is back healthy, and I would expect him to be the handcuff for Joe Mixon if something happened to the lead back…Kenneth Gainwell is going to get more run with Saquon Barkley healthy, but I think we might see more of Will Shipley if something happens to the starter…If you want to get really wild with the Raiders, Sincere McCormick was a workhorse in college and is currently on Las Vegas’ practice squad.
Best Wide Receiver Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 12
1. Elijah Moore – Available in 90.6% of leagues
The Browns have been throwing the ball around since Jameis Winston took over. Winston has attempted 41, 46, and 46 passes in his three starts, and that has allowed Moore to stack 12, 9, and 8 targets over that span. Moore is only averaging 8.1 yards per catch this season, so he needs that level of volume to be a real fantasy factor outside of deeper PPR leagues, and the Browns have other guys around him who should command targets. Still, we now have a long history of the Browns throwing a lot whenever Deshaun Watson is out, so that volume could stick around the rest of the way.
2. Adam Thielen – Available in 74.6% of leagues
I have no idea what the plan will be for Thielen when he is back, and I have no idea why the Panthers would throw him out there at the expense of their younger receivers in a lost season. But they activated for a reason, so here we are. It has to be noted Thielen was the target on 25.8% of Bryce Young’s throws last season, and Young has targeted a slot receiver on 37% of throws since taking back over as the starter. Jalen Coker led the team in targets while playing 75% of his snaps in the slot before the bye. If Thielen does play, it will likely be at Coker’s expense.
3. Rashod Bateman – Available in 76.2% of leagues
Bateman does not appear to be going anywhere. He ran a route on 85.7% of Baltimore’s pass plays in Week 11, earning 5 targets along the way. There are so many options in Baltimore that Bateman will struggle to get more than those 5 targets most weeks, but he is attached to Lamar Jackson in a great offense. That is worth something in deeper leagues.
4. Curtis Samuel – Available in 89.6% of leagues
The Bills are on bye, which makes holding Samuel tough, but I am fine stashing him where possible to see what the receiver room looks like after the break. In Week 11, Amari Cooper only ran a route on 53.3% of the dropbacks, which left open the door for Samuel to command 6 targets. He turned those into 5 catches for 58 yards and a touchdown. As has been my concern all the way back to draft season, Samuel is the kind of fantasy player that requires volume, and it is unlikely he will get that with everyone healthy.
5. Alec Pierce – Available in 84.9% of leagues
I was very interested in Pierce last week before I knew that Anthony Richardson would be starting and Michael Pittman would be back in the lineup. Pierce still earned 4 targets and had a good 3 for 74 line, but we are likely back to the boom-or-bust player of the early season.
6. Mike Williams – Available in 71.1% of leagues
Williams’ route rate did increase to 36.6% in Week 11, but he was not targeted. I am willing to stash Williams since the Steelers so clearly need a No. 2 option in the passing game, but Pittsburgh has also been 7% under their expected pass rate since Russell Wilson took over as the starter, which limits the overall upside of the secondary options.
7. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine – Available in 98.4% of leagues
Westbrook-Ikhine is this week’s Marquez Valdes-Scantling, although to be fair to MVS, he did it again in Week 11, so what do I know? Westbrook-Ikhine has been essentially a full time player since the DeAndre Hopkins trade, and he has scored 5 touchdowns over his last six games. In Week 11, that touchdown was a 98-yard bomb. His expected touchdown number based on usage is closer to 2 for the entire season, however, highlighting the luck involved in this touchdown run. He has been targeted on 13.7% of his routes since the Hopkins trade, which is right around his career average. I have been wrong before – see below – but this feels like a trap.
8. Marquez Valdes-Scantling – Available in 86% of leagues
He did it again, so here we are. Still, I remain uninterested in investing a roster spot in MVS, especially with the Saints heading into a bye week. He was targeted on 15.4% of his routes in Week 11, and that long play is not going to hit every game.
Watch List: Ricky Pearsall is right up against the threshold for this article, and that is probably the right number for him given Jauan Jennings looks like the clear No. 2 receiver. Still, he is the kind of high-upside hold I am interested in at this point in the season…I am still very interested in John Metchie as a bench stash. He ran a route on 71.1% of Houston's dropbacks on Monday night and got 3 targets…DeMarioDouglas is certainly worth a look in deeper PPR leagues, but the nature of this passing attack and his lackluster route participation rate (63% in Week 11) means he will have ups and downs, a real problem for a receiver who relies on volume to score fantasy points…Jalen McMillan was active but did not play any snaps ahead of the bye week. He should be healthier after the break, but the likely return of Mike Evans puts the entire passing game into flux. There still could be a role for McMillan in the slot, though, so he will be someone to watch and perhaps stash where possible…Dontayvion Wicks ran just 6 routes in Week 11 and continues to play behind Christian Watson, who went for 150 yards against the Bears…The return of Michael Pittman crushed AD Mitchell’s route rate, which should send him back to the wire…Darius Slayton was carving out a nice role before his injury, but the quarterback uncertainty makes him tough to trust.
Deep Cuts: I want the Panthers to keep using Jalen Coker, and I would have him on the bench in deeper leagues, but I worry he will take the biggest hit if they decide to use Adam Thielen…Time for our weekly Patriots receiver check. Kendrick Bourne found the end zone but ran a route on just 50% of the dropbacks. Kayshon Boutte continues to be a full time player, but that has not translated to usable fantasy games most weeks. Ja’Lynn Polk…well…he was on the field some…Now onto our weekly Denver receiver check. Several guys got loose with Bo Nix having a big day. Devaughn Vele continues to see a solid number of targets, but Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin, and Lil’Jordan Humphrey found the end zone. We also should get Josh Reynolds back soon to muddle this situation even more…The Gabe Davis injury opens up a chance for Parker Washington again, but the Jaguars are not an offense to target, especially headed into the bye week.
Best Tight End Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 12
1. Jonnu Smith – Available in 68.3% of leagues
The top of this list has been pretty steady in recent weeks, and that is because these two keep performing. Smith finally put his usage to good work in Week 11, catching 6 passes for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns. His route rate was a season-high 94.6%, which I would not expect to continue, but he has consistently earned a target on around 23% of his routes this season. As long as that sticks around, he will be in consideration for weekly starts.
2. Will Dissly – Available in 86.1% of leagues
Over the last three games, Dissly is tied for second on the Chargers with 15 targets and has been targeted on 24.6% of his routes. His route rate did slip a bit last week, which we don’t love to see, but he still had 4 catches for 80 yards and a score. The Ravens are 22nd in yards per target allowed to tight ends, and we would expect them to force the Chargers to throw on Monday night.
3. Luke Schoonmaker – Available in 98.2% of leagues
I like Ja'Tavion Sanders more as a long-term add, but Schoonmaker will likely get the nod for the Cowboys this week with Jake Ferguson in the concussion protocol on a short week. Schoonmaker ran 7 more routes than Brevyn Spann-Ford on Monday night and was targeted on 32.3% of those routes, a likely unsustainable number. Still, if he can work as the lead tight end for a quarterback who is averaging just 6.5 air yards per target this season, Schoonmaker should get a decent number of looks against the Commanders.
4. Ja’Tavion Sanders – Available in 99.3% of leagues
This is a risk-reward situation because I would expect Tommy Tremble to return this week, and Sanders’ route rate has suffered with Tremble active. Still, it makes a lot of sense for the Panthers to get Sanders involved down the stretch of his rookie season, and this matchup offers some upside. Not only should we expect the Panthers to be in a negative game script against the Chiefs – they are currently 11-point home underdogs – but the Chiefs are 30th in the league in yards per target allowed to tight ends.
Watch List: Back from injury, Isaiah Likely ran just one fewer route than Mark Andrews and was targeted 2 more times. We have ridden this roller coaster all season, so I am not going to jump in feet first, but there are worse bench stashes, especially in TE premium leagues…As mentioned last week, Mike Gesicki is tough to trust with Tee Higgins back, but it is promising he still ran a route on 76.4% of Cincy’s dropbacks, much higher than earlier in the season with Higgins active. Perhaps he can be an option once the Bengals return from bye…Colby Parkinson caught a touchdown on his only target, but he ran a route on just 18.5% of the Rams’ dropbacks. Davis Allen still looks like the better option long term…Noah Gray had a day against the Bills, catching 2 touchdowns, but he is likely to stick in that 3-4 target range the rest of the season, which is hard to trust for fantasy…He is not yet running enough routes for it to matter, but Darnell Washington has been targeted on 29.3% of his routes with Russell Wilson on the field this season.