There are plenty of reasons to utilize the waiver wire ahead of Week 12. You’re either still fighting for a playoff spot, beefing up your playoff roster, or playing spoil sport as an eliminated team who wants to remain competitive. Whatever the case, the list of available players is much thinner than it was just 10 weeks ago, but you never know who can emerge later on.
You may be dealing with injuries, bye weeks, or just need to cycle out players from your bench. Whatever the case may be, the waiver wire is there to help. There’s not always a need to put in a claim for players each week, but if you do, make it count. Below, we’ll look at players at each position, who are on 50% or less of most fantasy football rosters, that could be considered on the Week 11 waiver wire.
Week 12 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire By Position
Running Back
Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks
The time has finally come for Zach Charbonnet. After weeks of suggesting Charbonnet on the waiver wire, Week 12 is the last opportunity to pick him up. Kenneth Walker is dealing with an oblique injury that could land him on the Injured Reserve. Even the consideration to move him there likely means he’s out a few weeks.
The Seattle Seahawks play Thursday night in a tough matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. Assuming Walker is out, Charbonnet is still a top-12 running back with command of the majority of Seahawks backfield touches. He has 23.1 fantasy points over the last two weeks. That includes a season-high 12.9 points in Week 11.
Charbonnet’s 22 touches in Week 11 are also a season-high. I expect the volume to remain the same, especially if quarterback Geno Smith is struggling to throw with an elbow injury of his own. He is a must-add on the Week 12 waiver wire that I’m comfortable starting in an early matchup with his larger role that includes significant receiving upside.
Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings
Even with Alexander Mattison clearing the concussion protocol ahead of Week 11, Ty Chandler still had a role. Actually, because Alexander Mattison cleared concussion protocol, some fantasy managers who picked up Ty Chandler, in case Mattison wasn’t cleared, may have dropped Chandler. That puts him in the mix for the Week 12 waiver wire.
Chandler saw 14 opportunities to Mattison’s 19 but racked up 110 all-purpose yards, 37 of which by catching all four of his targets. Chandler even ripped off a 31-yard run which was the Vikings’ longest play from scrimmage. It’s conceivable that Ty Chandler and Alexander Mattison can both find their way into Week 12 fantasy lineups. With all 32 teams in play, you may have better options. However, the Vikings host the Chicago Bears on Monday night who just allowed both Detroit Lions running backs, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, to find the end zone in Week 11.
Other Running Backs to Consider
- Rico Dowdle is the Dallas Cowboys running back you want aside from Tony Pollard. He has 102 rushing yards on 20 carries over their last two games. Granted, the Cowboys have had back-to-back choice matchups, especially for running backs, but producing on larger workloads is never a bad thing.
- Roschon Johnson logged just six carries in a narrow loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 11, but ran the best of all Bears backs. His 5.0 yards per carry average was more than double Khalil Herbert (2.2) and D’Onta Foreman (2.3). For deeper leagues who want insurance options at the position, scoop up Johnson on the Week 12 waiver wire.
- Handcuff Running Backs are those that serve as the obvious backup on their own team, as well as the stud on your team’s roster. With just four weeks left in the fantasy football regular season, it may be time to start adding key handcuffs if you haven’t yet done so. Players like Elijah Mitchell (SF), Tyjae Spears (TEN), and Kenneth Gainwell (PHI) come to mind.
Wide Receiver
Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers
The Packers’ up-and-down season shouldn’t distract from the fact that Jayden Reed is putting together a strong rookie campaign. Since Christian Watson’s return in Week 4, Reed has played fewer snaps than Watson in six of a possible seven games. However, Reed has 380 all-purpose yards to Watson’s 253 over this span.
Reed is a dynamic player who can make plays when the Packers get creative about finding ways to get him the ball. Over the last three weeks, Reed has two games in which he racked up 67 rushing yards on four carries and found the end zone in Week 11. Especially given the knee injury to Aaron Jones, we could see more rush attempts for Reed moving forward. He now has four games with double-digit fantasy points since the Packers’ Week 6 bye. He even has back-to-back games of 19.0+ points, a streak he will look to continue in Week 12.
Tutu Atwell, Los Angeles Rams
Cooper Kupp could miss time with a low ankle sprain suffered in Week 11. Additionally, Puka Nacua is dealing with knee and shoulder injuries. This opens the door back up for Tutu Atwell. Those who had him on their rosters earlier this season know he is worth the Week 12 waiver wire add. However, everyone should be looking to pick him up this week.
Atwell is still playing plenty of snaps for the Rams even with Kupp back on the field. However, his target share is what’s important here. In the first four games of the season, without Cooper Kupp, Tutu Atwell averaged 8.75 targets per game, compared to 3.66 in the six games since. There’s also the difference of 14.42 fantasy points per game in the first four compared to 6.31 in the six since. If Kupp is to miss time, Atwell is back in the mix for fantasy football. He’s worth the Week 12 waiver wire add and starting depending on the current state of your wide receivers.
Other Wide Receivers to Consider
- Rashid Shaheed will enter Week 12 as a top-three option in the New Orleans Saints passing attack. Whether it’s Derek Carr or Jameis Winston, both quarterbacks value what Shaheed brings to the field. He can handle and score fantasy points on a high-volume workload or with one big play downfield. Shaheed either has six targets and/or a play of 25 yards or more in eight of 10 games played this season. Coming out of the bye, he will see more playing time with Michael Thomas sidelined with an injury.
- Trenton Irwin may not be a popular waiver wire add in Week 12, but with Jake Browning under center for the Cincinnati Bengals, his rapport with Irwin could be a benefit. Most of Browning’s reps in practice this season were probably with Irwin who backs up guys like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. We’ve actually seen Irwin replace Higgins as of late as he works back from a hamstring injury. Given the Bengals’s record and Higgins’ impending free agency, it’s possible Irwin remains a key piece of this offense for the remainder of the season.
- Khalil Shakir is starting to overtake Gabe Davis in the Buffalo Bills’ offense. Davis still leads the Bills receivers in snaps, but Shakir has seen a big boom in playing time. After playing no more than 34% of the snaps in the first seven weeks of the season, Shakir has played 65% or more, upwards of 76%, over the last four weeks. He has caught 14 of 16 targets for 288 yards and a score in his last four games. That includes a monster Week 11 with three catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. Shakir is more of a dynasty waiver wire add but could be redraft-relevant if he continues to put up numbers.
- Rondale Moore is a boom-or-bust option off of the Week 12 waiver wire. His quarterback, Kyler Murray, looks great. In Week 11, Moore saw just one target but hauled it in for a deep 48-yard reception. He’s a deeper league add on the Week 12 waiver wire.
Tight End
Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
The most obvious Week 12 waiver wire add at tight end is Isaiah Likely in place of Mark Andrews. It sounds like Andrews could have avoided a major ankle injury in Week 11. However, that doesn’t mean he’s going to suit up in Week 12. So, Likely steps in and has an opportunity to eat into Andrews’ 21% vacated target share.
Without Mark Andrews in two games during the 2022 season, Likely averaged 13.7 fantasy points per game. The Ravens continue to take a run-first and run-heavy approach, but Andrews does rank inside the top 15 in red zone targets across the league this season. Likely has a top-10 ceiling amongst tight ends in Andrews’ place.
Though a Week 13 bye is looming for Likely, his next three games to round out the fantasy regular season and open the playoffs are juicy. The Los Angeles Chargers, Rams, and Jacksonville Jaguars all rank inside the top six in fantasy points allowed to tight ends. The Rams and Jags are inside the top three. You could plug and play plenty of other options that lack the combination of role and schedule Likely possesses ahead of Week 12.
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Investing in Cade Otton on the Week 12 waiver wire is investing in the Buccaneers’ passing game. It’s not elite by any means, but can sustain fantasy success for multiple players involved. Thus far, Baker Mayfield is ninth in pass attempts. He’s also one of 15 quarterbacks that have thrown 15 or more passing touchdowns.
Baker favors both wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin over Cade Otton. However, Otton has a respectable 16.8% target share over their last five games. He has five or more targets in four of those five games with six or more in three of them. Otton has a higher floor than most stream worthy tight ends this season. With the Buccaneers still in the NFC playoff hunt, I expect that floor to remain stable, as well.
Quarterback
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
After ripping off three straight 20.0+ point games to open the season, Jordan Love finally put together another one last week. It was his first 300-yard passing game of the season, as well. Assuming running back Aaron Jones misses Week 12 with a knee injury, Love should be busy through the air.
The Green Bay Packers head to Detroit to play the Lions on Thanksgiving this Thursday. Detroit is tied in allowing the seventh-most passing touchdowns this season. That lends to the fact they’re also allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. For those looking to replace Joe Burrow, at least for Week 12, Jordan Love is a high-upside waiver wire option with plenty of young weapons at his disposal in the Packers’ passing game.
Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
Another quarterback on the Week 12 waiver wire with a plus matchup is Derek Carr. That is, of course, assuming his bye week gave him time to heal up. Otherwise, Jameis Winston is a top add this week in Carr’s place.
The Saints will look to progress in the NFC South standings with a win in Atlanta against the Falcons. They, too, have the same goal coming out of their bye. It should be a competitive game that favors the New Orleans offense. Atlanta is surprisingly stingy against the run, but allows the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara, and Rashid Shaheed are plenty good for Carr to find rhythm through the air in Week 12. The Falcons defense has allowed top performances from Kyler Murray, Joshua Dobbs, and even Will Levis in their last three games.
Week 12 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty