There are three weeks left until the fantasy football playoffs. At the most crucial point in the season for managers to earn a spot to continue competing for a title, there are a number of major challenges ahead. In Week 12 specifically, six NFL teams are on bye. The same holds true in Week 14, as well. While Week 13 doesn’t have any teams on bye, there are six teams playing Thursday on the Thanksgiving holiday with two more taking the field on Friday. With all of this in mind, the Week 12 waiver wire is arguably the most important one of the season. The players available are a lot of the same of the most recent waiver wires. There should be something for everyone, however, even if it’s just for a one week fill-in role on your roster.
Week 12 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire By Position
Teams with a Week 12 Bye: Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets
Running Backs
Cam Akers, Minnesota Vikings
You’ll see that I mention targeting handcuff running backs on the Week 12 waiver wire, as I have for weeks now. I tend to discuss those with a bit more value when worthwhile to do so. Cam Akers is worth talking about on the Week 12 waiver wire. Over the Vikings’ last two games, Akers has seen no less than 10 carries. He’s also drawn at least one target in each game. As the Vikings continue to push toward the playoffs, they may continue rotating Akers in more to preserve the health of Aaron Jones. Their Week 12 opponent, the Chicago Bears, have allowed the 10th-most rushing yards to running backs this season. Akers is a high-end handcuff for the remainder of the season, but a plug-and-play running back for those truly in need with six teams on bye.
Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears
In the Bears’ first game since making a change at offensive coordinator, Roschon Johnson tied his season-high of 10 carries for a season-high of 33 yards and a touchdown. He scored his touchdown from one yard out in the second quarter. Johnson is no stranger to meaningful red zone carries. In fact, he is tied with teammate D’Andre Swift with six carries inside the five-yard line this season. Johnson as a key pickup on the Week 12 waiver wire rankings for running backs speaks to the availability of the position on the waiver wire. Running backs have been really good this season! Not many fantasy managers are looking for replacements other than for bye-week purposes. Johnson and the Bears have a tough matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, but starting him could pay off with even just one trip to the red zone. Johnson does present receiving upside here and there for those in Points Per Reception leagues.
Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals
If Trey Benson is available on the Week 12 waiver wire after the Cardinals’ Week 11 bye, he’s a worthwhile stash if you have the room. The Cardinals face the Seattle Seahawks in two out of the next three weeks. They rank fifth in rushing yards allowed to opposing running backs. As the Cardinals look to maintain their lead in the NFC West, they may lean on the run game in these matchups to do so. Benson logged 12 touches for 87 yards in his last game before the bye. A week before that, he rushed eight times for 37 yards and a touchdown. James Conner is still the go-to buy in this backfield, and Kyler Murray has the potential to keep the ball and run himself, but Benson could be a league-winner if Conner were to become unavailable for any reason.
Other Running Backs to Consider
Gus Edwards is firmly behind J.K. Dobbins in the Chargers’ backfield. Since returning from Injured Reserve, Edwards has played just 26 total snaps in two games, but has logged 16 total carries. You’re not starting Edwards against a tough Baltimore Ravens run defense in Week 12, but he is a priority handcuff to Dobbins the rest of the way.
Ameer Abdullah may actually have value in the year 2024. I don’t want any parts of the Las Vegas Raiders’ backfield if I don’t have to, but Abdullah may be worth a start in some leagues for Week 12 specifically. Alexander Mattison (ankle) and Zamir White (quad) are both banged up. Abdullah was the next man up in Week 11, mostly as a pass catcher. He caught all three of his targets for 16 yards and a touchdown. He could see a similar role against the Broncos who have allowed the third-most receptions and fifth-most receiving yards against running backs.
Handcuff running backs are players who are an injury away from plugging into fantasy lineups and are crucial to add on the waiver wire. I don’t want a simple list to come across as lazy, but there’s no need to dance around how important these players are. The top handcuff running backs, if available, include, but are not limited to, Tyler Allgeier, Braelon Allen, Ray Davis, Justice Hill, Zach Charbonnet, Jaylen Wright, and Blake Corum. With just three weeks left in the fantasy football regular season, get ahead of any future waiver wire battles now if you have room on your bench. There’s nothing worse than losing your stud when playoffs roll around and their handcuff is on someone else’s bench.
Wide Receiver
Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are on a four-game win streak. They’ve won five of their last six, as well. This is all after a Week 5 bye in which they returned to action a much pass-heavier team. Prior to their bye, Justin Herbert was averaging 22.75 pass attempts per game. Since then, he’s averaging 31.0 pass attempts per game. Quentin Johnston remains a beneficiary of this uptick in volume. Though he missed a few games due to injury, he has played in the Chargers’ last three scoring a touchdown in each of them. Johnston has a 16 yard or longer reception in each game, as well. Up next for he and the Chargers is a Monday Night Football matchup with the Baltimore Ravens in Los Angeles. They allow the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers this season. Johnston should continue his three-game streak of double-digit fantasy points.
Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants
It’s possible Robinson is available in some leagues as the Giants exit their bye week. After a steady start to the season, Robinson has not scored more than 10.1 points since Week 5, either. In fact, he’s scored 8.3 or less in three of his last four before the bye. The New York Giants are turning to quarterback Tommy DeVito in Week 12, however, which could bode well for Wan’Dale Robinson, especially in Week 12. The Giants are hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They’re allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season. That includes the 10th-most receiving yards on the seventh-most receptions. All five of the Giants’ opponents rank inside the top-12 in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. In DeVito’s final eight games last season, he targeted Wan’Dale Robinson five or more times in five of them. Assuming the Giants continue to fall behind in games, lending to a pass-heavier game script, Robinson should be a top target for DeVito the rest of the way.
Other Wide Receivers to Consider
Christian Watson remains a higher-end boom-or-bust option if still available on your league’s waiver wire. He scored 19.0 PPR points in Week 11 without scoring a touchdown. Watson caught all four of his targets for 150 yards. In three games prior, however, Watson was also held scoreless and logged no more than 39 receiving yards in either game. He and the Packers passing game have a very fantasy-friendly schedule the rest of the way. It’s just a crowded receiver room which means starting Watson carries risk each week.
Elijah Moore and Jerry Jeudy continue to draw a high volume of targets with Jameis Winston as the starting quarterback for the Browns. Neither receiver has drawn less than eight targets in their last three games. The problem is, four different players have drawn seven or more targets in all three games. That being said, since Jameis Winston is averaging 44 pass attempts per game, the floor is high if you just need points to get through Week 12 especially.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling remains a target on the Week 12 waiver wire if he’s still available due to his big play ability. Though he has just five total receptions in his last two games, he has racked up 196 receiving yards and scored three touchdowns on limited volume. Two of Valdes-Scantling’s three touchdowns over the past two weeks have exceeded 40 yards. He’s a boom-or-bust option for the next few weeks, though it will have to wait as he and the Saints have a Week 12 bye.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has scored a touchdown in five of the Tennessee Titans’ last six games. He’s averaging just over four targets per game in that span, but the Titans should face pass-heavy game scripts against the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders over the next two weeks especially. Westbrook-Ikhine is a deeper league add. If you start him anywhere, you’re hoping he keeps finding the end zone.
Tight End
Will Dissly, Los Angeles Chargers
There are a lot of Chargers on the Week 12 waiver wire. It’s not a coincidence. The team is playing really well and are on a four-game win streak. Will Dissly has a significant role in the Chargers’ recent success. Dissly is averaging 6.3 targets per game since the team’s Week 5 bye after averaging just 2.5 in four games prior to. Over his last five games, Dissly is averaging a respectable 10.8 fantasy points per game and coming off of a season-high 18.0 point performance. In Week 12, the Chargers host the Baltimore Ravens who have an extremely pass-friendly defense. They’ve allowed the most passing yards per game to opponents this season. Will Dissly is set up again for another strong start in Week 12 for those that need him.
Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins
Jonnu Smith is coming off of a career day in Week 11. He not only set a new career-high of 101 receiving yards but scored two touchdowns in a game for the first time since Week 5 of the 2020 season. Smith is very much a part of the Dolphins’ passing game. Since the team’s Week 6 bye, Jonnu Smith’s 31 targets lead the entire team. He has six or more targets in four of their last five games. Smith’s schedule moving forward won’t be as favorable as his Week 11 matchup with the Raiders this past weekend, but his role is larger than most tight ends on the Week 12 waiver wire. Based on volume alone, he’s a better bet to plug into your lineup than most players available.
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
Taysom Hill is on bye in Week 12. That’s probably for the best. The 34-year-old could use some rest after rushing for 138 yards and three touchdowns on just seven carries in Week 11. That’s on top of hauling in eight of 10 targets for 50 yards and even completing two passes for 18 yards, as well. Hill lines up everywhere on the field. He is and will always be a cheat code for fantasy football, but only if he carries a tight end positional designation. The floor can be low at times, but given the lack of playmakers on the Saints’ current roster, Hill isn’t going anywhere this season. Especially in the red zone, Hill always presents a threat of punching one in out of the backfield. It might be worth picking up Hill on the Week 12 waiver wire just so the rest of your league can’t beat you with him.
Other Tight Ends to Consider
Hunter Henry is never going to be a must-start tight end in fantasy football. However, he continues to deserve weekly consideration which holds true in Week 12. Henry is averaging 6.8 targets per game with rookie quarterback Drake Maye under center. Since Maye has taken over, Henry is averaging 11.2 PPR points per game as the TE11. Henry will face a Miami Dolphins defense in Week 12 that’s allowed the eighth-most receptions to the position.
Quarterback
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
The Week 12 waiver wire is the last call for rookie quarterback Bo Nix. He should be considered a top-12 play the rest of the way. Nix is averaging 23.1 fantasy points per game over the last four weeks. He’s the QB4 during that span.
Nix now has 21.0 or more fantasy points in four of his last six games. That includes 28.0 or more in two of his last four. Since Week 8, Nix has scored 11 total touchdowns. He’s thrown nine touchdown passes, caught one, and rushed for one. In Week 11, Nix logged his first 300+ yard passing game and first game with four passing touchdowns.
Nix does have a Week 14 bye. Prior to, however, he faces the Raiders and Browns. Both teams rank inside the top-five in points allowed to opponents over their last three games. If you have a playoff spot already locked up, Nix is worth the stash to start or to have just in case on your bench. The Broncos host the Colts then have two road matchups against the Chargers and Bengals from Weeks 15 through 17. The Colts and Bengals are both top-10 matchups for opposing quarterbacks. While the Chargers are a bit more difficult, Nix scored 21.74 points against them in Week 6. He also scored a modest 16.1 points against the Chiefs in a narrow Week 10 loss.
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
If we’ve learned anything this fantasy football season it’s that players can turn their season around at any time. The fact that Anthony Richardson is even available on the Week 12 waiver wire says it all. We now know the Colts are moving forward with Richardson as their starter for the remainder of the season, as they should. Though he still has room for improvement, Richardson looked much better in Week 11. He completed a season-high 20 passes for a season-high 272 yards in New York against a tough Jets defense. More importantly with Richardson, for fantasy football purposes, he rushed 10 times for 32 yards and two touchdowns. That’s his money maker. Having any kind of success on the ground against the Detroit Lions in Week 12 may be difficult, but they have allowed the 10th-most passing yards this season. The upside with Richardson is extremely high, but the floor could be less than 10.0 points. He’s at least playing at home which lowers the risk of stating him ever so slightly.
Other Quarterbacks to Consider
Matthew Stafford has a tough Sunday Night Football matchup when the Philadelphia Eagles come to town in Week 12. The Eagles are currently allowing the least amount of yards per game (273.1) with just 208.3 yards allowed over their last three. With most teams struggling to establish the run against Philly, Stafford should be busy through the air. That’s doable with weapons like Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Even then, the Eagles’ pass defense is tough, but Stafford should have a high floor based on volume alone. He has thrown the ball over 40 times in four of 10 games played this season including two of his last three. Stafford hasn’t thrown for less than 293 yards in each of his last three games, as well.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 12 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!