Greetings from San Diego! We've closed yet another chapter of the NFL season, and this week's waiver-wire column highlights a handful of must-add players, especially as injuries mount and bye weeks start to take their toll.
In no particular order, here are my top 16 waiver wire options to add for Week 12. I also added a honorable mention section at the bottom of the article. My one rule that I have set for this is that a player must be rostered in less than 60 percent of ESPN leagues to be eligible in my column.
Quarterbacks
Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers) — Rostered - 7.5%: Young had a remarkable Week 11, throwing for a career-high 448 yards in the Panthers’ 14-point comeback against the Falcons. He’s building strong chemistry with wideouts Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette, which showed last week when he completed 12 of 20 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns. Young is a viable streaming option this week against a struggling 49ers defense that allowed Jacoby Brissett to set an NFL single-game completion record.
Jacoby Brissett (Arizona Cardinals) — Rostered - 23.6%: Brissett is coming off a record-breaking performance against San Francisco, throwing for 452 yards and two touchdowns. He has thrown for at least 258 yards and two touchdowns in each of his five starts this season. No matter the team, Brissett has shown he can run an offense, and he gets another chance in Week 12 against the Jaguars. While Jacksonville has forced plenty of turnovers this season, it has also given up 21 passing touchdowns and is allowing an average of 24.4 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.
Running Backs
Kenneth Gainwell (Pittsburgh Steelers) — Rostered - 42.2%: While Jaylen Warren remains the Steelers’ top back, Gainwell has found a way to stay involved. He stepped in for the injured Warren in Week 11 and delivered a 29.5-point fantasy outing. Gainwell didn’t have much success on the ground, but he thrived as a receiver, catching seven passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns. It’s unclear whether Warren will play in Week 12, but one thing is certain: Gainwell will continue to get touches in the Steelers’ offense even when Warren is on the field.
Emanuel Wilson (Green Bay Packers) — Rostered - 5.8%: When I put together my waiver-wire column, I usually don’t rank players. However, Wilson has to be everyone’s top claim this week. Starting running back Josh Jacobs suffered a knee contusion, and it’s uncertain whether he’ll play in Week 12, even though coach Matt LaFleur hasn’t ruled him out. Wilson stepped in for Jacobs last week and posted a 13.9-point fantasy outing, translating to an 11-40-1 stat line. He faces the Vikings, who have allowed opposing running backs to post strong performances.
Sean Tucker (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) — Rostered - 28.7%: Since entering the league, it seems like Tucker has one game every season where he goes absolutely nuclear. He did so in Week 11 against the Bills, racking up 140 yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns. Not only did he finish with better numbers than Rachaad White, but he looked like the better back overall. Tucker enters Week 12 against the Rams, who have a strong run defense. It’s also expected that Bucky Irving will make his long-awaited return, but that will depend on how he practices leading up to Friday’s final injury report.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. (Washington Commanders) — Rostered - 6.7%: Similar to the Tucker/White situation in Tampa Bay, the running back room in Washington appears to be shifting in a different direction. Once led by rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, the bulk of the carries are now going to Rodriguez, and that continued in Week 11. Rodriguez finished with 15 touches for 79 yards while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. The Commanders’ backfield doesn’t always provide fruitful opportunities for fantasy managers, but if you had to roster one right now, it would be Rodriguez.
Bhayshul Tuten (Jacksonville Jaguars) — Rostered - 18.5%: Before being taken out of the game last week, Tuten and Travis Etienne Jr. were dominating the Chargers out of the backfield. Tuten finished with 15 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown, averaging just under five yards per carry. It’s too early to know whether he’ll be ready for Week 12, but the rookie needs to be added to rosters for when he returns. Etienne still handles the majority of the workload, but Tuten is a prime handcuff — and if the Jaguars have more games like last week, he could be a viable flex play.
Devin Singletary (New York Giants) — Rostered - 32.5%: It feels like the Giants want to maintain a split backfield. Starter Tyrone Tracy Jr. ran the ball 19 times for 88 yards and caught four passes for 51 yards. Singletary logged 16 carries for 44 yards but found the end zone twice. With the offense being led by either Jaxson Dart or Jameis Winston, both running backs remain fantasy-relevant flex options on a weekly basis. Singletary faces the Lions in Week 12, a defense allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. Even so, Singletary should remain on fantasy managers’ radar.
Wide Receivers
Alec Pierce (Indianapolis Colts) — Rostered - 40.6%: I’ve been saying it for weeks: fantasy managers need to snag Pierce while they can. This is essentially the last call before you miss out. Over his last four games, he has recorded at least 60 yards in each and has seen 35 total targets. Before the bye, he caught four passes for 84 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season. In Week 12, he faces the Chiefs, who’ve allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Despite tough matchups, Pierce has shown he can be a sneaky start, especially with most defensive attention directed toward Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Warren and Michael Pittman Jr.
Michael Wilson (Arizona Cardinals) — Rostered - 15.3%: Wilson was the primary beneficiary of Jacoby Brissett’s historic performance. He finished with 15 receptions for 185 yards on 18 targets — accounting for 82 percent of the team’s targets. Last week may end up being a one-off, but if Marvin Harrison Jr. remains unavailable, Wilson could be in line for another big game against the Jaguars. Prior to his breakout, Wilson’s best outing came in Week 9, when he posted three catches for 61 yards. Wilson is a must-add this week, but it’s wise to monitor the injury report for Harrison’s status.
Christian Watson (Green Bay Packers) — Rostered - 26.2%: Packers receivers are often difficult to evaluate because almost anyone can step in and deliver a double-digit fantasy performance. Against the Giants, Watson caught four passes for 46 yards and recorded his first multi-touchdown game of the season. Since returning from injury, he has seen at least four targets in every game and has emerged as one of Jordan Love’s most trusted options in the passing game.
Greg Dortch (Arizona Cardinals) — Rostered - 3.5%: Outside of Trey McBride and Michael Wilson, Dortch was the Cardinals’ most productive receiver in Week 11. He finished with a 6-66-1 line, good for 18.6 fantasy points. With Brissett throwing at a high volume each week, Dortch could remain a viable fantasy option if Harrison sits again. He also handles both kick and punt returns, giving him added special teams upside.
Luther Burden III (Chicago Bears) — Rostered - 5.9%: Burden saw a season-high five targets last week against the Vikings. For the rookie, nothing has matched his Week 3 performance, but he is starting to see the field more as the Bears continue to struggle with consistent receiver play. Rome Odunze is operating as the team’s top wideout, but DJ Moore — the No. 2 option — is having a down year, which could open the door for Burden to see more volume. If you have room on your roster, he’s worth a speculative add, but it isn’t necessary this week unless he strings together a more commendable performance.
Tight Ends
AJ Barner (Seattle Seahawks) — Rostered - 9.5%: Tight-end options are slim this week, and Barner looks like the best widely available play despite his volatility. Against the Rams, he saw 11 targets and caught 10 passes for 70 yards. He has multiple double-digit fantasy performances this season, but he also has four games with fewer than four points. Barner has four touchdowns on the year but hasn’t scored since Week 5. In Week 12, he faces the Titans, who have allowed the 10th-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. As mentioned, the options aren’t great, but if you need a streamer, Barner is viable.
Defenses
Cleveland Browns Defense — Rostered - 40.8%: Despite a second-half collapse against the Ravens last week, the Browns defense still posted 16 fantasy points, including two interceptions, a fumble recovery, five sacks and a defensive touchdown. This week, they face the Raiders, who have thrown a league-high 13 interceptions and allowed the sixth-most sacks. Las Vegas has given up the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses. Pick up Cleveland if available.
Las Vegas Raiders Defense — Rostered - 5.9%: The Raiders have a favorable matchup at home this week against the Browns. Cleveland has allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses, surrendered sacks at an above-average rate and thrown the fourth-most interceptions in the league. Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel is in concussion protocol, which could lead to rookie Shedeur Sanders starting his first NFL game. Regardless of who is under center, the Browns are expected to be under pressure all day. Stream the Raiders defense this week.
