Here are this week’s top Waiver Wire players who are owned in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues. Our favorite players are broken down in Top Targets and the best secondary options are in our Going Deeper sections. We’ll also list any players at the top of each position who are above the 50% threshold — or are household names — and are still widely available for those who might be in smaller leagues.
Be sure to check out our weekly Waiver Wire podcast for more analysis. We’ll also have Streaming articles every Tuesday that focuses on the top quarterbacks, tight ends, and defenses for the upcoming week(s).
Note: The initial Waiver Wire article writeup will be posted every Monday evening, followed by in-depth updates Tuesday, and continued additions/updates Wednesday.
Teams on Bye in Week 12
Arizona Cardinals
Kansas City Chiefs
Hansen’s Top-15 Options
Note: For these rankings, John Hansen leans on players who are available in at least 40-50% of Yahoo leagues and who also saw a favorable development for their fantasy values last week. Some players are better long-term pickups, and some are better for just this week or the short term.
- Cam Newton (Car, 52%) — He’s looked very good, and the cheat code is still very much in effect.
- Ty Johnson (NYJ, 19%) — Has a big edge over Tevin Coleman due to his role in the passing game.
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling (GB, 9%) — His early-season injury may have ruined a full 2021 breakout, but maybe better late than never.
- Laviska Shenault (Jax, 39%) — He’s essentially back where he belongs with more slot snaps coming with Jamal Agnew out for the year.
- Tre’Quan Smith (NO, 4%) — He’s kinda been their #1, and he does have talent.
- Jimmy Garoppolo (SF, 28%) — Trey Lance is nowhere in sight, and Jimmy is playing well and now has three studs to throw to.
- Latavius Murray (Bal, 37%) — Back in the mix for double-digit FP if he can stumble into the endzone.
- Sterling Shepard (NYG, 34%) — Kenny Golladay stinks, so Daniel Jones will look for his guy when he returns - a lot.
- Dontrell Hilliard (Ten, 0%) — We are told they are very high on him, and Jermey McNichols is no lock to return Week 12.
- Taylor Heinicke (Was, 15%) — He’s earned back some trust the last two weeks, and now Logan Thomas is likely back.
- Tevin Coleman (NYJ, 3%) — One of my least favorite players in recent memory, but he’s probably their lead early-down back while Michael Carter is out.
- DeeJay Dallas (Sea, 1%) — Cannot be counted on just yet, but a very interesting stash who should get a lot of chances down the stretch if they had any clue whatsoever.
- Royce Freeman (Hou, 0%) — Phillip Lindsay released, so he will get chances, and a big role is there for the taking.
- Jeremy McNichols (Ten, 26%) — At least he has a clear role, unlike all the other RBs here.
- Gerald Everett (Sea, 20%) — Just missed a TD last week, so signs of life continue.
Quarterbacks
Higher-owned Options
Cam Newton (Car, 52%), Carson Wentz (Ind, 55%), Matt Ryan (Atl, 54%)
Top Targets
Jimmy Garoppolo (SF, 28%) — Jimmy G is playing his best football of the season with two TD passes in three straight games, and he’s bought himself some time as the team’s starter for at least the next couple of weeks. He’s attempted just 41 passes over the last two weeks in a pair of three-score victories over the Rams and Jaguars in Weeks 10-11, but he’s average 8.0 YPA or better in four straight games with George Kittle returning to the lineup and with Brandon Aiyuk coming back to life in a big way. The 49ers running game has taken over lately, but he has the chance to be a fringe top-12 option if he’s forced to throw the ball 35 times or more, which might be the case with some more competitive matchups looming (Min, @Sea, @Cin, Atl).
Tua Tagovailoa (Mia, 45%) — Tua has played fairly well this season despite the Dolphins’ organization undermining him at every turn, and despite a receiving corps that can’t stay intact this season. He played extremely efficiently in a victory over the Jets in Week 11, completing 27/33 passes for 273 yards (8.3 YPA), two touchdowns, and one INT for 18.5 FP. Tua has 18+ FP in three of his last four full contests and he’s averaged 39.8 pass attempts per game in those contests. He’s a volume-based, high-end QB2 moving forward (Car, NYG, bye, NYJ), and he’d have even more potential if DeVante Parker (hamstring, IR) and Will Fuller (finger, IR) ever get healthy this season. He’s a guy who feel good about using when the matchup is good, but more often than not he’s more of a desperation play.
Going Deeper
Taylor Heinicke (Was, 15%) — Heinicke had cooled off since he threw for multiple TDs in his first three starts in Weeks 2-4, failing to throw 2+ TD passes in five straight games, until he finally did it again in Week 11. He completed 16/22 passes for 206 yards and three TDs against the Panthers, and he added 6/29 rushing for 23.1 FP. With Ryan Fitzpatrick (hip, IR) unlikely to play again this season, Heinie will likely be leading the offense for the rest of the season (Sea, @LV, Dal, @Phi), and he’ll be a serviceable low-end QB2 while he’s in the starter. Heinicke is clearly not a high-level talent, but the real problem is a lack of weapons, so his prospects would improve if he could get TE Logan Thomas back and if he can also get anything out of Curtis Samuel. Samuel at this point might be a lost cause, but Thomas is expected to (finally) resume practicing leading up to Week 12, so he could play as soon as this week.
Mac Jones (NE, 42%) — Jones continues to play like a grizzled veteran, and the passing game has been more aggressive as of late, but this is still a run-heavy offense with a stout defense, which caps Mac’s fantasy upside. He completed an efficient 84.6% of his passes (22/26) and he averaged 8.0 YPA (207 yards) against the Falcons in Week 11, but he threw for just one TD to finish with 11.4 FP. New England’s offense has vastly improved since the first five weeks of the season, but they’ve been blowing out teams, which has led to just 22.3 attempts per game in Weeks 9-11. He should at least play in some competitive upcoming games (Ten, @Buf, bye, @Ind) where he’ll be forced to throw a little more. He’s still a low-end QB2 but he’s starting to move in the right direction.
Teddy Bridgewater (Den, 24%) — Teddy comes out of his bye week off of his second-worst fantasy performance of the season in Week 10. He completed 22/36 passes for 226 scoreless yards (6.3 YPA) for 9.0 FP in a 17-point loss to the Eagles. Denver’s defense has become more vulnerable in recent weeks, which could force Teddy to throw it a little more with competitive matchups (LAC, @KC, Det, Cin) coming up over the next month. Bridgewater also has his boy Jerry Jeudy back, which gives him more hope for fantasy production in the future. There’s no shortage of weapons here, that’s for sure, but Teddy needs his offensive line to get healthy and things to fall completely right for him, which has been fairly rare this year and throughout his career.
Tyrod Taylor (Hou, 6%) — Taylor played well to start the season before his hamstring injury, totaling 40.1 FP in just six quarters of action. His first two performances since returning to the lineup have reminded everyone that Taylor is a slightly above average starting quarterback leading an offense with limited weapons behind a terrible O-line. But he did come through for fantasy in Week 11 with 19.1 FP, thanks to two rushing TDs, which covered up his ugly passing day (14/24 for 107 scoreless yards) in their stunning victory over the Titans. Taylor will be a low-end QB2 most weeks, but he does have a fairly friendly schedule (NYJ, Ind, Sea, @Jax), which helps.
Ben Roethlisberger (Pit, 21%) — He hadn’t hit 18+ FP in each of his first eight games, but Roethlisberger got there in Week 12, going 28/44 for 273/3 against the Chargers. His play has slightly improved in recent weeks, and Big Ben should hang in there as a decent desperation play in at least a Superflex/two-QB leagues, thanks to some solid matchups (@Cin, Bal, @Min). It was certainly encouraging to see Chase Claypool play and play well in Week 11, and his guy Diontae Johnson continues to be special.
Andy Dalton (Chi, 0%) — Who is ready for a little Dalton vs. Boyle to start their Thanksgiving Day!?!? Dalton saw his first major action in Week 11 since he lost his starting job in Week 2, and he’ll start against the lowly Lions in Week 12 with Justin Fields leaving early against the Ravens with a rib injury. X-Rays on the ribs were negative, but the ribs are understandably sore, and it’s a short week, so Dalton is getting the call. Dalton completed 11/23 passes for 201 yards and two TDs for 16.0 FP in two quarters of action against the Ravens. Dalton has a beatable matchup against Detroit this week and he’ll be a desperation streamer for those in two-QB/Superflex leagues. His prospects would improve noticeably if Allen Robinson can return. If Daltonn is working with A-Rob, Darnell Mooney, and Cole Kmet, that’s a solid trio and one that could lift him to solid production, as long as he throws the ball 25-30 times at least. UPDATED: 11/23
Daniel Jones (NYG, 34%) — Jones is once again dying behind a porous OL that cannot block up the interior, and some pretty craptastic play calling and design by OC Jason Garrett. Jones himself isn’t helping matters by making poor decisions and turning the ball over. He’s now fallen below 18 FP in six straight games, and he can’t be trusted against anything close to a good defense at this point after laying an egg in Week 11 with just 167/1 passing with 2 INTs and only 10 yards rushing. Although you don’t want to use a ton of designed runs for him, the Giants are even doing a bad job taking advantage of Jones’ legs, as he has just 67 yards rushing in his last four games. Jones is a volatile low-end QB2 with some beatable matchups (vs. Phi, @Mia, @LAC) looming, but expectations need to be lowered, but Week 12 is off to a good start for Jones, since Garrett has been relieved of his duties. UPDATED: 11/23
Trevor Siemian (NO, 4%) — Siemian has slowly been exposed for the backup that he is in three consecutive losses. He’s still been fairly successful for fantasy with 16+ FP in each of his three starts thanks to major garbage-time production, including 26.2 FP performance in a two-score loss to the Eagles in Week 11, but Sean Payton doesn’t care about garbage time fantasy production like we do. The Saints will likely stick with him for at least one more start since they play on Thanksgiving night against the Bills, but this could turn into a messy two-QB situation with Taysom Hill, who just signed a new contract, potentially seeing more playing time in the future (Buf, Dal, @NYJ, @TB). Given the new deal signed this week that could indicate that Hill is their QB of the future, it makes little no sense to keep starting Stopgap Sieian. UPDATED: 11/23
Justin Fields (Chi, 32%) — Fields has been trending in the right direction in recent weeks before Chicago’s Week 10 bye, but he took a step back in Week 11 with just four completions before a rib injury knocked him out in the third quarter against the Ravens. He’s very unlikely to play in a great matchup against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day so he’s back to being a bench stash for the time being. The Bears have some tough matchups after Week 12 (Ari, @GB, Min) so he’s going to be tough to trust once he returns to the lineup, but he’s certainly playing better and the offensive schemes have improved since earlier this season. UPDATED: 11/23
Trevor Lawrence (Jax, 32%) — The first overall pick from last spring’s draft has struggled mightily in his first four games back from Jacksonville’s Week 7 bye, scoring just 38.1 FP combined in Weeks 8-11. He completed 16/25 passes for 158 scoreless yards (6.3 YPA) against the 49ers in Week 11, which means Lawrence has topped 18+ FP just once in his last nine games. Lawrence’s receivers have been coming up extremely small, and they just lost slot receiver Jamal Agnew for the season. He can’t be trusted in lineups right now (Atl, @LAR, @Ten, Hou) until he starts trending in the right direction.
Baker Mayfield (Cle, 38%) — Mayfield is playing through a fracture in his non-throwing shoulder in addition to his torn labrum and, to make matters worse, he looked clearly hobbled last week playing through a knee injury he suffered in Week 10. He completed 15/29 passes for 176 yards (6.1 YPA), one TD, and two INTs in an embarrassing “victory” over the Lions. He’s finished with fewer than 10 FP in three of his last four games. Mayfield’s tough to go to battle with due to his mounting injuries and due to the fact that he’s in a run-heavy offense with limited passing-game weapons. With just one performance with 19+ FP through 11 weeks, Mayfield is a desperation option in Superflex/two-QB formats (@Bal, bye, Bal, LV). It’s getting so bad in Cleveland that HC Kevin Stefanski has to be seriously considering a switch to Case Keenum.
Zach Wilson (NYJ, 5%) — The legendary Mike White era is over after an ugly four-INT performance against the Bills in Week 10. The Jets will most likely turn back to the #2 overall pick as early as this week if he’s healthy enough to play, or else Joe Flacco will continue to start after he posted 291/2 passing against the Dolphins in Week 12. New York’s upcoming schedule is mixed with easy and difficult matchups (@Hou, Phi, NO, @Mia) but they do have a strong receiving corps, so Wilson could start having some success. Wilson said he needs to start playing more like White, taking more check-down passes instead of forcing passes downfield. Wilson has finished with fewer than nine FP in four of his first six NFL starts, and hopefully, his time watching from the sidelines will help to make better decisions in the final month of the season after throwing nine INTs to open the season.
Running Backs
Higher-owned Options
Rhamondre Stevenson (NE, 61%), Alex Collins (Sea, 62%), J.D. McKissic (Was, 55%), Alexander Mattison (Min, 51%), Nyheim Hines (Ind, 60%), D’Onta Foreman (Ten, 63%), Alex Collins (Sea, 48%), D’Ernest Johnson (Cle, 58%)
Top Targets
Ty Johnson (NYJ, 19%) and Tevin Coleman (NYJ, 3%) — The Jets have been primarily rolling with Michael Carter as the lead back and Johnson as the passing back since their Week 6 bye, but they will be forced to go with a combo of Coleman as the top runner with Johnson more liberally mixing as a runner while still working as the passing back after Carter left Week 11 early with an ankle injury. Carter is looking at an extended absence of 2-3 weeks, and a trip to the IR may be in the cards. Johnson is the priority add in this backfield since he boosts his fantasy value as a receiver, and Coleman has been pretty worthless for at least the last two seasons. Coleman has just five catches in six games this season so he’ll need to find the end zone to be fantasy relevant, which could be asking a lot in one of the league’s worst scoring offenses. Both players logged 33% of the snaps in Week 11.
Tony Jones (NO, 4%) — Both Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram were unable to practice early in the week, and it’s a short week. If Ingram can’t work Wednesday, then Jones could be looking at a very large touch total on Thanksgiving Day, and the Bills did just get run all over. UPDATED: 11/23
Boston Scott (Phi, 21%) — Miles Sanders returned to the lineup off of his ankle in Week 11 and he was immediately elevated back to the top spot on this depth chart, but he was benched for a spell after fumbling. Jordan Howard was used as the 1B runner behind Sanders, racking up 10/63 rushing before a knee injury knocked him out of the game in the third quarter that is expected to knock him out for Week 12. If Howard is out, then Scott (a promising 38% of the snaps in Week 11) has the potential to see 10-12 touches behind Sanders in this potent rushing attack, so he’s a viable add and desperation start this week against the Giants. Kenny Gainwell does not appear to be a threat after he was a surprise inactive in Week 11.
Going Deeper
Latavius Murray (Bal, 37%) — Devonta Freeman has established himself as the best option in this Ravens’ backfield, but OC Greg Roman is still spreading the rock around in this backfield. Murray finished with 10/32 rushing and 2/1 receiving on two targets with a solid 37% of the snaps in his first game back in Week 11 after a four-week layoff for an ankle injury. Murray should sit around 10 carries with a chance to score a goal-line TD most weeks and he’s added exactly two catches in each of his last three games if you’re desperate for running back help.
Dontrell Hilliard (Ten, 0%) — The Titans’ backfield has devolved into a fantasy quagmire, and you’re probably best to avoid this situation if you can. But it was cleared up a little with Adrian Peterson being released. Hilliard went from being a practice-squad player to leading this backfield in catches (8), scrimmage yards (83), and snap share (63%) with the Titans shockingly chasing the Texans all game long in Week 11. Co-lead runners D’Onta Foreman and Peterson each took backseats to Hilliard, with each player seeing just a 19% snap share. Jeremy McNichols has the most defined role as the passing back and he’ll be viable in games that the Titans could potentially trail in, but he’s also still coming off his concussion and no lock. If he’s out, Hilliard could be in line for a real run as their lead guy. We were told early this week that they are very high on him, so pick him up if you’re desperate or looking for a potential impact guy. UPDATED: 11/23
DeeJay Dallas (Sea, 1%) — Contract year veteran Rashad Penny ripped off an 18-yard run on his first carry and looked like he was shot out of a cannon - until he tweaked a hamstring. Veteran Alex Collins played, but only 37% of the snaps with only 10/36 rushing. Dallas injected some life into their running game with 4/25 rushing with a TD and 1/2 receiving on 2 targets on 37% of the snaps. HC Pete Carroll loves Collins like a son, apparently, but he’s just a guy, and it’s probably time to give up on Penny in terms of him having a long-term future in Seattle. The team should take a long look at Dallas, and he’s talented enough to grab hold of a solid role here if he gets chances. In fact, since he’s a good receiver, he could even finish the season as their #1 back (unless Collins has incriminating photos of Pete).
David Johnson (Hou, 25%) and Rex Burkhead (Hou, 0%) and Royce Freeman (Hou, 0%) — Chasing fantasy production in this Houston backfield has been a fruitless endeavor this season, but it’s at least notable that HC David Culley pared down the backfield to a two-man committee between Burkhead and Johnson coming out of their Week 10 bye. Burkhead led the backfield with 18/40 rushing on a 42% snap share in a victory over the Titans, while Johnson added 13/18 rushing and 3/16 receiving on four targets on a backfield-best 52% snap share. Johnson is the slightly better option moving forward since he’s being used as the passing-back in an offense that’s typically trailing, and Burkhead somehow turned 18 touches into only 4 fantasy points. The team did release veteran Phillip Lindsay on 11/23, which could help. Of course, it also opens up the possibility that Royce Freeman, claimed off waivers two weeks ago, gets 15+ touches like this week. Freeman would be your “upside” pickup here for the rest of the season. UPDATED: 11/23
Qadree Ollison (Atl, 0%) — Ollison is worth a speculative add in deeper formats since he actually showed a pulse compared to Mike Davis and Wayne Gallman in Week 11 with Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) out of the lineup. Ollison posted 9/34 rushing and 2/0 receiving on three targets on 48% snap share in his first offensive action of the season against the Patriots. Patterson should be back in the lineup this week against the Jaguars and he’s currently the only usable fantasy piece in this backfield. There’s a chance Ollison might get a chance to play if Arthur Smith has finally had enough of watching Mike Davis average 3.6 yards per touch.
Jordan Howard (Phi, 30%) — Howard was used as the 1B runner behind Sanders in Week 11, racking up 10/63 rushing before a knee injury knocked him out of the game in the third quarter. Howard is looking at missing Week 12, so he’s off the radar if you’re looking for help this week. He certainly has a chance to produce when he returns, though, so he’s worth holding if there’s nothing on the WW.
Trey Sermon (SF, 29%) — He’s not someone you can count on for anything in Week 12, and he’s not even a handcuff for Elijah Mitchell, so Sermon is just kind of “there.” But that’s better than the previous month-plus, when he was on life support. The 49ers had to suck it up and use him in Week 11, and he did flash a little, especially on his 23-yard catch. He needs at least Mitchell or Wilson to be out to have a chance, and he needs both players to be out to be considered a safe start, but Sermon was legitimately being drafted in the seventh round this summer because he’s talented. He’s not the worst stash-and-hope option.
Best Handcuff Stashes
Sony Michel (LAR, 29%) — Darrell Henderson is being used as a workhorse back most weeks, leaving Michel as a bench stash. He has RB1 upside with the potential for 20+ touches in any game that Henderson would miss in the future. Henderson did also leave their Week 9 game with an ankle injury and then produced only 41 total yards in Week 10 (on only nine touches, to be fair).
Chuba Hubbard (Car, 43%) — Hubbard has already shown that he’s the handcuff for Christian McCaffrey already this season. He averaged a solid but unspectacular 12.8 FPG in Weeks 3-8 with CMC out of the lineup, and he’s one of the better handcuff stashes available if he’s been dropped since CMC returned to the lineup. They have loved Ameer Abdullah since adding him last month, though, so Hubbard’s touches could be cut down if CMC misses more time.
Khalil Herbert (Chi, 26%) — David Montgomery is back and dominating touches and playing time in Chicago’s backfield, but Herbert asserted himself as his handcuff during Montgomery’s four-week absence. He averaged 21.8 touches and 97.0 scrimmage yards per game in Weeks 5-8 so he’s a viable RB2 if Montgomery misses more time. They are somewhat stupidly not using him with Montgomery back the last two weeks and have unsurprisingly lost both games.
Carlos Hyde (Jax, 13%) — Hyde has been buried behind James Robinson in Jacksonville’s backfield since early in the season, but he was thrust into a bigger role in Week 9 with J-Rob missing for a heel injury. He has a path to RB2 production with the chance for 15+ touches whenever Robinson is out of the lineup.
Samaje Perine (Cin, 8%) — Perine is the primary handcuff for Joe Mixon, who already had an injury scare this season when he went down with an ankle injury. He’s also seeing some time playing behind Mixon on a weekly basis but it’s not quite enough to be fantasy relevant.
Marlon Mack (Ind, 4%) — Mack is nothing more than a decent handcuff for Jonathan Taylor. He’s not really a must-have due to the presence of Nyheim Hines, but Mack would certainly be in line for 12+ touches if JT’s out.
Jaret Patterson (Was, 2%) — It’s very clear that if Antonio Gibson is out, Patterson, a UDFA out of Buffalo, would take over as the team’s lead runner with J.D. McKissic working in passing situations while getting more opportunities as a runner. Washington doesn’t look poised to pull the plug on Gibson any time soon after a strong Week 10, but they did bench him in favor of Patterson in Week 11 after Gibson fumbled deep in enemy territory.
Peyton Barber (LV, 2%) — This is a different regime running the show in Las Vegas now, and they don’t hate the (Kenyan) Drake like Jon Gruden did, so Barber shouldn’t be expected to average 19.5 touches per game as he did in Weeks 2-3 with Jacobs out. But Barber is well in the mix to be their top runner in Las Vegas if Jacobs misses more time this season. Barber went off for 142/2 scrimmage back in Week 3 against the Dolphins when Jacobs sat out with foot/ankle injuries.
Jermar Jefferson (Det, 1%) — In Week 10, Jefferson got hurt at the end of his 28-yard TD run, which showcased the talent that we’ve seen in him that has prompted up to list him here despite being only the #3. If he can heal up quickly, and if D’Andre Swift misses time, Jefferson could be a high-impact guy.
Wide Receivers
Higher-owned Options
Elijah Moore (NYJ, 56%), Darnell Mooney (Chi, 56%), Kadarius Toney (NYG, 51%), Van Jefferson (LAR, 47%), Rashod Bateman (Bal, 60%), Robby Anderson (Car, 49%), AJ Green (Ari, 46%), Kenny Golladay (NYG, 56%),
Top Targets
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (GB, 9%) — MVS garnered some preseason hype and he looked potentially primed for a mini-breakout early in the season before a hamstring injury sidelined him for five weeks. He’s been slow out of the gates since he returned to the lineup in Week 9, but he finally exploded in Week 11 with Allen Lazard (shoulder) inactive. MVS saw a team-high 10 targets (30% share) against the Vikings, which he turned into 4/123/1 receiving thanks in large part to a 75-yard touchdown strike. It’s tough to trust any of these Packers’ secondary receivers behind ball-hog Davante Adams, but MVS is worth a look in case Week 11 is the start of a bigger role in Green Bay’s passing attack down the home stretch. He’s capable of exploding for a massive fantasy performance in any matchup playing with Aaron Rodgers, who has trust in MVS, but he’s also capable of posting a dud in any matchup, so he’s still volatile for now.
Laviska Shenault (Jax, 39%) — The Jaguars moved Shenault back into his more natural position in the slot in Week 11, and he should stay there moving forward after Jamal Agnew left in the fourth quarter with a hip injury that will knock him out for the rest of the season. The second-year WR had his best showing since Week 6, catching all five of his targets for 50 yards with a lost fumble. It’s tough to trust anyone in this struggling Jaguars’ passing attack right now, but Shenault has a chance to be the top option for the rest of the season if the coaching staff keeps him in the slot moving forward.
Sterling Shepard (NYG, 34%) — Shepard could return off of his quad injury this week (Week 12) after yet another leg injury knocked him out of the lineup in Week 8. He may not stay healthy for long and he could leave any game early, but he’s been active when has been in the lineup, averaging 6.4/64.8/.2 receiving on 8.6 targets per game. He’s viable in PPR formats but his workload could be lightened a bit over the final two months of the season if the Giants ever field a healthy and competent offense. As we saw again in Week 11, Kenny Golladay is hopeless. UPDATED: 11/23
Rondale Moore (Ari, 23%) — Let’s try this again. After opening the season with back-to-back double-digit PPR games, Moore didn’t hit 10 FP in his next eight games until he hit it in Week 11 with 11/51 on 11 targets. DeAndre Hopkins may play football again at some point, and AJ Green is still among the living, but it’s certainly possible that Moore becomes a more consistent producer when Kyler Murray returns, so he’s a decent stash for some upside.
Going Deeper
Tre’Quan Smith (NO, 4%) and Marquez Callaway (NO, 32%)— Your fantasy team probably isn’t going anywhere if you’re using a Saints WR on a regular basis, but Callaway and Smith are the best options — Deonte Harris just behind them after a quiet Week 11. Smith has posted 11+ FP in three of his last four games after finishing with 5/64 receiving on eight targets (20% share) in Week 11, while Callaway scored his sixth touchdown of the season against Philadelphia. Smith is being used as the team’s #1 WR with a team-best 40 routes against the Eagles, followed by Callaway (31) and Harris (22). Siemian has surprisingly given some life to these WRs if you’re looking for help in deeper formats.
Tim Patrick (Den, 28%) — Patrick still has some fantasy life even with Jerry Jeudy back in the fold, but he fell flat like the rest of this passing attack in Week 10. After leading the Broncos in receiving yards in Weeks 8-9, Patrick finished with just 3/14 receiving on six targets (17% share) against the Eagles. Patrick is averaging 14.1 YPR with four touchdowns so he’s coming up with big plays despite the limited volume available in this passing attack. The Broncos also handed him a three-year extension during their bye so they clearly think highly of him.
Jamison Crowder (NYJ, 20%) — Crowder has a fantasy pulse for as long as Joe Flacco remains in the starting lineup after posting 6/44/1 receiving on seven targets against the Dolphins in Week 11. Crowder should see his role reduced in the future with rookie Elijah Moore asserting himself as the go-to receiver in this offense, but Crowder still has a pulse in PPR formats for the time being because Moore’s playing outside, meaning Crowder still owns the slot.
DeAndre Carter (Was, 3%) — Carter is running hot in the touchdown department, finding paydirt in three straight games to help him score 9.9+ FP in three straight games. Washington is searching for anyone to step up behind Terry McLaurin while Logan Thomas (hamstring, IR) and Curtis Samuel (groin) are out of the lineup, and Carter has been that guy if you’re desperate for help on the low end. TFT may pull the plug on Samuel’s season soon, and if they do, Carter would have a good chance to keep the production coming.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (Ten, 0%) — The Titans are an abject mess at their skill positions, and Westbrook-Ikhine could be forced into a prominent role with Tennessee's top three receivers each nursing injuries. Julio Jones is currently on the injured reserve with a hamstring injury, while A.J. Brown (chest/hand) and Marcus Johnson (hamstring) each left Week 11 early with injuries. That left Westbrook-Ikhine to lead the Titans with 7/107 receiving on eight targets (15% share) and 37 routes with the Titans chasing the Titans all game. Dez Fitzpatrick (46 routes) and Chester Rogers (45) each saw the field more than Westbrook-Ikhine, with Fitzpatrick posting 3/35/1 receiving and Rogers finishing with 4/41 receiving on six targets. If Tennessee’s top three receivers continue to miss time in the future, Westbrook-Ikhine will be viable on the low end. But we’ll keep an eye on Fitzpatrick, whose college tape our Greg Cosell reviewed positively.
Kendrick Bourne (NE, 21%) — Bourne has been a viable PPR option since Week 3 with 4+ receptions in six of his last nine games. He was once again extremely efficient with his limited looks in Week 11, catching all four of his targets for 42 yards against the Falcons. He’s now averaging career-best in YPR (15.2) and in catch rate (78.7%) and there are certainly worse options on the low-end in deeper PPR formats.
Cedrick Wilson (Dal, 2%) — The Cowboys will definitely be without Amari Cooper (COVID) on Thanksgiving Day, and they’ll almost certainly be without CeeDee Lamb who suffered a concussion in Week 11. Wilson stepped into the #2 WR role behind Michael Gallup, registering 4/36 receiving on seven targets (16% share) in a loss to the Chiefs. Wilson has the chance to catch 4-5 passes against the Raiders on Thanksgiving Day if you’re looking for a plug-and-play option in PPR formats.
Russell Gage (Atl, 18%) — Atlanta is trotting out the second-worst receiving corps in the league, ahead of only Detroit, and Gage is the top option in this sad group while Calvin Ridley is away from the team, ahead of Olamide Zaccheaus and Tajae Sharpe. Gage paced this pathetic passing attack in a shutout loss to the Patriots in Week 11, seeing a team-high eight targets (25% share) for 5/49 receiving. Gage has a rock-bottom floor with two goose eggs since their Week 6 bye, but he’s been a serviceable PPR option in his other three games in that span with a combined 16/180/1 receiving.
Tight Ends
Higher-owned Options
Pat Freiermuth (Pit, 64%), Logan Thomas (Was, 52%), Jared Cook (LAC, 55%)
Top Targets
None of note.
Going Deeper
Dan Arnold (Jax, 42%) — Arnold had been very active in Jacksonville’s passing game since being traded to the Jaguars before Week 4, and he led the Jaguars in receiving yards in three straight games in Weeks 8-10 with 60+ yards in each contest. Then, Week 11 happened. He failed to see even a single target against the 49ers, who has been one of the league’s toughest defenses against tight ends. It’s going to be tough to go back to Arnold after his extremely disappointing Week 11 performance, but he had seen 7+ targets in four of his first five games as a full-time player for the Jaguars. His role should remain large in this offense because top guys Marvin Jones and Laviska Shenault are producing meager totals on the regular, and the Jaguars will be without Jamal Agnew (hip) moving forward.
Tyler Conklin (Min, 37%) — Conklin has a fantasy pulse at a weak position since he gets weekly targets while seeing a large snap share. He’s posted 3+ catches in five straight games after hauling in all three of his targets for 35 yards and 6.5 FP against the Packers in Week 11, which was his worst fantasy performance since Week 5. Conklin has emerged ahead of K.J. Osborn as the #3 option behind Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, and he’s on the radar as a high-end TE2 moving forward.
Cole Kmet (Chi, 27%) — The Bears’ passing game had shown clear improvement in recent weeks, and Kmet had been showing signs of life for a month until Kmet’s momentum hit a snag in Week 11 with Justin Fields leaving early for a rib injury, which will likely keep him out on Thanksgiving Day this week. He finished with just a 12-yard catch on two targets against the Ravens while Jimmy Graham posted 2/25 receiving on three targets playing with Andy Dalton. Kmet has been trending in the right direction, but he showed he still has an ugly floor in this volatile passing attack. His ceiling, however, is probably higher than anyone else listed in this section, as we saw in Week 9 (6/87 on 8 targets).
Gerald Everett (Sea, 20%) — Everett sure is happy to see Russell Wilson back in action, posting a season-best 14.3 FP against the Packers in Week 10. He backed it up with a solid 3/37 receiving on four targets against the Cardinal in Week 11, and he also just missed a TD. Everett now owns double-digit FP in three of his five games played with Wilson this season, and he’s established himself as the distant third option in this passing attack with Russ at quarterback.
Austin Hooper (Cle, 22%) — The Browns’ WR corps is an absolute disaster with Jarvis Landry (knee) and Donovan Peoples-Jones (groin) unable to stay fully healthy, and Hooper is one player who has stepped up a bit in recent weeks. He has 4+ catches and 5+ targets in three of his last four games after posting 4/53 receiving on seven targets in a victory over the Lions in Week 11. Hooper is averaging just 9.3 YPR with two TDs so he’s unlikely to provide you with many big plays, but he’s shaping up as a solid PPR option with the current state of Cleveland’s receiving corps.
Evan Engram (NYG, 34%) — Engram has looked sluggish this season, but he had posted double-digit FP in three consecutive games before their bed-crapping in Week 11. Engram does at least look decent lately, and he does have a VERY fantasy-friendly schedule the next five weeks vs. Phi, at Mia, at LAC, vs. Dal, and at Phi. UPDATED: 11/23
Place Kickers
Higher-owned Options
Robbie Gould (SF, 18%) - Since returning from a groin injury, Gould has been perfect in three straight games. He has converted on all nine extra point and five field goal attempts. Gould has converted on only eight field goals in his six games, but 75% of them have come from the bonus range. The biggest reason to go with Gould this week is the fact that Minnesota has allowed two or more field goal attempts in all ten of their games this year.
Top Targets
Jake Elliott (Phi, 7%) - Elliott has attempted three or more field goals in three of his last four games. He has converted multiple field goals in five of his last eight games. His matchup this week is against a beatable Giants team that is coming off a short week (played on MNF). Keep in mind that nearly half of Elliott’s 18 converted field goals have come from the bonus range.
Going Deeper
Matt Ammendola (NYJ, 1%) - Hard to believe we are listing Ammendola here. In so many leagues he is 0-1% owned. Yet if there is a game this year you are going to rely on him, this is the one. Houston is just as bad as New York. The under/over in this game is sitting around 44 points early in the week. With the propensity of both offenses to stall frequently, there could be plenty of field goal opportunities here. Ammendola has attempted multiple field goals in five of his last nine games. If you are looking for bonus range field goals, he only has two out of 11 conversions.
Defense/Special Teams
Higher-owned Options
None of note.
Top Targets
Eagles (Phi, 28%) — Philadelphia’s D continues to fly under the radar since they aren’t ranked very high in total defense or DST points. But that’s what happens when your season starts off with matchups against three top-5 offenses in the first six weeks. Since then, Philly has been a top-10 DST in three of the last four weeks. They have a bye in three weeks, but the two matchups before their bye are in their favor: @NYG, @NYJ
Going Deeper
Bengals (Cin, 9%) — The Bengals have consistently been an above-average DST this season, based largely on their ability to produce sacks (25) and their knack for keeping the lid on opponent scoring (25 PA or fewer in all but two games). Their secondary — led by Jessie Bates — has done their part as well, with 8 INTs. While their matchups ahead aren’t great (Pit, LAC, SF, @Den), they’re not particularly scary. Cincy also gets the luxury of three straight home games.
