The fantasy football playoffs are approaching but there are still players on the waiver wire who can improve your roster. Here are our suggested Week 12 waiver wire pickups. Or, skip straight to the initial release of our model’s complete Week 12 projections.
It’s nearly time for the fantasy football playoffs. However, before we get there, fantasy managers have to get through a horrific bye week debacle with six teams not out there in Week 12. The Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints will all be unavailable in Week 12.
Some key decisions are going to have to be made this week as a result, so let’s dive into the latest data, news and information to help you set your Week 12 waiver wire claims. There are some hidden gems out there that are ready to help you win this next matchup, so let’s discover who they are.
Running Backs
Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals were on a bye this past week, but the last time we saw them on the field, Trey Benson was putting up some solid production with 10 rush attempts for 62 yards. Additionally, in Week 10, Benson averaged 3.9 yards after contact, which was the second-highest mark in the entire NFL at the RB position.
While he isn’t going to have a guaranteed role in Week 12 with James Conner healthy and in the lineup, Benson is absolutely worth scooping up and stashing at the bottom of your bench as we get closer to the fantasy playoffs. He’s proven that he can be effective when he gets the opportunity, and this offense is proving to be one of the better units out there right now.
If Conner were to miss any time down the stretch, Benson would instantly jump into top-15 RB range. I would prefer to ensure that I have that player on my roster versus my opponent.
Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears’ offense got a breath of fresh air this past week after the firing of OC Shane Waldron, and Roschon Johnson was a key part of the new-look unit.
As the short-yardage option alongside D’Andre Swift, Johnson was able to see valuable looks down near the goal line, and he ended up converting on one of those attempts against the Green Bay Packers. In a week with so many teams on bye, fantasy managers are going to be in need of someone who has the potential to score a touchdown. Johnson has five in eight games this season.
While Johnson may not see enough work to be a top-20 play for fantasy football on volume alone, his work at the goal line and in the red zone – five touchdowns on 12 carries – may be enough to offset a key missing piece of your lineup due to bye weeks.
Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars
Tank Bigsby was on the verge of becoming a truly reliable fantasy asset at one point this season, but an ankle injury that he suffered coming out of Week 8 has hampered him this entire time and prevented him from building off his solid showings earlier on in the year.
Now, the Jaguars are set to head out on bye this week, which will give Bigsby a chance to get some much-needed rest after being shut down in Week 11, too. If he can recuperate and come back out of the bye recharged, Bigsby could wind up being a key depth piece for fantasy rosters down the stretch.
Wide Receivers
Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns
With Jameis Winston as his starting QB, Elijah Moore has seen 29 targets over the past three games, and he’s becoming a reliable fantasy asset week in and week out. That’s as many targets as he had through the first seven weeks of the season. He has gone from 4.1 targets per game through Week 7 to 9.6 targets per game in the last three weeks.
He was targeted on 19% of his routes in Week 11 against the New Orleans Saints and he was Winston’s deep-ball target routinely, as evidenced by his 18.6 average depth of target.
While Moore may not reel in a touchdown every single outing from Winston, he’s proving that the volume he saw in Winston’s first two starts was not a fluke. He should be viewed as a weekly WR3 moving forward that should get a bump up the rankings this week due to all the teams on bye.
Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
Another week, another Quentin Johnston touchdown. It’s remarkable what the second-year WR is doing with Justin Herbert this season as he’s now scored six receiving touchdowns in just eight outings and 37 targets – that’s a touchdown every 6.2 targets.
While it’s not exactly consistent, Johnston is putting up solid production and that has a place in fantasy lineups as a Flex option week in and week out. He’s only rostered in 52% of leagues, so there’s a good chance he’s available as a priority waiver wire pickup this week.
As long as Herbert continues to play at the level that he’s currently playing at, Johnston has an excellent chance to find the end zone.
Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers
Fantasy managers are aware of Christian Watson’s skill set and what he can be when he’s fully healthy. However, durability has been a big issue for the speedy WR over the course of his young NFL career, and he’s been knocked down the depth chart in Green Bay because of it.
Is that going to change though after a fantastic performance in Week 11 against the Chicago Bears? Watson only saw four targets but reeled in all four for 150 yards. For any player at the WR position with over two targets, Watson had the highest average depth of target with 25.0.
Watson isn’t going to be a consistent option every single week, but in a fantasy football landscape that is going to feature some key names missing this week due to byes, Watson’s big-play potential is worth going after for your lineup.
Tight Ends
Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks
Over the past several weeks, Will Dissly had been starting to emerge as a player to watch for fantasy lineups due to his role in the Los Angeles Chargers’ passing attack. However, that opportunity finally turned into solid fantasy production in Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Dissly was targeted on 26.1% of his routes and he posted a jaw-dropping 14.97 burn yards per target on his way to an 18-point fantasy outing in PPR scoring formats. As mentioned with Johnston, if Herbert is going to be playing at this level for the remainder of the year, Dissly needs to be viewed as a borderline top-12 option moving forward. Dissly has 2.53 burn yards per route run this season, which is fifth in the NFL among tight ends with 15 or more targets.
At the very least, he can be a solid fill-in option for one of the players you have on bye in Week 12.
Be sure to check out our full Week 12 fantasy football projections, as well as our NFL, MLB, NBA, and college football coverage. And follow us on X, Instagram and Threads for more!
