November 28, 2017

Nick Mariano's week 13 fantasy football waiver wire pickups, adds and sleepers for the 2017 NFL season. Running backs (RBs), wide receivers (WRs), quarterbacks (QBs) and tight ends (TEs).

Week 12 saw everyone who drafted Julio Jones finally feel thankful, as he led the charge of several huge weeks that carried many toward the playoffs over the holiday weekend. As far as injuries go, the biggest blow came on a scary hit to Amari Cooper’s head -- he would not return to the game, though he did walk off.

This is the true sprint portion of the season, as everyone is on the table as the playoffs approach. Do whatever you need to do, but please don't drop a guy like Lamar Miller for Josh Gordon (yes, this has occurred).

Below are my Week 13 waiver wire pickups, or free agents to consider adding to your fantasy football teams. Only you know how aggressive you'll need to be with FAAB given your leaguemates, so use the recommendations as a proportional springboard. I provide information on players that are owned in roughly 35% of Yahoo leagues or less so that you can make an educated decision about who to add to your squad.

Running Backs - Week 13 Waiver Wire

Mike Davis (RB, SEA) - 1% owned (25% FAAB)

People might make a stink about Eddie Lacy seeing 20 total touches (17 carries for 46 yards and three catches for 15 more) but I see a guy who barely averaged three yards a touch against San Francisco. Thomas Rawls has already had his turn and Lacy just blew his. J.D. McKissic doesn’t have the frame to be a “workhorse”, and Seattle likely doesn’t want to risk running him into the ground with C.J. Prosise already hurt.

I stand by recommending Lacy earlier because he was the one to see this next opportunity, but now it is Davis’ turn. Hopefully, he can bounce back from the groin injury (the ever-optimistic Pete Carroll says Davis will play) and get a chance to prove himself in full against the Eagles in Week 13. The Seahawks used him in the passing game in Week 11 before he got hurt, so I’m not afraid of gamescript there.

Austin Ekeler (RB, LAC) - 34% owned (20% FAAB in PPR)

After playing on a season-high 44 percent of snaps in Week 11, Ekeler followed up by hitting the 40 percent mark in Week 12 and gaining 70 total yards on nine touches. He would gain 55 of those 70 yards through the air and has now topped 50 receiving yards in two of his last three games.

Just as both LAC RBs were in play against Buffalo in Week 11, I’d say the same goes for Week 13 against Cleveland. I know the Browns play much better defense than most give them credit for, but their rather stout nature up front should benefit Ekeler over Melvin Gordon -- allowing Austin to remain a nice PPR flex play.

Jacquizz Rodgers (RB, TB) - 7% owned (12% FAAB)

Rodgers stepped up as the lead back for Tampa Bay once Doug Martin was forced from Week 12’s contest against Atlanta with a concussion. Now, Peyton Barber (0% owned) was the one saw the precious goal-line carries and embraced his role as Mike Tolbert Jr. with great aplomb, but Rodgers looked the part with 37 total yards on nine touches and 25 snaps.

Of course, Tampa was down for most of the game and didn’t get to establish much of a run game, but he could now be in line for a 15-touch floor come Week 13 against the Packers should Martin not be able to go. Barber won’t disappear and is worth a few FAAB dollars in deep formats, but Rodgers is the primary add here.

Rod Smith (RB, DAL) - 14% owned (10% FAAB in PPR)

After playing on 64 percent of Dallas’ snaps in Week 10 and 48 percent in Week 11, Smith once again outsnapped Alfred Morris by playing on 62 percent of plays. We all know that the Cowboys are a hot mess right now, but that means more work for Smith’s skill set. Yes, you’re going to need him to score to make value, but those in PPR leagues should give a second thought before totally abandoning this squad -- because how much worse can it get? He said, foreshadowingly. He'll face Washington's defense in Week 13, which entered Week 12 as the 26th ranked defense against RB pass-catchers per FootballOutsiders' DVOA metric.

Devontae Booker (RB, DEN) - 35% owned (10% FAAB in PPR)

Booker did not deliver in Week 12 because Denver as a whole pretty much imploded with Paxton Lynch at the helm. He ended up getting hurt and Trevor Siemian actually threw a pair of TDs (neither went to Demaryius Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders, of course), but Booker and the rushing game never got established. Devontae’s eight touches did lead the team, but that should underscore how poorly they played against Oakland. He’s one to target for the job he has and hopefully Week 13 against Miami yields a more open field -- especially if Siemian starts and has some confidence back.

Wide Receivers - Week 13 Waiver Wire

Marquise Goodwin (WR, SF) - 15% owned (15% FAAB)

Goodwin returned from San Francisco’s Week 11 bye as their real No. 1 receiver and subsequently posted a 4-78-0 line on six targets against Seattle on Sunday. His big-play potential has led to at least 68 yards in four of his last five games and five of his last seven -- though he’s topped four catches just once. Even if C.J. Beathard is okay and starts against Chicago in Week 13, Goodwin’s opportunity on a team that usually needs to throw the ball should be recognized in more leagues. And if Jimmy Garoppolo gets the nod then Goodwin’s ceiling should see a hearty boost into the WR4/flex tier.

Zay Jones (WR, BUF) - 14% owned (15% FAAB)

With Kelvin Benjamin reportedly out for multiple weeks with a torn meniscus and Jordan Matthews once again banged up (but playing), Jones led the way for Buffalo’s receivers with 10 targets in Week 12. He would only catch three of them, but 33 yards and a touchdown will suffice for many fantasy owners. He’s now seen at least seven targets in each of his last three games, a span in which he’s scored a touchdown or topped 50 yards in each contest.

The subject of many early-season jokes, Jones is finally coming into his own just in time for the playoff push. He and the Bills will face New England next before dates with the Colts, the Dolphins, then the Pats again, and then the Dolphins a second time. The AFC divisional games really got scrunched up on the back end, I know.

Dede Westbrook (WR, JAX) - 25% owned (12% FAAB)

Thanks to Patrick Peterson putting the kibosh on Marqise Lee in Week 12 (allowing a mere 13-yard catch on the day), Westbrook saw a team-high 10 targets, catching six of them for 41 yards. Those in standard leagues weren’t impressed, but PPR players will take it as the young receiver has now totaled 16 targets in his first two games. That’s some solid momentum heading into a date with a Colts secondary that can slap Rashard Melvin on the No. 1 WR (Lee) and let guys like Westbrook eat.

Cordarrelle Patterson (WR, OAK) - 0% owned (5% FAAB)

Patterson led all Oakland receivers with four targets in Week 12 against Denver (Jared Cook led all Raiders with five) and his 72 receiving yards also paced the team. He would pick up most of those yards on a huge catch-and-run where he shook off multiple would-be tacklers for 54 yards. Of course, the real variable here is Amari Cooper’s health. Coop got absolutely rocked as he lowered his head into an oncoming shoulder pad and stayed down for a few minutes, and Michael Crabtree had been ejected for fighting Aqib Talib before that. Crabtree may face a suspension and Cooper may not be cleared to return for Week 13 against the Giants, meaning Patterson and even Johnny Holton (0% owned) could see meaningful snaps.

Kaelin Clay (WR, CAR) - 0% owned (4% FAAB)

Alright, so it wasn’t Russell Shepard who stepped into the No. 2 WR job after all. With Clay getting three targets in a game where only Devin Funchess secured more than two catches, he looks like the man to target. Now, Clay didn’t convert any of those targets, but he did have a 29-yard rush and also returned a punt to the house thanks to a nifty spin move and some serious wheels. With Greg Olsen unable to finish the game, but likely okay for next week, Carolina may be looking for some extra pizazz from their speedster alongside Funchess and Christian McCaffrey in a likely shootout with the Saints next week.

Tight Ends - Week 13 Waiver Wire

Charles Clay (TE, BUF) - 32% owned (8% FAAB)

Clay caught all four of his Week 12 targets for 60 yards, but we figured he’d see some better passes in this one with Tyrod Taylor at the helm. Clay also benefited from Kelvin Benjamin’s absence, which looks like it should carry over into Week 13’s tilt with the Patriots. Now, the Pats are playing solid defense lately and may deem Clay as the “top option” to erase should Benjamin not come back, though I suspect they’d rather form some sort of bracketing double-team on LeSean McCoy. Either way, Clay will face the Colts come Week 14 and that itself is worth the add now.

Ricky Seals-Jones (TE, ARI) - 2% owned (8% FAAB)

Kudos to those of you who speculated on Seals-Jones and actually had the fortitude to play him in Week 12, as he followed up his out-of-nowhere Week 11 (3-54-2) with a 4-72-1 stat line on six targets. It’s clear that he has a connection with Blaine Gabbert, and much like Gabbert, he simply needed injuries to clear a path toward opportunity.

We can’t expect RSJ to score on over 40 percent of his receptions, of course, but he seems to be running high-reward routes toward the end zone down the seam and clearly has the athleticism to capitalize on poor coverage. If his floor is roughly 5-6 targets with red-zone looks thrown in then he makes for a nifty TE2 against the Rams next week. We should note that the Cardinals do play the Giants in Week 16 for those of you already eyeing the championship weeks.

Benjamin Watson (TE, BAL) - 13% owned (4% FAAB)

I realize that Watson has yet to play in Week 12 against Houston and could absolutely faceplant, but I already like his prospects in Week 13’s game against Detroit. The Lions played opposing TEs well to open the season, but just gave up two TDs to Kyle Rudolph on Thanksgiving and allowed Adam Shaheen to post a 4-41-1 line before that, which came after allowing Seth DeValve to reach 70 yards.

So, yeah, lately it hasn’t been great. That said, the rest of their pass defense has still stood up rather well. Baltimore may elect to go run-heavy on Detroit -- honestly, they should -- but Watson would be their best chain-mover over the middle. For the record, I do think he eats on MNF with a TD considering Houston allowed the aforementioned RSJ to score a pair of TDs last week after they also got gobbled up by Jimmy Graham and Jack Doyle in Weeks 8 and 9.

Quarterbacks - Week 13 Streamers

Preferred streamer order (<50% owned guys): Josh McCown vs. KC (34% owned), Case Keenum @ATL (46% owned), Blake Bortles vs. IND (35% owned), Brett Hundley vs. TB (7% owned),Tyrod Taylor vs. NE (49% owned), if Jimmy Garoppolo gets the start against Chicago then he’d go here, Eli Manning @OAK (45% owned), Ryan Fitzpatrick @GB (9% owned), DeShone Kizer @LAC (3% owned), Blaine Gabbert vs. LAR (3% owned).

Early Defensive Streaming Candidates

• LAC (vs. CLE) - 33% owned
• WAS (@DAL) - 17% owned
• CHI (vs. SF) - 17% owned

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Analysis