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Andy's must-have fantasy football bench stashes and waiver wire sleepers ahead of Week 12 (2024). He picks high-upside NFL players to stash on your fantasy teams.
Mastering the waiver wire is a crucial skill that can lead you to a fantasy football championship. It's not just about strategically placing your FAAB budget on specific players but also about knowing when to stash players. This dual strategy keeps you engaged and focused on your ultimate goal of winning a fantasy championship.
As the season progresses, injuries occur, or rookies begin to break out. Many of these NFL players are often drafted but dropped after the first handful of weeks due to impatient league managers. This article will pinpoint which players we’d want to stash on our bench as fantasy football waiver-wire pickups to power us down the stretch.
Earlier in the season, we examined some must-have handcuffs and upside players who already showcased their upside in the opening weeks, such as Tyrone Tracy Jr., Drake Maye, and Jordan Mason. This week, we will discuss some more rookies and a few veteran players who could eventually grow into starting roles and who you should consider stashing before Week 12 kicks off. All players will be below a 25% Yahoo! roster percentage.
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Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams
15% rostered
The Michigan product remains at the top of this list. Last weekend, in their victory over the New England Patriots, Corum logged a season-high of ten snaps and saw six touches. This was his highest touch and yardage total since Week 5.
In addition, top option Kyren Williams has seen just 15 attempts in each of the past two games, a significant drop from the 22 he saw in each game during Weeks 7 through 9.
As we approach the stretch run, the Rams may opt to ease Williams’ workload, which could allow Corum to start earning standalone value before even taking the top spot on the depth chart.
Jaylen Wright, RB, Miami Dolphins
6% rostered
For the second straight week, Jaylen Wright has logged more snaps than the presumed No. 2 option on the depth chart, Raheem Mostert.
While Wright has not impressed so far with his limited workload, the coaching staff is beginning to trust him and continue providing him with opportunities over a veteran option.
watching Jaylen Wright keep this close to the vest (and try to get inside of Liam's block), then watch him seal off the outside and get vertical so easily is SPECIAL STUFF pic.twitter.com/aFPn5dCrHd
— Tyler DeSena (@DeSenaSports) November 14, 2024
In the past, multiple Miami running backs have been able to coexist and enjoy successful fantasy outcomes simultaneously. If Wright can continue improving his efficiency, he could have enough standalone value for the short term and upside for the long term.
Emanuel Wilson, RB, Green Bay Packers
4% rostered
Emanuel Wilson has logged just four or fewer carries in the past three games but continues to be deployed as the clear No. 2 option behind workhorse Josh Jacobs.
During this stretch, Wilson impressed with his limited workload, tallying 5.0 yards per carry with a touchdown. While Wilson does not have standalone value, he is a strong handcuff who would be viewed as a solid RB2 if Jacobs were to miss any time.
Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals
20% rostered
Another high-upside stash candidate is Trey Benson. Unlike Corum, Benson has already begun to see an increase in workload and could already have standalone value as the Cardinals come out of their bye week.
Over his past two games (Weeks 9 and 10), Benson saw at least eight attempts in each contest and tallied 142 total yards in this span.
Cardinals RB Trey Benson had 12 touches and a career-high 87 yards in week 10. Showing off that explosive play ability and contact balance that made him the 2nd RB selected in the draft. pic.twitter.com/V2Yd8Flbvo
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) November 12, 2024
Before this stretch, Benson saw just six total touches during Weeks 6 through 8. While James Conner will continue to operate as the lead option, Benson could become a low-end flex value with league-winning upside.
Keaton Mitchell, RB, Baltimore Ravens
7% rostered
After making his 2024 season debut in Week 10, Mitchell once again served as a depth option in Week 11 and did not record a single touch. Over the past two weeks, the sophomore running back has logged just three total offensive snaps as he continues to be eased into action.
While fantasy managers would have hoped Mitchell would have already seen a decent workload by now, he did suffer a torn ACL late last season, which could continue to hinder his potential all season.
In his rookie campaign, Mitchell flashes immense potential and is worth holding onto in deeper 14+ team formats. During Weeks 9 through 15 last season, Mitchell tallied at least one 20+ yard carry in each game while scoring at least double-digit PPR points in four of the six games.
Other RB stashes (Cam Akers MIN, Khalil Herbert CIN, Kenneth Gainwell PHI)
Devaughn Vele, WR, Denver Broncos
5% rostered
The seventh-round rookie has shown flashes at times this season but has yet to emerge fully as a full-time player in the Denver offense. However, his recent Week 11 outing suggests he has earned more trust from the coaching staff and could become a full-time option by the stretch run.
In their blowout victory over the Atlanta Falcons, Vele logged 41 snaps, which was second-most among Denver wideouts, only behind Courtland Sutton and 15 more than the No. 3 option. In addition, in Week 10, Vele also saw the second-most snaps at the position but was only slightly higher than the No. 3 and 4 options.
#NFL
For all my fantasy junkies this Devaughn Vele guy on the Broncos starting to build nice equity with Bo Nix 🏈
First heard of him from my Bronco enthusiast @DavidTalksBuffs #BroncosCountrypic.twitter.com/NeuW0Y53qN— Global Utopia Sports (@GL8BAL_SPORTS) November 17, 2024
Seeing Vele earn an increase in opportunities is an excellent sign of his potential during the final weeks of the season. Given Bo Nix’s constant improvement and progression, this Denver offense could be one of the stronger offensive units by the final month. He is a high-upside stash in 3WR formats.
Noah Brown, WR, Washington Commanders
14% rostered
After stringing together a few solid outings, Brown took a significant step back in Week 11, bringing in just one reception for a mere four yards in their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. If a frustrated manager cut ties with Brown earlier in the week, this is a great opportunity to swoop in and stash a potential flex option.
During Weeks 6 through 10, Brown saw at least six targets in all but one contest and averaged 48.0 yards per game. In this stretch, Brown also caught at least three passes in all but one contest.
Without a proven option opposite of Terry McLaurin, Brown should continue to see starting reps in a Washington offense that has several favorable matchups in the stretch run.
Other WR stashes (Jalin Hyatt NYG, Jalen Coker CAR)
Theo Johnson, TE, New York Giants
3% rostered
The 23-year-old has begun to emerge as a consistent producer in the New York offense and could be worth stashing in deeper formats before he fully breaks out.
Over his past three contests, Johnson caught at least three passes in each game and averaged 9.4 PPR points per game in this span. In addition, he saw at least six targets in two of the three games in this span.
Even though he was beginning to build a connection with Daniel Jones, and now the Giants are turning to Tommy Devito, Johnson could still see a reliable floor of targets and could eventually become a low-end TE1 by the fantasy playoffs.
Other TE stashes (Ja'Tavion Sanders CAR)
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