Thanksgiving has come and gone, as has a high-scoring and highly-entertaining Week 12 in the NFL. December now sits on the horizon and with it, the fantasy football playoffs.

At this point in the season, wading through the waiver wire can feel like that fourth or fifth trip back to the refrigerator for leftovers. Those mashed potatoes and stuffing might look edible, but you've been fooled before. The waiver wire is no different - we've all been burned in the past.

Of course, following a week that saw Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, Allen Hurns, Ben Roethlisberger and Tyler Eifert (among others) suffer notable injuries, many of you will have little choice but to dip into the waiver wire for WR and flex help.

 

Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Targets

Doug Baldwin - WR, SEA - 41% owned on Fleaflicker

Baldwin torched the Pittsburgh Steelers for 145 yards and three touchdowns on six receptions in Sunday's wild 39-30 win. The three scores marked a career high and obviously won't become a weekly occurrence, but Baldwin is the midst of an impressive run.

He's led Seattle in receiving yards and has caught at least six passes in each of the last three games. Seattle, particularly over the last two games, has taken more shots downfield with Russell Wilson. The primary benefactor? Baldwin. And of course, the Seahawks will be without tight end Jimmy Graham (torn patellar tendon) for the rest of the season, so Baldwin figures to see even more targets. What are you waiting for? Put in a claim for "Angry Doug" now.

Markus Wheaton - WR, PIT - 31% owned on Fleaflicker

While Baldwin was spectacular, Wheaton put on a show of his own in the same game for the Steelers. The third-year wideout finished with a career-high 201 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions, routinely gashing the Seahawks' secondary for big gains.

Wheaton was a popular sleeper choice entering this season, but has largely been a disappointment. It's wise to temper expectations moving forward, but Wheaton certainly did enough Sunday to earn additional targets moving forward. Keep a close eye on Ben Roethlisberger's status though. If Big Ben (head) misses any time, Wheaton would lose some appeal.

Marquess Wilson - WR, CHI - 10% owned on Fleaflicker

Alshon Jeffery returned to his role as Jay Cutler's primary target in Chicago's Thanksgiving night win in Green Bay. That was predictable. But Jeffery's return didn't completely neutralize Wilson, who is quietly having a decent third season. He finished with four catches for 44 yards and came within inches of scoring a touchdown.

Jeffery's presence limits Wilson's ceiling, but with Eddie Royal still sidelined, Wilson's floor remains adequate in PPR leagues. If Royal misses Week 13's home game against a leaky San Francisco defense, Wilson could be a sneaky pickup.

DeVante Parker - WR, MIA - 15% owned on Fleaflicker

It's been a quiet, mostly underwhelming rookie season for the Dolphins' first-round pick, but he set career highs in catches (four) and yards (80) while scoring his first touchdown in Sunday's loss to the New York Jets.

Of course, the touchdown came with the game well out of hand and the early exit of Rishard Matthews (ribs) gave Parker extra opportunities, but hey, points are points in fantasy football. Should Matthews sit out in Week 13, Parker could again be a factor in an inviting matchup against a porous Baltimore Ravens secondary. But with Kenny Stills and Greg Jennings also around to siphon targets opposite Jarvis Landry, rolling with Parker probably isn't for the faint of heart.

 

Other Wide Receivers to Consider Adding

Dontrelle Inman - WR, SD - 6% owned on Fleaflicker

Ever since Keenan Allen was lost for the season back in Week 8, Inman has floated around as a potential late-season steal. He finally had a mini-breakout in Sunday's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, finishing with a season-high five catches for 65 yards and a touchdown. Stevie Johnson is the top wide receiver, but Inman looks to have surged past an injured and aging Malcom Floyd. Inman is worth adding in deeper leagues as San Diego faces some soft pass defenses down the stretch.

Jerricho Cotchery - WR, CAR - 4% owned on Fleaflicker

The Carolina Panthers are 11-0 and the 33-year-old Cotchery is its second-most productive wide receiver. Just like every expert predicted back in August, right? Cotchery isn't going to be a splashy move, but then again, how many splashy moves are left to be made in Week 13? Here are the simple facts -- he's been targeted six times in back-to-back games and has eclipsed 50 yards in both of them. Tight end Greg Olsen is the big-time target in Carolina, but after that? Cotchery, Ted Ginn Jr., Devin Funchess and Corey Brown have all had their moments. Right now though, Cotchery seems to be trending upward.

Seth Roberts - WR, OAK - 1% owned on Fleaflicker

Six receptions, 113 yards, two touchdowns. Well ... that was certainly unexpected. Roberts turned in one of the fantasy football season's top breakout games Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. Then again, it's not like he hasn't done anything this season. He's topped 50 receiving yards three other times and scored a pair of touchdowns. In Oakland, most of Derek Carr's passes are going in the direction of Amari Cooper or Michael Crabtree. It's worth noting though, that Roberts now has as many touchdowns as Cooper (four). And the Raiders host a Kansas City team that was just beaten deep repeatedly by Buffalo's Sammy Watkins.

Harry Douglas - WR, TEN - 5% owned on Fleaflicker

It's hard to recommend any Titans skill player outside of tight end Delanie Walker, but Douglas is coming off a game in which he tied Walker for the team lead in targets (eight) and scored his second touchdown of the season. It's mostly been a quiet season for the veteran Douglas, but the same can be said about all of the Titans wide receivers. One factor working in Douglas' favor? Tennessee should be trailing more often than not, opening additional opportunities. Relying on Douglas outside of the deepest PPR leagues, however, is probably unwise.

 

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