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Beating The Waiver Wire - Speculative Stashes for Week 12

It's Wednesday morning. You dropped a player last night expecting to make some moves on the waiver wire, only to wake up and find out you weren't able to get anyone you put a claim in for. What now?

If you've got an open roster spot, its always a good idea to plan ahead for the future. There are plenty of players in the NFL ripe for a breakout game that will fly up the waiver wire in the following week. This column is here to help you anticipate who that's going to be, and stay a week ahead of your competition.

I'll be giving you a couple players who may be worth grabbing before their stock rises. Here are some players that will help you beat the waiver wire ahead of Week 12, in case they emerge this week.

Editor's Note: The FFPC Baby Gorilla Tournament is now open, featuring a $100,000 grand prize and a $675,450 total prize pool! This 12-team, Tight End Premium contest uses a 20-round draft format, with the overall winners determined by total points scored during Weeks 15–17. Get $25 to use toward your first entry by signing up through our link. Grab your team now! Sign Up Now!

 

Waiver Wire Stashes and Fliers for Week 12

Aaron Rodgers (QB, GB) - 37% owned

I believe the majority of people checking out this column fall into two categories: those who need a player who can come in and help them push for the playoffs, or those in the drivers seat looking for a speculative stash that could help come playoff time. This one if for those that fall into the latter.

Aaron Rodgers is eligible to return in Week 15. The Packers are unlikely to be out of the playoffs in Week 15. They sit at 5-4 and face the Ravens, Steelers, Buccaneers and Browns over the next four weeks. Even with Brett Hundley at quarterback, I'd be surprised if the Packers didn't beat the Browns and Bucs, and they have a chance to beat the Ravens at home this week. The Packers will likely be 7-6 with a chance at 8-5 the first week Rodgers is eligible to be back.

Rodgers was spotted at practice this week taking snaps from a trainer. If the Packers don't go 0-4 over the next four weeks, you know damn well Rodgers will be doing everything he can to get himself back on the field. He isn't going to waste a year of his prime if the Packers have a shot at the playoffs. We still don't know if Rodgers will be healthy by Week 15, but him showing up at practice this week is a great sign. Rodgers is a great hold for owners with quarterback issues who will likely find themselves in the playoffs.

Nathan Peterman (QB, BUF) - 4% owned

Many were shocked that the Bills made the decision to bench quarterback Tyrod Taylor in favor of Peterman, a fifth-round draft pick who played his first NFL snaps last week. The Bills are pushing for the playoffs at 5-4. Taylor was bad last week, but he didn't give up 47 points. The Bills are receiving a lot of criticism for this decision.

But heres the thing: Sean McDermott doesn't make this decision without putting a ton of thought into it. Maybe he was actually right? Taylor has had one 300 yard game in his entire career. He was never going to bring this offense to the next level. Will Nathan Peterman? Who knows. We don't have any evidence to prove that he'll succeed or fail. We'll find out on Sunday. In deeper leagues or 2 QB leagues, Peterman is worth an add out of pure curiosity. He has the weapons around him to produce as a QB2 with QB1 upside if he's actually good.

Austin Ekeler (RB, LAC) - 19% owned

I wrote about Ekelar after his performance in Week 7 and said that Ekelar was one more solid game away from being a top waiver option. Putting a bad game and a bye week in between Ekelar's two solid games put a damper on that, but he did still see a 16% bump in his ownership this week.

Ekelar had a huge game in Week 10. He ran for 42 yards, had 77 through the air, and took two receptions for touchdowns. Of the 23 snaps he played last week, he touched the ball on 15 of them. It would be shocking if Ekelar didn't see a decent amount of use next week. He outplayed Gordon in every facet of the game for the second time in three weeks. I'm surprised that he didn't see a major increase in ownership. Expect Ekelar to creep into the FLEX discussion.

Eddie Lacy (RB, SEA) - 16% owned

In the first game of what was supposed to be the Eddie Lacy era in Seattle, Lacy ran six times for 20 yards before an injury took him out of the game. Thomas Rawls took over for the next two weeks, providing nothing of fantasy substance. The Seahawks will likely give Lacy his shot at being the feature back if he returns on Monday night. The volume will be there for him to have FLEX appeal in the future if he can show that he can produce.

Dontrelle Inman (WR, CHI) - 7% owned

As the chair of the "Dontrelle Inman Will Be Relevant This Season" committee, I take great pride in Inman's Week 10 performance: six receptions for 88 yards. It isn't a fluke that Inman led the Bears in targets, receptions, and yards in his first game with the team. Trubisky nearly doubled his career high in passing yards this week, had his first 20 completion and 200 yard game and was just three yards short of 300. The Bears passing game is improving. Inman's ROS schedule is no cake walk, but it isn't brutal either. He is going to be the number one option in the Bears passing game moving forward. That alone warrants an add in deeper leagues. Another 80 yard performance would make Inman a top waiver option next week.

Corey Coleman (WR, CLE) - 27% owned

Similar to Inman, Coleman is a number one option still available in many leagues. Coleman has a tough matchup with Jacksonville in his first game back, but his value is only going to go up. Coleman has looked good when he has been able to stay on the field over the past few weeks. When Josh Gordon returns in Week 13, the Browns finally have the potential to produce a decent passing game. Expect Coleman to be a top waiver add for Week 12 regardless of how he performs on Sunday.

C.J. Fiedorowicz (TE, HOU) - 16% owned

Fiedorowicz played in his first game since Week 1 on Sunday, catching two of his six targets for 10 yards. The good news for Fiedorowicz is that he finished the game healthy and was on the field for 90% of the team's offensive snap's. Anyone with that big of a snap count who has proven they can play at an NFL level in the past deserves to be on the streaming radar. Fiedorowicz is an option for those with trouble at the TE position. He had a decent year last year with bad quarterbacks and should be able to perform despite the Texans QB woes.

 

Updates From Last Week

Below are guys who have been covered in recent columns that haven't had much of a change in their situations:

 

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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Dallas Mavericks

Masai Ujiri Hired as Mavericks Team President
Anthony Edwards

to Come Off Bench Monday
Chicago Bulls

Bryson Graham Hired as Bulls Lead Executive
Jalen Williams

Sidelined Tuesday vs Lakers
Carter Bryant

Unavailable for Game 1 Against Minnesota
Anthony Edwards

Set to Return Monday with Restrictions
Joel Embiid

is Cleared for Monday's Game 1
Kevin Huerter

is Questionable for Tuesday's Contest
Ayo Dosunmu

is Ruled Out for Game 1 on Monday
Jeremy Sochan

is Available for Game 1 on Monday
Roman Anthony

Pulled Early on Monday After Tweaking his Wrist
Jhoan Duran

to Come Off the Injured List on Tuesday
Owen Tippett

Remains Out Monday
Roope Hintz

Recovering From Hamstring Injury
Tyler Seguin

Expects to Be Ready for Training Camp
Sam Carrick

Could Practice Tuesday
Alexander Nikishin

Won't Play Monday
Jeremy Lauzon

Expected to Miss Round 2
William Karlsson

Rejoins Golden Knights Lineup Monday
Jackson Chourio

Brewers Reinstate Jackson Chourio From the Injured List
Malachi Fields

Could be "Power Forward" at Wide Receiver
Fernando Mendoza

Working on Playing Under Center
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Browns Not Naming a Leader in the QB Battle
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Reports for Voluntary Offseason Workouts
Aaron Rodgers

Steelers Losing Patience With Aaron Rodgers?
Skylar Thompson

Ravens Expected to Sign Skylar Thompson
DJ Giddens

Can DJ Giddens Re-Establish His Dynasty Value After Underwhelming Rookie Season?
Desmond Ridder

Packers Sign Tyrod Taylor, Release Desmond Ridder
AJ Barner

a Prime Regression Candidate Entering 2026
Tarik Skubal

to Undergo Elbow Surgery
Cedric Tillman

Losing Dynasty Value in Cleveland Following NFL Draft
Josh Jacobs

Should Dynasty Managers Consider Selling High on Josh Jacobs?
Xavier Legette

Dynasty Stock at an All-Time Low Entering 2026
Chase Elliott

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Denny Hamlin

Misses Out on Winning at Texas
Alex Bowman

Finishes Third for the Second Week in a Row at Texas
Tyler Reddick

Earns Seventh Top-Five Finish of the Season at Texas
Chris Buescher

Scores his First Career Texas Finish in the Top Five
Rashod Bateman

Droppable in Many Dynasty Leagues
Mark Andrews

Should Dynasty Managers Hold Mark Andrews Until Midseason?
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Can Maintain Fantasy Relevance When Teammate Returns
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Trending Down Despite Solid Rookie Season?
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Needs to Show More Consistency in Clearly Defined Role
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Bryce Underwood in Better Situation Entering Sophomore Season
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Emerging as Leader, Playmaker for UCLA
Raisel Iglesias

to be Activated on Tuesday
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Jamahl Mosley Out as Magic Head Coach
Chase Brown

Stock Back on the Rise After Surviving Another Offseason
Scottie Barnes

Caps Season with Efficient Game 7 Showing
Donovan Mitchell

Finishes with 22 Points in Deciding Game
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a Depreciating Dynasty Asset
Jarrett Allen

Leads Frontcourt Effort with 19 Rebounds
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Can C.J. Stroud End His Dynasty Slide?
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Posts 15-15 Line in Game 7 Win
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Still Undervalued Despite Proven Upside
Tobias Harris

Stays Hot with 30 Points in Win
Cade Cunningham

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Jack Della Maddalena

Gets Dominated At UFC Perth
Carlos Prates

Shines At UFC Perth
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Backstops Canadiens to Game 7 Victory
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Suffers A First-Round TKO Loss
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Remains Unbeaten In The UFC
Quinn Hughes

Takes Over Postseason Scoring Lead With Three-Point Effort
Cale Makar

Shakes Off Injury to Collect Three Points in Game 1
Owen Tippett

a Game-Time Decision Monday
Logan Stanley

Practices Fully Sunday
Sam Carrick

Will Miss Second-Round Matchup
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Drops Decision At UFC Perth
Noah Ostlund

Expected to Miss Round 2
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Wins Back-To-Back Fights
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Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
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Remains Unbeaten
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Jonas Brodin

Out for Games 1 and 2 Against Colorado
Joel Eriksson Ek

Will Miss First Two Games of Colorado Series
Joel Kiviranta

Remains Out of the Lineup Versus Minnesota
Anthony Volpe

Reinstated From Injured List, Optioned to Triple-A
Josh Manson

Out for Game 1 Against Minnesota
Carter Bryant

Iffy for Game 1 Against Timberwolves
Joel Embiid

Considered Probable for Monday
Kyle Anderson

Available for Round 2 Opener
Ranger Suarez

Exits Sunday's Start With Hamstring Tightness
Agustín Ramírez

Marlins Demote Agustin Ramirez to Triple-A
Victor Hedman

Will Not Play Sunday Versus Montreal
Noah Dobson

Will Play Against Tampa Bay on Sunday
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Exits Sunday's Contest With Left-Hand Contusion
Christopher Bell

Is Christopher Bell Worth Rostering for Texas Lineups?
Cal Raleigh

Considered Day-to-Day With Soreness in his Side
William Byron

Might have the Speed to Compete for the Win at Texas
Joey Logano

Provides Solid Upside for Texas DFS Lineups
Joe Ryan

Exits Early From Start on Sunday Due to Elbow Soreness
Chase Briscoe

Could Chase Briscoe be A Sneaky Pick for Texas Lineups?
Ty Gibbs

Should DFS Managers Roster Ty Gibbs at Texas?
Daniel Suarez

Is Daniel Suarez Worth Rostering After Career-Best Starting Position at Texas?
Daniel Palencia

Cubs Reinstate Daniel Palencia From the Injured List on Sunday
Kyle Busch

Is a DFS Risk Starting in the Top 10 at Texas
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Braves Place Ronald Acuna Jr. on Injured List With Strained Hamstring
Nick Lodolo

Expected to Make Season Debut on Friday
Tyler Reddick

One of the Favorites to Win at Texas
Chase Elliott

Could Contend for Another Win at Texas
Carson Hocevar

on Pole at Texas
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Wrecks in Practice at Texas
Chris Buescher

Looking to Continue Strong Run at Texas
Austin Dillon

Blows Engine in Practice at Texas
Mike Reilly

Delivers Two Assists in Game 1 Win
Cal Raleigh

Scratched From Lineup, No Reason Given
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Exits With Left-Hamstring Tightness
Yandy Díaz

Yandy Diaz Leaves With Side Tightness, Considered Day-to-Day
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Leaves Start Early on Friday With Hamstring Cramp
Brandon Nimmo

Aggravates Hamstring, Pulled Early on Friday
Ryan Helsley

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Returns At UFC Perth
Carlos Prates

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Set For Co-Main Event
Beneil Dariush

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Steve Erceg

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Ollie Schmid

Set For His UFC Debut
Marwan Rahiki

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Gary Woodland

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Jordan Spieth

Brings Boom-or-Bust Potential to Cadillac Championship
Adam Scott

Looks Poised for Another Strong Finish at Doral
Maverick McNealy

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Jameson Williams Files Lawsuit Against NCAA, SEC, Big Ten
Harry Hall

Volatility Continues at Cadillac Championship
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Looks to Rebound at Trump National Doral
Pierceson Coody

a Risky Value Play at Cadillac Championship
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a Scary Proposition at Cadillac Championship
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