Deeper League Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 12

Rishi Patel identifies players at QB, RB, WR, and TE to target or add from the waiver wire in deep fantasy football leagues for Week 12 of the 2020 NFL season.

As the playoff race begins to heat up (both in the NFL and your fantasy league), depth will be crucial given the number of players getting injured or being put on the COVID list.

Depth is what will help you weather any unexpected setbacks on your roster and any surprising performance could be the game-changer that gives you an important win. Now, seeding comes into play in fantasy leagues, and if your league implements a bye, wins are that much more important, no matter how ugly they come.

Here are some players to consider for the stretch run, and as always, they are rostered at or below 15% in Yahoo leagues.

Free Agent Quarterbacks

Alex Smith, Washington Football Team - 10% rostered

The veteran is one of the best QBs to consider in this part of the waiver wire and though he only posted 166 yards, one touchdown, and one pick in Week 11, he did have 390 yards last week. Smith is an experienced veteran who could serve as a solid backup for your fantasy team going forward. He could be in the starting conversation too if the matchup is favorable enough.

Andy Dalton, Dallas Cowboys - 9% rostered

Andy Dalton was back at the helm for Dallas in Week 11 after missing several games due to various reasons. The veteran was sharp, posting 203 yards with three touchdowns and one pick. Barring no more setbacks, Dalton is the starter on this team for the rest of the season and can at least be serviceable if the matchup is favorable. He’s worth stashing.

Free Agent Running Backs

Frank Gore, New York Jets - 10% rostered

Aging running back Frank Gore still has some gas left in the tank and has now gotten double-digit carries in eight of 10 games this season for the hapless Jets. Though the yardage isn’t usually there (hasn’t gotten more than 63 rushing yards this season), the carries are, and that means Gore could be of value in deeper leagues due to his solid weekly role.

Free Agent Wide Receivers

Rashard Higgins, Cleveland Browns - 12% rostered

No OBJ means the Browns have a void in their pass-catching unit and surprising guys could step up. Rashard Higgins is a WR who has rose to the occasion and now has at least 48 yards in three of the past four games. In Week 11, he had three receptions for 65 yards on four targets. Higgins will continue to see looks for the rest of the season as the WR depth behind Jarvis Landry is inexperienced and unproven. He’s a deep league flex piece as a result.

Josh Reynolds, Los Angeles Rams - 12% rostered

Prior to Week 11, Reynolds had seen at least eight targets in three straight games and posted a season-best eight receptions for 94 yards on 10 targets in Week 10. He has posted at least 44 yards in six of nine games this season and his value as the WR3 on the team has been growing. Reynolds is a solid add.

Breshad Perriman, New York Jets - 11% rostered

The Jets may be on their way to a winless season, but the offense has been surprisingly efficient lately, and that’s all that matters for fantasy purposes. Perriman has been on fire recently, getting three touchdowns in the past two games along with at least 54 yards in three of the past four games. The target share and steady role has been there and Perriman is slowly starting to show why he should be trusted in fantasy despite his team’s atrocious record.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals - 10% rostered

37-year-old Larry Fitzgerald is still proving his worth for the Cardinals and he has now seen at least five targets in five of the past six games. He recorded a season-best eight receptions for 62 yards on 10 targets in Week 11, and now has at least 54 yards in three of the past four games. Fitz is worth stashing right now.

Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears - 8% rostered

Despite a bad game in Week 10, Mooney has become a factor in the Bears’ offense and had at least five targets in the seven games prior along with 40 yards in four of the six previous games prior to Week 10 too. His growing role makes him worth rostering going forward.

Zach Pascal, Indianapolis Colts - 7% rostered

Zach Pascal has been putting up solid numbers quietly. The WR3 on the Colts has at least five targets and 44 yards in five of the past seven games. He’s certainly in the flex conversation given his consistency.

KJ Hamler, Denver Broncos - 6% rostered

Hamler has now seen 10 targets and at least 50 yards in two of the past three games and his role is only bound to grow as time passes. The speedster is certainly worth stashing and monitoring going forward.

Denzel Mims, New York Jets - 5% rostered

Though Mims may be the third Jets player in this piece, the team has not been that bad on offense as of late and they could surprisingly have some good fantasy players for the rest of the season. Mims is one of those guys and he has seen at least seven targets in three of four games played this season. In addition, he has gotten at least 42 yards in all four contests and posted a season-best 71 yards in Week 11. He’s showing some consistency now, and that’s enough to make him a potential start.

Damiere Byrd, New England Patriots - 2% rostered

The Pats basically have an unknown WR corp and that means somebody must step up. Well, Byrd has flown high recently and posted a season-best 132 yards and a touchdown on six receptions and seven targets in Week 11. The WR has shown flashes of brilliance all season, it just hasn’t been consistent. Still, Byrd’s role in this offense should remain decent going forward given the lack of pass-catching talent and depth. He’s worth stashing and monitoring.

Free Agent Tight Ends

Jordan Reed, San Francisco 49ers - 15% rostered

Reed may not be playing at the level he once was in Washington, but he can still be decent and certainly serviceable for fantasy. The TE had five receptions for 62 yards on six targets in Week 10 and the absence of George Kittle and a couple of WRs could mean more looks for the 30-year-old going forward. Reed is worth grabbing and potentially even starting if you need an extra TE due to byes or injuries.

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