Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Sleepers for Week 12 & Beyond

As fantasy playoffs approach us, I'll be providing you some players who may be flying under the radar, including some that I'm higher on than others and a few that I just have a solid hunch on. Keep in mind that these are guys who might not be in the fantasy football spotlight at this time, so tread lightly and keep your eyes on the prize (i.e., the championship). If you have a bench spot available or have an injury on your team, consider these players as options to stash off the waiver wire. With that said, lets get to the content.

Fantasy Football Sleepers for Week 12

Under-the-Radar Sleepers (in priority order)

Chris Ogbonnaya - RB, Cleveland Browns

Guess who got the most RB touches for the Browns last week? If you thought Ogbonnaya, you would be correct. For the past couple of weeks, Ogbonnaya has outplayed Fozzy Whittaker and Willis McGahee. This week, he was finally given the chance to start and had 99 yards on 14 touches (3.8 YPC). Given the schedule coming up for the Browns, I expect Ogbonnaya's value to increase for the playoffs (Steelers and Jaguars).

Bobby Rainey - RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This one may be a little more obvious, but Rainey is still severely underowned at only 29%. This past week, Bobby Rainey exploded with 163 rushing yards, two rushing TDs, two catches and a receiving TD. He's the second coming of Doug Martin to Tampa, a team that has struggled offensively to find its rhythm without him. With the upcoming matchups vs. STL and NO in Weeks 15 and 16, Rainey could be a prime RB option for those teams who are weak in the RB position.

Deeper Sleepers (in priority order)

Case Keenum - QB, Houston Texans

Let's be blunt: Houston is a disaster this year. I don't know what went wrong, but it's all fallen apart. Last week, Keenum got surprisingly benched, and then this week he's been reinserted as the starting QB. I think it's coming to the point where Houston is picking the starting QB by drawing straws. Whoever does start, (and I expect it will be Keenum,) he will be facing a historically poor Jacksonville defense.

Markus Wheaton - WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

I've been a fan of Wheatons since the preseason, and there's no doubt that his injuries this season have held him back. He is finally back to full health and he has a chance to play more with Emmanuel Sanders's injury this week. While I always anticipated Wheaton would take over Cotchery's spot, I no longer see that happening. However, if Sanders is out this week, expect Wheaton to get at minimum a spot start. He certainly has the potential to be a dynamic player in the Pittsburgh offense. If you are in a dynasty league, you'll want to watch this situation very closely.

Previously Awesome Players & Injury Considerations (in priority order)

Randall Cobb - WR, Green Bay Packers

Its baffling to me, but I'm seeing fantasy owners drop Randall Cobb. Perhaps I'm missing something, but he's designated to return around week 14. Guess what time that is? That's right around playoff time. If you are in a league with a manager who clearly doesn't understand fantasy football, take advantage, because that's a free ticket to the championship game.

Owen Daniels - TE, Houston Texans

This is a risky recommendation as I don't know if Houston will want to on gamble using him later in the season. However, if he does come back to play this season (which his injury status indicates he should), he could be a cheap TE option to get on waivers. Keep in mind that he won't be back until Week 14, but he's a dynamic player in a Houston offense who loves their TEs.