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There weren’t many great games during Week 12, but we still got to see some excellent quarterback performances. Seven different quarterbacks threw for over 300 yards in Week 12, including an awesome shootout between Trevor Lawrence (364 yards and a touchdown) and C.J. Stroud (304 yards and two touchdowns).
Unfortunately, Week 13 means bye weeks will be back for fantasy managers as we get closer to the fantasy playoffs. Fantasy managers will have to figure out ways to win without access to the Bills, Bears, Raiders, Vikings, Ravens, and Giants (probably not the last one). Attacking the waiver wire will be crucial for managers looking to finish making a push for the fantasy playoffs.
In this article, I will be focusing on players under 65% rostered in fantasy leagues while adding a couple of deep sleepers for two-quarterback leagues (less than 25%). Let’s look at who you should consider picking up for Week 13 below.
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Single-QB League Waiver Wire Options and Stashes
Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
Yahoo: 56% rostered
The Broncos keep winning thanks to steady play from Russell Wilson. Wilson completed 13 of 22 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown against the ferocious Browns defense in Week 12 while adding 11 carries for 34 yards and a rushing score.
Wilson now has five consecutive games with at least 13.0 fantasy points. The veteran quarterback has six games with multiple passing touchdowns and hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 6. He’s a steady fantasy producer even if he no longer has access to huge ceiling games.
The Broncos have excellent fantasy matchups against the Texans, Chargers (twice), Lions, and Patriots in the next five weeks, which gives Wilson the matchups he needs to be a league winner down the stretch.
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Yahoo: 52% rostered
Jordan Love has bounced back from a midseason lull for the Green Bay Packers, playing arguably his best game of the season to help the team secure a victory over the Lions on Thanksgiving.
Love completed 22 of 32 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions against Detroit in Week 12 while adding three carries for 39 yards. That marks back-to-back games where Love has thrown for over 250 passing yards and multiple touchdowns without throwing an interception. The quarterback has now scored over 20 fantasy points in consecutive games for the first time since Weeks 1-3 of the 2023 season.
Love will have a very challenging matchup in Week 13 against the Kansas City Chiefs, but his matchups become much better as teams get ready to enter the fantasy playoffs with games against the Giants, Buccaneers, and Panthers. Love should be rostered given his strong play in recent weeks.
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yahoo: 52% rostered
Baker Mayfield continued to provide steady quarterback play for the Buccaneers in a losing effort to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12. Mayfield completed 20 of 30 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns with one interception while adding 14 rushing yards. The veteran quarterback continued to show excellent rapport with Mike Evans, especially in the red zone.
Mayfield continues to be a steady fantasy quarterback (eight games with at least 13 fantasy points) who flashes the occasional back-end QB1 upside (three games with 20+ fantasy points). He has two great matchups on the horizon against the Panthers and Falcons, so he should be rostered with bye weeks starting back up in Week 13.
Two-QB League Waiver Wire Options and Stashes
Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers
Yahoo: 16% rostered
The results of Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator change were largely positive against the Bengals in Week 12 even if they didn’t necessarily reflect it on the scoreboard. Pittsburgh had 400+ offensive yards for the first time since Matt Canada took over and showed a willingness to push the ball down the field in the passing game.
Still, things have room to improve for Kenny Pickett. The second-year quarterback completed 24 of 33 passes for a season-high 278 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions (although he would have had a passing touchdown to Diontae Johnson if the coaching staff challenged the call on the field). Pickett scored double-digit fantasy points for the first time since Week 9’s contest against the Titans.
The Steelers have a fantasy-friendly slate of defenses heading into the fantasy playoffs, with matchups against the Cardinals, Patriots, Colts, Bengals, and Seahawks from Weeks 13 to 17.
Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals
Yahoo: 8% rostered
The Bengals didn’t secure a victory against the Steelers in Jake Browning’s first start, but the backup quarterback still had a solid performance against a very good defense.
Browning finished his first start completing 19 of 26 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown with one interception while adding three carries for nine yards. The Steelers are one of the toughest defenses to line up against, so anything should feel easier for the inexperienced quarterback going forward.
Cincinnati has matchups against Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Minnesota in the coming weeks, which means plenty of chances for Browning to build on his first game. He also has an intriguing rushing upside (he had four carries for 40 yards against Baltimore in Week 11), making him interesting enough to roster in fantasy.
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