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Alex's fantasy football WR waiver wire pickups for Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season. Free agent wide receivers to add, stream, and stash off waivers.
What's up, RotoBallers, and welcome back for our fantasy football wide receiver waiver wire pickups of Week 12. Whether you're still fighting for a playoff spot or out to ruin your league mate's playoff chances, we've got you covered for the week ahead. With another four-team bye week on tap and injuries abound, it could be a rough one.
Aside from the myriad of ailments suffered over the past few days, Week 11 was a gross one in terms of passing. Through Sunday, 13 quarterbacks finished their outings with 200 or fewer passing yards, and that doesn't account for those who exited with injury, whether briefly or for the remainder of their game. Let's hope next weekend's outcomes are kinder.
On that note, we'll look ahead to the week in question, with a bevy of wide receiver offerings available in more than 50% of leagues. The players listed below are in priority order, so be sure to check your league's formatting, as PPR scoring is assumed. Don't forget to check out RotoBaller's other waiver articles for all your positional needs, and happy hunting!
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Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Jayden Higgins, Houston Texans - 16% rostered
The Davis Mills-led Houston Texans ripped off a second straight win, putting away their division-rival Titans 16-13 on the road. Interestingly, Mills has attempted at least 40 passes in consecutive games -- something C.J. Stroud (concussion) hasn't done since his first two pro starts. Again, rookie Higgins benefitted from Houston's air-it-out mentality.
Higgins posted four grabs and 55 yards in their win over Tennessee, and has now notched at least four receptions and seven targets in three of his last four outings. Perhaps even more important, it was the second game in a row that he played ahead of third-year pro Xavier Hutchinson.
Whether the Texans will continue their increased pass rate upon Stroud's return remains to be seen, as the offense hasn't run the same when Mills has been under center. Higgins' ascension can't be ignored, though, and he's worth a look with Christian Kirk's role in decline.
Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers - 34% rostered
The Giants gave the Packers all they could handle on Sunday in Green Bay's 27-20 win. The offense didn't look the same sans running back Josh Jacobs (knee). Either way, the Pack was able to eke out a victory, and Watson finally cashed in for fantasy managers.
Teammate Romeo Doubs led the way in targets with eight in Week 11 (4/53). However, Watson was on the receiving end of both of Jordan Love's touchdown tosses, hauling in 4-of-5 looks for 46 yards. Furthermore, he was the only other Packers' pass-catcher to command more than three targets and record more than one catch.
Doubs has undoubtedly leveled up this year, operating as the lead in Green Bay's passing game with tight end Tucker Kraft (knee) out for the season. While Watson may be second fiddle, he'll be a critical part of the offense. It can be argued that the team will lean on the pass if Jacobs misses time. We'll know more after he undergoes further testing on Monday.
Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals - 47% rostered
Well, that was unexpected. Arizona was without second-year pro Marvin Harrison Jr. (appendix) due to a mid-week appendectomy, so instead, it was Wilson getting peppered with passes. Wilson went off, absorbing an insane 18 targets en route to a 15-catch, 185-yard performance in their 41-22 defeat at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers.
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 16, 2025
It's worth noting that Jacoby Brissett set an NFL record with 47 completions on the afternoon, but the Stanford product and tight end Trey McBride picked up chunk plays when called upon and accounted for 300 (!) of the veteran's 452 passing yards.
Harrison might be back next week. The opposite is also true. In the event of the second circumstance, Wilson would be hard to keep out of lineups, especially with a vulnerable Jags' pass defense on the slate. He'll be a hot add over the coming days.
Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars - 47% rostered
Washington was poised for another day of heavy usage in Week 11, or so we thought. Instead, a negative game script prevailed, as Jacksonville blew out the Chargers in a lopsided 35-6 victory. Fellow wideout Jakobi Meyers took on a larger workload in the win, but I'm still highlighting Washington here, even with the return of Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle) looming.
Jacksonville punched in four scores via the ground on Sunday, so the Texas native wasn't needed much (2/20). Still, he'd wind up leading the corps in snaps for the fourth consecutive contest.
Washington lines up on the perimeter and in the slot, so even if Meyers continues to see an uptick in playing time, the former's versatility should keep him on the field. While he might not be as useful for fantasy when Thomas Jr. returns, Jacksonville frequently deploys 11 personnel (68.14%), meaning Washington will still be out there anyway.
He's a solid weekly WR3 until that time comes.
Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers - 3% rostered
In one of the more exciting games on Sunday afternoon, quarterback Bryce Young erupted for 448 yards and three TDs in the 30-27 win over the Falcons. I could have very easily made it a point to feature Xavier Legette (hip) here after his standout performance (4/83/1), although he left the game in the fourth frame with a hip injury and did not return.
Coker only recorded four grabs and 52 yards on his four targets, but he'll be in line for a considerable workload when the Panthers square off with the 49ers in Week 12 if Legette is forced to miss the game.
Encouragingly, the Holy Cross product had out-snapped Legette in each of Carolina's previous two contests, hinting that he might be preferred as he's farther removed from a quad injury.
I've been saying all season that there's room for another productive receiver in this offense, so hopefully Young's performance on Sunday will lead head coach Dave Canales to be more willing to air it out moving forward. Coker might not be a freak athlete like Legette, but he gets off the line with gusto and does well to separate against man and press coverage.
Deeper Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Pickups
John Metchie III, New York Jets - 0% rostered
It's been a rough 2025 season for the New York Jets, and the hits kept coming ahead of their Thursday night loss to the New England Patriots. Leading up to the game, it was disclosed that wide receiver Garrett Wilson (knee) had been placed on injured reserve.
It's a massive blow to the offense, but it also paved the way for the recently acquired Metchie to register his first touchdown of the campaign.
The former second-round pick reeled in all three of his targets for a team-best 45 yards against the Pats, notably participating on 82% of New York's snaps. That's a stark contrast to the 16% he played the week prior and, overall, the highest percentage of team plays he'd recorded in an NFL game.
Despite no tangible news, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Jets move on from Justin Fields in Week 12. A switch to Tyrod Taylor may not be an upgrade, but the team needs a shake-up. Wilson's extended absence vacates targets, and Metchie has likely earned trust, while new teammate Adonai Mitchell potentially lost some after three ugly drops in his Jets' debut.
Fantasy managers can probably avoid this pass attack for another week while things level out, though it should still be monitored.
Van Jefferson, Tennessee Titans - 0% rostered
Any option from Tennessee's offense is difficult to suggest with the inconsistencies of rookie quarterback Cameron Ward. However, playing time in the Titans' wide receiver room is about to shift with the news of Calvin Ridley's (leg) injury. Ridley was forced from Sunday's 16-13 loss to Houston early and is expected to miss the remainder of the season after fracturing his fibula.
TIE GAME! @Cameron7Ward hits @VanJefferson12 for the touchdown!
📺: #HOUvsTEN on @NFLonFOX & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/Oa3milgc3O
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) November 16, 2025
I'll admit, this one could go either way. It'd be nice if one of the rookie wide receivers, Chimere Dike (concussion) or Elic Ayomanor, emerged as a go-to guy, although it seems as if veteran Jefferson might be the safer option for now. The 29-year-old led the team in targets with seven in their loss to Houston (3/22/1), an instance that's occurred twice over their last three games.
There's a strong chance that Dike would have been listed here again had he not missed most of this contest with a concussion. As it stands, we won't know whether he'll be available for next Sunday's home date against the Seattle Seahawks. If he's out, Jefferson should see heavy usage in a positive game script.
Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears - 8% rostered
Chicago grinded out a grimy 19-17 win on the road over the Vikings. The passing game wasn't really the story here, as both J.J. McCarthy and Caleb Williams each completed exactly 16-of-32 passes for a combined 342 yards. There are still insights to glean, though, with a notable repositioning in Chicago's passing game hierarchy.
For the first time all year, rookie Burden was utilized more frequently than veteran Olamide Zaccheaus, and by a vast margin (33-10). Twenty-seven yards on 3-of-5 receiving won't play, even in the deepest of leagues. Still, the 21-year-old has finally broken through.
With Rome Odunze occupying the alpha role in Chicago's passing game more frequently than not, he'll be the leading receiver. More so, tight ends Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland will remain involved. As such, Burden III may not be a volume play in 2025, but he's at least worth keeping on our radars with DJ Moore fading.
Tyrell Shavers, Buffalo Bills - 0% rostered
Buffalo and Tampa Bay put on quite the show this weekend with an electric 44-32 win by the hosting Bills. Josh Allen again proved why he's a top asset in fantasy, scoring a ludicrous six TDs despite missing starting wide receiver Keon Coleman, who was a healthy scratch. With Coleman out, third-year wideout Shavers paced the team in each significant receiving category.
"Go longgggg" - Josh to Tyrell probably.
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/kNUd872pxk
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) November 16, 2025
The San Diego State alum had yet to eclipse 50% of the snap share in any game this season, but with teammate Elijah Moore also inactive, he filled the offensive void, setting career-highs in receptions (four), targets (five), and yards (90). His touchdown was the second of his career.
In full disclosure, this feels a lot like the Jalen Nailor mirage from Week 10. While Shavers tied running mate Khalil Shakir for the team lead in snaps at his position (30), Coleman was only scratched due to being tardy for the team's Friday meeting.
There are quite a few variables here, including tight end Dalton Kincaid's (hamstring) absence, but no other Bills' wideout has really separated himself from the pack. Shavers isn't the fleetest of foot, although his 6-foot-4 frame is a plus in the red zone.
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