Whether you’re on your way to the fantasy football playoffs or still grinding for a spot, the waiver wire is your best friend. There’s always a diamond in the rough. It may be hard to find, but it’s definitely there somewhere, and you can’t let it get snatched by others. Experts have weighed in on who those players might be. Read on!
Kap is probably gone in leagues with 10 players or more, but as of this writing, he’s only 22.6-percent owned in ESPN and 42-percent owned in Yahoo. So, get on it and pick him up if you’re in need of a QB. He had a big game last Sunday, as he threw for 296 yards and rushed for 113.
The wideout position is quite loaded, as it should. Plenty of receivers shined last week, most of which are listed above by Yates. Right now, the best choice is Tyreek Hill. The rookie went bonkers on the Broncos in Week 12, as he became the first player since Gale Sayers to have a receiving, rushing, and a punt return TD in the same game.
Here are the Week 12 stats of the other WRs in the list:
Taylor Gabriel – 4 receptions, 75 yards, 2 TDs
Anquan Boldin – 7 receptions, 69 yards, TD
Marquess Wilson – 8 receptions, 125 yards, TD
Dontrelle Inman – 6 receptions, 119 yards, TD
Kenneth Dixon had 17 touches last week, producing 80 total yards (49 receiving and 31 rushing). He should be able to continue getting the same amount of opportunities moving forward, or maybe more, especially since the Ravens are dying to have reliable producer from the backfield.
Matt Asiata has been a fantasy football “underdog” for the whole year. He won’t give you great yardage but he’ll give you TDs, which is what we all want. The fifth-year RB has one each in his last three games.
As for Vernon Davis, he had his best game of the season last Thanksgiving day, catching seven passes for 68 yards. He’s bound to do the same on Sunday with starting TE Jordan Reed possibly out (shoulder).
Pro Football Focus (Jeff Ratcliffe)
Position
Pick 1
Pick 2
Pick 3
QB
Colin Kaepernick
Ryan Tannehill
RB
Kenneth Dixon
Dion Lewis
Tim Hightower
WR
Sammy Watkins
Tyreek Hill
TE
Vernon Davis
Ladarius Green
Tannehill has only impressed in a couple of games this season, but he has good momentum coming off a 285-yard, three-TD game. He’ll face the Ravens for Week 13, who despite being sixth in passing yards allowed, have given up 584 yards through the air in their last two.
The Patriots are slowly easing Dion Lewis in the rotation. He’s only getting nine touches per game, but that number’s probably going to go up to the mid-teens in the next few weeks. The pass-catching back has the potential to be a difference maker in the playoffs, according to Ratcliffe.
Tim Hightower is back being in the shadow of Mark Ingram, but he’s still very productive, averaging 115.5 total yards in his last two.
Sammy Watkins came back well from his foot injury last Sunday and had three receptions for 80 yards (one of those was a 62-yarder). He reportedly has some soreness in that same foot and hasn’t fully practiced this week, but he’s expected to play against the Raiders, who are 26th in pass defense.
Ladarius Green only played 14 snaps last week, but was targeted three times and caught two for 67 yards. Ratcliffe says that with the TE slot being tricky towards the latter part of a season, Green’s upside is appealing.
Heavy (Rick Rosen)
Position
Pick 1
Pick 2
Pick 3
RB
Rex Burkhead
Wendell Smallwood
Paul Perkins
WR
Taylor Gabriel
Marquise Lee
Rex Burkhead is taking the place of the injured Gio Bernard (torn ACL). He had seven touches last Sunday and had 48 total yards. With Jeremy Hill hurting his ankle in the game, the third-string back is bound to get more opportunities. He should be able to produce good numbers against the winless Cleveland Browns.
Wendell Smallwood, too, is replacing an injured back (Ryan Mathews). The rookie has been putting up good numbers in the last three weeks, averaging 65.3 yards from scrimmage. He’ll have a great chance to have another great game this week, with Cincy allowing 100 or more rushing yards in six of their last seven games.
The Giants’ may look to get their RBs more chances, which means more opportunities for Paul Perkins. Don’t expect the rookie to get 20-plus carries, but he’s a pass-catching back that’ll get rushing attempts and a handful of checkdowns.
Marquise Lee is still one of the underrated receivers in football. He’s recording 52.8 YPG this season and has a TD in each of his last two games. Week 13 could be big for him with Allen Hurns questionable (hamstring). They’ll face the tough Broncos defense, but the Jags are quite thin in WRs and Lee could get a great bulk of the team’s yardage through the air.
The third-year wideout could still be available in your leagues. He’s only 6.6-percent owned in ESPN and 10-percent owned in Yahoo.
