suggested dollar amounts. As I always said, you know your league best, so those were always suggestions anyway, as leagues vary in aggressiveness. Now past the halfway point, guessing what potential budgets are left in the millions of Fantasy Football leagues would be a blindfolded dart throw after spinning in a circle 50 times and downing seven shots of tequila.
Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups: QBs – Quarterback Streamers
Tyrod Taylor, BUF (40%) – This is assuming that Sean McDermott isn’t certifiably insane and sticks with Taylor as his quarterback.
If Taylor is starting for the Bills this week and Nathan Peterman is on the sidelines throwing practice passes into the stands, the Chiefs defense sets Taylor up for a QB1 performance.
Andy Dalton, CIN (52%) – Dalton had a great game considering the matchup last week, and now the matchup gets even better with the Browns struggles to stop the pass. Dalton is in the QB1 conversation.
Blake Bortles, JAX (46%) – Bortles had been on a nice run before Week 11 with 15-plus points and a touchdown in four straight games. Bortles still threw for a touchdown, but the heavy wind hurt the passing game. The Cardinals secondary has been exposed this year outside of Patrick Peterson, giving Bortles a chance to rebound.
Case Keenum, MIN (40%) – If not for the benching risk, Keenum would move above Bortles, but the Vikings are hell-bent on turning to Teddy Bridgewater. A win with 280 yards and one touchdown held off Bridgewater for one more game, but a rough start could have Keenum watching Bridgewater make his 2017 debut.
Eli Manning, NYG (50%) – Manning would jump up behind Dalton if Sterling Shepard is able to play, but if Shepard is out, it’s tough to trust him with Roger Lewis and Tavarres King as the top two wide receivers.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, TB (9%) – Fitzpatrick has two games of 23-plus points and two right around a dozen. Week 12 gives Fitz the opportunity to push his score into the 20s, as the Falcons defense has now given up 19-plus QB Fantasy points in five straight games.
Jacoby Brissett, IND (17%) – Has been a serviceable streaming quarterback and faces the exploitable Titans defense at home, where T.Y. Hilton performs better.
Matt Moore, MIA (1%) – Only the Texans allow more Fantasy points to quarterbacks, and Moore is just as aggressive as Jay Cutler… he even has a bit less risk.
Joe Flacco, BAL (14%) – Speaking of those Texans, the Ravens host them in Week 12. Flacco has been fairly miserable this year, but he seemingly has a three or four touchdown game in him every year. Maybe it’s this week.
Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups: RBs
LAST CHANCE: Rex Burkhead, NE (56%) – If James White’s performance the past two weeks (saved by a touchdown in Week 10) and Mike Gillislee’s season aren’t enough to scare you away, I don’t know what is. This is the last time I’m mentioning Burkhead though because for now, he’s the Patriots running back with value… until he’s sitting on the curb with Jonas Gray.
Samaje Perine, WSH (35%) – With Chris Thompson joining Robert Kelley as being out for the year, Perine is the lead dog in Washington with not much threat to his touches remaining (just Byron Marshall as of today). Perine is more trustworthy than Jay Ajayi at this point.
Damien Williams, MIA (35%) – Kenyan Drake may be more talented, but it couldn’t be any clearer that the Dolphins want to use Williams, and he’s doing a pretty good job as their lead running back.
Danny Woodhead, BAL (49%) – Woodhead only had one carry, but he did see six targets and finished with five catches for 21 yards in his first game back. Woodhead is a near guarantee for RB2 value in PPR leagues while healthy.
Devontae Booker, DEN (7%) – It appears as if the tide is turning for Booker with more carries than C.J. Anderson in Week 11, plus another five catches for 54 yards. At this point, Booker just looks better in the Broncos offense.
Austin Ekeler, LAC (35%) – Melvin Gordon is an injury risk for the rest of the season, and Ekeler is finding a way to have value in most weeks, even with Gordon on the field.
Matt Breida, SF (6%) – In case you have forgotten, Carlos Hyde had nine injuries in three seasons before this year.
Even without that risk, Breida has already cut into his workload a few times.
J.D. McKissic and Mike Davis, SEA (8%, 0%) – During MNF, I tweeted about my 2015 evaluation of Davis before the draft (I was impressed with his combination of vision, elusiveness and speed). Davis has deep sleeper potential with Thomas Rawls inactive, Eddie Lacy stink and McKissic being more of a passing game option… if he doesn’t miss time with that injury. McKissic is the top grab here, especially if Davis misses time – something Davis has dealt with before.
Elijah McGuire, NYJ (6%) – When Matt Forte has missed games, McGuire has split the workload with Bilal Powell more often than not.
Marlon Mack, IND (0%) – Mack is more explosive than Frank Gore at this point of Gore’s career and has even outperformed him at times.
Handcuffs: Chris Ivory, JAX; James Conner, PIT; Giovani Bernard, CIN; Charcandrick West, KC; Wayne Gallman, NYG; Benny Cunningham, CHI; Peyton Barber, TB; Lance Dunbar; LAR; Kerwynn Williams, ARI; Terron Ward, ATL (for as long as Devonta Freeman is out) – Perine is the perfect example of why you want your backups at this time of the year.
Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups: WRs
LAST CHANCE: Cooper Kupp, LAR (51%) – Robert Woods left the locker room in a sling and will reportedly miss a few weeks. Kupp had the second most targets and yards against a strong Vikings defense, finishing with six catches and 64 yards. He’s a strong WR4 even with Woods playing and sees a big boost with Woods out.
Corey Coleman, CLE (32%) – In his first game back and against the best defense in the league, Coleman had 11 targets, six catches and 80 yards. It’s that simple. Coleman produced with weak quarterback play last year, has a similar situation this year and impressed against the Jaguars. Pick.him.up. NOW!
Kenny Stills, MIA (38%) – Moore has a serious man-crush on his receiver and should start for the Dolphins in Week 12. That puts Stills in start-worthy territory, as does a matchup with the Buccaneers secondary.
Danny Amendola, NE (49%) – Amendola will continue to be a fringe starter for as long as Chris Hogan is sidelined.
Josh Doctson, WSH (27%) – Doctson had a nice game in a tough matchup. While he didn’t see Marshon Lattimore the entire game, the Redskins and Kirk Cousins turned to Doctson early and often, even before Lattimore exited the game. Doctson’s arrow continues to point up, and he’s in store for WR3-plus value the rest of the way.
Marquise Goodwin, SF (15%) – Goodwin had a nice game before the 49ers bye and is the top receiver for the team with Pierre Garcon out for the season.
Bruce Ellington, HOU (8%) – As long as Will Fuller is sidelined, it appears that Ellington will have some value… just don’t forget that most of it hinges on Tom Savage. What could go wrong?
Dede Westbrook, JAX (31%) – Westbrook had just three catches for 35 yards in his debut, but as mentioned, the weather was rough. Again, it was Westbrook’s first regular season game, and he still has more talent than Allen Hurns, if Hurns happens to return.
Zay Jones, BUF (7%) – This is an upside play if Kelvin Benjamin and Jordan Matthews are both out for Week 12. If Peterman is at quarterback, it doesn’t matter if Jones is the only receiver, though.
Dontrelle Inman, CHI (13%) – It wasn’t much to speak of, but Inman led the Bears in receiving for the second straight week. Mitchell Trubisky is starting to get more comfortable and deeper leagues could do worse than Inman.
Kenny Golladay, DET (11%) – Golladay continues to do much with little. It’s hard to trust the third option for a team, but if anything ever happened to Golden Tate or Marvin Jones, Golladay could enter the WR3 conversation.
Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups: TEs
LAST CHANCE: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, NYJ (58%) – I think it’s amusing that ASJ owners were complaining about two quiet weeks from a waiver wire tight end. How many tight ends are in the elite conversation? How many tight ends have 7.8 or more PPR points in every game except one with four double-digit scores in half of his games? It’s not many at all.
Tyler Kroft, CIN (45%) – Touchdown reliant, but it’s the Browns this week.
Charles Clay, BUF (33%) – Clay has been slow to get back on track, but he had 18 receptions, 227 yards and two touchdowns in the first four games before his injury. As a reminder, this means nothing if Peterman is back at quarterback.
Adam Shaheen, CHI (0%) – Shaheen has caught all six of his targets the past two weeks and is showing good rapport with Trubisky. The Bears tight end position has suffered plenty of injuries and disappointments… and it is the year of the rookie tight end.
O.J. Howard, TB (22%) – Fitzpatrick hates Cameron Brate and likes Howard.
Week 12 Buy Low and Sell High
Buy Low (Not much left at this time of year, and deadlines are here or gone)
Philip Rivers, LAC
Marcus Mariota, TEN
Jerick McKinnon, MIN
Giovani Bernard, CIN – Can get for free; nothing left behind Joe Mixon
Stefon Diggs, MIN
DeVante Parker, MIA
Corey Davis, TEN
Sell High
Jay Ajayi – Less snaps than LeGarrette BlountandCorey Clement
Latavius Murray – Clearly the goal line option, but still less snaps (and talent) than Jerick McKinnon
Dion Lewis – It’s a Patriots running back, or do Mike Gillislee and James White need to talk to you?
Larry Fitzgerald – Only for a good return, but fades late in season and next two matchup are tough
Rishard Matthews – Davis is going to start stealing some value
Jared Cook – See? As soon as you want to trust him… shower cry
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