Account
Week 12 Waiver-Wire Pickups: Available Sleepers in Most Yahoo Leagues
November 25, 2022Week 12 Waiver-Wire Pickups: Available Sleepers in Most Yahoo Leagues
Week 12 got underway on Thursday with a trio of Thanksgiving games. Some fantasy managers were thankful for point-stuffed performances from players like Amon-Ra St. Brown and CeeDee Lamb, while others were left hungry for a big bounce-back on Sunday.
And with several key injuries this week, some managers will be scrambling to make late additions to their lineups. There are no byes in Week 12, but players like Matthew Stafford, Justin Fields, Kyler Murray and Joe Mixon are already out or are unlikely to play.
With the waiver-wire deadline already in the rearview, finding serviceable fill-ins will be tricky—but we're here to help. Below, you'll find a list of players who can provide value and who are available in most Yahoo leagues heading into the weekend.
All choices are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.
Marcus Mariota, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Another quarterback situation to monitor is that of Green Bay Packers signal-caller Aaron Rodgers. The reigning MVP hasn't played particularly well this season, and he recently revealed a possible reason for that.
Rodgers admitted this week that he's been playing with a broken thumb, according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky.
Managers missing a quarterback or not willing to trust Rodgers against a stout Philadelphia Eagles defense might want to consider Marcus Mariota of the Atlanta Falcons. While Mariota doesn't have the highest of ceilings, he's a dual-threat who should provide a decent floor. Last week against the Chicago Bears, he passed for 131 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 25 and another score.
This week, Mariota will face a Washington Commanders team that has allowed an average of 17.4 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. That makes for a much better matchup than, say, Rodgers against the Eagles (10.6 points allowed on average to opposing QBs).
Consider Mariota a serviceable streamer in Week 12 with a little rushing upside. He's currently rostered in 39 percent of Yahoo leagues and 45 percent of ESPN leagues.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill is also worth a look for managers in a pinch. He's coming off of a 333-yard, two-touchdown performance and is rostered in only 18 percent of Yahoo leagues and 9 percent of ESPN leagues.
Samaje Perine, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have been without wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase as he continues to recover from a hip ailment. They may be without starting running back Joe Mixon this week because of a concussion he suffered in Week 11.
"Zac Taylor says Joe Mixon is still going through the protocol," Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweeted on Wednesday.
If Mixon doesn't play, managers will have a prime opportunity to capitalize with Bengals running back Samaje Perine. The Cincinnati backup shone after Mixon exited against the Pittsburgh Steelers, finishing with 30 rushing yards, four receptions, 52 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Perine probably won't have that much success against a Titans team that has surrendered just 16.2 fantasy points per game this season, but the PPR floor should make him a solid play.
As of Friday morning, Perine is still available in many leagues. He's rostered in 49 percent of Yahoo leagues and 23 percent of ESPN leagues.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon is worth a look in deeper leagues, as starter Clyde Edwards-Helaire is on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain. McKinnon had just 24 rushing yards and one zero-yard reception last week, but there's some upside with Edwards-Helaire out.
McKinnon is rostered in only 31 percent of Yahoo leagues and 28 percent of ESPN leagues.
Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans
On the other side of the Bengals-Titans matchup will be rookie wideout Treylon Burks. The Arkansas product isn't guaranteed to have a great game, as the Bengals have allowed an average of only 24.3 fantasy points to opposing receivers—eighth-fewest through Week 11.
However, now is the time to grab Burks. He had a breakout game against the Packers last week, and another strong game will cause him to disappear from the waiver wire.
Against Green Bay, Burks finished with seven catches and 111 receiving yards. That was by far his best performance to date. Before last Thursday, Burks had just 13 catches and 153 receiving yards in five games.
Expect Burks to carry a fair bit of boom-or-bust potential in Week 12, but he should have a respectable floor. He's caught 12 total passes in his last three games and appears to be developing some chemistry with quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Burks is rostered in 47 percent of Yahoo leagues and 35 percent of ESPN leagues.
Cleveland Browns wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones is worth an add, even though he faces a good Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense this week. Peoples-Jones emerged as a reliable No. 2 for Cleveland and has averaged five receptions over his last four games.
Peoples-Jones is rostered in 49 percent of Yahoo leagues and 40 percent of ESPN leagues.
Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Evan Engram of the Jacksonville Jaguars continues to be the waiver-wire tight end to target. He's become a solid if unspectacular piece of the Jaguars passing attack and tends to provide a decent PPR floor.
Engram had just a single catch in Week 9, but he's caught at least three passes in five of his last six games.
This week, Engram will battle a Baltimore Ravens defense that has been middle-of-the-road against opposing tight ends this season. The Ravens have allowed an average of 9.5 fantasy points to the position—not exactly spicy but not daunting either.
The last time Engram faced Baltimore—with the New York Giants in 2020—he caught seven passes for 65 yards.
Engram is rostered in 38 percent of Yahoo leagues and 37 percent of ESPN leagues.
Managers in deeper leagues could consider Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki. While Gesicki hasn't been a big-time contributor in the Dolphins offense this season, he has caught a pass in every game. His matchup with the Houston Texans isn't bad either.
The Texans have allowed an average of 9.2 fantasy points to opposing tight end. Gesicki is rostered in 39 percent of Yahoo leagues and 50 percent of ESPN leagues.
*Fantasy roster and scoring information via FantasyPros.