Week 13 Waiver-Wire Pickups: Best Fantasy Sleepers to Target on Yahoo
The running back situation in fantasy football in Week 13 is a mess that no one wants to navigate this late in the NFL regular season.
Michael Carter, Travis Etienne and Najee Harris are all dealing with injuries that have kept them limited or out of practice this week.
The New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers will try their best to get their respective top RBs on the field, but that may result in some last-minute decisions.
Fantasy football managers have to see all angles of these decisions now so that nothing comes as a surprise on Sunday morning.
The backups to each of those three running backs played well in Week 12, which makes them intriguing waiver-wire options.
Then fantasy players have to determine if those performances were one-week flukes or signs of consistency inside their respective offenses.
This is the last thing managers want to deal with just a few weeks from the fantasy postseason, but it is guaranteed to be a nervy few days navigating all of the situations.
Ty Johnson, RB, New York Jets
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The New York Jets running back situation threw everyone off in Week 12.
James Robinson was listed with the inactives as a healthy scratch, and Michael Carter also suffered an ankle injury.
Zonovan Knight and Ty Johnson stepped into the running back role next to new starting quarterback Mike White.
Knight gained 69 yards on 14 carries and played more snaps, but Johnson had 62 yards and a rushing touchdown on five carries.
The latter is the more experienced option for the Jets and can be relied upon in tougher situations, which may lead to red-zone touches and third-down receptions.
Johnson's fantasy status is dependent on Carter's injury. Head coach Robert Saleh ruled the 23-year-old as day-to-day due to a low ankle sprain earlier in the week.
If Carter is out and Robinson remains inactive, which are two big ifs right now, Johnson could be worth a Sunday pickup as a flex or third running back option.
The Minnesota Vikings have conceded the seventh-most receiving yards to RBs in the NFL and the ninth most receptions to the same position.
White could look to exploit that weakness with Johnson, who has recorded 37 of his 77 career receptions in the last two seasons with the Jets.
Johnson's pass-game prowess might make him more intriguing than Knight, especially in points-per-reception leagues, but it still might be a stretch to start him if Carter is out because of the potential shared production out of the backfield.
Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
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The best alternative to the collection of injured running backs may not reside on any of their respective rosters.
Kyren Williams could be the breakout fantasy football star of Week 13. The Los Angeles Rams rookie has earned 18 carries over the past fortnight and caught three passes last week.
The situations in Pittsburgh and Jacksonville may be too frustrating to find a clear answer with backups. Benny Snell was limited in the Steelers' practice on Thursday along with Najee Harris, while the Jaguars' backup situation could get complicated with the addition of Darrell Henderson.
Avoiding those two potential messes, and even the one in New York, may be the best option for Week 13.
Williams has had a larger role in the Rams offense over the last three weeks. He went from seven to 11 carries from Week 11 to 12. He had three receptions on three targets in two of his three appearances.
The 22-year-old is on an upward trajectory in fantasy football and could be one of the waiver-wire additions who wins playoff matchups for your team.
Zay Jones, WR, Jacksonville
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Zay Jones has been an underrated fantasy football star in the last two weeks.
The 27-year-old produced 68 receiving yards on eight receptions in Week 11 and then turned in an 11-catch, 145-yard performance in Week 12.
Jones may not have another 145-yard performance, but he can shine for the Jaguars against the Detroit Lions, which give up the third-most receiving yards to wide receivers in the NFL.
In recent weeks, Trevor Lawrence has increased his targets in the direction of Jones, who has caught 29 in the last three weeks. That is most consistent run of targets he earned this season.
The East Carolina product is still the No. 2 option behind Christian Kirk, but he has broken out above Marvin Jones Jr., Evan Engram and others in the Jacksonville passing game.
He could end up as a vital piece on the back end of fantasy football rosters in the coming weeks. If he is still available in your league, he's worth the pickup because of those consistent targets.
Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.
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