Fantasy Football Week 12 Waiver Wire: Zach Charbonnet Leads Top Free-Agent Targets
The fantasy football regular season is nearing its end, making this a pivotal time for managers to tighten up their rosters and get ready to make a run. Having a rock-solid starting lineup and some strong bench depth will make it much easier to not only get into the playoff field, but also capture a championship.
With a slew of byes on the horizon—six teams will be breaking in Week 13 and two more will be out in Week 14—the difference between making the postseason field and missing out could be securing capable fill-ins off the waiver wire. Rather than wait until the last minute to try and unearth your replacements, get ahead of the rush by making your claims now.
If you aren't sure which free agents to target with your waiver priority or FAAB budget, look no further. You can read on to find five high-upside pickups—available in 50 percent or more of Yahoo! leagues—to set your sights on heading into Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season.
Fantasy points and rankings are based on FantasyPros.com PPR data.
Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers (46 Percent Rostered)
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The rash of Injuries that has struck the quarterback position in 2023 continued in Week 11. With Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson now on the shelf for the remainder of the year and Geno Smith questionable for Week 12, many fantasy managers will be rushing to the waiver wire to find replacements. While there aren't week-winning stars up for grabs, there is at least one option who could help signal-calling starved squads salvage their campaign.
Jordan Love has quietly been emerging as a viable fantasy starter. The Green Bay Packers passer just had one of his best games in months, posting 20.9 fantasy points while completing 27-of-40 throws for 322 yards and two scores. It was the second successive week and third time in the past four games that Love has hoisted 40 or more passes, and that volume helped him cinch up a No. 9 finish at his position—the third time in the past five games he's ranked in the top-12.
While Love hasn't had a top-five finish since Week 1, he's knocking on the door and could get there during a potential shootout with the rival Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Love already recorded a top-12 finish against Detroit earlier this season, and the Lions' defense has been susceptible to the pass, giving up a middling 223.5 yards per game through the air while conceding 16 touchdown throws.
With impending matchups against the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings to start the fantasy playoffs, managers can feel confident installing Love in their starting lineup for the stretch run. While a championship-round clash with the Dallas Cowboys and their No. 2 ranked passing defense isn't ideal, managers will be able to consider some alternative matchup-based streaming options if they get to the title tilt.
Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seattle Seahawks (44 Percent Rostered)
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The Seattle Seahawks are banged up heading into a Thanksgiving evening meeting against the rival San Francisco 49ers. While the potential absences of key offensive pieces like quarterback Geno Smith and running back Kenneth Walker III do not bode well for the team's chances of winning the game, shrewd fantasy managers will be able to capitalize on this situation.
Zach Charbonnet, Seattle's rookie running back, looks to be in line to make the first start of his career in Week 12. While he began the year as the clear-cut backup to Walker, he's been seeing a steady increase in touches since Week 8. He recorded his first top-30 finish in Week 10 by picking up 44 yards on six carries and reeling in four passes for 18 yards, following that up with a No. 17 finish this past weekend.
Charbonnet took over the Seahawks backfield after Walker went down with an oblique strain in the first quarter of an eventual loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The 22-year-old finished the day with 47 yards on 15 carries and hauled in all six of his targets for 22 yards, tallying a respectable 12.9 fantasy points for the effort.
With head coach Pete Caroll describing Walker's injury as "legit", it seems rather probable—especially on a short week of rest—that the first-string back will miss a start for the first time this season. Charbonnet should get plenty of touches in Walker's absence, especially if the Seahawks if backup quarterback Drew Lock is in for Smith.
If your running back platoon needs some help—and most do at this point in the year—Charbonnet should be your top waiver priority. Although the matchup with a tough 49ers front isn't ideal, he can still be considered a low-end, volume-based RB2 for this contest regardless of which quarterback lines up under center.
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Baltimore Ravens (29 Percent Rostered)
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Odell Beckham Jr.'s tenure with the Baltimore Ravens may have started off slow but the veteran wideout is starting to heat up. After failing to record even a top-35 finish during the first two months of the season, Beckham notched a pair of top-18 showings in the last three games and just had his best performance of the year.
In a Week 11 showdown with the rival Cincinnati Bengals, the 31-year-old pass-catcher reeled in four of his seven looks—tying a season-high for targets—for 116 yards. Although he could not find the end zone for the third consecutive week, Beckham still tallied up 15.6 points and had his best fantasy outing since Week 14 of the 2021 season.
While there were initially some concerns that Beckham may have suffered another significant injury after he exited Thursday night's contest with a shoulder issue in the fourth quarter, he told reporters after the game that "it's not bad" and noted that he had an extended period to recover ahead of Baltimore's Week 12 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Ravens will need Beckham at his best going forward. The passing game will be without star tight end Mark Andrews, whose season was cut short with an ankle injury. Beckham called Andrews' loss a "big hit" to the offense and noted that he'll be looking for a way to step up and fill the void. He could start with a big fantasy showing against a Bolts defense that concedes a league-worst 291.6 yards per game through the air.
Consider Beckham a WR3 with upside for this matchup. If he sets a season-high in targets and appears to be the main pass-catcher getting Andrews' vacated looks, he'll be a must-start come fantasy playoff time.
Khalil Shakir, WR, Buffalo Bills (11 Percent Rostered)
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The Buffalo Bills direly needed a spark on offense after falling to 5-5 ahead of Week 11. The team appears to have found one Khalil Shakir, as the second-year slot wideout recorded the longest touchdown reception of the 2023 season thus far while helping lead his side to a blowout victory over the New York Jets.
Shakir may not have been heavily targeted in a contest that star quarterback Josh Allen completed just 20 passes in—tied for the third-fewest he's had on the season—but he made the most of the four throws that came his way. The 23-year-old finished with 115 yards and a touchdown, ranking No. 9 at his position in fantasy points with 20.5.
While Shakir hadn't been a major part of Buffalo's offense early in the season—he didn't see a single target in the opener and had just one per game between Weeks 2 and 6—he's been emerging as a more prominent piece of the passing attack. He's logged at least four looks in all but one of the past five contests and has a pair of top-25 finishes during that span.
Managers should consider Shakir a boom-or-bust WR4 until he shows some consistency. He had just one catch for 24 yards in Week 10 and could struggle again in Week 12 against a tough Philadelphia Eagles secondary. However, the dynamic playmaker could just as easily spring free for a huge touchdown, an asset that makes him an intriguing option in deeper leagues and for managers facing uphill battles who need a potential week-winner in their lineup.
Isaiah Likely, TE, Baltimore Ravens (Three Percent Rostered)
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With Mark Andrews' season now over, fantasy football managers have lost one of just the handful of tight ends who can be counted on for consistent weekly production. Andrews had been the No. 4 scorer at his position this year and leaves a lot of targets up for grabs in his absence. The Baltimore Ravens have some talented receivers to help make up for the loss and will also insert Isaiah Likely into their starting lineup as Andrews' direct replacement.
Likely hasn't done much of note this season, recording just one top-20 finish back in Week 9. That four-catch, 42-yard outing showed his potential to contribute as a pass-catcher, but he failed to secure either of the two targets that came his way this past week. He should see a drastic uptick in volume against a susceptible Los Angeles Chargers defense in Week 12, however, and he could get fed as the Ravens look to sort out an offensive plan without Andrews in the mix.
Given the lack of serviceable tight end options on the free-agent scrap heap right now, Likely will be the best pickup of the week. While he's unproven and a bit of a risk because of the unknown factor, he has an ideal matchup and more upside than anyone else widely available. Managers who were relying on Andrews or streaming the position should make it a priority to grab Likely on waivers.
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