Fantasy Football Week 13 Waiver Wire: Pat Freiermuth and More Top Free-Agent Targets
The final weeks of the fantasy football campaign are here. Those fighting for a playoff berth will want to pull out all the stops to field the best possible lineup for Week 13, including scouring the waiver wire for potential starters who could come through big when it matters most.
For those managers who have already locked up a playoff spot by now, it's far from time to rest on your laurels and stay stagnant. Turning over the bottom of your roster and finding depth options now could pay dividends if you lose a starter during a championship push.
With that in mind, here are five players—rostered in 50 percent or less of Yahoo! leagues—who are well worth a waiver claim in Week 13.
Fantasy points and rankings are based on FantasyPros.com PPR data.
Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints (44 Percent Rostered)
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Quarterbacks around the NFL have been hit by a slew of injuries, leaving many managers without a rock-solid starter at the position. While there aren't any elite talents to be found in the free-agent scrap heap at this juncture, there is one signal-caller who has a fantastic stretch of matchups coming up just in time for the fantasy playoffs.
With the New Orleans Saints set to take on the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers and New York Giants over the next three weeks, Derek Carr could be the quarterback you need to make a run. While Carr hasn't been anything special in 2023—he's the No. 21 scorer at the position—he's finished in the top-15 in five of his past seven starts. He's also coming off a 300-yard performance against a decent Atlanta Falcons defense and could get hot versus a Lions secondary that just allowed Jordan Love to torch it for three touchdowns on Thanksgiving.
It's worth noting that all three of Carr's upcoming contests will take place at home in the Superdome, giving a boost to his chances of some strong showings. His best fantasy days of 2023 have come in his past two starts at the venue, including a No. 11 finish in Week 9 and a season-best No. 9 finish in Week 7.
Carr may not put up top-five numbers, but he has a high enough floor for managers to feel comfortable starting him in must-win games. He may not push you over the edge in a tight matchup, but he won't be the reason you lose, either.
Jeff Wilson Jr., RB, Miami Dolphins (17 Percent Rostered)
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Running backs are at a premium in fantasy football, and the waiver wire isn't going to offer much help for those that don't have their starters locked in. If you can afford to wait for some production, both Roschon Johnson and Ty Chandler are available in a good chunk of leagues and are worth rostering. Unfortunately, both will be out on bye in Week 13, making them no good for those who can't afford to lose a game right now.
If you are in need of some immediate backfield help, Jeff Wilson Jr. is an intriguing pickup because of the uncertain status of De'Von Achane. The Miami Dolphins breakout star had a brief return from a four-game IR layoff, exiting Week 11 after tweaking his knee again and missing Week 12 on a short week of rest. It remains to be seen if Achane will be able to suit up in Week 13, but if he can't go against the Washington Commanders, then Wilson will be a solid flex option.
While Wilson would still be the clear No. 2 behind starter Raheem Mostert, he did tally 56 yards on 11 carries and reeled in all three of his targets for another 17 yards against the New York Jets on Black Friday. That resulted in a double-digit fantasy point outing and a No. 26 finish, his best of the season by a good margin.
Managers desperate for RB help should put a speculative claim in on Wilson. If Achane remains sidelined in Week 13, the 'Phins second-stringer becomes a viable fantasy spot starter for at least one more week.
Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers (47 Percent Rostered)
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After losing four consecutive contests between Weeks 4 and 7, the Green Bay Packers are starting to turn things around—winning two straight and three of their past four. Rookie wideout Jayden Reed has become an integral part of the offense during this resurgence, stringing together his three best fantasy weeks of the season leading up to Week 13.
While Reed came back down to earth in Week 12 following back-to-back No. 11 finishes in Weeks 10 and 11, he still notched a respectable No. 24 finish while earning a career high in targets (eight) and hauling in four of them for 34 yards and a touchdown. It marked the third consecutive week in which Reed has found the end zone after he scored just once between Weeks 3 and 9.
Reed's managers get some bonus rushing value as well. The emerging playmaker has capitalized on his six totes over the past four matchups, turning them into 83 yards and a score. It's clear Green Bay's coaching staff is intentionally scheming up ways to get the ball in Reed's hands, and they should continue that trend going forward.
Although Reed doesn't have a high-tier outlook in Week 13 against the Kansas City Chiefs, he'll square off with the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings over the final weeks of the fantasy season. Those are all plus-matchups for the young wideout and could result in some championship-winning performances if he continues to trend upwards.
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Curtis Samuel, WR, Washington Commanders (28 Percent Rostered)
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Curtis Samuel has long been one of fantasy football's more inconsistent receivers, but he just rewarded managers who kept faith in him by posting his best outing of the 2023 campaign. The Washington Commanders pass-catcher had season highs in targets (12), receptions (nine) and receiving yardage (100) on his way to 19 fantasy points and his third top-16 finish of the year.
This was Samuel's first double-digit fantasy outing since Week 6, when he had the last of three consecutive games with 14.2 or more points. He's been quiet in the weeks since, failing to breach the four-catch or 25-yard receiving mark until Sunday. That lack of steady production makes him a risky pickup, but his potential to explode could be too tantalizing for managers facing an uphill battle in Week 13 to pass up on.
Samuel is likely going to be a one-game rental for most managers given Washington's impending Week 14 bye, but those who need a high-upside wideout to get them through the penultimate week of the regular season could do worse than taking a flier here. It remains to be seen if Samuel will remain as involved in the offense for a second consecutive matchup, but he'll have a chance to do some damage against a beatable Miami Dolphins defense that has been especially vulnerable to slot receivers.
Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers (48 Percent Rostered)
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The top waiver-wire pickup of Week 13 is Pat Freiermuth. Not only did he have a sterling performance on Sunday, but he also has the potential to continue dominating over the final weeks of the fantasy season. The Pittsburgh Steelers tight end looked unstoppable against the Cincinnati Bengals, snagging nine of the 11 targets sent his way for a total of 120 yards. While he didn't put a touchdown on the board, Freiermuth still finished Week 12 as the No. 1 scorer at his position with 21 fantasy points.
What makes Freiermuth a truly intriguing free-agent claim is how strong Pittsburgh's offense looked without Matt Canada calling plays. The organization's decision to axe the beleaguered offensive coordinator and replace him with Mike Sullivan paid off, as Pittsburgh racked up over 400 yards of offense against Cincinnati. Freiermuth led the way in just his second game back from a lengthy IR stint and looked far better than he did during a Week 11 return that saw him snag his lone target for a mere seven yards.
Freiermuth had been a somewhat serviceable fantasy option prior to suffering a Week 4 hamstring injury—posting a pair of top-17 finishes in his first three games—but he's looking like a must-start down the stretch. His 11 targets were not only nearly triple his previous season-high of four, but were also just one off his career-high of 12 set in Week 11 of last season.
Given the Steelers are slated to face the lowly Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts over the next three weeks before taking on the Bengals again in Week 16, Freiermuth should be rostered in every single league and started by anyone who doesn't have Travis Kelce, T.J. Hockenson, Sam LaPorta or George Kittle on their roster.
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