Week 12 Waiver Wire: Early Pickups and Breakout Fantasy Football Candidates

If you're digging for a fantasy football gem on the waiver wire, there are four players you'll want to keep an eye on Sunday night and Monday morning. The occurrence and healing of injuries always create new fantasy dynamics.

Week 11's action was no exception. Here are the players who could be the latest diamonds in the rough.

Marquess Wilson, WR, Chicago Bears

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Chicago finally got a win at home on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. If you had Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Alshon Jeffery or Brandon Marshall on your fantasy team, chances are you were happy with their production. 

Each man produced solid numbers.

Sunday's game also marked the return of talented and previously injured receiver Marquess Wilson. Coming out of training camp, the 22-year-old from Washington State was expected to hold down the slot receiver role.

He broke his collarbone, and that sent the Bears scrambling for a replacement. The team turned to veteran Josh Morgan, and it signed Santonio Holmes off the street. Neither made a significant impact, and now that Wilson is healthy, Holmes was released.

The quick move by the Bears shows how much the team believes in Wilson. In his return, he had two catches for 11 yards on four targets. It was a modest beginning, but it could be the start of a solid finish to the season for the second-year man. 

Marshall, Jeffery and Forte will continue to get so much attention from opposing defenses, making room for the 6'3" receiver to make his mark among the Bears' giant receiving corps.

Wilson could very well see more opportunities in Week 12. Against Lovie Smith's Tampa 2 scheme that is traditionally vulnerable to intermediate-length completions over the middle, Wilson might get the ball with some room to run.

Coming out of the slot, Wilson could have a surprisingly strong day. Consider him as a flex guy if you're in a pinch and need to fill a spot.

Alfred Blue, RB, Houston Texans

Fantasy owners may not have felt the need to pick up Alfred Blue when they learned he'd start against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in place of the injured Arian Foster.

However, after his 36-carry, 156-yard explosion against the Browns, Blue might have inspired a sense of urgency for fantasy owners. Head coach Bill O'Brien had this to say about Blue, per Texans TV's Drew Dougherty:

Per CBSSports.com, Blue is owned in 65 percent of the leagues on its site. After Sunday's game, that number should rise. Fantasy owners should strongly consider jumping on board considering Blue's production and Foster's history of injuries.

The Texans have proven they will feature the running game prominently. Heading into Week 11, Houston was fifth in the NFL in rushing attempts. Per Marty Gitlin of CBSSports.com, Foster will be ready to return to the lineup in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, the Texans know they have a back they can depend on in Blue if Foster is limited. Even if Blue doesn't get the start, he should still see some carries as a backup. He's worth a look if you're struggling to find a second back or a flex option.

Cody Latimer, WR, Denver Broncos

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It's hard to tell whether Denver's offense was hit harder by injuries or the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. Perhaps both worked equal and related damage as the Broncos were upset 22-7. 

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders was among a group of key offensive players knocked out of Sunday's loss. He suffered a concussion that could feasibly make him unavailable in Week 12 against the Miami Dolphins. Per the Broncos' official Twitter account:

Fantasy owners will obviously have to watch for injury updates this week, but a proactive approach to filling his spot, or even grabbing a waiver-wire gem, might be to consider tabbing Latimer.

He was inactive for Sunday's game, but if Sanders is out next week, Latimer will almost certainly be looked at to contribute. Brandon Krisztal of The Denver Post agrees:

On the season, Latimer has just one catch for nine yards. However, if he is pressed into action because of Sanders' absence, he could be a major contributor next week. Sanders had five receptions, 102 yards and a touchdown on eight targets before he was injured.

On the season, Sanders has 67 receptions, 957 yards and seven touchdowns on 92 targets. That averages out to 9.2 targets per game. If Latimer is inserted in his place, it's a good bet Peyton Manning will be looking his way with some regularity in Week 12. 

That makes him worth a gamble on Monday morning. 

Jacob Tamme, TE, Denver Broncos

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Another of the Broncos' significant injuries on Sunday happened to tight end Julius Thomas. He suffered an ankle injury in the first half and did not return to the game. Per Denver's official Twitter account:

His backup is one of Manning's former Indianapolis Colts teammates Jacob Tamme.

Thomas has been one of the most utilized players in the Broncos' passing game this season. His 52 targets is third on the team, and his 12 touchdown receptions are first.

Tamme is obviously not as athletic as Thomas, but he did step in and produce fairly well in the loss to the Rams. He had the ball thrown to him a whopping 10 times. He only caught four of them. 

If Thomas is out for an extended period, Tamme will become one of the most valuable tight ends from a fantasy football standpoint.