Week 12 Waiver Wire: Top Pickups and Drops

Some weeks, the pickings are pretty slim for fantasy owners on the waiver wire. This is not one of those weeks. 

Running backs are emerging as starters in crowded backfields. Players who were on practice squads two months ago are scoring touchdowns in bunches. Backups have become starters. And the wire is rife with potential pickups.

Below, I'll highlight the top ones for you to target this week.

Josh McCown, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Don't look now, but Josh McCown has 17 or more fantasy points in his last three starts. And much like last season when he blew up out of nowhere with the Chicago Bears, he has excellent wide receivers with the Bucs, as both Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson can make plays down the field.

Speaking of the Bears, McCown faces them next week. Chicago has given up 23 or more fantasy points in three of their last four games, so they are ripe for the picking. If you need a quarterback for next week, McCown is the man to add. 

Jonas Gray, RB, New England Patriots

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After rushing 38 times for an astonishing 199 yards and four touchdowns, Jonas Gray is going to be the most popular addition on waivers this week. It might be wise to temper your expectations though, folks.

For starters, the Pats are notorious for employing a backfield committee, making it difficult to predict what Gray's role will be on a weekly basis. For all we know, the team could lean on Shane Vereen next week. And they don't exactly have a great matchup this week either, as the excellent Detroit Lions defense is up next for the Pats. 

Add it all up, and Gray probably isn't the best addition if you need instant help at running back. In the long-term, however, he could end up being a stud if the Pats continue to lean on him and the power running game.

C.J. Anderson, RB, Denver Broncos

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C.J. Anderson played well for Denver on Sunday—he was one of the rare players you could say that about—notching 115 yards from scrimmage. He did most of the damage in the passing game, with eight receptions for 86 yards on 10 targets, a welcomed sign for a team that wants to move the ball through Peyton Manning's arm as much as possible. 

And it looks like Anderson will have the backfield all to himself this week, per Mike Klis of The Denver Post:

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The Broncos' running back group has been thinned like never before after Montee Ball re-strained his groin Sunday against the St. Louis Rams.

Ball will miss the next two or three weeks, according to two NFL sources. Another running back,Ronnie Hillman, is expected to miss another game with his left midfoot injury Sunday when the Broncos play the Miami Dolphins.

"

Anderson doesn't have a great matchup against a solid Miami defense, but in Denver's offense, the matchup is generally irrelevant. I'm going to give the Broncos a mulligan for their performance against the St. Louis Rams and recommend you go after Anderson if he's still available in your league.

Isaiah Crowell, RB, Cleveland Browns

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Despite fumbles in consecutive weeks, the Browns have still fed Isaiah Crowell the ball 28 times in that span, which he's turned into 132 yards from scrimmage and a score. But even more importantly, Terrance West and Ben Tate were given just seven touches total against the Houston Texans. 

It would appear that the Browns have finally put their trust in the explosive Crowell despite some of the hiccups they've encountered with him along the way. That makes Crowell a weekly flex consideration and the Cleveland back you want to own.

Tre Mason, RB, St. Louis Rams

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It's possible that Tre Mason isn't available to you, though he's somewhat surprisingly owned in only 41.3 percent of ESPN leagues. That's far too few leagues, folks.

Mason has clearly won the starting gig in St. Louis and has 14 or more carries in three of his last four games. While his upside isn't great—he's reached double-digit fantasy points just once in that time—he's a nice addition if you lack running back depth and should give you a flex consideration depending on the matchup.

Dan Herron, RB, Indianapolis Colts

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This one is a bit of a deep cut, but Dan Herron is the likely candidate to receive the touches Ahmad Bradshaw has been getting for the Colts this season. Bradshaw looks as though he'll be out for quite awhile, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

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Colts coach Chuck Pagano announced Monday afternoon that Ahmad Bradshaw has a 'fracture of his fibula' and will see more specialists. Pagano added that he isn't sure if the running back will go on injured reserve.

'It kills you because he's a warrior,' Pagano said. '... We are going to miss his energy, his passion.'

It's a huge blow for the Colts. Bradshaw was by far their best runner and was dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield, especially in the red zone.

"

Yes, the Colts are likely to lean on Trent Richardson even more heavily now. But given how they've run the offense through two backs thus far this season, I would be surprised if Herron doesn't soon have a bigger role in Indy. 

Kenny Britt, WR, St. Louis Rams

Hey, somebody has to catch the passes in St. Louis, right?

With Shaun Hill under center on Sunday, Kenny Britt nabbed four passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. With leading receiver Brian Quick shelved for the season, somebody in St. Louis has to step up and become the No. 1 receiver.

Why not Britt? The talent has never been in question. His ability to stay healthy and the off-field issues have been a different story, sure. But if Britt can stay healthy and committed, he could have a nice close to the season. He's streaky, sure, and probably won't ever be anything more than a flex consideration, but he's worth a look.

Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

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Disclaimer: The next two players are really only deeper-league considerations.

Quietly, Davante Adams has notched seven or more fantasy points in five of his past six games. Hardly gaudy numbers, sure, but owners in 14- or 16-team leagues will gladly take those points.

And they should keep on coming—the Packers are scoring in droves right now and Adams is the third option in the passing game at wide receiver, a good place to be when Aaron Rodgers is the one throwing the ball. 

Jarvis Landry, WR, Miami Dolphins

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Again, Landry isn't going to post gaudy numbers, but he has become the No. 2 option in the passing game behind Mike Wallace in Miami. He now has 17 receptions for 145 yards and two touchdowns in his past three games and has clearly developed a rapport with Ryan Tannehill.

In deeper leagues, he's absolutely worth a look.

Coby Fleener, TE, Indianapolis Colts

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Coby Fleener has been quite good in the past two weeks, reaching double-digit points in each contest. He also came into the week as the No. 12 fantasy tight end in total points this year, so he should probably be owned in more than just 26.1 percent of ESPN leagues.

But the Colts are now also without their top red-zone threats this year in Bradshaw and Dwayne Allen, at least for the foreseeable future. Adam Schefter has more on Allen:

If you are hurting at tight end, Fleener is the must-add player of the week. 

Players to Drop

Cut ties with Ball. Even when he returns, he'll be fighting for touches with Hillman and Anderson. That's a fight he seems unlikely to win at this point.

Players like Zac Stacy and Tate have clearly fallen out of favor in their respective backfields. While I wouldn't recommend cutting Benny Cunningham or West just yet, each seems to have become the clear No. 2 behind Mason and Crowell, respectively. 

You can hold onto DeAngelo Williams if you want. I'd rather have Jonathan Stewart in that backfield and, quite frankly, Stewart isn't a very appealing fantasy option either. 

Branden Oliver hasn't reached the end zone in four games and now Ryan Mathews is back as the lead man in San Diego's backfield. You may not want to ditch Oliver just yet, but his fantasy relevance is dissolving fast.

I'm not sure any wide receiver in Cleveland will hold much value with Josh Gordon reinstated. I wouldn't expect Andrew Hawkins or Taylor Gabriel to do much down the stretch, as the passing game will go through Gordon and Jordan Cameron once he's fully healthy. 

All ownership percentages, point totals and points-against statistics via ESPN standard-scoring leagues. Hit me up on Twitter—I'll answer your fantasy questions and make some corny jokes, too. It's more fun than being Aaron Rodgers right now. OK, not quite. Fine, it's not like that at all. Jeez.