Week 12 Waiver-Wire Pickups: 5 Sleepers Who May Still Be Available

Owners reading this should understand that the top options on the Week 12 waiver wire have spread like a wildfire across social media and beyond. 

Everybody knows about Jonas Gray. The same goes for Tre Mason. Ditto for Jordan Matthews.

The best owners, though, can look beyond hype and do extensive research that sometimes reveals sometimes how sleepers wind up producing better than the big names on the market.

At this time of year with the playoffs on the horizon, those players with forward-looking intentions usually wind up with the best depth when it matters most. The guys below may swing more than a handful of postseason games soon.

Brian Hoyer, QB, Cleveland Browns (20.0 percent owned)

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer has done little to woo fantasy owners this season.

Not that owners should have expected anything more, but Hoyer has been of little fantasy relevance on his way to eight performances in double digits. The staff in Cleveland has been more comfortable with the ball in the hands of a talented backfield.

Until now.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport has the reason:

Hoyer is going to be getting the ball to Josh Gordon. A lot. Think back to last year, when Gordon wound up as the top overall scorer at his position. Somebody had to get him the ball, right?

As it stands, Hoyer rarely turns the ball over and now just has to loft it out to Gordon, who will do the rest of the heavy lifting with the ball in his hands.

Believe it or not, Hoyer is a pretty good spot start in Week 12 thanks to a matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, a team that's allowed the 10th-most points to quarterbacks this season. But this is about the future, as the Hoyer-Gordon connection will only grow stronger down the stretch.

Isaiah Crowell, RB, Cleveland Browns (23.9 percent owned)

Stick with the Browns for a moment—the reason being tailback Isaiah Crowell.

Crowell is the lead back in Cleveland, even more so now than ever thanks to a roster move described by Yahoo Sports' Rand Getlin:

Last week against the Houston Texans, Crowell was easily the lead back. He took a handoff 14 times compared to five for Terrance West and two for Tate. With Tate out of the picture, it is safe to presume that Crowell's workload will only increase.

Remember, Crowell is a back with four double-digit outings this season, all of which have come from a direct result of 11 or more rushing opportunities. With the number of committee members reduced by a third, that benchmark seems likely in each game the rest of the season.

Guess what? The Falcons also stink at defending running backs and allow the second-most points to the position on average. Like his quarterback, though, this is about every step of the way down the line, not just a short-sighted add.

Latavius Murray, RB, Oakland Raiders (0.7 percent owned)

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Perhaps the most notable thing of all for waiver-wire hunters when looking back on last weekend was the Oakland Raiders deciding to give back Latavius Murray four carries and as many targets through the air.

To the naked eye it did not amount to much. Murray popped off for 43 yards on those four totes but just 16 yards on three grabs.

For those in the know, though, a very viable and talented runner just got a seal of approval from a team willing to do whatever it takes to get its first win of the season and avoid going 0-16.

Raiders coach Tony Sparano has already revealed that higher usage rates for Murray are inbound, as captured by Scott Bair of CSNCalifornia.com:

Murray is a ridiculously talented runner who offers the Raiders much more than Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew at this point. His gaudy numbers on limited rushes last week say that much.

The upcoming schedule for Murray is quite difficult, but should he get the opportunities and stay as effective, those who take a pass are going to regret it in a big way.

Jarvis Landry, WR, Miami Dolphins (9.7 percent owned)

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Pop quiz—who leads the Miami Dolphins in receiving?

The correct answer is, of course, Mike Wallace. But only by two grabs.

Rookie Jarvis Landry is right on Wallace's heels at this point and has scored eight or more points in two of his last three outings. The big-play threat and former LSU star has seven games with four or more grabs so far this season.

Obviously, Landry is a must-own commodity in points-per-reception leagues, but his role in re-draft leagues may increase down the stretch as he continues to soak up targets with QB Ryan Tannehill clearly trusting him.

As far as sneaky wideout targets go, Landry is one to scoop up on the hopes of a massive game or two at just the right time.

Coby Fleener, TE, Indianapolis Colts (26.5 percent owned)

USA TODAY Sports

This is not some overreaction to Indianapolis Colts tight end Coby Fleener posting a career day in Week 11. 

That said, it was quite the day, as illustrated by the Colts on Twitter:

What is important is the fact Fleener has now posted consecutive double-digit outings for the first time this season. In the coming weeks, he gets to go against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington, two teams that rank among the 13 that surrender the most points to tight ends.

Feel free to add in the fact that fellow tight end Dwayne Allen is day-to-day with an injury.

Tight end is a tough position to figure out, so any time owners can stash one who has a strong rapport with QB Andrew Luck, there should be little hesitation. 

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. ET. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.