Fantasy Football Week 12: Best Waiver Pickups and Sleepers Worth Starting

Fantasy football owners will be relieved to hear that Week 12 is the finale of bye weeks, but navigating the waiver wire and assessing sleepers each week are perhaps the biggest keys to winning championships.

Everybody leaves the draft with a starting lineup they feel comfortable with, but that quickly changes for every owner—whether it's due to lost playing time, injury or just team ineffectiveness in general. Add that to the inevitable bench players you end up dropping, and your needs will pile up fast.

That leaves the waiver wire as a great resource to build depth, especially in a league like the NFL that sees impact players surface each and every week. It's just as well, as some under-the-radar sleepers can crop up as viable starting options when they were previously overlooked.

Let's take a look at waiver options you must grab if they're available and sleepers likely already on rosters who are must-start candidates for Week 12.

Note: Fantasy statistics and ownership percentages are according to ESPN fantasy football leagues.

Best Waiver Pickups

Jordan Matthews, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Tom Lynn/Associated Press

If Jordan Matthews isn't off your waiver wire yet, stop reading this right now and pick him up. Then immediately brag about how you got a start-worthy rookie wideout for free entering the playoff push.

Matthews is certainly flying off waivers across fantasy leagues after scoring four touchdowns in his last three games. He's now owned in 64 percent of leagues—up nearly 24 percent from just a week ago.

The all-time SEC receiving yardage leader started the season slow with only two touchdowns in his first seven games—and they both came in the same game. But as Matt Smith shows, he's making the adjustments:

Matthews should be in for more success in Week 12 against the Tennessee Titans secondary, which has improved to ninth in the league but struggles in the middle of the field, where Matthews makes his biggest impact. He should be in line for a start on many rosters.

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins

Alan Diaz/Associated Press

The quarterback pickings on the waiver wire are usually plentiful, but injuries have made a Tony Romo or Joe Flacco tough to land. Ryan Tannehill, however, is ready and waiting.

Tannehill is only owned in 48.7 percent of leagues, but he's started in 21 percent of them. Owners who took a chance on Tannehill have been rewarded, as he's performing as the 10th-best fantasy quarterback.

The Sun-Sentinel's Omar Kelly noted that Tannehill is the sixth-best passer in the league over the last seven weeks, and he alluded to improved mobility and taking care of the football as huge reasons for his success:

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The biggest change that occurred since the Oakland win is the running element Miami has utilized more with Tannehill, who routinely scrambles for first down. He's used his legs to produce some of the offense's bigger plays in the past seven games.

However, Tannehill has also cut down on his interceptions during that stretch (5 of his 7), and the Dolphins are presently plus-5 when it comes to the turnover differential, which is one of Joe Philbin's biggest factor stats.

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The Dolphins' quarterback faces the Denver Broncos in Week 12, and he should be in for some success against a Denver secondary that hasn't looked its best of late. 

Oh, and Tannehill has the terrible New York Jets secondary on the slate twice down the stretch. That's a big plus.

Cecil Shorts III, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Matthews and Tannehill may not be available in many leagues that include owners who do their homework, but Cecil Shorts III is a more available option.

The Jaguars' wideout is owned in 39 percent of leagues and has made an impact in a starting slot for 19 percent of those teams. Those owners were rewarded in Week 10, when Shorts exploded for 119 yards against the Dallas Cowboys in London.

After a Week 11 bye, Shorts should continue to emerge as Blake Bortles' favorite option in the passing game after making 10 catches in his last two games. The Colts have given up the third-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts, and Shorts should follow suit in Week 12.

Sleepers Worth Starting

Chris Ivory, RB, New York Jets

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Jets running back Chris Ivory has been noticeably quiet in the last two weeks, but he's set for a return to stardom Monday against the Buffalo Bills.

Ivory is owned in 82 percent of leagues but is only getting the starting nod in 37 percent of them. But coming off a Week 11 bye and going up against a porous Bills rush defense as of late, he'll have a big day.

In fact, Ivory's last breakout performance came in Week 8—also against the Bills. He went for 13 carries and 43 yards, scoring two touchdowns. 

Buffalo's practice plans have been thwarted considerably due to the game's movement to Detroit, while Ivory has been focusing on the game plan all week. On Monday, he'll make that apparent.

Kendall Wright, WR, Tennessee Titans

Richard Lipski/Associated Press

Kendall Wright had fallen from fantasy relevance in the middle of the season along with most of the rest of the Titans offense, but he's making a return to prominence.

That has been largely due to Zach Mettenberger's play at quarterback. The rookie is being forced to get rid of the ball quickly, and Wright's impact in the slot has made him Mettenberger's favorite target.

He hasn't scored since Week 7, but he has notched four catches in each of the last two games and has gone for 123 yards combined. 

The Titans have a tough matchup in Week 12, traveling to face the Eagles. But Tennessee's offense should have an impact, with Philadelphia's pass offense ranking 28th in the league.

Josh McCown, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Suggesting Josh McCown—or any Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting quarterback—as a fantasy starter on any given weekend is like playing with fire. But McCown should be set for another strong outing Sunday.

The Bucs are coming off their most impressive outing of the season: a 27-7 drubbing of Washington on the road. McCown threw for 288 yards in that game. He should be in for more success Sunday at the Chicago Bears, whose secondary ranks 25th in the league and gave up consecutive 50-point games before holding the Minnesota Vikings to 13 last week.

McCown is only owned in 15 percent of leagues, so any owners who are struggling to find a quarterback to start for Week 12 should look to the Bucs' signal-caller.