Week 13 Waiver-Wire Pickups: Best Fantasy Sleepers to Target on Yahoo

Even with 12 weeks of the 2019 NFL season completed, fantasy football sleepers continue to emerge.

The only thing that's different now is the magnitude of their impact. Correctly identify overlooked talent, and you might just have secured your playoff spot or given yourself that final lift to get over your postseason opponent.

The stakes speak for themselves this late into the campaign, so let's get right to our favorite sleepers—available in 50-plus percent of Yahoo leagues, per FantasyPros—for Week 13.

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans (26 Percent Owned)

Reputations take a long time to change. Just ask Ryan Tannehill.

Despite being the quarterback of the 2019 Titans, it seems he's still being punished for the inconsistency shown as the Dolphins quarterback from 2012 through 2018. That would make sense if he continued showing ups and downs, but he's been an asset almost from the jump.

His first start came in Week 7, when he finished as the 14th-best scoring quarterback. He hasn't landed outside the top 10 since, scoring a seventh-place finish in Week 9 and a silver medal in Week 12.

"Tannehill hasn't just been a QB1, he's been an elite QB1," SI.com's Jaime Eisner wrote. "... If you look at just Tannehill's production as a starter and go all the way back to Week 1, only [Lamar] Jackson is averaging more fantasy points per game at the position."

Tannehill has provided multiple scores in all five of his starts, 300-plus passing yards in two and at least 37 rushing yards in each of the past three. A Week 13 date with the Indianapolis Colts defense isn't especially inviting on paper, but he is too hot to ignore.

Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks (20 Percent Owned)

Assuming Jonathan Williams is out of reach—he is for our purposes with 63 percent ownership—then Rashaad Penny stands out as the top running back target.

To be clear, it isn't entirely clear what Penny's role is now or going forward, but there are some signs his usage could skyrocket very soon.

Starting running back Chris Carson can't shake a season-long bout with fumble-itis, and while he was "only" tagged with one fumble this weekend, he was culpable for a second. Not coincidentally, Penny out-touched Carson this week (14-12) for the first time all season. Penny was also the more productive back (by far), gaining 129 yards and a score on 14 carries to Carson's 26 yards on eight attempts.

"I have a feeling like that every week," Penny told reporters afterward. "You really don't know what can happen, it just happened this week."

If Penny works his way into a timeshare, the payoff could be tremendous. The Seahawks have attempted the fifth-most rushes this season, so even a semi-featured role in this offense can lead to big numbers.

A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans (16 Percent Owned)

Feeling lucky? There might be safer options on the board—think Cole Beasley or Randall Cobb—but if you're in the market for a home run threat, A.J. Brown is the play.

Sure, he can burn you every now and again when he lands on the wrong end of the boom-or-bust spectrum. Some owners are probably still seething over his dismal one-catch, 17-yard, zero-score performance in Week 10.

But it's hard to find major rewards on the waiver wire without a willingness to take risks.

So, if you're going to acknowledge the shortfalls on Brown's game log, you must highlight the breakouts, too. This Sunday was the most extreme example, when he put 135 receiving yards and a score on the Jaguars. But over Tannehill's five starts, Brown is averaging 3.4 receptions on 5.4 targets for 61.6 yards and 0.4 touchdowns. Those are usable numbers, and some weeks, they're special.