Week 13 waiver wire roundup
An update on the latest injuries and the waiver wire options that could help you get by.
š¤ Pain index
š“āā ļø Not bloody likely: Romeo Doubs (concussion), Josh Downs (shoulder), Jake Ferguson (concussion), Tyler Higbee (knee),
š«¤ Looking iffy: Amon-Ra St. Brown (knee), J.K. Dobbins (knee), David Montgomery (shoulder), Cooper Rush (knee), Cedric Tillman (concussion)
š Cautiously optimistic: Brandin Cooks (knee), Austin Ekeler (concussion), Trevor Lawrence (shoulder)
ā Looking good: Josh Jacobs (rest), Aidan O'Connell (thumb)
Note: The above are estimates based on the latest news and injury reports. Always double-check your own rosters before Sunday kickoff!
šÆ Waiver wire targets
Percentages reflect how many teams have that player rostered in Yahoo! Sports fantasy leagues.
Teams on a bye this week: None!
Quarterback
Since there are no teams on a bye, and there werenāt any significant QB injuries last weekend, there's little chance youāll need a QB this week. But if you do, consider Matthew Stafford (63%), who has a nice matchup lined up with the Saints. New Orleans has allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game, and Stafford has been a steady performer of late, scoring at least 18 fantasy points in four of his last five games.
Other QBs to consider: Russell Wilson (36%), Drake Maye (18%), Cooper Rush (5%)
Running Back
Washington lost both of its top running backs in Week 12. Brian Robinson Jr. suffered an ankle injury on the very first play, and Austin Ekeler departed later on with a concussion. Thereās a good chance both sit this weekend, especially with the Commandersā bye week coming in Week 14. This makes Jeremy McNichols (1%) the next man up in the backfield against the Titans, who are a mixed-bag matchup fantasy-wise for the position. ā¦ Depending on whether Dobbins can recover from his Week 12 injury, Gus Edwards (26%) would be in line for a massive uptick in touches in a friendly matchup with the Falcons. ā¦ Tank Bigsby (39%) is set to return to the field, where heās handily outperformed Travis Etienne Jr. when healthy. ā[H]eās been one of the leagueās most dangerous and explosive runners this season, and itās perfectly reasonable to expect a return to fantasy relevance after two weeks of rest,ā writes Yahoo Sportsā Andy Behrens.
Other RBs to consider: Ameer Abdullah (24%), Roschon Johnson (28%)
Wide Receiver
After a season-high nine targets and 80 receiving yards, Devaughn Vele (6%) now has topped 10 fantasy points in three straight games. āVele is starting to pull away as the Broncosā No. 2 receiver,ā writes NBC Sportsās Kyle Dvorchak. ā¦ Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (12%) somehow has six touchdowns over his last seven games despite only averaging 4.6 targets per game over the past six contests. āThe Titans have the third-most favorable schedule for wide receivers the rest of the season, so don't overlook Westbrook-Ikhine in deeper leagues,ā ESPNās Eric Moody points out. ā¦ Keon Coleman (43%) will return this week against the 49ers, one of several matchups down the stretch that could be shootouts. Before he went down with his injury, the second-round draft pick was finally starting to shine with 125 yards in Week 7 and 70 yards plus a score in Week 8, despite Amari Cooperās arrival in Buffalo.
Other WRs to consider: Xavier Legette (27%), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (25%),
Tight End
Noah Gray (4%) has four touchdowns over the past two games for the Chiefs (no, Travis Kelce hasnāt been hurt). The Chiefs are just running a lot more 2-TE routes, given all the injuries theyāve dealt with in the receiving room. He could end up outperforming a majority of starting NFL tight ends in fantasy, so maybe have a look.
Other TEs to consider: Zach Ertz (48%), Taysom Hill (62%)
Initial Week 13 player rankings
Each week, Iāll add a link to the rankings here once theyāre up (typically early AM on Wednesday). Or, bookmark this link and check back there. Iāll also send a ānoteā out on Substack when theyāre ready.
