All 32 teams are back in the pool in Week 13, so lineup-setting shouldnt be too painful in the days ahead. Still, we cant afford to take a break from the waiver wire. Each week around here, we highlight the top potential waiver pickups who remain available in at least 50% of Yahoo fantasy football leagues. Add as needed. Its winning time, people.
Wilson passed for 270 yards and one score in a losing effort in that delightful snow globe game on Thursday night. Ideally, we wouldnt be seeing quite so many snaps and carries for Justin Fields, but its obviously a smart and proper use of a talented player. Fields usage is hardly a deal-breaker for Russ.
On Sunday, Wilson gets a date with a Bengals defense that allows the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Cincinnati has given up 19 passing touchdowns and 225.6 passing yards per game. If youre simply looking for a streaming option with a reasonably high floor, Wilson is your guy.
Recommended FAB offer (assuming $100 budget): $7
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If circumstances forced you to drop Bigsby at some point over the past two weeks, no judgment. We get it. His team is coming off a bye and he was sidelined by an ankle issue in Week 11. This time of year, availability is a pretty big deal.
Lets just please recall what it looked like earlier this season when Bigsby was fully operational:
Bigsby is averaging 5.5 YPC on the season and an outrageous 4.33 yards after contact per attempt, the best rate in the league. Hes forced 27 missed tackles on just 95 rush attempts per PFF. Basically, hes been one of the leagues most dangerous and explosive runners this season, and its perfectly reasonable to expect a return to fantasy relevance after two weeks of rest. He looked healthy enough this weekend, at least to those of us with no medical training.
Travis Etienne Jr. has been far less efficient than Bigsby this season, undeserving of featured status. The primary concern with Tank has been his minimal receiving role. When the Jaguars fall behind by multiple scores (as occasionally happens), Bigsby is returned to storage. But this team will close its season with a string of matchups in which the run should generally remain in play: HOU, at TEN, NYJ, at LV, TEN, at IND. On talent and ceiling, Bigsby deserves a roster spot in all formats.
FAB: $26
McNichols has made four house calls this season, so he should be well known to fantasy managers at this stage, though mostly as a nuisance to Brian Robinson Jr. managers. He finished with a modest 22 yards on three carries on Sunday, but he could be headed for a significant uptick in workload in the upcoming matchup with Tennessee. The Commanders just lost both Robinson (ankle) and Austin Ekeler (concussion) to injuries, which could force McNichols into a beefier role in Week 13.
Its hardly a friendly spot the Titans have only allowed one back to rush for 70 yards this year so lets not get too reckless with your remaining FAB unless the situation is dire.
FAB: $8
Were grouping these three together because the argument for each of them is essentially the same. Its a trio of premium backups, all of them proven commodities. Any or all of these three could emerge as decisive players in fantasy if an injury created a path to significant touches. Mason was an unstoppable force over the first seven weeks of the season, Allgeier has a 1,000-yard campaign on the resume already, and Davis had that one magical week against the Jets (along with various other highlights).
As we approach the money weeks in fantasy, we want our benches to be loaded with high-upside lottery tickets. All three of these backs certainly qualify.
FAB: Lets say $6 apiece
Yup, hes still in the league hes 31 years old, in his 10th NFL season and surprisingly relevant. Abdullah was the next-man-up for Vegas on Sunday with both Alexander Mattison (ankle) and Zamir White (quad) sidelined by injury, and he was plenty effective against an excellent Denver defense. He finished with 65 total yards on 13 touches with five receptions and an early highlight TD:
Abdullahs fantasy appeal is of course tied to the availability of other backs, but Sundays performance offered confirmation that he can help us when reasonable volume flows his way. The matchup ahead is somewhat problematic (at KC), but its not as if the Broncos defense was a layup, either.
FAB: $4
Heres another case in which fantasy managers understandably mass-dropped a player due to the fact that A) he was dinged and B) the six-team mega-bye hit. Coleman is nearing a return from his wrist injury, however, which means he is very much back on the fantasy radar.
Coleman actually delivered the two best performances of his rookie season after Amari Cooper joined the team via trade, so lets not fret too much about competition for targets. Hes been effective in contested situations and his passer-rating when targeted is a healthy 117.5. Its no great surprise that hes entered Josh Allens circle of trust.
Buffalo has a series of potential shootouts ahead against the Niners, Rams and Lions, so we should be aggressive in finding ways to invest in this teams offense. The Bills are averaging 29.1 points per week, the leagues third-highest total. We havent seen the last big game from Coleman, assuming good health.
FAB: $8
Ertz ran the most routes among all Commanders pass-catchers on Sunday and saw the second-most targets (8), so we certainly arent worried about his role. The vet has also reached the end-zone in back-to-back weeks. Hes been the most reliable secondary option for the Commanders this season behind Terry McLaurin, averaging nearly six targets per week. If youve been wandering the tight end wilderness, hes a viable option with a bankable weekly role.
FAB: $6
No, this is not a great defense in the traditional sense, but the Cowboys delivered a huge point total against the Commanders on Sunday, in one of the more insane/intoxicated games in recent memory. Micah Parsons is back to being a game-wrecker and KaVontae Turpin is the most dangerous return specialist in the league. Dallas will host the spiraling, dysfunctional Giants on Thursday, so this D likely has another productive week ahead.
FAB: $1