Welcome to the Week 13 Waiver Wire. This week, I (Ted Chmyz) will be stepping in for Wolf Trelles-Heard, who is on a well-deserved vacation. As always, the top waiver wire targets will be split up into shallow, standard, and deeper league options. The one difference will be that I’m not going to include recommended FAAB bids — at this stage of the season, these can vary wildly depending on your budget and team situation, so just use your best judgment. Without further ado, let’s get right into it.
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Week 13 Shallow League Waiver Wire Targets
Note: This range will primarily apply to home leagues and those with shorter benches, with players available in at least 25% of leagues. Each player is listed with their current rostership percentage and a recommended FAAB bid range for a $100 budget. All values are in reference to four-point per passing touchdown leagues with PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.
Quarterback
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (68% Rostered)
Especially in shallow leagues, the most important thing at the QB position is upside. And nobody available in more than 25% of leagues brings anywhere near as much upside as Jayden Daniels.
Daniels has dealt with a bit of a sophomore slump, missing time due to multiple injuries and sometimes having mediocre results even when healthy. But he was a top-four QB in preseason ADP for a reason, with elite dual-threat potential. Especially given that he himself has said he could be back as soon as this week (even if his coach says otherwise), he is the clear best signal-caller to target in shallow formats this week.
Other options: Daniel Jones, Colts (63%)
Running Back
Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers (61% Rostered)
Even with Jaylen Warren not on the injury report, Gainwell maintained a solid role in the Steelers’ backfield this week. He saw 10 carries (Warren saw 18) for a 36% RB rush share, his highest since Week 1 with Warren healthy.
Along with his work on the ground, Gainwell was the Steelers’ passing-down back. He posted a 53% route participation rate and saw six targets for a 19% target share. He finished the day with 122 combined yards and 15.2 half-PPR points. If you’re looking for a back you can plug and play straight off waivers, he is the best option in this range (unless your league is one of the 27% still sleeping on Rico Dowdle).
Other options: Rico Dowdle, Panthers (73%), Kareem Hunt, Chiefs (52%), Tren Benson, Cardinals (63%)
Wide Receiver
Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants (63% Rostered)
Wan’Dale has been an obvious add all season, averaging 11.5 half-PPR points per game on a 28% target share and 27% air yards share since Malik Nabers went down in Week 4. However, this will likely be his final week being this widely available, as he exploded for 26.1 points against the Lions on Sunday. If you need WR help in a shallow league, he’s the obvious top target.
Other options: Darnell Mooney, Falcons (63%), Alec Pierce, Colts (45%)
Tight End
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (68% Rostered)
Pending Monday Night Football (aka George Kittle), Hunter Henry is the highest scoring tight end of Week 12, and it’s not even close. The veteran led the Patriots with 10 targets on Sunday, catching seven for 115 yards, a TD, and 21.0 half-PPR points.
For the season, Henry now ranks as the TE13 with 8.7 half-PPR points per game. His usage has been solid, albeit not spectacular, with a 17% target share and a 16% air yards share on a team-leading 72% route participation rate. Henry probably won’t have many more games like his big outing in Week 12, but he does provide a solid floor, which can be hard to come by at TE.
Other options: Dalton Kincaid, Bills (73%), Theo Johnson, Giants (53%)
Week 13 Standard League Waiver Wire Targets
Note: This range will primarily apply to most leagues with standard benches, with players available in at least 50% of leagues. Each player is listed with their current rostership percentage and a recommended FAAB bid range for a $100 budget. All values are in reference to four-point per passing touchdown leagues with PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.
Quarterback
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals (36% Rostered)
Okay, maybe Jacoby Brissett can keep getting away with it. After putting up massive stat lines in garbage time in Weeks 10 and 11, he had another solid fantasy outing with 18.7 points on Sunday … and this time, he did it in a win.
Since taking over as the Cardinals’ starting QB, Brissett is averaging over 21 fantasy points per game. He has finished as a QB1 in all six of his starts. I’m still a little worried that the wheels will fall off at some point, but what he’s doing just can’t be ignored. If you need QB help, scoop him up and cross your fingers.
Other options: Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars (40%), Sam Darnold, Seahawks (43%)
Running Back
Devin Neal, New Orleans Saints (5% Rostered)
Neal is actually eligible for the deep-league section as well. But the rookie out of Kansas should be added in the vast majority of leagues this week, so he lands here. With Alvin Kamara exiting early due to what has been confirmed as an MCL sprain, Neal served as the Saints’ bell-cow in Week 12. He saw seven carries and seven targets on a 74% snap share.
Neal wasn’t entirely alone as, while no other RB saw a snap, Taysom Hill did record 10 carries on 15 backfield snaps and five snaps as a wildcat QB. But Taysom’s presence is just a flaw, not a death-blow to Neal’s fantasy value. Especially if it is confirmed that Kamara will miss extended time, he is the top running back add of the week.
Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars (42% Rostered)
Honestly, Tuten’s Week 12 performance was a bit disappointing. The hyper-athletic rookie appeared on the cusp of taking over the Jaguars’ backfield in Week 11, as he out-carried and out-produced Travis Etienne over the first three quarters before suffering an ankle injury.
That injury ended up being minor, but Tuten still returned to a clear backup role this week. He saw seven carries to Etienne’s 15, recorded zero targets on just six routes, and posted just a 21% snap share. On the bright side, we’ve now seen that the Jaguars are willing to give Tuten a larger role if he happens to start a game hot. Combine that with his handcuff value, and he is a good high-upside option to stash down the stretch of the fantasy season.
Other options: Zonovan Knight, Cardinals (35%), Sean Tucker, Buccaneers (38%)
Wide Receiver
Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers (34% Rostered)
Step aside, Romeo Doubs — the Packers have a new WR1. Christian Watson has led Green Bay’s WR room in routes in each of the last two weeks, including a season-high 88% route participation rate on Sunday. Across those two weeks, Watson has averaged 13.0 half-PPR points per game on a 25% target share and a 36% air yards share.
Going forward, the Packers’ WR depth chart will only get more crowded when Matthew Golden and Jayden Reed return. But Reed has never played more than a part-time, slot-first role, while Golden seemed to be falling out of favor prior to his injury. For now, Watson is the Packers’ WR1, and he’s producing, so he is a good target on waivers.
Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans (16% Rostered)
Dike has now played four games in which Calvin Ridley was inactive. In those four games, he has averaged 10.4 points. His average route participation rate is 82%, target share is 16%, and air yards share is 20%.
All those numbers are only trending up, too. With fellow rookie Elic Ayomanor also sidelined, Dike was the Titans’ clear WR1 against Seattle. He caught five of seven targets for 44 yards and a TD, adding a punt-return TD to finish as a top-12 fantasy option for the week. Especially if Cam Ward builds on his career-best outing, Dike has weekly flex appeal, at least.
Other options: Andrei Iosivas, Bengals (22%), Kayshon Boutte, Patriots (25%)
Tight End
Brenton Strange, Jaguars (19% Rostered)
After missing nearly two months with a hip/quad injury, Brenton Strange returned to the field for the Jaguars this week. He immediately picked up where he left off, catching all five of his targets for 93 yards and a top-half TE1 finish.
Including this week and his four healthy weeks to start the season, Strange has now averaged 7.9 half-PPR points per game. His 16% target share and 15% air yards share similarly fit the label of “good, not great.” But at the tight end position, that’s sometimes all you can ask for. If you’ve missed out on the other, sexier options listed below, consider adding a little Strange to your roster.
Other options: Colston Loveland, Bears (45%), Harold Fannin Jr., Browns (46%), Juwan Johnson, Saints (41%)
Week 13 Deep League Waiver Wire Targets
Note: This range will apply to leagues with deeper benches and more experienced managers, with players available in at least 75% of leagues. Each player is listed with their current rostership percentage and a recommended FAAB bid range for a $100 budget. All values are in reference to four-point per passing touchdown leagues with PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.
Quarterback
Cam Ward, Titans (9% Rostered)
Cam Ward scored 23.9 points on Sunday, passing for over 250 yards and a TD and adding 37 yards and his first career rushing TD with his legs. This was definitely an outlier for the first-overall pick, who had yet to score even 14 fantasy points in a single game prior to this one — that’s honestly an impressively bad stat for a QB who has started every single week.
With that in mind, Ward isn’t a particularly exciting option. But if you’re scrounging for QB production in deep formats, I lean toward betting on the rookie first-overall pick over a bunch of dusty veterans. Was this week the beginning of a late-season step forward for Ward? Probably not. But a talented rookie quarterback improving as the season goes on wouldn’t exactly be an insane plot twist, so we can at least hope.
Other options: Kirk Cousins, Falcons (11%), Tyrod Taylor, Jets (4%), Shedeur Sanders, Browns (8%),
Running Back
Raheem Mostert, Las Vegas Raiders (2% Rostered)
Ashton Jeanty suffered an ankle injury on Sunday. According to Pete Caroll, the injury isn’t a big deal, and Jeanty should practice this week. However, Carroll has a bit of a reputation for being overly optimistic on player injuries, and the Raiders have absolutely no incentive to rush back their star rookie.
If Jeanty were to miss time, Mostert would be the next man up. The 33-year-old veteran isn’t likely to have any massive outings behind the Raiders’ terrible O-line, but he should see plenty of volume. Beggars can’t be choosers in deep leagues, so the prospect of a legit starting RB is one to jump on.
Chris Rodriguez Jr., Washington Commanders (18%)
Speaking of legit NFL RB1s still available in the vast majority of leagues, we have Chris Rodriguez. He took over as the Commanders’ clear RB1 in Week 11, leading the team with 15 carries, a 45% snap share, and a 25% route participation rate.
Those numbers are by no means elite, but they’re more than can usually be found on deep-league waivers this late into the season. Rodriguez likely flew under the radar because the Commanders were on bye in Week 12, but he should be added heading into Week 13.
Other options: Blake Corum, Rams (19%), Malik Davis, Cowboys (1%)
Wide Receiver
John Metchie III, New York Jets (1% Rostered)
This one is pretty straightforward. With Garrett Wilson sidelined, Metchie has stepped up as the Jets’ WR1. On Sunday, he led the team with an 88% route share and caught six of seven targets for 65 yards and a touchdown.
Obviously, the Jets’ offense is not a powerhouse. But Tyrod Taylor has been an upgrade over Justin Fields so far. More importantly, an NFL WR1 is an NFL WR1. Metchie was a second-round pick just a few years ago, too, so there’s a chance the 25-year-old is capable of a legit talent-based breakout to go with his opportunity. He should be added in all deep formats and even some shallower ones.
Other options: Adonai Mitchell, Jets (4%), Luther Burden III, Bears (13%)
Tight End
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints (2% Rostered)
Honestly, there are a lot of viable deep-league tight end adds this week. I wrote up Strange above, but he is also eligible for this section. All three of the names below are also interesting. But I wasn’t about to pass up this opportunity to feature Taysom Hill, the Swiss Army man who is once again threatening to break fantasy football (okay, maybe not quite).
As I mentioned in Devin Neal‘s blurb, Taysom’s role greatly expanded with Alvin Kamara suffering a knee injury. The 35-year-old finished with 10 carries and two pass attempts, good for 8.1 expected half-PPR points (per PFF).
Of course, Taysom didn’t cash in on that opportunity. Both of his passes went incomplete, and he recorded just 17 scoreless yards on those 10 carries for a totally uninspiring 1.7 half-PPR points. But any tight end available in deep leagues is capable of dropping a donut. No one other than Taysom is a legit threat to see 10+ touches, even if they’re mostly carries. Especially if Kamara is out, Hill is worth adding to see how his usage shakes out.
Other options: AJ Barner, Seahawks (23%), Darren Waller, Dolphins (22%), Brock Wright, Lions (9%)
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