The Week 13 fantasy football waiver wire is thin! And that’s even before accounting for byemageddon again. We have the Saints with multiple receiver injuries making A.T. Perry interesting, some timeshare running backs like Tyler Allgeier, and wideouts who shouldn’t be available (hello, Josh Downs). So, there is some help on waivers after all.
HEADS UP
- Players must be under 60% rostered on Yahoo
- Listed in order of preference — I’ll often prioritize potential upside over immediate middling production
- No FAB suggestions: It varies wildly by league tendencies and always relative (ex: if you lost your RB1 to injury and there is a clear backup, you’re going to be more aggressive)
- Streaming QB and TE are grouped together — weekly ranking can change once projections/ranks run — DST could shift a bit too
** BYES: BAL, BUF, CHI, LV, MIN, NYG **
WORRY REPORT (1 to 5)
More Ducks (and Eggs) = More Concern
- Tua Tagovailoa, MIA 🦆🦆🦆🥚 — Over his past three games (Weeks 9-12), Tagovailoa is QB22 in FPPG… behind Tommy DeVito. He has two games over 18 points since Week 6, and the Dolphins face TEN, NYJ, DAL, and BAL after the Commanders this week. You want Tua out there in Week 13, but I’d have a backup plan after that.
- James Conner, ARI 🦆🦆🦆 — Conner’s appeal has been his ability — when healthy — and volume. The latter looks tenuous with Michael Carter getting 38.1 RBTouch% to Conner’s 47.6, plus Carter having 83.3% of his snaps being passing plays. Carter looks to be in the position as a timeshare piece, likely 40% or so, which could knock Conner out of the RB2 tier.
- Adam Thielen, CAR 🦆🦆🦆🥚🥚 — One more week. That’s what I’m giving Thielen before a full-blown Infinity Duck. Thielen still rarely comes off the field, has double-digit targets in six games, and just had 11-8-74 in Week 11, but… he also has tallies of 5.4, 7.2 and 0.7 in three of his past four games. The Buccaneers are the best passing matchup you can find, so if Thielen (and Bryce Young) don’t look better — especially with the coaching changes — it’s panic time.
STREAMING QUARTERBACKS
- Baker Mayfield, TB
- Derek Carr, NO
- Russell Wilson, DEN
- Matthew Stafford, LAR
- Jordan Love, GB
- Gardner Minshew, IND
Emojis and Acronyms to Know
- 😤 = I Tried to Tell Ya — players included for several weeks (not much more to add if you don’t want them)
- 🔍 = Check if Dropped — players whose managers might have cut for other need or impatient
- 🎯 = Long-Term Target — players with starter+ upside who require patience (stash picks)
- 🫡 = Backup/Next Man Up — players who have almost no value but starter+ upside if injury ahead of them
- RBTouch% — RB touch percentage — percent of team total RB touches that player had
- TmTGT% — Team target percentage — percent of team total targets going to that player
- G2G and GL — Goal-to-Go (inside the 10-yard line) and Goal-Line (inside the 5-yard line)
- TmAirYD% — Team Air Yard percentage — percent of team total air yards going to that player
WAIVER WIRE RUNNING BACK RANKS
- Zack Moss, IND — 🔍 Updated news has Jonathan Taylor missing multiple weeks with thumb surgery. Moss would is in the RB1 conversation and RB2 at worst as long as Taylor is out. This is blow your FAB, top waiver spot, etc., time.
- Zach Charbonnet, SEA — Even if Kenneth Walker returns, Charbonnet was pushing for more of the split before Walker missed Week 12.
- Tyler Allgeier, ATL — We’re into a waiver wasteland of timeshares and backups. The Falcons have the Jets, Buccaneers, Panthers, Colts and Bears remaining, with only the Buccaneers — and slightly the Bears — as concerning matchups. But even then, Allgeier has been an RB3 in games where the Falcons are within a field goal or leading.
- Antonio Gibson, WSH — Has 4+ targets and 3+ receptions in seven of 11 games, and the Dolphins matchup should lead to the Commanders passing plenty.
- Michael Carter, ARI — Had eight touches (to 10 for James Conner) with 4-4-15 receiving. Carter could provide Gibson-like value down the stretch.
- D’Ernest Johnson, JAX — Moved ahead of Tank Bigsby a few weeks ago and pushing Allgeier-like usability.
- Royce Freeman, LAR — Getting a bit of the share and some goal line looks even with Kyren Williams back and balling out.
- Jeff Wilson, MIA — If De’Von Achane doesn’t return, Jeff Wilson is an RB3.
- Rico Dowdle, DAL — 🫡
- Ezekiel Elliott, NE — 😤
- Kenneth Gainwell, PHI — 😤
- Latavius Murray, BUF — 🫡
- Tyjae Spears, TEN — 🫡
- Joshua Kelley, LAC — 🫡
- Ty Chandler, MIN — 🫡 Limited touches in the Bears game, which is a tough matchup run defense wise, but can still have RB3/4 value in better offensive outputs. Plus, he’s next up if Alexander Mattison misses time. Stash if you have room through the Vikings bye.
- Elijah Mitchell, SF — 🫡
- Jamaal Williams, NO — 🫡
- Roschon Johnson, CHI — Interesting use with D’Onta Foreman out, as Johnson out-carried, touched and performed Khalil Herbert. If you have room for Johnson, he’s worth holding to see how things shake out after the bye, but if Foreman is back in the mix, this backfield committee would be tough to use.
- Samaje Perine, DEN — 🫡
- Matt Breida, NYG — 🫡
WAIVER WIRE WIDE RECEIVER RANKS
- Josh Downs, IND — 😤
- Joshua Palmer, LAC — 🔍 (Didn’t realize so many people don’t play with IR spots… why?!) Palmer can return, and while it’s no guarantee that it’s immediately, Palmer would… immediately… slide into the No. 2 role, as he has more upside than Jalen Guyton and is clearly better than Quentin Johnston at this point of his career.
- Jayden Reed, GB — 😤
- Demario Douglas, NE — 😤 Hoping he doesn’t miss time.
- Jalen Guyton, LAC — He didn’t hit — nearly had a touchdown — but Guyton was the only receiver outside of Keenan Allen with more than 55% of the routes (86.3) and five targets. If Palmer returns, Guyton is down by Rashod Bateman.
- A.T. Perry, NO — Chris Olave is likely out (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed is doubtful (quad), which puts Perry atop the receiver group, with Lynn Bowden and Keith Kirkwood next. Perry is still a WR4 boom/bust play, as Taysom Hill likely ruins any potential opportunities.
- Curtis Samuel, WSH — 😤
- Noah Brown, HOU — Listed here ever since his huge games, Brown has been hurt since, but the upside of being a Top 40 receiver is worth stashing for when he returns.
- Brandin Cooks, DAL — Cooks is inconsistent, but all four of his double-digit scores have come in the past six games, and the Cowboys have the Eagles, Bills, Dolphins and Lions to finish the season, potentially pushing the passing side of the offense.
- Jonathan Mingo, CAR — Things finally hit for Mingo with 25.0 TmTGT%, and the coaching changes could help spark the offense, giving Mingo WR4 value down the stretch.
- Tutu Atwell, LAR — Atwell won’t be the best Rams receiver, but strangely, similar to Zay Jones, he has Hail Mary WR4 value thanks to deep shots from Matthew Stafford.
- Elijah Moore, CLE — Even if Amari Cooper is fine for Week 13, Moore — whether it’s P.J. Walker or Dorian Thompson-Robinson — gets his short-to-intermediate work and had nine targets in Week 12.
- Zay Jones, JAX — Healthy, which has been more about helping Calvin Ridley (as we know), but deeper leagues can go for a matchup Hail Mary play and pray for a touchdown.
- Michael Wilson, ARI — Wilson might be out through the bye, but his upside is a WR3 for the fantasy playoffs if looking to stash.
- Jalin Hyatt, NYG — With the Giants looking to open up the offense and evaluate 2024 possibilities, Hyatt (a speedy, deep threat) is running as a top-two receiver with a crazy 19.4 YD/REC and 24.9 AirYD/TGT. (On a bye).
- Rashod Bateman, BAL — On a bye, but with Mark Andrews out, Bateman saw an uptick in use, as he’s also gotten healthy. Still a talented receiver, Bateman can push for the No. 2 role if Odell Beckham struggles — with performance or injury.
MEH 😒
- Rondale Moore and Greg Dortch, ARI — Moore doesn’t see much volume, and Dortch doesn’t see top-two consistent route participation. Dortch is a fine one-week flier if Michael Wilson doesn’t return, but the Cardinals have a bye next week.
- Kalif Raymond, DET — Games like these happen 2-3 times a year for Raymond.
UNBREAK MY HEART ❤️
- Jordan Love, GB — ❤️❤️❤️ Love has 20.9 and 26.6 points, respectively, in the past two games after a mini rebound of 16.7 in Week 10. Not coincidentally, he has 2+ passing touchdowns in each contest with 5.0-9.4 TD/ATT% after topping 3.8% just once since Week 2. The Chiefs will be a real test, as the past two games were against the weak Chargers and Lions pass defenses. I’m starting to forgive, but not entirely. Fortunately, even if Love struggles against the Chiefs, the Giants, Bucs, Panthers and Vikings close things out for the Packers.
- Christian Watson, GB — ❤️ As someone commented during the podcast, “Quit Playing Games with My Heart.” I want to see more from Watson, who had his first game with more than three receptions. Sure, back-to-back weeks with a touchdown are nice, but also having just one game over 37 yards before Week 12 is not.
STREAMING TIGHT ENDS
- Pat Freiermuth, PIT
- Cade Otton, TB
- Tyler Higbee, LAR
- Juwan Johnson, NO
- Tucker Kraft, GB
- Chigoziem Okonkwo, TEN
- Stash Isaiah Likely, BAL, if you can (on a bye)
STREAMING DST
Week 13
- JAX vs CIN
- LAC at NE
- LAR vs CLE
- TB vs CAR
- ATL at NYJ
- DET at NO
- IND at TEN
Week 14
- NO vs CAR
- GB at NYG
- JAX at CLE
- HOU at NYJ
- CIN vs IND
- MIN at LV
(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Jake Ciely is rankings: Fantasy Football, Fantasy Baseball, candy, movies, video games, cereal… anything! Truly, Jake is a ranking prodigy. Oh, he’s also the senior fantasy writer for The Athletic, an award-winning analyst and loves DuckTales. Make sure you #CheckTheLink and #BanKickers … woo-oo! Follow Jake on Twitter @allinkid
