Waiver Wire Watch: Week 12 Fantasy Football Targets

Nov 20, 2017

Editor's Note: We're happy to have Brandon Niles on the Waiver Wire Watch this year. He'll work in conjunction with Senior Editor John Paulsen to compile the weekly list of pickups and generate recommended prices for FAAB leagues.

Here is a look at the top waiver wire pickups for Week 12. To be eligible for discussion, the player must be owned in 50% or fewer Yahoo leagues, though we’ll stretch the rules a bit for the RB position, which is usually very thin. We’ll also include suggested bid prices (with a $100 budget) for those leagues that use Free Agent Acquisition Budgets (FAAB). Of course, player value depends on league characteristics and team needs. Players are listed by position in order of importance. For extremely shallow or extremely deep leagues, be sure to review our Rest-of-Season Rankings (updated every Tuesday) to get an idea of how to value players not on this list.

Quarterbacks

Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills ($4)

Taylor may get benched again, but with how badly rookie Nathan Peterman looked in his debut as the starter, it’ll be surprising if the Bills don’t give Taylor another crack at the job. With excellent matchups every week to finish the season, Taylor is worth grabbing if you’ve been streaming thus far, even with the risk that he loses his job.

Next up: @ Chiefs, Patriots, Colts

Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts ($3)

Brissett had a couple of long touchdown passes against the Steelers in Week 10 before the bye on Sunday, and he’ll face the Titans this week. Brissett went through concussion protocol over the bye, but he’s supposed to be ready. Tennessee gave up four touchdowns to the Steelers on Thursday night, and Brissett has had some sneaky good games this season. He adds value with his ability to run the ball, and he’s a nice streaming option.

Next up: Titans, @ Jaguars, @ Bills

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($2)

With Jameis Winston injured, Fitzpatrick had a nice game against the Dolphins on Sunday, putting up 275 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Most importantly, he didn’t throw any interceptions and the Buccaneers came away with a much needed victory. Fitzpatrick doesn’t offer a lot of excitement for fantasy owners, but with matchups against the Falcons and Packers over the next two weeks and Winston likely to miss more time, he’s worth picking up as a streaming option in large leagues.

Next up: @ Falcons, @ Packers, Lions

Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars ($2)

Bortles only had 154 yards on Sunday in a victory over the hapless Browns, but he threw a touchdown pass and didn’t throw any interceptions. The Jaguars have been winning with defense and a solid run game this year, and while I expect that to continue, the favorable matchups throughout the rest of the season still make Bortles one of the better streaming options available in most leagues. He gets the Cardinals this week, who just gave up 31 points to Tom Savage and the Texans.

Next up: @ Cardinals, Colts, Seahawks

Case Keenum, Minnesota Vikings ($1)

Keenum is far from reliable, and he likely has a short leash with Teddy Bridgewater on the active roster. However, he has seven touchdowns over his past three games, and came up with a big win against the Rams on Sunday. As long as the Vikings keep winning, it’s hard to imagine they’ll make a change. Matchups against the Lions and Falcons over the next two weeks make Keenum streamable.

Next up: @ Lions, @ Falcons, @ Panthers

Matt Moore, Miami Dolphins ($1)

If Jay Cutler comes back from his concussion to start against the Patriots this week, I’m not interested in trying my luck with him again this season. However, if Moore gets the start, he has some upside against a vulnerable defense. Moore threw for 282 yards and a touchdown against the Buccaneers on Sunday after Cutler went down. If he starts, he should be a reasonable streaming option.

Next up: @ Patriots, Broncos, Patriots

Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears ($1)

If you’re really desperate, Trubisky faces the Eagles and 49ers over the next two weeks. If Philadelphia gets out to a big lead early on, Trubisky has a chance to increase his passing attempts, and he quietly has a touchdown in each of his past two games with no interceptions.

Next up: @ Eagles, 49ers, @ Bengals

I’m not buying: Josh McCown is back at 34 percent ownership, but I’ll wait until next week against the Chiefs to pick him up. I like Blaine Gabbert’s three touchdowns on Sunday. I don’t like his matchup against the Jaguars this week. I know C.J. Beathard had a good game against the Giants, but with the Seahawks this week, I’m not interested. I know he has a great matchup, but I have no interest in Brock Osweiler, even with the Raiders and Dolphins next on the schedule.

Deep Stash Options: Teddy Bridgewater is now on the active roster, and if he can win that job back, he’ll have some weapons to work with in Minnesota. Colin Kaepernick quietly accounted for 18 total touchdowns in 12 games last season for a horrible team. If he lands on a team with some talent around him, he could quickly become a steady QB option.