Pigskin Papers: 2022 Waiver Wire Week 13
Garrett: The One Wilson You Actually Want
(Published November 28, 2022)
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Welcome to Week 13! Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. The leftovers are in the fridge, and on the fantasy waiver wire. Hopefully you’ve still got lots of turkey and stuffing, because this week the pickings are pretty slim on the waiver wire. However, it’s a good week to look ahead, as there are 6 byes looming in Week 14. If you need a streaming option at a position for next week, see if you can grab it now.
*****See the Week 12 Recap column here: https://www.thepigskinpapers.com/posts-1/pigskin-papers-take-3-2022-week-12 *****
WEEK 13 BYES: ARI, CAR
LOOKING AHEAD, WEEK 14 BYES: ATL, CHI, GB, IND, NO, WAS
The Process: Each week, I try to identify the top Waiver Wire targets and evaluate the short and long term prospects of those players. I also do my best to identify which players who are coming off a big week are fool’s gold. And finally, as we’ve moved through the bye weeks I’ve spent a little time on streamers at each position who might help you in a pinch. Note that this advice is primarily intended for Season-Long leagues, and NOT Dynasty leagues.
Some of the players I’ll talk about won’t be available in your league. As a general rule, I list players who are available in more than 50% of leagues. But what does that even mean? A 10 team league with 6 bench spots will have a much larger free agent pool than a 14 team league with 8 bench spots. Most leagues fall somewhere in between. This isn’t “one size fits all.”
Week 13 Waiver Wire
If any of these players are still on your waiver wire (they shouldn’t be available, but you never know), they’re priority adds: QB: Deshaun Watson, RB: Rachaad White, WR: Treylon Burks, Parris Campbell, and Garrett Wilson. The best of the rest:
Mike White Takes Flight
QB:
Mike White put up QB1 numbers this week, and it’s safe to assume he’ll be starting for the Jets for a while. A word of caution - White won’t face the Bears’ putrid defense at home every week, and White also started out strong when he got a chance in 2021, only to falter badly as he got more starts. The difference this time around is that the Jets are a much better team, with better receiving weapons and a much better defense. All of that should help White to succeed. I wouldn’t go crazy, but if you need a second QB in a Superflex, or a streamer this week or next, I like White more than Sam Darnold, Kyle Allen, or any backup that’s playing QB for the Rams or Bears. I’d try to avoid all of those guys.
Jared Goff may have been dropped in some leagues. He’s quietly having a pretty good season, especially at home. The Lions host the Jaguars this week and that makes Goff a very nice streaming option, in a game that should be high scoring.
Matt Ryan has been pretty hit-or-miss this season, but I think he’s a guy you can spot start in certain matchups, if you’ve got the need. He’s got good weapons around him.
Jordan Love might get to face the Bears this week. He looked pretty decent on Sunday night when Rodgers went out, as opposed to how he’s looked when given chances to play earlier in his career. This is a risky play, but if you need a streamer this week, Love isn’t a terrible choice. My guess is Rodgers will miss one game, with the bye week up next and the Packers pretty much out of it. But it’s also possible that this latest injury plus the broken thumb sidelines Rodgers for longer than that, opening the door for Love to showcase what he can (or can’t) do.
RB:
Zonovan Knight and Ty Johnson. This one is tricky, as James Robinson was a healthy scratch this week, and could come back to assume a share of the workload if Michael Carter is forced to miss time after suffering an ankle injury vs. the Bears. When Carter went out, Knight got the majority of the work, with Johnson sprinkled in. The game was also a blowout. Of the 2, my preference would be for Knight.
It sounds like Melvin Gordon is likely to sign with the Chiefs in the coming days. If he got dropped in your league, consider adding him as a stash.
Benny Snell saw his first action of the season on Monday night, after Najee Harris left with an abdominal injury. Snell looked good, rushing for 60+ yards and a TD. It’s unclear whether Harris or Jaylen Warren will be back this week, which makes Snell a worthwhile pickup/stash play. The Steelers offense is slowly getting better, and their schedule is favorable.
Josh Jacobs re-aggravated his calf injury on Sunday, while he was piling up more than 300 yards from scrimmage. It’s unclear if Jacobs will be able to suit up against the Chargers on Sunday. If he is out, Zamir White and Ameer Abdullah should both see plenty of work. If Jacobs is your guy, I advise picking up White.
I wouldn’t go crazy trying to get JaMychal Hasty, for 2 reasons. First, it sounds like Travis Etienne is going to be fine, and second, they also just added Darrell Henderson.
Jordan Mason figures to slot in as the backup and change of pace option for CMC with Elijah Mitchell suffering yet another knee injury. This is purely a stash play, but if you’ve got CMC, I think it’s a good idea to grab Mason.
J.K. Dobbins is returning to practice this week, which opens the 21 day window for him to come off of IR. He probably won’t be too helpful during the fantasy playoffs, but he’s the best back they have when healthy. If you have the roster space, consider it.
Find Room for Isaiah McKenzie
WR:
Zay Jones and Mack Hollins have been regular features of this column at different times this year, so hopefully they’re already sitting on your bench. If not, both are viable flex or streaming options at the WR position. You can't count on them for too much, but both have been productive at times this year (including in Week 12), in offenses that throw a lot.
Isaiah McKenzie broke out in Week 12 with 6 catches for a season high 96 yards and a score, on a season high 10 targets. He also saw his highest snap share (over 70%) in a while, was prominently involved in the game plan. He might be a little hard to trust week to week, and there are a lot of good receiving options in Buffalo. Still, it’s a high scoring offense and McKenzie is a decent piece to have. He’s a nice add for the stretch run.
Elijah Moore found the stat sheet this week for pretty much the first time this year. It wasn’t a ton - just 2 catches for 64 yards and a TD. But still, it was his best fantasy output in a very forgettable and frustrating season. he’s another one who’s hard to trust going forward, but we all saw him flash for about a month last season, and know what he’s capable of. I like him as a speculative add, with White now at QB.
I’ll continue to recommend DPJ and Michael Gallup, for those in need of decent WRs for depth and spot starts. I’ve got them just slightly below Hollins and Zay Jones for the rest of the season.
Van Jefferson is the last man standing for the Rams. That doesn't make him startable, but it does make him roster-worthy as a stash.
DeAndre Carter produced for fantasy managers again this week - he’s been pretty hit or miss. I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to roster him, but we are talking about stashes with upside at this point. The same is true for Nico Collins, Randall Cobb, and Skyy Moore. All can be rostered.
With Waller Out, Moreau can Help You
TE:
Foster Moreau was mentioned in this column several times recently. He had 3 catches for 33 yards and a TD this week, which was a nice bump over last week’s 1 catch performance. He’s worth an add.
Tyler Conklin also has been featured in here several times. Like the other Jets I’ve mentioned, the QB switch benefits him, and at a position of weakness, you could do worse. And yes, I’ve listed at least one Jet at every position. That’s how damaging Zach Wilson was to this offense.
Josh Oliver’s big game (4-76-1 on 6 targets) for the Ravens came out of nowhere, and he clearly benefitted from Isaiah Likely being out. This is performance that I think is very unlikely to repeat, and I don’t recommend chasing it.
If you’re desperate, and hoping against hope for a TD from a streamer - Jordan Akins and Jonathan Bates are names you can consider.
PK Streamers, Week 13: Michael Badgley (vs. JAC), Joey Slye (@NYG)
D/ST Streamers, Week 13: BAL (vs. DEN), TB (vs. NO), SEA (@LAR)
Good luck with your waiver claims.
DH
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