NFL fantasy football waiver wire, Week 12: Anthony Richardson, Jerry Jeudy among top targets

ROSTERED: 45%

Weekly readers of this article might be growing tired of seeing Nix featured here -- this is the fourth time he’s been included in the last six weeks -- but I’m not leaving him out now, after he just finished Sunday as the fantasy QB2 and made history! Nix is the first NFL rookie to post a completion percentage of 80-plus, four-plus passing touchdowns and 300-plus passing yards in a game. So, I pledge to you that he’s going into the Waiver Wire Hall of Fame and will not be back here next week, even if he crushes it again, which he most definitely could do against a Raiders defense that allowed Tua Tagovailoa to have his best game of the season in Week 11. Nix is averaging 21.5 fantasy points per game in his last seven contests. In other words, he’s producing like a true fantasy QB1 right now and should be starting in your league, especially with Josh Allen and Joe Burrow on bye this week. For the last time, roster this man!

ROSTERED: 41%

We’ve been teased by Richardson before, only to have our hearts (and fantasy teams) broken. But if Sunday did mark a turning point for the 22-year-old, you’re going to want to strike now before it’s entirely too late. The formerly benched QB threw for a career-high 272 yards and a score against the Jets, leading the Colts to a 28-27 win in his first start in three weeks. He also tied his career high with two TD runs, finishing with 28.08 fantasy points, which makes him the fantasy QB4 in Week 11. The going will probably be tougher this week for the second-year passer against a Lions defense that has been hard on opposing QBs. With Detroit’s offense destroying everything in its tracks these days, AR might have to throw the ball a lot, which doesn’t necessarily play in his favor. So, if you’re willing to embrace a high-ceiling, low-floor option, Richardson fits the bill. I’d probably wait to see if he can put together consecutive strong performances before going completely all in, though.

ROSTERED: 3%

With Nix and Richardson having a relatively high rostered rate (although still well below our 60 percent threshold), I thought I should provide at least one option that is almost guaranteed to be available in your league. Maye is averaging 16.2 FPPG since becoming the Patriots’ starter six weeks ago, putting him in the high-end QB2 range. The rookie has also been remarkably consistent, with a floor of nearly 12 points during that stretch. On a week with so many teams on bye, he’s a streaming option against a Dolphins defense that allowed the formerly benched Gardner Minshew to rack up a season-high 17.98 points on Sunday.

ROSTERED: 42%

Waiver wire pickings at running back remain slim; I wouldn’t call anyone in this section a slam-dunk pickup. There’s still potential value to be found, though. Warren has yet to score a TD this season, but that hasn’t stopped him from emerging as a potential flex play in deep leagues. He has 29 touches for 163 yards (5.6 per) in the past two games, averaging double-digit fantasy points in that span. Most importantly, he has a matchup against a Browns defense that was just shellacked by the Saints for 214 yards on the ground, including 138 via Taysom Hill (more on him later). Cleveland is allowing more than 6 yards per carry in its last three games, so Thursday night shapes up as a promising matchup for Warren and Steelers RB1 Najee Harris. 

ROSTERED: 6%

OK, I’m stretching here, but like I said, pickings are slim at RB. Akers has averaged a measly 2.7 yards per carry in his last two games, but he ran the ball 10-plus times in both contests and he caught a TD pass on Sunday against the Titans. Believe it or not, that makes him one of the top waiver wire backs right now. It would be nice to see more yardage, at least, but the workload is significant enough (26 touches in the last two weeks) to have our attention. For what it’s worth, Vikings RB1 Aaron Jones didn’t fare any better versus Tennessee, rushing 15 times for 39 yards (2.6 per). If you have Jones on your roster and want the security of a handcuff, Akers is your guy. If you don’t roster Jones but are feeling desperate at running back, at least Akers is getting the ball.

ROSTERED: 0.8%

Johnson is a TD-dependent play, but he just had his most touches in a game since Week 3, getting the ball 11 times in Thomas Brown’s first game as Bears offensive coordinator, which bodes well. The thing that stands out to me is four of his 10 carries on Sunday came in the red zone, one of which he punched into the end zone. He posted double-digit fantasy points for the third time this season. Now, I wouldn’t be starting Johnson with a tough matchup against the Vikings up next, but he’s worth a stash in deep leagues and would become highly relevant if D’Andre Swift were to suffer an injury. Did I mention the waiver wire pickings are slim at running back?  

ROSTERED: 0.1%

The journeyman leads all Raiders running backs in snaps over the past two games and could be in line for RB1 duties in Week 12. Alexander Mattison (ankle) and Zamir White (quad) both left Sunday’s game with injuries, which left Abdullah as the only healthy active back. He only had one carry for a yard, but he did make three catches, including a 10-yard TD grab. I don’t love the matchup for Las Vegas this week -- hosting Denver -- but for those of you in a truly desperate situation at RB, Abdullah might at least see a significant workload if Mattison and White are sidelined.

ROSTERED: 50%

ROSTERED: 34%

ROSTERED: 0.5%

I’ll continue banging the drum for the Cleveland triumvirate in this space. Don’t overlook what they have done when Jameis Winston is taking snaps for the Browns, with Jeudy and Tillman producing at a fantasy-starter level since the QB change, and Moore clearly on the rise. Jeudy and Moore were the stars on Sunday, both finishing among the top 15 scorers at wide receiver with 150-plus air yards each. All three saw at least eight targets against the Saints. Temper your expectations in Week 12 with a tougher matchup against the Steelers on a short week, but if I had to pick one from this group to target on waivers, it would be Jeudy, who is providing the most consistency of the trio with at least 12 fantasy points in each of his last three games.

ROSTERED: 29%

It feels like Packers wide receivers rotate on who stars at the position each week, which is maddening for fantasy managers. Therefore, I’m including Watson here with a big grain of salt. He has not posted double-digit fantasy points in consecutive games this season, but he has another opportunity to do so this week. Against the Bears, Watson racked up a career-high 150 receiving yards, the most by a Packers pass catcher in more than three years. He led all receivers with 24.5 air yards per target in Week 11 (min. four targets this week). I don’t love his matchup against the 49ers in Week 12, but I do like that Watson has either led or tied for the team lead in targets among Green Bay wide receivers in each of the last three games. If Jordan Love finishes strong like he did last season, that should mean good things for Watson’s production.

ROSTERED: 14%

Another week, another TD catch for Johnston, who has one in three consecutive games. Yes, he’s entirely TD-dependent, exceeding 51 yards in only one game all season, but he’s now tied for the fourth-most TD catches in the league with six and he saw a season-high eight targets on Sunday night. Up next for the Chargers is a date with the Ravens, who rank last in passing yards allowed per game and second-to-last in passing TDs allowed. Such a juicy matchup makes Johnston at least a flex option in deeper leagues.

ROSTERED: 29%

The days of Smith being an afterthought in Miami’s offense appear to be over. With opponents focusing on limiting Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the tight end is finding openings in the defense and taking advantage of them. He was the fantasy TE3 in Week 11 after making six grabs for a career-high 101 yards -- 60 of them coming after the catch -- and two TDs against the Raiders. He’s gained 45 or more yards in five of his last six games, scoring at least 9.6 points in four of those contests. That’ll play in the current tight end economy. The Dolphins will next host the Patriots, who have been a middle-of-the-road unit against TEs this season.

ROSTERED: 16%

Now, New Orleans is on bye this week, which is a shame because the Saints’ Swiss Army Knife is COOKING. He went off against the Browns to the tune of career highs in rushing yards (138 on 7 carries), rushing TDs (3), receptions (8) and targets (10). For the first time in his career, Hill gained 100 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving in a single game. He racked up 41.5 fantasy points, 10 more than the next-closest player at his position. Hill has scored at least 16 points in two of his last three games and should be much more widely rostered, given the scarcity at the position. If you have a way to squeeze him onto your team, even on a bye week, I’d make the move.

ROSTERED: 3%

Dissly, long known as a blocking tight end, is breaking out in Year 7, just like we all predicted. OK, maybe I didn’t see this coming, but he certainly has my attention after averaging 10.8 FPPG since Week 7. He’s also seeing 6.6 targets per game over that span. That’s borderline TE1 production, which is highly valuable, given the dearth of quality options at his position in 2024. The Chargers next host the Ravens, who have been among the friendliest defenses to fantasy tight ends this season. The time is right to call dibs on Dissly.  

ROSTERED: 27%

It’s been a rough season for Todd Bowles’ defense. The Bucs have allowed 31.3 points per game in their last six outings (going 1-5 during that stretch), but they have a golden opportunity to get right thanks to some highly favorable matchups in the next three weeks. It starts with the Giants this week, followed by the Panthers (Week 13) and Raiders (Week 14). Those are three of the league’s bottom eight scoring offenses, with the Giants the worst of all, ranking dead last in the category (15.6 PPG). If you’re streaming defenses, Tampa Bay might be worth rostering for the next few weeks. Or the unit could continue to disappoint coming off a bye. Maybe a QB change will invigorate what’s been a mostly lifeless Giants offense, even with impressive rookies Malik Nabers and Tyrone Tracy Jr. Let’s not completely overlook that the Bucs have scored double-digit fantasy points twice this season, although they haven’t had more than five in a game since Week 6.

ROSTERED: 15%

This defense has seen better days, averaging a paltry 4.5 FPPG in its last four contests. The remedy for what ails the Commanders might be an aimless offense that has scored only one touchdown in two games without Dak Prescott. Yes, CeeDee Lamb is still there, but there’s not much else to strike fear into any defense during the Cooper Rush era for the Cowboys. Washington hosts Dallas in Week 12 and then draws Tennessee -- which continues to turn the ball over and fail to break 17 points with Will Levis at the helm -- at home in Week 13. So, this group could be worth rostering for next couple games before a Week 14 bye.