Waiver Wire Roto Wizard Waiver Wire Free Agents week 13 2022

The stretch run, or as the band Europe so affectionally referred to it "The Final Countdown" is now upon us. Even though it feels like just yesterday we were gathered around our computers drafting our squads for this season, time has a funny way of flying past us. With the vast majority of Fantasy leagues using Week 14 as the finale for the regular season, it is now time to concentrate on squeezing every last point available out of your roster in hopes of clinching a playoff berth. A number of injuries present buying opportunities for players that are universally available, making this round of waiver claims more important than ever. Remember, you can't take FAAB money with you as carry over for next season - now is the time to spend whatever you have left on players that can shore up depth or make an impact.
 

Quarterbacks

Players on bye in Week 13: Kyler Murray, Sam Darnold
Mike White (3 percent rostered) - During last week's segment on Sirius XM radio with Mike Dempsey and Bob Harris, we touched upon quarterbacks worth starting in "Hail Mary" scenarios, for managers who were looking for help at the position. White's name was mentioned, not only due to the poor prior performance by Zach Wilson, but the surrounding talent of receivers for New York. White capitalized on his spot-start opportunity, converting 22 completions for 315 yards and three touchdown passes. White should be viewed as the Jets starter moving forward, as the offense flowed better in Week 12 than any point prior in the season. His high-level decision making is a great boost to not only Garrett Wilson (who should be now treated as a mid-range WR2) but Elijah Moore as well, who was completely written off several weeks ago. White will square off against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13, a team that has allowed the second-most passing yards in the league and the highest YPA in all of football. In "2QB" or SUPERFLEX formats, White deserves an immediate add.

Recommendation: White's inclusion in the article is a combination of a phenomenal upcoming matchup coupled with a bevy of talent around him. The Jets will need to keep up with the high-powered Viking offense, and I expect White to be throwing early and often. He's worth a $5 bid in 14-team leagues as a streamer.

Jared Goff (29 percent rostered) - Goff put together a respectable stat line against the elite Buffalo Bills defense on Thanksgiving, throwing for 240 yards and two touchdowns against a solid secondary. Why mention his name considering the middle-of-the-road numbers? The calvary is coming. Detroit expects Josh Reynolds to be back next week, and is also expected to have first-round wideout Jameson Williams finally on the field. Their presence will ease coverage off of Amon-Ra St. Brown, who has shouldered the offense alone over the last several starts. D'Andre Swift continues to distance himself from the shoulder and ankle injuries that cost him several games, and he will continued to be featured as a check-down option. I expect Detroit's offense to resemble what we saw earlier in the season, when the team could keep up with the opposition. The Lions face Jacksonville in Week 13, who are a bottom-10 defense in passing yards allowed and yards-per-attempt to quarterbacks.

Recommendation: Goff has streaming appeal in 12-team leagues or larger as a back-end QB1 option. His stock is definitely on the rise with the return of several key weapons, and I anticipate this offense to be more pass-oriented in the short-term. Spend $3-$5 on him as a flier.

Jordan Love (1 percent rostered) - Love is going to be the hot pickup at the quarterback position off the waiver wire, given his performance on Sunday after Aaron Rodgers left the field. In the final quarter after Rodgers left with an apparent rib injury, Love found Christian Watson on a crossing route for a 63-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and made multiple impressive throws. Green Bay is out of playoff contention at this point with a 4-8 record, and it makes sense that they would give Love an extended opportunity, with Rodgers ailing. An upcoming matchup against the Chicago Bears is very enticing, and I expect Love to be ranked within the top-15 at the position.

Recommendation: Add Love as a streaming option in 12-team leagues or larger while the health status of Aaron Rodgers is a question mark. I'd expect Rodgers to undergo a number of tests on his thumb and ribs over the next several days, and for Green Bay to take it easy with the veteran. Consider spending $5-$10 on Love as a low-end QB1 streamer.

Running Backs

Players on bye in Week 13: James Conner, D'Onta Foreman
JaMycal Hasty/Darrell Henderson Jr. (1 percent /36 percent rostered) - There are several caveats to Hasty's name being dropped here, so please make sure you read everything. Travis Etienne left Sunday's game against Baltimore with a foot injury, was deemed questionable and later returned to the field with both ankles heavily taped. As a precaution, he was held out for the remainder of the contest, prompting Hasty to see most of the work out of the backfield. After the conclusion of the game, Etienne said that he should be fine for next week, but players are traditionally much more optimistic about their chances of playing than others, so take that with a grain of salt. The Jaguars did add Henderson Jr. earlier last week after his surprise cut from the Los Angeles Rams, though he was inactive since he didn't have a grasp on the offense yet. It remains to be seen if he would suit up for this contest, but it stands to reason that Henderson would play over Hasty if the team feels he is ready to go. In the event that Etienne is unable to play, fire off Henderson (or Hasty) as mid-range RB2 against the leaky Detroit Lions defense. Monitor practice reports and beat writer articles to keep track of the situation

Recommendation: Both backs are fliers and totally dependent upon Etienne's health. Should Etienne sit and Henderson be inactive again, Hasty is worth a $10 bid as a RB2. If Etienne sits and Henderson is active, pivot and spend the $10 there instead.

Jordan Mason (1 percent rostered) - The San Francisco 49ers continue to be totally snakebit with injuries, and lost Elijah Mitchell with another sprained MCL in Sunday's win over the New Orleans Saints. Mitchell had been operating as a 50:50 split back with Christian McCaffrey, to ease the load and bring in a different skillset as a power-option when necessary. Once Mitchell was injured, Mason rushed 5 times for 25 yards in the final drive to kill the final few minutes. What makes Mason even more enticing are reports that McCaffrey was also dealing with knee soreness during the game. It wouldn't be a shock to see him heavily utilized in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins as a strong interior runner and short-yardage back. Ordinarily, San Francisco might opt to give Deebo Samuel a few backfield touches, but he is dealing with a hamstring injury of his own, which he aggravated on Sunday. The stars have aligned for Mason to be suddenly very relevant.

Recommendation: Mason should be added in 12-team leagues or larger as a complimentary piece in one of the best offenses in the league. Mitchell is expected to miss multiple weeks with his injury, making Mason relevant into the Fantasy postseason. If McCaffrey were to deal with lingering soreness, Mason could be in for a major workload, and he is universally available. Spend $10-$15 to add him.

Wide Receivers

Players on bye in Week 13: DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, D.J. Moore, Terrace Marshall Jr.
DeAndre Carter (5 percent rostered) - The Los Angeles Chargers have struggled with injuries at the receiver position all year, battling through lengthy absences by Mike Williams and Keenan Allen. Luckily, depth in the form of Joshua Palmer and Carter has kept the team afloat. With Williams continuing to miss time due to an aggravated ankle injury, Carter has turned into the "splash play" receiver for Justin Herbert to use downfield. He set season-high marks across the board in Week 12, posting a 7/73/1 line, leading the position with 10 targets for Los Angeles. The Chargers square off against the pitiful Las Vegas Raiders secondary in Week 13, a squad that is allowing a league-high 72 percent completion rate to quarterbacks. Carter makes a fine add in deeper formats, and his low ownership is a bit surprising, considering his previous success this season. He has topped double-digit points in a PPR format in three of the past four weeks.

Recommendation: Carter should be a priority add for players looking to add depth at the wideout position. Relevant in 12-team leagues or larger, Carter should thrive in a layup matchup against a very weak Raiders secondary. He can be added for a $5-$7 bid.

Zay Jones (31 percent rostered) - Fantasy players have been waiting to see the "it" moment from Trevor Lawrence since he entered the league last year - the drive where all things truly click and he takes the next step forward in his progression to becoming a top-tier NFL quarterback. I'm fairly certain that we saw that on Sunday. During Jacksonville's 28-27 upset over the Baltimore Ravens, Jones put up an absurd 11/145 line on a team-high 14 targets, including the game-winning two-point conversion. He is a fantastic compliment to Christian Kirk, and both wideouts should feast in a plus matchup against the Detroit Lions next week. As this offense begins to become more pass-heavy, Jones will creep into the mid-range WR2 discussion. He clearly has the trust of Lawrence, and is expected to become a focal point.

Recommendation: Jones has consecutive games of double-digit targets, and it is no fluke that the team has thrived since funneling looks in his direction. He has a solid WR3 floor in 12-team leagues, and should be viewed as one of the top additions heading into next Sunday.

Van Jefferson (15 percent rostered) - Fantasy football can frequently be a war of attrition, case in point with the Rams. Cooper Kupp is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a high ankle sprain, and news broken that Allen Robinson is undergoing season-ending foot surgery on Sunday. Jefferson is the last man standing on a team that is expected to play perpetually from behind. His ceiling is capped as long as Bryce Perkins is under center, but I'd expect Matthew Stafford to make a push to get back on the field soon, given his competitive nature. Regardless, Jefferson is a dart-throw WR3 that could present a sneaky amount of value with several key contributors on bye this week.

Recommendation: Given how atrocious the Rams have been this season, adding Jefferson should come at a severe discount. Los Angeles has no running game to speak of, and the majority of targets should continue to funnel his way. His ceiling is capped if Perkins remains under center, but would see a sharp rise once/if Matthew Stafford comes back. For teams looking at adding bench depth, spend $1-$4 to add him.

Tight Ends

Josh Oliver (1 percent rostered) - Oliver operated as the Baltimore Ravens de-facto TE2 on Sunday with Isaiah Likely nursing an ankle injury, and he responded with a career-best effort. On six targets, Oliver had four receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown, working as the second read for Lamar Jackson on most passing situations. His relevance is (obviously) directly tied to the health status of Likely. Should he remain out for any period of time, I'd expect Oliver's role to expand dramatically. The Ravens are desperate for someone else to step up opposite Mark Andrews as a viable threat.

Recommendation: At a position bereft of talent, Oliver is one of the few interesting pickups this week. He falls into a similar territory that many share, where his value is directly tied to red zone targets. Baltimore will continue to feature Andrews as their 1A option, but Oliver will see enough looks to make him a viable streamer in deeper leagues if Likely continues to be sidelined. Add him for a minimum bid.

Streaming Defenses

Cleveland Browns - When I began recommending defenses several weeks ago, I made it a point to emphasize the viability of picking whoever is squaring off against the Houston Texans. That continues to ring true. Cleveland struggles to generate many turnovers (they haven't had one since Week 8), but their defensive line is capable of generating plenty of sacks due to Myles Garrett. They are worth considering, even with their prior struggles.

Seattle Seahawks - The Seahawks defense shone from Weeks 6-9 and were one of the top additions off of the waiver wire, before they crashed to earth against the Buccaneers in Week 10 and Raiders in Week 12. Enter the pathetic Los Angeles Rams in a get-right matchup. Los Angeles isn't capable of generating any offense without Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp on the field, and now they have also lost Allen Robinson. I'd expect an extremely strong showing for Seattle here.

Streaming Kickers

Greg Zuerlein - I've touched upon "Greg the Leg" as a viable streaming option before, but wanted to include his name again after the New York Jets performance on Sunday. Mike White's ability to move the ball downfield really opens up things in the offense, and the team will be traveling to a dome stadium in Minnesota for Week 13. I think Zuerlein will have a bevy of opportunities, and he is rostered in less than 10 percent of standard-size formats currently.

Younghoe Koo - Atlanta has provided Koo with multiple field goal opportunities in four of the past five games, and their offense falls solidly within the "good enough to move the ball, but not good enough to score touchdowns consistently" area that solid kicking options emerge from. The Falcons face the Pittsburgh Steelers at home in Week 13, and Koo will be given several more chances in a covered dome. He will be ranked within my top-7 at the position.