Fantasy Football: Playing the Waiver Wire for Week 12

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We finally avoided a serious injury to a standout running back in Week 10, but then a wrecking ball hit many of our Fantasy backfields in Week 11. There are going to be several prominent running backs missing in Week 12 and for the rest of the season.

Justin Forsett (broken arm) is out for the year, Marshawn Lynch (abdomen) could miss the rest of the season and Devonta Freeman (concussion) and Charcandrick West (hamstring) are questionable to play this week. It's going to be an active week on the waiver wire as we close in on the Fantasy playoffs.

The bye weeks are over, but there are some good quarterback options to add with Brian Hoyer facing the Saints and Jameis Winston coming off a five-touchdown performance against the Eagles. Fantasy owners in deeper leagues also have to replace Joe Flacco (torn ACL), who is out for the season.

Danny Amendola (knee) and Jordan Reed (knee) were also banged up, so we'll see what their status is for Week 12. Yes, another member of the Patriot offense was injured, and it looked like being down Dion Lewis (knee), Julian Edelman (foot) and eventually Amendola impacted Tom Brady in a negative way against the Bills on Monday night. We hope Amendola is OK for Week 12 at Denver.

The main story, however, is running back, and Thomas Rawls, Javorius Allen, Spencer Ware and Tevin Coleman are going to be popular pickups this week in every league. Rawls could be the biggest difference maker for Fantasy owners down the stretch if Lynch needs surgery and is out for the year, and Allen could be a spot starter each week as Forsett's replacement. I would start him in Week 12 at Cleveland on Monday night.

Ware would be a great starting option if West is out this week against Buffalo, and Coleman could be a flex option in Week 12 if Freeman is out against Minnesota. Frank Gore (knee) is expected to play this week, but you should add Ahmad Bradshaw as a precaution - and he's starting to get more work.

We're once again chasing running backs off waivers in Week 12. We had a reprieve from the injuries in Week 11, but the mash unit of Fantasy backfields continues in what has been a brutal season for running back injuries, including Le'Veon Bell (knee), Arian Foster (Achilles), Jamaal Charles (knee) and Lewis being lost for the season. Forsett and possibly Lynch could join that list, and we hope there are no more significant running back injuries for the rest of this year.

Quarterbacks

Injuries: Joe Flacco (knee), Case Keenum (concussion) and Tyrod Taylor (shoulder)
Priority list (Add in this order):

Brian Hoyer

LV • QB • #7

Ownership percentage21 percent

Hoyer missed Week 11 with a concussion, but he was cleared to return for Week 12, which is great news. He faces a Saints defense that gives up a buffet of big numbers to quarterbacks, and Hoyer is worth adding and starting in all leagues this week. In the past three games alone, New Orleans allowed at least 36 Fantasy points to Kirk Cousins, Marcus Mariota and Eli Manning. Every quarterback to face the Saints has either set or got their second-highest Fantasy total of the season in that game, and Hoyer had a stretch of five games in a row with at least 21 points in a standard league snapped when he got hurt against the Bengals in Week 10. This should be a big week for him against New Orleans at home.

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Jameis Winston

CLE • QB • #5

Ownership percentage54 percent

You don't want to go chasing points with Winston after he had a monster game at Philadelphia in Week 11 with 39 Fantasy points, which is easily a season high for the rookie. But it does give him nice momentum heading into a quality matchup at Indianapolis this week, and there are several things working in his favor. Austin Seferian-Jenkins (shoulder) is scheduled to return one week after Vincent Jackson was back in action, and all four of Winston's 20-point Fantasy outings have come on the road in five away games. The Colts have also allowed six of their past eight opposing quarterbacks to score at least 20 Fantasy points, including Matt Ryan in Week 11. Winston should be considered a low-end starting option this week.

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Marcus Mariota

WAS • QB

Ownership percentage60 percent

Mariota was OK in Week 11 at Jacksonville with 17 Fantasy points, and he might have fallen victim to the Thursday night woes, which tend to impact quarterbacks in a negative way. But this week should be a good outing for him against the Raiders at home. Kendall Wright (knee) is expected to return this week, and the Raiders have allowed every quarterback but Peyton Manning in Week 5 and Teddy Bridgewater in Week 10 to score at least 20 Fantasy points, including Matthew Stafford in Week 11. Mariota might not be needed in standard leagues this week, but he's a great starting option in two-quarterback leagues.

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Brock Osweiler

MIA • QB • #8

Ownership percentage37 percent

It's going to be hard to trust Osweiler in Week 12 against the Patriots even at home, but he's coming off a solid performance at Chicago in his first NFL start and could be a sneaky play in two-quarterback leagues. New England was great against Tyrod Taylor on Monday night in holding him to nine Fantasy points, but three of the past six quarterbacks against the Patriots have scored at least 23 points. And Osweiler played well against the Bears in Week 11 with 22 Fantasy points, and the Broncos offense looked good for maybe the first time all season. Manning (foot) could be out for the rest of the season or might not get his job back, and Osweiler has the chance to be a useful option in all two-quarterback leagues.

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Potential drop candidates: Andrew Luck (90 percent), Ryan Tannehill (85 percent) and Tyrod Taylor (82 percent)

Of note:

We'll see who the Browns start at quarterback this week now that Johnny Manziel (10 percent) could be benched after a video allegedly showing him partying during the bye week surfaced Tuesday. Whether it's Manziel or Josh McCown (11 percent), the starter should have success against the Ravens. Baltimore has held its past two opponents in Blake Bortles and Case Keenum to under 20 Fantasy points, but five of the Ravens previous six opposing quarterbacks have scored at least 23 points, including McCown (39) in Week 5. Manziel or McCown would be a strong starting option in two-quarterback leagues this week.

Teddy Bridgewater (35 percent) could be an option in two-quarterback leagues. He had 21 Fantasy points in Week 11 against Green Bay, and he faces an Atlanta defense in Week 12 that has allowed multiple touchdowns in consecutive games to Blaine Gabbert and Matt Hasselbeck.

Speaking of Hasselbeck (16 percent), he also could be an option in two-quarterback leagues. The Buccaneers defense has done a nice job the past three games in holding Eli Manning, Matt Cassel and Mark Sanchez to fewer than 20 Fantasy points, but four of their previous six opponents scored at least 19 points in a standard league. Hasselbeck has two passing touchdowns in each of his past two starts, and he could be useful in Week 12 with Andrew Luck (kidney) still out.

We know now that Colin Kaepernick (shoulder) is out for the rest of the season, so Gabbert (6 percent) will continue his audition for the starting job heading into 2016. He's scored 18 Fantasy points in his past two starts against the Falcons and Seahawks and is worth monitoring in two-quarterback leagues. I wouldn't trust him in Week 12 against Arizona, but he faces Chicago in Week 12 and Cleveland in Week 13 and could be a spot starter in deeper two-quarterback leagues.

Matt Schaub (0 percent) will start for the injured Flacco. There's no reason to add him in the majority of leagues.

Running backs

Injuries: Justin Forsett (arm), Devonta Freeman (concussion), Charcandrick West (hamstring), Alfred Morris (ribs) and Frank Gore (knee)
Priority list (Add in this order):

Thomas Rawls

JAC • RB • #34

Ownership percentage55 percent

Rawls should be a Top 10 running back this week with how he's done with an extended workload, the matchup with the Steelers at home and the lack of quality options at the position. That's how good Rawls shapes up heading into Week 12, so add him in all leagues. In the four games Rawls has had at least 16 carries, he's averaged 18 Fantasy points in a standard league, including three games with double digits in points. He scored 36 Fantasy points against San Francisco in Week 11 with Lynch out, and there's a chance Lynch could be headed for season-ending surgery. He is not expected to play in Week 12, and Pittsburgh has allowed a running back to gain either 90 total yards or score in three of the past six games. I would anticipate Rawls getting a heavy workload this week, and I would start him in all leagues.

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Javorius Allen

NYG • RB • #37

Ownership percentage13 percent

I would rather start Ware this week ahead of Allen if you're just looking for a one-game solution at running back, but Allen will be Baltimore's starter for the rest of the season, which warrants him being in the No. 2 spot here. And it's not like he won't have the chance for a solid outing against the Browns on Monday night. Allen did a nice job against the Rams in Week 11 when Forsett got hurt with 22 carries for 67 yards and five catches for 48 yards. He should continue to get a heavy workload, and he faces the Dolphins in Week 13 before tough matchups against Seattle in Week 14, Kansas City in Week 15 and Pittsburgh in Week 16. For this week, Allen should be considered a starting option in all leagues since Cleveland has allowed nine running backs to score or gain over 100 total yards this year, including Forsett in Week 5. Allen had eight carries for 58 yards in that game, and we'd love to see him average 7.3 yards per carry this week.

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Spencer Ware

CHI • RB

Ownership percentage0 percent

West isn't guaranteed to miss Week 12 against Buffalo, but you have to plan ahead since Andy Reid said he's dealing with a hamstring strain. If he's out then Ware could take on a big role, and he ran well against the Chargers in Week 11 when West got hurt. He had 11 carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns and one catch for 5 yards. We would expect Knile Davis (22 percent) to get some work against the Bills, but this Chiefs offense is set up for running backs to thrive. Since Charles went down in Week 5, Kansas City has had a running back score double digits in Fantasy points in four of five games. Ware would likely get the majority of work, and he would be considered a must-start option in the majority of leagues.

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Tevin Coleman

SF • RB • #28

Ownership percentage44 percent

There's a chance Freeman could get cleared for this game, but if he's out then Coleman would start against the Vikings. He had 17 carries for 48 yards against the Colts in Week 11 after Freeman got hurt, but the last two times we saw Coleman in a starting role was in the beginning of the season when he scored eight Fantasy points against the Eagles in Week 1 and nine points at the Giants in Week 2. He's clearly not as talented as Freeman, which is why he's No. 2 on the depth chart, but he has the chance to be a flex option in the majority of leagues this week. The Vikings have been good against the run for most of the season, but Coleman's workload should allow him to finish with a decent stat line in the majority of leagues.

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Ahmad Bradshaw

IND • RB • #44

Ownership percentage11 percent

Bradshaw's performance the past two games are reminiscent of the way he played in 2014 when he was a significant factor catching passes out of the backfield. He has three receiving touchdowns against the Broncos and Falcons, and he could get more work this week if Gore is banged up. He had a season-high 13 touches against the Falcons in Week 11, and if Gore is out in Week 12 against Tampa Bay then Bradshaw would be a potential starting option in the majority of leagues. The Buccaneers haven't allowed a running back to score on the ground since Week 3, so it won't be an easy matchup, but Bradshaw's workload as a starter if Gore were to sit would make him a quality running back in Week 12.

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Potential drop candidates: Melvin Gordon (92 percent), C.J. Anderson (91 percent), Carlos Hyde (80 percent), Alfred Morris (68 percent) and C.J. Spiller (65 percent)
Of note:

James White (61 percent) scored twice against the Bills in Week 11, but he still managed just four total touches and finished with 46 total yards. He's a flex option at best, but his upside will be minimal when he doesn't score.

Darren Sproles (58 percent) asked to be more involved heading into Week 11 against Tampa Bay, and he was rewarded with six catches for 21 yards and three catches for 38 yards and a touchdown. The six carries were the second-best total of the season, and his nine touches were the most since Week 3. With Ryan Mathews (concussion) still likely out against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day, and with the Eagles playing indoors, Sproles should be considered a flex option in the majority of leagues.

Shaun Draughn (41 percent) isn't going to be a dominant Fantasy option as the starter for the 49ers, but it appears like he can be serviceable as a flex option in the majority of leagues. He had seven Fantasy points at Seattle in Week 11 and scored eight points against Atlanta in Week 9. Carlos Hyde (foot) is likely out again in Week 12 against Arizona, and owners in PPR leagues should look at Draughn since he has 12 catches in two starts.

Robert Turbin (15 percent) is the handcuff option for Darren McFadden, and he did a nice job in his first action with the Cowboys in Week 11 at Miami with seven carries for 35 yards. McFadden played through a groin injury against the Dolphins, so injuries could become a problem for him down the road. If you own McFadden, put Turbin on your roster now.

Bilal Powell (3 percent) returned from a four-game absence with an ankle injury in Week 11 at Houston and had four carries for 22 yards and five catches for 67 yards. Chris Ivory has looked sluggish of late, and Powell could take on more work in the passing game. He is worth adding in all leagues if you are the Ivory owner, and he is worth consideration if you're looking for a running back in deep PPR formats.

Wide receivers

Injuries: Doug Baldwin (ankle), Danny Amendola (knee) and Aaron Dobson (ankle)
Priority list (Add in this order):

Devin Funchess

DET • WR • #13

Ownership percentage17 percent

We've been talking about Funchess for a few weeks now, and he's starting to show enough production that you might feel comfortable starting him in deeper leagues. He had four catches for 64 yards and a touchdown on eight targets in Week 11 against Washington, and he's now scored in two of the past three games. He should be considered a No. 3 receiver against the Cowboys this week on Thanksgiving, and he could become a difference maker down the stretch as the Panthers continue to expand his role in the offense.

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Kendall Wright

ARI • WR • #12

Ownership percentage54 percent

Wright is expected to return in Week 12 after sitting out the past three games with a knee injury. He will immediately return as the No. 1 receiver for Mariota, and Wright has three games this season with double digits in Fantasy points of the six games he's been able to finish. He faces a Raiders defense that has only allowed four touchdowns to receivers this year, but 12 receivers have scored at least eight Fantasy points in a standard league. Wright should be considered a solid No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week.

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Marquess Wilson

PHI • WR • #81

Ownership percentage7 percent

There have been two games this season where Alshon Jeffery (groin) and Eddie Royal (knee) have been out together, and that was Week 5 at Kansas City and Week 11 against Denver. In those two games, Wilson has posted his two best stat lines with 14 Fantasy points against the Chiefs and 10 points against the Broncos. We'll see if Jeffery and Royal remain out in Week 12, and if that happens then go with Wilson as a high-upside No. 3 receiver in the majority of leagues. He had four catches for 102 yards against Denver on seven targets, and Jay Cutler will likely lean on him Thursday night at Green Bay, especially with Martellus Bennett (ribs) also banged up.

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Leonard Hankerson

BUF • WR • #80

Ownership percentage37 percent

Hankerson was back in action in Week 11 against the Colts for the first time since Week 6 because of a hamstring injury. He played well against the Colts with four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown on seven targets, and hopefully he'll continue to be a factor for the Falcons moving forward. Every time this season he's had at least seven targets he's scored, and Atlanta's defense has put the offense in plenty of comeback situations of late. He's a risky starting option this week against the Vikings at home, but Hankerson has the ability to be a solid No. 3 receiver in the majority of leagues for the rest of the year.

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Cecil Shorts

TB • WR • #10

Ownership percentage7 percent

Shorts and Nate Washington (58 percent) are worth a look this week in deeper leagues with the matchup against the Saints. The problem is they negate each other somewhat, and DeAndre Hopkins clearly dominates targets. But the Saints have allowed two receivers to score at least seven Fantasy points in the same game six times this season, and we would go with Shorts over Washington based on how each has done in the past two games. Since Shorts came back from his hamstring injury, Washington has combined for four catches for 45 yards on 11 targets. Shorts has five catches for 67 yards on 11 targets over that same span.

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Potential drop candidates: Jordan Matthews (97 percent), Tavon Austin (87 percent), Rishard Matthews (85 percent), Donte Moncrief (77 percent) and Julian Edelman (65 percent)

Of note:

Dwayne Harris (17 percent) has played well of late and is worth consideration in deeper leagues. He's scored at least 14 Fantasy points in two of his past three games, and he's been productive when he's gotten the targets. There have been four games when Harris has at least six targets, and he's scored at least seven Fantasy points in a standard league in all of those outings. Harris has been better than Rueben Randle this season as the No. 2 receiver behind Odell Beckham.

Tyler Lockett (12 percent) is coming off a solid game with four catches for 48 yards and two touchdowns on five targets, and now Baldwin is banged up. We'll see if Lockett can play on a consistent level because the last time he had double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league was Week 7, so just keep that in mind with his outlook this week against the Steelers.

Terrance Williams (62 percent) has played three games with Tony Romo this season, and he's scored at least 13 Fantasy points in two of those outings. Receivers haven't had much success against Carolina this year, but if Dez Bryant struggles with Josh Norman you can see an uptick in targets for Williams this week. He could be a No. 3 receiver in this matchup.

The Cardinals might decide to keep Michael Floyd (hamstring) out this week at San Francisco to make sure he's 100 percent, and J.J. Nelson (0 percent) stepped up with a big game against the Bengals in Week 11 with four catches 142 yards and a touchdown on six targets. He's worth a flier in Week 12 at San Francisco if Floyd is out again.

Chris Harper (0 percent) could be worth a flier in deeper leagues with Amendola and Dobson potentially out this week at Denver.

Tight ends

Injuries: Jordan Reed (knee), Martellus Bennett (ribs) and Zach Ertz (concussion)
Priority list (Add in this order):

Crockett Gillmore

BAL • TE • #80

Ownership percentage50 percent

Gillmore has done a nice job since Steve Smith (Achilles) went down with a touchdown or 100 receiving yards in three consecutive games after Smith got hurt. He had five catches for 101 yards on eight targets against the Rams in Week 11, and he has a good matchup at Cleveland on Monday night. The Browns have allowed eight touchdowns to tight ends this year, and Gillmore is worth using as a starter even with Schaub at quarterback.

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Austin Seferian-Jenkins

NE • TE • #88

Ownership percentage37 percent

We'll see if Seferian-Jenkins (shoulder) actually does return in Week 12 at Indianapolis because he's been practicing for weeks without getting clearance. We haven't seen him since Week 2, but he has the potential to be a starting Fantasy option right away in the majority of leagues. The Colts have allowed a tight end to score in four of the past five games, and Winston has thrown a touchdown to a tight end in two of the past four outings. If Seferian-Jenkins is cleared to return as expected then consider starting him this week.

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Brent Celek

PHI • TE • #87

Ownership percentage3 percent

Celek is coming off his best two-game stretch of the season with 20 Fantasy points combined against the Dolphins and Buccaneers. He had seven catches for 79 yards against Tampa Bay in Week 11, and Ertz was injured in that game. We'll see if Ertz is able to return for Week 12 at Detroit, but if he's out then Celek could be a starting option in deeper leagues. The Lions have allowed eight touchdowns to tight ends this season, including four in the past four games. Keep an eye on Ertz's status, and hopefully Celek continues to play at a high level like we've seen the past two games.

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Kyle Rudolph

TB • TE • #8

Ownership percentage37 percent

Rudolph is coming off his best game of the season with 16 Fantasy points, which is more than he had in his past four games combined. But he had a season-high in targets with eight, and maybe the Vikings are ready to give him more work. It's a good matchup to trust him in Week 12 at the Falcons since Atlanta has allowed a tight end to score in five of the past seven games. He's just a risky starting option in the majority of Fantasy leagues because we've seen Rudolph let us down countless times this year. But if you're stuck at tight end this week then hopefully Rudolph can use his Week 11 performance as momentum for this matchup.

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Coby Fleener

NO • TE • #82

Ownership percentage42 percent

Fleener didn't play well in Week 11 at Atlanta from a Fantasy perspective because we had high hopes for him given the matchup, but he finished with just four Fantasy points. With Rob Chudzinski calling plays for the Colts we expect Fleener to get more chances to make plays, and hopefully he can deliver this week against Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have allowed at least seven Fantasy points to a tight end in three of the past five games, and Fleener should be considered a low-end starting option this week in deeper leagues.

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Potential drop candidates: Martellus Bennett (91 percent) and Charles Clay (64 percent)

Of note:

Heath Miller (45 percent) could be a sneaky play this week because the Seahawks have struggled against tight ends with seven touchdowns for the season, including two in the past two games against Jermaine Gresham and Vance McDonald.

Vernon Davis (64 percent) and Owen Daniels (18 percent) both played well against the Bears in Week 11. Davis had six catches for 68 yards on six targets, and Daniels had four catches for 69 yards on five targets. The Broncos finally ran Gary Kubiak's offense with Osweiler, and the tight ends played well. But the Patriots have been great against tight ends, so use caution if you plan to start either Davis or Daniels, in that order.

Clive Walford (2 percent) could find the end zone this week against the Titans, who have allowed a tight end to score in three consecutive games. Walford has scored in three of his past five games.

Ryan Griffin (0 percent) could be a sneaky sleeper in Week 12 against the Saints. New Orleans has allowed five touchdowns to tight ends in the past two games against the Titans and Redskins.