Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 12: Streamers, Samaje Perine, Josh Palmer and more

It’s Thanksgiving week, which means about one-fourth of the managers have hung it up. There are plenty still in the playoff hunt, and while waivers are thinner than ever, that doesn’t mean there isn’t help… especially when you should be bolstering your bench with backups and more for the playoff run.

HEADS UP

• Players must be under 60% rostered on Yahoo
• Listed in order of preference — I’ll often prioritize potential upside over immediate middling production
• No FAB suggestions: It varies wildly by league tendencies and always relative (ex: if you lost your RB1 to injury and there is a clear backup, you’re going to be more aggressive)
• Streaming QB and TE are grouped together— their ranking might change slightly once projections/ranks run, and DST could shift a bit too
• Emojis
  • 😤 = I Tried to Tell Ya — players included for several weeks (not much more to add if you don’t want them)
  • 🧐 = Check if Dropped — players whose managers might have cut for other need or impatient

WORRY REPORT
More DUCKS 🦆 (1-5) = More Concern (woo-hoo!)
Egg 🥚 = 1/2… or about to birth a new concern duck

• Michael Carter, RB, NYJ 🦆🦆🦆 — Since Week 8 (first game without Breece Hall), Carter has 8.1, 15.1 and 2.2 points, respectively. His high in touches is 13, Zach Wilson is destroying this offense, and the schedule is just middle of the pack. I’d drop him to one egg if the Jets replace Wilson.
• Miles Sanders, RB, PHI 🦆🦆 — Two straight lackluster games, also marking the third and fourth times Sanders didn’t hit double-digit points. Sanders is better than this, but a healthy Boston Scott has committee’d this backfield into a riskier situation for Sanders than his locked-in Top 20 days.
• Adam Thielen, WR, MIN 🦆🦆🦆🥚 — Thielen has just three double-digit scores on the season, and single-digit marks of 9.7, 8.2, 7.4 and 3.5 since the Vikings’ Week 7 bye. Interestingly, Week 11 was just his second game without at least seven targets, but even with that volume, Thielen is a touchdown-reliant WR4… who isn’t scoring touchdowns (two total).
• Drake London, WR, ATL 🦆🦆🦆 — Like Thielen, London has been a touchdown-reliant WR4, with Week 1 being his only game reaching 6+ points without a touchdown. Now that Kyle Pitts is done, London could have his floor raised a bit, but it’s still a floor of WR5 value with a peak in the WR2 tier given the low-volume offense.

BYES: NONE — BUF-DET, NYG-DAL, NE-MIN on Thanksgiving

STREAMING QUARTERBACK RANKINGS

There are very few quarterbacks under the 60% threshold at this point, and it’s smart of managers to have backup plans with the playoffs drawing near. With it being time to think about rostering your backup, here are the 60% rostered (and lower) quarterbacks ranked by who I’d stash.

1. Deshaun Watson, CLE
2. Jimmy Garoppolo, SF — barely over 60%
3. Marcus Mariota, ATL
4. Taylor Heinicke, WSH
5. Trevor Lawrence, JAX
6. Jared Goff, DET
7. Ryan Tannehill, TEN
8. Kenny Pickett, PIT
9. Matt Ryan, IND

WAIVER WIRE RUNNING BACK RANKS

1. Rachaad White, TB 😤 — White started the Germany game and is pushing for a Tony Pollard-like role to Leonard Fournette’s Ezekiel Elliott role.
2. Latavius Murray, DEN 🧐 — Well, when Melvin Gordon gets cut and Chase Edmonds gets hurt (ankle), we have to buy into Murray as a low-end RB2, so here we go. Yay?
3. Gus Edwards, BAL 😤 — J.K. Dobbins could return as early as this week, but he commented before the IR stint that his leg didn’t feel good, and scar tissue is the culprit. Edwards didn’t play in Week 11, but if he can return this week, and Dobbins remains sidelined, Edwards is an RB2.
4. Cam Akers and Kyren Williams, LAR — Cam Akers inexplicably saw the most work in Week 11, even after Darrell Henderson started and didn’t look hurt, but Williams had the most yards per touch. Now the Rams released Henderson, which pushes this backfield to two options and makes taking a flier more palatable. For pure upside, I’d stash Williams, but Akers is the higher immediate waiver option. Oh, Rams…
5. Samaje Perine, CIN — If Joe Mixon misses time (concussion), Perine has proven his upside is in the RB1 conversation. He’s more in the mid-upper RB2 range as a weekly play, but that ceiling remains. Perine is the No. 1 pickup if you need a one-week play.
6. Jerick McKinnon, KC — He and Isiah Pacheco already made Clyde Edwards-Helaire a non-factor, and now CEH is hurt. Week 11 was the first time since Week 4 that McKinnon had just one catch.

STOP WAITING — STASH NOW!
(Ranked on upside if the starter)

I’ve hammered home the point about stashing all the backups you can at this point, and Perine is yet another example of why you shouldn’t wait. Below is a ranking of backups — even some already in timeshares. If you don’t need McKinnon as a starter, I’d add everyone through Matt Breida first.

1. Elijah Mitchell, SF
2. Alexander Mattison, MIN
3. AJ Dillon, GB
4. Raheem Mostert, MIA
5. J.K. Dobbins, BAL — could be best option or a non factor
6. Samaje Perine, CIN
7. Jaylen Warren, PIT — if he doesn’t miss time
8. James Robinson, NYJ
9. Isaiah Spiller, LAC
10. James Cook, BUF
11. Zamir White, LV
12. Deon Jackson, IND
13. Matt Breida, NYG
14. Kyren Williams, LAR
15. Eno Benjamin, HOU
16. Boston Scott, PHI
17. Chuba Hubbard, CAR
18. Dontrell Hilliard, TEN
19. Keaontay Ingram, ARI
20. Travis Homer, SEA
21. Marlon Mack, DEN
22. Snoop Conner, JAX

DUMPSVILLE 🗑️ (Order I’d Drop)

• Darrell Henderson, LAR — Likely latches on somewhere, but unlikely to be the lead or more than a timeshare piece.
• James Robinson, NYJ — Purely a backup given the state of the Jets offense with Zach Wilson at quarterback.

WAIVER WIRE WIDE RECEIVER RANKS

1. Joshua Palmer, LAC 🧐 — Didn’t want to break up, and now he’s the top option while in Unbreak My Heart (below).
2. Parris Campbell, IND 😤 — In Campbell’s worst game since Matt Ryan started loving him some Campbell in Week 6, he still scored 9.2 points.
3. Donovan Peoples-Jones, CLE 😤 — What more can we say at this point? On top of Peoples-Jones’ value, Deshaun Watson returns in two weeks.
4. Jameson Williams, DET — There was talk Williams might not return until late, if at all, but with his being cleared to practice, it’s time to stash Williams for his potential WR2 value during the playoffs.
5. Darius Slayton, NYG 😤 — Slayton could struggle with more defensive attention now that Wan’Dale Robinson is done, but there isn’t much else left at receiver here, and Slayton had 10-5-86-0 even with Robinson seeing 13-9-100-0 before his exit.
6. Treylon Burks, TEN 🧐 — It’s taken time, but Burks is starting to flash his upside. He could be a WR3 down the stretch.
7. Terrace Marshall, CAR — Marshall was a staple of the waivers all year, but Baker Mayfield ruins everything. Now that the Panthers are turning to Sam Darnold, we have hope again.
8. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, KC — If you’re looking for the boom/bust option with Mecole Hardman out and Kadarius Toney sidelined, MVS is your guy, but he has a near-zero floor.
9. Demarcus Robinson, BAL — Devin Duvernay might not be the answer?
   

   Duvernay vs Demarcus Robinson

   Bateman ON field

   Duvernay 11-10-134-3
   11.0 TmTGT%
   10.4 TmAirYD%
   1.74 YPRR

   DRob 6-2-23-1
   6.0 TmTGT%
   4.9 TmAirYD%
   0.66 YPRR

   Bateman OFF

   Duvernay 23-16-187-0
   13.1 TmTGT%
   18.1 TmAirYD%
   1.15 YPRR

   DRob 32-23-257-0
   18.2 TmTGT%
   24.1 TmAirYD%
   1.65 YPRR

   — Jake Ciely (@allinkid) November 21, 2022

10. Nico Collins, HOU — Collins has 17 targets and 10 receptions in the past two games. Sure, the 97 yards is lower than we want, but Collins has weekly WR2 even though his floor is in the WR4/5 range.
11. Justin Watson, KC — With Toney hurt again, Watson steps up, and no, not Skyy Moore. Yes, Moore is exciting as the rookie, and if JuJu Smith-Schuster doesn’t return, there could be deeper value. However, Watson ran a team-high 97.4% of the routes (Travis Kelce and MVS second with 76.3%, Moore at 42.1%). Watson also led the Chiefs in TmAirYD% at 26.3 and would carry value even if JJSS returns (assuming Toney is out). I’d put Watson up with MVS if Smith-Schuster doesn’t return.
12. Jahan Dotson, WSH — In his second game back, Dotson ran the second-most routes behind only Terry McLaurin. It hasn’t resulted in much production yet, but Dotson getting back to being a top-two option for Washington can bring WR4 value.
13. Jarvis Landry, NO — You could do worse… not much, but you could.
14. Van Jefferson, LAR — It’s hard to like anything with this team, but Jefferson is the No. 2, which carries WR4 boom/bust value even if Matthew Stafford isn’t at quarterback.
15. Mack Hollins, LV — If you need a WR4, Hollins is up-and-down but has matchup-play potential.
16. Julio Jones, TB — It’s hard to like any team’s No. 3 receiver, but when it’s Tom Brady — assuming he ever turns the corner — Jones can fall into the WR4 touchdown-reliant range.
17. Odell Beckham, FA — Again, more for trade value (if your deadline hasn’t passed), Beckham could decide soon and see a big perceived value jump if he signs with the Cowboys.

MEH 😒 NO THANKS

• Tutu Atwell, LAR — One passing snap. One route run. One major mistake if you grab him.

DUMPSVILLE 🗑️ (Order I’d Drop)

• Chase Claypool, CHI — Went from being the No. 3 in Pittsburgh to the hope of being the No. 2 in Chicago… but he’s the three, again, and in a much worse passing situation.
• Devin Duvernay, BAL — See Demarcus Robinson. While Robinson might not be the answer either, we know it’s not Duvernay.

UNBREAK MY HEART

• Josh Palmer, LAC — Counting on Mike Williams to stay healthy… our mistake. The Chargers risking him when the high ankle sprain clearly wasn’t 100%… their mistake. Either way, Palmer is immediately back to being a Top 25 receiver alongside Keenan Allen, as he fits the Williams role.

WAIVER WIRE TIGHT ENDS

Top Streamers

• Juwan Johnson, NO — weekly starter
• Foster Moreau, LV
• Logan Thomas, WSH
• Evan Engram, JAX
• Robert Tonyan, GB
• Trey McBride, ARI

STREAMING DST RANKINGS

Week 12

• MIA vs HOU
• IND vs PIT
• NYJ vs CHI
• KC vs LAR
• PIT at IND
• MIN vs NE
• CAR vs DEN
• LAC at ARI

Week 13

• MIN vs NYJ
• GB at CHI
• CLE at HOU
• ATL vs PIT
• NYG vs WSH
• KC at CIN
• DET vs JAX

(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)