Here are my top recommended waiver wire and streaming targets ahead of the coming week. Waiver Wire targets are designed to be multi-week roster-worthy options while streaming options are designed to be one-week lineup options based on matchup, injuries, and/or situation. To be eligible as a waiver wire target, streaming option, or stash, the player must be available in over 60% of Yahoo leagues.
See If They're Available:
There are always a few players that don't technically make the cut here as a waiver wire option as they're available in under 60% of leagues, but these players should be on a roster. If they're not on a roster yet, they should be a higher priority than those listed as waiver wire targets below.
Jaylen Warren (RB - Pittsburgh Steelers)
He's likely the most valuable non-starter" among the RBs, having drawn 9+ carries, 11+ touches, and 8+ fantasy points in each of his last five games. Warren's also seen 16 touches, 13 touches, and 14 touches in his last three games as he's finished as a top-25 RB in each of those games.
He shouldn't be available, but just double-check as he sits owned in just 59% of leagues on Yahoo and is a viable FLEX option with top-12 potential should Harris go down to injury.
Zach Ertz (TE - Washington Commanders)
Even at age 34, Zach Ertz remains the pinnacle of consistency at the TE position for fantasy, having registered 5+ catches, 4+ targets, and 7+ fantasy points in six of his last seven games, posting 14+ points in five of those games.
While he may not have the weekly upside a Kyle Pitts, Dalton Kincaid, or Sam LaPorta-type TE may offer, he's definitively the 'safety valve' option for rookie QB Jayden Daniels and looks to be a safe, comfortable mid-to-low TE1 option each and every week.
He's owned in 48% of leagues. Make sure your league isn't one of them.
Caleb Williams (QB - Chicago Bears)
We've seen flashes of what made Caleb Williams the 1st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and especially more of that over the last two weeks after the firing of OC Shane Waldron.
In those two games without Waldron, Williams has gone 55/78 (70.5% completion percentage) for 571 passing yards and two passing TDs to 0 INTs, plus he's added another 103 yards on the ground, posting 16+ points in each of those games and finishing as the QB4 on the week in Week 12 (26.9 points).
We may be seeing the implications of a 'coaching bump', a late-season breakout, or both. And while the schedule on paper is tough, I don't see a single game the rest of the year that should leave a game script favoring the run for Chicago (@DET, @SF, @MIN, vs DET, vs SEA, @GB).
I'd make sure Caleb Williams didn't accidentally find his way onto waivers in your league like 46% of leagues on Yahoo. It's looking like a 50/50 chance he's a top-15 (or maybe even top-12) fantasy QB for the remainder of the season.
Top Waiver Wire Targets of the Week:
These are your players to target on waivers this week - these aren't typically supposed to be a one-week solution but rather a longer-term answer for your team.
Demario Douglas (WR - New England)
Rinse and repeat of what has been here for what seems like each week over the last month.
Douglas extended his trend of 5+ targets, 4+ catches, and 9+ fantasy points in all but one of the seven games with Maye at QB (over 30% snap share).
Again, he's not going to be a week-deciding WR either in a positive or negative way, but he will give you a safe and steady option to plug in as a WR3/FLEX option in PPR formats.
He's probably the best option you're going to find on waivers this late in the season at WR.
Xavier Legette (WR - Carolina Panthers)
Even with Adam Thielen returning from IR, Xavier Legette kept pace with his numbers over the last month, posting another decent outing (4 catches on 6 targets for 56 yards, 9.6 points).
That now makes for four of his last six games with 9+ points and three of his last four with 4+ catches and 6+ targets.
The game scripts should remain pass-friendly and it looks like Legette is relatively established as Bryce Young's go-to WR at this point in the season.
He's not an ideal lineup option but is someone who could be plugged in as a FLEX if necessary.
Jeremy McNichols (RB - Washington Commanders)
It's the time of the year when injuries will make one or two random backup RBs fantasy football heroes - McNichols may be in line to be the next back to step up.
Brian Robinson exited Week 12 with an ankle injury after having returned in Week 11 from a multi-week absence to another ankle injury. Meanwhile, Austin Ekeler exited late in the game, suffering a concussion with 9 seconds left in the game that forced him to be hospitalized.
It looks fairly likely that both will miss Week 13 with the Commanders' Week 14 bye approaching, and the potential is there for Robinson to miss beyond Week 14 if his injury is as serious as it initially looked.
That means McNichols is the next man up, having already looked solid in limited work this season, tallying 4.9 YPC on the year. He also posted totals of 20.4 points in Week 4 (when Ekeler was inactive) and 10.4 points (when Robinson was inactive).
I'd be comfortable leaning on McNichols as a FLEX option next week against Tennessee.
Tyler Allgeier (RB - Atlanta Falcons)
It's stash season and for the exact reason that McNichols is a viable option on the waiver wire, Allgeier should certainly be rostered.
He's been getting a limited workload all season (6+ touches in all but 2 games, 11+ carries in two of his last four games), and while he's only a desperation FLEX option at the moment, he is one play away from being a top-10 fantasy RB for the fantasy playoffs.
It's a preventative measure, but it's better to be early and wrong than to wait and miss out should Allgeier become a fantasy-relevant option for the playoffs.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR - New Orleans Saints)
He sneakily made his way onto a significant number of waiver wires with the Saints having their Week 12 bye week, now sitting available in 76% of Yahoo leagues.
He's coming off back-to-back 15+ point performances with long TDs. He's in the Rashid Shaheed 'boom-or-bust' role, which could be useful to have as a last-ditch option coming off your bench if you need to truly swing for the fences.
Arizona Cardinals (DST)
Arizona has quietly come around as of late as a reputable defensive unit in reality and in fantasy, hitting 3+ sacks and 16 or fewer points allowed in four of their last five games, plus have recorded a forced fumble and at least one takeaway/safety in each of their last five games.
In that stretch, they've tallied 8 points vs the Chargers, 12 points vs Chicago, 12 points vs the Jets, and 11 points vs the Seahawks with their only down game being a 3-point one against an explosive Dolphins offense.
They have an excellent rest-of-season schedule up until the fantasy championship:
Week 13: @ Minnesota (10th-most PPG to DSTs)
Week 14: vs Seattle (6th-most PPG to DSTs)
Week 15: vs New England (7th-most PPG to DSTs)
Week 16: at Carolina (11th-most PPG to DSTs)
At the least, they're worth a look as a viable option to start and could become a very appealing option in the fantasy playoffs against New England and Carolina if they continue their hot streak.
Roschon Johnson (RB - Chicago Bears)
The volume wasn't anything of note this week, drawing just 2 carries and 3 total touches after a 10-carry game in Week 11.
It does look like Roschon Johnson is pretty definitively the number 2 RB behind D'Andre Swift, but he does possess the goal-line role for sure, having punched in a short-yardage TD for a second consecutive game (and for the third time in five games).
He's a moderate-priority handcuff stash.
Gus Edwards (RB - Los Angeles Chargers)
We've seen comparable games of involvement for Edwards in the two weeks since returning from IR, drawing 10 carries to Dobbins' 15 in Week 10 and then drawing 6 to Dobbins' 11 in Week 11.
We're awaiting the MNF game vs Baltimore, but assuming the role remains the same, there is some value in a 1B in a run-heavy Chargers' offense, especially behind an RB in J.K. Dobbins who has had a lengthy history of injuries.
Worst-case scenario, you're getting a backup RB with handcuff value. Best-case scenario, you're getting a borderline FLEX option with additional handcuff value.
Jaylen Wright (RB - Miami Dolphins)
It looks like the transition has finally been made from Mostert as the number 2 in Miami to Wright with the rookie having received 5+ carries in each of the last four games (and 7 of the last 8) as well as having out-snapped and out-touched Mostert in three straight games.
It's now officially Jaylen Wright as the handcuff to De'Von Achane. Stash him if you're an Achane owner or if you have the roster space.
Trey Benson (RB - Arizona Cardinals)
He's the handcuff to James Conner, who is looking to complete the first full season of his 8-year NFL career.
History would say it is a good idea to own the handcuff to him, and Benson has shown that he's capable when given the opportunity, hitting 50+ yards in 3/4 games with at least six touches and going for 4+ YPC in all but one game that he drew a carry.
He's a solid RB4 option as an insurance stash with a little bit higher of a priority than this spot for James Conner owners.
Top Streaming Options of the Week:
These aren't the same as waiver wire targets. Yes, you are still getting these players off waivers, but these are purely the best options for this week and this week only. Players can be a streaming option and a waiver wire target, which means they're a solid option to play this upcoming week and potentially beyond.
Quarterbacks:
Russell Wilson (at CIN)
Drake Maye (vs IND)
Trevor Lawrence (vs HOU) - If active
Runningbacks:
Jeremey McNichols (vs TEN) - If either Brian Robinson or Austin Ekeler are inactive
Ameer Abdullah (at KC) - If both Alexander Mattison and Zamir White are inactive
Roschon Johnson (at DET)
Wide Receivers:
Demario Douglas (vs IND)
Xavier Legette (vs TB)
Adam Thielen (vs TB)
Tight Ends:
Theo Johnson (at DAL)
Luke Schoonmaker (vs NYG) - If Jake Ferguson is inactive
Mike Gesicki (vs PIT)
Defense/Special Teams:
Dallas Cowboys (vs NYG)
Arizona Cardinals (at MIN)
Indianapolis Colts (at NE)
Top Stashes Ahead of Next Week:
These aren't players that you should be playing this week, but rather ones that have greater potential to be a solid option and likely end up being a waiver wire target sometime down the line. You won't see immediate value but these are the guys that possibly could go under the radar and see a notable role shortly.
Theo Johnson (TE - New York Giants)
He's gradually gotten more involved in the offense as the season has progressed, hitting 3+ catches and 6+ fantasy points in six of his last seven games, plus 7+ points in three straight.
The rookie out of Penn State isn't going to be a lineup-changing option but looks to be a viable TE2 or desperation TE1 option on volume alone seeing as you at least know that you're getting some PPR value out of him as the 2nd/3rd receiving threat in New York.
Braelon Alen (RB - New York Jets)
Handcuff to Breece Hall. We saw flashes of greater potential early in the season, but it looks like he's been relegated to the handcuff relevancy given the Jets' struggles.
Devaughn Vele (WR - Denver Broncos)
Vele has very quietly emerged as a reliable option over the last few weeks, following HC Sean Payton's notes that the younger weapons would get more involved late in the season.
He's drawn 4+ catches and hit 10+ fantasy points in each of the last three games. That's borderline FLEX/WR3 positioning down the stretch as the Broncos will likely need to keep pace with some higher-powered offenses late in the season.
Cam Akers (RB - Minnesota Vikings)
Purely the handcuff to Aaron Jones. Nothing more.