Using Predictive Adds To Identify Week 12 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we are hooking fantasy owners up with a free sneak peek of Predictive Analytics. In Week 12, you will be able to see who fantasy owners are adding off the waiver wire BEFORE claims are processed for free! Although only two teams are on bye this week, the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals are two of the most fantasy-relevant teams in the NFL.
Fantasy owners will need to scrounge the waiver wire looking for replacements for Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Darrell Williams, James Conner, Tyreek Hill, DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, Rondale Moore, Travis Kelce, and Zach Ertz. Plus, Harrison Butker and Matt Prater are two of the better kickers in the league. It is more important than ever to find solid players on the waiver wire as you attempt to make your final postseason push with just three weeks to go in the fantasy football regular season.
Some of last week’s hottest waiver wire pickups produced solid outings in Week 11, including Cam Newton and AJ Dillon. Although there are fewer solid options available on the waiver wire this late in the season, sometimes you can find a hidden gem. That’s what we are here for, to help you identify the players' fantasy owners are adding at the highest rate heading into Week 12 and to help you decipher which of those players are worth picking up for a late-season push.
Week 11 ended last night as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got back on track with a 30-10 victory over the New York Giants in primetime. As tradition goes, there will be three games on Thursday for Thanksgiving, which means many teams will be playing in short weeks. On Thanksgiving, the Bears will play the Lions in Detroit, the Raiders travel to Jerry’s World to take on the Cowboys, and the Bills have a tough road game against the Saints at night. Injuries could also play a factor on the waiver wire, as certain players who went down in Week 11 may not have enough time to recover before their respective games in Week 12.
Now that Week 11 is in the books, it’s time to prepare for Week 12 with FantasySP’s unique Predictive Analytics. Keep reading here to access our Predictive Analytics or log into your account, and utilize the Fantasy Assistant. From there, you can see the predictive adds, drops, trades, and FAAB.
Predictive Analytics in a nutshell is a game-changer for fantasy players. No one else in the industry offers these types of insights. You will now be able to analyze the most important fantasy metrics of the current week BEFORE waivers are processed.
Find out the Expected Waiver Interest (EWI) of each player, as well as how much of your FAAB budget it would take to get “your guy” in the average league. You will now have unique insights into which players fantasy owners are giving up on and which players fantasy owners are fighting for in the current week.
Looking At Predictive Adds:
Top Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups
WR Elijah Moore, New York Jets
After starting the season slowly, the Jets’ rookie wideout has come into his own over the second half of the season. He now has produced four straight games with double-digit fantasy points in PPR leagues and has scored four touchdowns in his last three outings. In New York’s 24-17 loss to the Dolphins in Week 11, Moore put up career-high totals in receptions (eight), targets (11), and receiving yards (141). He also found the end zone for the third straight week, finishing with a career-high 28.1 fantasy points. Moore has clearly leapfrogged Jamison Crowder on the depth chart and perhaps even Corey Davis as well. He is New York’s most talented playmaker, and with Michael Carter suffering an injury that will keep him out for a couple of weeks, the Jets will have to continue to throw the ball much more frequently in an attempt to keep up with their opponents over the coming weeks. In Week 12, the Jets will face a Houston Texans secondary that ranks in the bottom third of the league at defending opposing wide receivers. Moore should have been picked up after his breakout performance two weeks ago against the Colts, but if he is somehow still available in your league, don’t hesitate to add the shifty playmaker. He could help you make the fantasy football playoffs if he continues to get peppered with targets. Fantasy owners are savvy enough to realize that he’s the best player available on most waiver wires, which is why he is being added at the highest rate.
RB Devonta Freeman, Baltimore Ravens
Freeman scored a season-high 20 PPR fantasy points in Baltimore’s close victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 11. The veteran running back accumulated 49 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries while also contributing six receptions for an additional 31 yards. Freeman has now scored four touchdowns in four of his last five games. In each game where he has found the end zone, he has also produced double-digit fantasy points. In the one game where he did not score a touchdown, he finished with 8.8 points in PPR leagues, coming just 1.2 points shy of five consecutive double-digit outputs. Despite the return of Latavius Murray, Freeman seems to have cemented the RB1 role in Baltimore. The team released Le’Veon Bell, which means Freeman should continue to see 15+ touches per game even with Lat Murray getting closer to full strength. Freeman also had his best game of the season even with Lamar Jackson inactive. Jackson’s return in Week 12 should open up many more holes in the running game. While I wouldn’t expect Freeman to produce 20+ fantasy points anytime soon, he has a good shot at eclipsing double digits for fantasy owners looking for a replacement for CEH or James Conner.
Chicago Bears DST
Streaming defenses has become a common practice in fantasy football. It looks like the Bears are being added more than any other defense heading into Week 12. Despite the absence of Khalil Mack, the Bears sacked the Ravens six times on Sunday and forced an interception. They only allowed 16 points in the game. In their previous game, although they allowed 29 points, Chicago produced four sacks and returned a fumble for a touchdown against Big Ben and the Steelers. After two strong outings against two capable offenses, Chicago will face the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. The Lions are still winless and have perhaps the worst offense in the entire NFL. Detroit only scores 16.0 points per game and currently allows the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses. No wonder the Bears are the most added defense ahead of Week 12.
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RB Tevin Coleman, New York Jets
As noted above, New York’s rookie running back, Michael Carter, went down with an ankle injury late in New York’s Week 11 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Early reports indicate that Carter will miss the next two to three weeks of the season. Coleman is the next man up on the depth chart and should see the bulk of carries on early downs, with Ty Johnson getting most of the snaps in obvious passing situations. In Week 12, the Jets face a Texans defense that allows the 10th-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. However, that stat is a bit misleading considering Houston allows the most rushing yards per game to opposing running backs. If New York can keep this game within one possession or even take an early lead, Coleman will get plenty of carries as the Jets attempt to burn the clock. Considering the lack of options available on the waiver wire, Coleman is a solid pickup based on expected volume alone. He should see 15+ touches in Week 12.
Houston Texans DST
It’s a bit odd seeing that Houston’s defense is one of the top five most added players or defenses heading into Week 12. However, they have actually been quite good over their last two outings. Against the Dolphins and Titans, Houston has forced a whopping 10 turnovers and has six sacks while allowing just 30 points over their last two games. In Week 12, they get a Jets offense that is allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses. I still wouldn’t trust the Texans, but hey… it’s the Jets.
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WR Cedrick Wilson, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have a short week, as they host the Las Vegas Raiders on Thanksgiving day. Amari Cooper was inactive in Dallas’ Week 11 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after testing positive for COVID-19 and will not play in Week 12 either. Adding insult to injury, CeeDee Lamb suffered an injury of his own against the Chiefs and will have to be cleared of his concussion if he’s going to play on Thursday. With the Cowboys’ top two receivers out for most of their game against Kansas City, Wilson slotted in as the WR2 behind Michael Gallup. He saw seven targets and hauled in four receptions for 36 yards. At this point, it is difficult to say whether Lamb will be on the field on Thursday. There have been conflicting reports regarding his concussion status. Regardless, Wilson should see plenty of playing time against the Raiders. If you own Cooper or Lamb, Wilson makes sense as a handcuff in Week 12.
WR Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
Aiyuk began the season dreadfully after being one of the biggest hyped sleepers in the preseason. However, many fantasy owners gave up on him after five weeks of almost no production. Aiyuk is finally starting to deliver for the fantasy owners who remained patient. He has surpassed 80 receiving yards and caught a touchdown in two of his last three outings. Against the Jaguars in Week 11, Aiyuk caught all seven of the balls thrown his way for 85 yards and a touchdown, totaling a season-high 21.5 fantasy points in PPR formats. Aiyuk’s seven targets and 31.8% target share led the team as their primary receiver since Deebo Samuel served as a true running back with Elijah Mitchell sidelined. Aiyuk has now seen at least seven targets in three of San Francisco’s last four games, and he is leading the team in routes run over the last month. Early in the season, the talented playmaker was in Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse; that is clearly no longer the case as Aiyuk is making plays even as a blocker. The 49ers have a matchup in Week 12 against a Minnesota Vikings defense that allows the third-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Aiyuk was owned in the majority of leagues prior to Week 11, but after his big performance against the Jags, he will be virtually owned in all leagues once waiver wire claims are submitted this week. If he’s somehow still available in your league, grab him immediately. He is going to be a difference-maker in the weeks to come.
QB Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
Newton was the top quarterback on the waiver wire after his first outing with the Panthers in Week 10. He remains the most viable option at the position following his first start in a Week 11 loss to his former coach, Ron Rivera, and the Washington Football Team. Newton posted 235 total yards and three touchdowns. Washington has one of the worst defenses in the league, but Newton has a massive ceiling due to his ability to find the end zone with his legs. On Sunday, he managed 46 rushing yards and a touchdown. Newton has two favorable matchups on the horizon against the Miami Dolphins in Week 12 and the Atlanta Falcons in Week 13. Miami ranks in the bottom five of the league at defending opposing quarterbacks from a fantasy perspective. If you own Mahomes or Murray, Newton is the guy to scoop up off the waiver wire if he’s still available. It also helps that the Dolphins are atrocious against wide receivers, allowing the second-most fantasy points to the position. Look for Newton to link up with D.J. Moore for a massive game in Week 12.
TE Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns
Fantasy owners most likely dropped Hooper a long time ago considering his lack of production this season. But with Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz on bye this week, fantasy owners will need to reassess the situation. With Odell Beckham out of Cleveland, Hooper is seeing a few more targets per game. In his last two outings, the veteran has hauled in eight receptions on 12 targets for 78 yards and a touchdown. It’s not outstanding, but he’s a solid red-zone threat for Baker Mayfield. The Browns are preparing for a huge matchup against their AFC North rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore is currently allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends this season. As road underdogs, Mayfield will need to sling the ball often to keep up with the Ravens, no matter how much the Browns want to commit to the running game. Although Jarvis Landry is Cleveland’s go-to option in the passing game, the Browns lack other viable receiving options. Hooper could be a solid streaming option at the tight end position if you are in dire need.
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Green Bay Packers
After missing five games with a hip injury, Valdes-Scantling only caught three of four targets for 60 yards in his first two games back. With Allen Lazard out of the lineup with a shoulder injury, MVS stepped up in a major way for the Packers in Week 11. He saw a team-high 10 targets and hauled in four receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown. Most of his production came on a late 75-yard touchdown, but the number of targets bodes well for Valdes-Scantling if Lazard is unable to suit up in Week 12. Even if Lazard plays in Week 12, MVS may have done enough to surpass Lazard on the depth chart. Valdes-Scantling reached a top speed of 22.09 MPH on his late touchdown against the Vikings, the fastest speed by a ball carrier this season. MVS is a boom-or-bust type of player, but with Aaron Rodgers under center, you have to like his potential. The Packers have a tough matchup on the horizon against Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and the Los Angeles Rams. If Ramsey shadows Davante Adams, MVS could be in line for even more looks from Rodgers. Even if Ramsey doesn’t shadow Adams all game, Adams will most likely get double-teamed, forcing Rodgers to throw in Valdes-Scantling’s direction. If Lazard misses Week 12, MVS could be the best wide receiver available on the waiver wire for streaming purposes.
K Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles
Elliott has been dominant over the Eagles’ last four games. During that span, he has nailed 11 field goals and 15 extra points. In three of those four contests, Elliott has converted at least three field goals and has 14+ fantasy points in those three games. Last week against the Saints, Elliott nailed all four of his attempted field goals, including a 50 yarder. He finished with 18 fantasy points. The Eagles face a Giants team that has given up plenty of points all season long. They rank in the bottom third of the league in fantasy points per game to kickers. Elliott might just be the top kicker to stream in Week 12.
And that’s a wrap. Head back next week to see which players fantasy owners are flocking towards on the waiver wire ahead of Week 13!
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