I don't know about you, but I cannot believe that the week at the top of this article is 12. It feels like the season just started, yet we are far, far closer to the fantasy playoffs than fantasy draft season at this point. This is something to keep in mind when you approach the waiver wire, especially at the wide receiver position. 

There are only six weeks left in the fantasy season (and that's assuming you make the championship). If you don't see how, barring an unlikely scenario like multiple injuries, a player makes your lineup, they're probably not worth adding.

This is the time of year when, unless you're very thin at WR, a “WR4 with upside” type is probably doing more harm than good in shallow leagues by clogging up your bench. Keep that in mind as we look at the top options for WR waiver wire pickups this week.

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Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts (33.6% Rostered) 

The Colts were on bye this week, which is probably why Pierce wasn't added in more leagues after his big game in Week 10. But, as I explained in both last week's waiver article and the week before's, he has quietly seen excellent usage (and excellent production aside from TDs) in Indianapolis' elite offense.

If he's available in your league, he should be your top priority add above all the following names — check if you can even add him right now, depending on your league's settings. 

Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals (33.7% Rostered)

Jacoby Brissett set a new NFL record for completions on Sunday, and the third-year WR out of Stanford was his top target. Wilson caught 15 out of an absurd 18 targets, racking up 185 yards — that's the most of any player this season, and it was good for 26 half-PPR points even without a touchdown. 

Of course, Wilson had this massive game in an ideal game script and with Marvin Harrison Jr. sidelined thanks to a mid-week appendectomy. Along with definitely being his best outing of the season, there's a chance we look back and this game is a clear outlier as Wilson's only truly relevant fantasy game of the year — this WR2 overall finish (pending MNF) was his first inside the top-40 weekly receivers in 2025.

On the other hand, games this big usually aren't total outliers. Maybe Arizona's coaches make a more concerted effort to get Wilson the ball going forward. Maybe Brissett looks his way more often. Or maybe the 25-year-old is actually in the midst of an old-fashioned third-year breakout.

I wouldn't fight too hard for him on waivers if the rest of your league is chasing the points, but he's still worth an add, just in case. 

Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers (21.9% Rostered)

Watson was the half-PPR WR4 on the week (pending MNF), racking up 18.6 points thanks to two impressive touchdowns. But that's actually not the most exciting part of his performance against the Giants.

The most promising thing about Watson's big day is that he led Green Bay with a 79% route participation rate. He was at 81% last week, but that was with Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden both exiting early — leading the team with everyone (well, not Jayden Reed or Tucker Kraft) healthy is far more impressive.

Watson's other underlying numbers were solid, but not spectacular. He saw a 19% target share and a 29% air yards share, both second on the team behind Doubs. But the real problem with these Green Bay receivers has never been earning targets. It's been that no one (aside from Doubs) has been a full-time player. If Watson is changing that, he's worth adding.  

Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons (44.5% Rostered)

Mooney has been incredibly unproductive so far this season, perhaps because he apparently broke his collarbone in training camp. But he has still been the Falcons' clear WR2, with at least a 90% route share in each of the last four games and 5.6 targets per game in his seven healthy contests. 

Now, Drake London is reportedly week-to-week with a knee injury, so Mooney is the Falcons' WR1. He'll be catching passes from Kirk Cousins instead of Michael Penix Jr., who is also down with a knee injury.

This is the same situation as we had in Week 8, and Mooney caught just one of four targets for 11 scoreless yards, so success is not guaranteed. But the veteran WR has been productive before and should now get every chance to succeed if he has anything left in the tank. 

WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears (11.1% Rostered)

Coming into the season, the second-round rookie out of Missouri was a very popular sleeper in fantasy circles, as his prospect profile was exciting. However, Burden has spent most of the season buried on the Bears' depth chart, behind not just Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore, but also Olamide Zaccheaus.

Well, he made his first step up that ladder this week, as Burden posted a 61% route participation rate to Zaccheaus' 17% — easily their respective high and low marks for the season. On those routes, Burden saw five targets (16% share), catching three for 27 yards. Of course, a 61% route rate and five targets isn't exactly fantasy-relevant yet. 

In shallower leagues, Burden might be one of those players I mentioned in the intro who seem exciting but will never actually make your lineup. But in deep leagues, where bench slots are cheaper to come by and upside is scarcer, an exciting prospect moving up in the pecking order is worth noticing. 

Mack Hollins, New England Patriots (3.9% Rostered)

Here are Hollins' averages over the last two weeks with Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) sidelined: 82% route participation rate, 23% target share (7.5 targets), 34% air yards share, 85 receiving yards, and 11 half-PPR points per game. 

Boutte is expected to practice this week, so Hollins' time in the sun might be short-lived. But if the sophomore looks likely to miss another week, Hollins has legit streaming appeal against the Bengals' awful secondary next week. 

Avoid: Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers (13.8% Rostered)

On the bright side, Legette finished as a top-10 fantasy receiver this week. He saw eight targets, catching four for 82 yards and a touchdown. His 18% target share was just okay, but his 37% air yards share was excellent. 

However, this all came on a day where Bryce Young threw for 448 yards. He has only been above 200 yards once before this season, so I'm not betting on a repeat performance anytime soon.

Legette also posted just a 60% route participation rate, behind rookie standout Tetairoa McMillan and fellow sophomore Jalen Coker. Legette is still young and his first-round draft capital on his side, but I don't think this is the beginning of a second-year/second-half breakout.