10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets Heading Into Week 12

With Week 11 almost behind us, we are now in the home stretch of the fantasy football regular season. For most leagues, the playoffs are just three weeks away!

There are no teams on a bye in Week 12.

As we move through the final stretch of the regular season, it is time to start planning for the playoffs if your record is good enough.

If you still have some work to do to make the postseason, short-term production is the name of the game.

With that in mind, here are some of the best additions you can make to your squads heading into Week 12.

10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets

Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford, Rams

Matthew Stafford returned from a two-week absence in Week 11 and had an inefficient performance against a difficult Seahawks secondary.

He completed 17 of 31 pass attempts for 190 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. His 190 pass yards were his second-lowest total in a game this season.

Stafford's last two games came against Seattle and Dallas, but things should get easier in Week 12 when the Los Angeles Rams will face the Arizona Cardinals.

In the reverse fixture earlier this season, Stafford completed 15 of 24 attempts for 226 yards and 1 touchdown in a game where Los Angeles leaned heavily on running back Kyren Williams.

Arizona's defense remains vulnerable, but the Cards should be able to keep this one close with Kyler Murray back under center, which bodes well for Stafford's outlook.

The Rams could be without Cooper Kupp, who left Week 11's game with an ankle injury, but Stafford still has an elite pass-catcher in rookie Puka Nacua.

On a week where no teams are on a bye, you may have better options available, but if you're looking for a high-floor streamer from the waiver wire this week, consider Stafford.

Others to Consider:

Derek Carr (at Atlanta), Baker Mayfield (at Indianapolis), Jordan Love (at Detroit), Gardner Minshew (vs. Tampa Bay)

Running Backs

Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks

Zach Charbonnet has been mentioned in this piece before, and if he is still available in your league, he is the highest-priority add you can make this week.

Kenneth Walker III left Week 11's game with an oblique injury and did not return. After the game, Pete Carroll said Walker is dealing with an "oblique strain that was legit." Walker is in danger of missing time, and with the Seattle Seahawks playing on Thursday this coming week, it seems unlikely that Walker will be available.

Leading into Week 11, Charbonnet, a second-round pick in April's draft, had already carved out a significant role. From Weeks 8 to 10, he played on 56% of Seattle's snaps, handled 29% of their rushing attempts, and had a 55% route participation. In Week 11, once Walker left the game, Charbonnet took over as the lead back and finished with career-high marks in all three of the aforementioned categories.

His final stat line was 15 rush attempts for 47 rushing yards and 6 receptions for 22 receiving yards.

In Week 12, Charbonnet will face a formidable San Francisco 49ers' defense. While the matchup is far from ideal, Charbonnet's role should provide him with enough opportunity to have a productive game.

One thing to keep an eye on is the availability of quarterback Geno Smith, who left Week 11's game with an elbow injury. Smith returned to the game for the final drive but could miss Thursday's clash with the 49ers. If Smith is out and Drew Lock is under center, the ceiling is lowered for Seattle's entire offense.

Keaton Mitchell, Ravens

Keaton Mitchell's production took a step back in Week 11, but his opportunity took a step forward. Mitchell finished with 8 carries for 33 rushing yards and caught his only target for 8 receiving yards.

Don't let the box score fool you -- if Mitchell is still available in your league, he is behind only Charbonnet in terms of waiver wire priority this week.

Against the Bengals on Thursday, Mitchell set career-high marks in snaps share (37%), rushing attempt share (30%), and route participation (24%). Mitchell's opportunities resulted in a decreased role for Justice Hill, who recorded his second-lowest snap share of the season (22%) and his lowest rushing attempt share (4%).

Mitchell appears to have passed Hill on the depth chart. Gus Edwards remains heavily involved in the red zone, and that is unlikely to change, but Mitchell is on his way to making this a two-man backfield.

A Week 12 matchup against a vulnerable Los Angeles Chargers' defense provides Mitchell with an opportunity for more explosive players before Baltimore's bye in Week 13.

A.J. Dillon, Packers

A.J. Dillon may not be available in your league, but if he is, consider adding him heading into Week 12.

Aaron Jones was carted to the locker room with a knee injury in Week 11 and did not return. In his absence, Dillon finished with a 72% snap share, 50% share of the rushing attempts, 63% route participation, and 11% target share.

Jones reportedly avoided a long-term injury, but the exact severity of the injury is still unknown. While Jones is out, expect Dillon to operate as the Green Bay Packers' lead back. Rookie running back Emanuel Wilson, an undrafted free agent, also suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday.

The concern for Dillon is that he has already had an increased role for multiple weeks this season, and he did very little with it. A Week 12 meeting with the Lions doesn't provide an easy opportunity for that to change.

With no teams on a bye in Week 12, you may have better options than Dillon. If that's the case, he is still worth adding as we look ahead to future weeks. From Week 14 to Week 17 the Packers face the Giants, Buccaneers, Panthers, and Vikings -- a pretty nice stretch overall outside of Tampa Bay.

Roschon Johnson, Bears

D'Onta Foreman entered Week 11's game with an ankle injury and was forced to exit the game in the third quarter after appearing to re-aggravate it. Before his exit, Foreman was inefficient on the ground, notching 6 carries for 14 yards, but did find the end zone.

Foreman's absence resulted in more snaps for rookie Roschon Johnson, who finished with 6 carries for 30 yards -- a far more efficient day than Khalil Herbert, who amassed just 35 yards on 16 carries.

When healthy, the Chicago Bears' backfield has belonged to Herbert, and that was the case again in Week 11. With Foreman and Johnson both involved, it creates a three-man committee that is difficult to trust for fantasy production. If Foreman is out, this could turn into a two-man backfield, which provides additional opportunities for both Herbert and Johnson.

If Foreman does miss time, Johnson becomes a priority bench stash.

Others to Consider:

Tyjae Spears (vs. Carolina), Latavius Murray (at Philadelphia), Kenneth Gainwell (vs. Buffalo), Zamir White (vs. Kansas City), Salvon Ahmed (at New York Jets)

Wide Receivers

Josh Downs, Colts

A combination of a knee injury and a bye has seen Josh Downs produce just 6.5 fantasy points since Week 8. If that lack of production caused him to be dropped in your league, he is a savvy addition heading into Week 12. If you are set at running back and need help at wide receiver, I would prioritize Downs ahead of both Charbonnet and Mitchell.

Before a knee injury derailed things, Downs was on his way to a fantastic rookie season. After a bit of a slow start, he caught 8 of 12 targets in Week 3 and hasn't looked back. Since then, he has just one game with fewer than five receptions (excluding games impacted by injury).

Removing Weeks 9 and 10, Downs' route participation this season stands at 82%. He has been targeted on 20% of those routes and has a 21% target share -- solid numbers for any receiver but extremely impressive for a rookie.

Assuming Downs is healthy exiting the Indianapolis Colts' bye, he will have an excellent opportunity to pick up right where he left off. In Week 12 the Colts face a Buccaneers defense that is allowing an average of 302 passing yards per game since Week 5. They follow that up with a home game against the Panthers, and then Indy faces the Packers, Jaguars, and Saints in the fantasy football playoffs from Week 15-17.

If Downs is available, go get him.

Jayden Reed, Packers

One way or another, Jayden Reed keeps finding a way to score fantasy points. Since the Packers' bye in Week 6, Reed has a touchdown or 80 yards receiving in four of five games. In Week 11, he got there on the ground, turning 3 rushing attempts into 46 yards and a touchdown.

On an offense struggling for consistency from just about every position, Reed has delivered. It hasn't resulted in an increased role in the passing game -- Reed has a 14% target share since the bye -- but his involvement in the rushing game hints at the Packers' desire to get the ball into his hands.

If Reed's opportunities continue to increase, he is well-positioned to be a difference-maker in the fantasy football playoffs. The Packers have a difficult schedule over the next two weeks, with games against the Lions and Chiefs, but after that, their schedule is fantastic.

From Week 14 to 17 they face the Giants, Buccaneers, Panthers, and Vikings. Even if you don't need help at wide receiver right away, consider adding Reed to your bench to see if his role increases by the time we arrive at the playoffs.

Rashid Shaheed, Saints

Rashid Shaheed was included in this piece last week with the New Orleans Saints entering their Week 11 bye.

Since then, news broke that the injury to Michael Thomas's knee is "fairly significant". Thomas is not expected to be out for the year, but it sounds like he will miss some time. If that is the case, it should mean more opportunities for Shaheed, as well as rookie A.T. Perry, a sixth-round pick in April's draft.

Following Thomas' early exit in Week 10, Shaheed set a season-high in target share (22%) and tied his season-high in targets per route run (24%). The result was only 5 receptions on 9 targets for 24 yards, but the increased opportunities bodes well for Shaheed's outlook moving forward.

There is some uncertainty surrounding the Saints' quarterback situation. Derek Carr suffered a shoulder injury and a concussion in Week 10, but the team indicated that they remain committed to him. If Carr is healthy, expect him to be under center.

Carr and Shaheed have demonstrated a connection on deep passes multiple times this season. If Carr is hurt, Winston has shown throughout his career that he is more than willing to throw the ball deep. Both signal callers should provide Shaheed with opportunities.

If Mitchael Thomas' knee injury ends up being more serious than initially believed and it does force him to miss the rest of the regular season, Shaheed has decent matchups in the fantasy football playoffs against the Giants in Week 15 and Buccaneers in Week 17.

Others to Consider:

Demario Douglas (at New York Giants), Khalil Shakir (at Philadelphia), Jameson Williams (vs. Green Bay), Romeo Doubs (at Detroit), Zay Jones (at Houston)

Tight Ends

Isaiah Likely, Ravens

Week 11 began on a sour note with some noteworthy injuries in the Thursday night game. One of those was the Baltimore Ravens losing superstar tight end Mark Andrews for the season due to an ankle injury.

No one can replace what Andrews brings to Baltimore's offense, but Isaiah Likely has been productive in Andrews' past absences. Following Andrews' exit, Likely stepped into a full-time role for Baltimore, finishing the game with an 88% route participation.

Likely finished with zero catches on two targets, but moving forward, he should see better results if he continues to operate as the Ravens' primary tight end.

The Ravens' 27.9 points per game this season rank fifth in the league, and the overall offensive environment should provide scoring opportunities for Likely.

In Week 12, the Ravens have an excellent matchup against the Chargers before Baltimore gets their bye in Week 13. Beyond that, they have a playoff schedule full of potential shootouts, with games against the Jaguars in Week 15, 49ers in Week 16, and Dolphins in Week 17.

Others to Consider:

Luke Musgrave (at Detroit), Michael Mayer (vs. Kansas City), Cade Otton (at Indianapolis), Pat Freiermuth (at Cincinnati)

Defenses

New England Patriots

Coming out of their bye, the New England Patriots will travel to New York to face the Giants in Week 12.

Tommy DeVito is coming off -- by far -- the best performance of his young career. He completed 18 of 26 pass attempts for 3 touchdowns in a win over the Commanders. Following their moves at the trade deadline, Washington's defense is one to pick on, and DeVito made the most of that opportunity in Week 11.

Despite his successful game, though, DeVito remains a quarterback to target for fantasy defenses. The Patriots' season has been one disaster after another, but most of their struggles have been on offense. On D, they have an interception in five consecutive games and have held their last two opponents -- Washington and Indianapolis -- to 20 and 10 points, respectively.

New England has had a difficult schedule so far this season, and Week 12's game against DeVito will be their easiest matchup of the year thus far (with the possible exception of Zach Wilson in Week 3). The Giants will likely lean heavily on the run game, but there should still be opportunities for New England's defense to make an impact.

Others to Consider:

Broncos D/ST (vs. Cleveland), Tennessee D/ST (vs. Carolina), Cincinnati D/ST (vs. Pittsburgh), New Orleans D/ST (at Atlanta)

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.