Thomason: Top Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 12
By Jack Thomason--
(CBS) For most, we are down to two weeks left of the regular season. Many of us are jockeying for position to obtain a bye week, and some of us are battling just to get into the big dance. Either way, at this point in the season, we should be looking to hit on the highest of upside players instead of still rostering low-ceiling guys who helped us get through bye weeks.
For example, a guy like Allen Hurns, who's third in the pecking order on a struggling offense like the Jaguars, shouldn't be owned over a player like Andre Ellington, who's a dual-threat backup to one of the league's best players in David Johnson.
Johnson has amassed 241 touches through 10 games, with the bulk of that work coming in the last six games. He's averaging 28 touches per game in that span, and for the season, he's on pace for 386 touches. That's where Ellington comes in. If something were to happen to Johnson, Ellington provides league-winning upside, a la DeAngelo Williams from last year.
Players of Ellington and Alfred Morris ilk are more deserving of a roster space than any middle-of-the-road player who has little to no upside after bye weeks are over.
Here are my top 10 waiver adds for 10- and 12-member leagues:
1. Wendell Smallwood (RB, Philadelphia Eagles) – The Eagles suffered a double whammy against the Seahawks on Sunday. They lost Ryan Mathews to a sprained MCL and Darren Sproles fractured a rib. It sounds like Sproles will be able to play through the injury, but Smallwood should be heavily involved going forward. He was the primary beneficiary after those two went down, seeing 17 touches for 79 yards. Quietly, Smallwood also saw 13 carries the week before against Atlanta. That's worth noting, as it's quite possible the Eagles were attempting to get him more involved before the injuries took place.
2. Tyler Boyd (WR, Cincinnati Bengals) – With A.J. Green expected to miss multiple weeks and Giovani Bernard lost for the year, Boyd is going to see a giant uptick in his targets in the passing game. He had eight targets Sunday, which was the highest on the season for him, and he turned them into 54 yards and a score on six receptions. The Bengals are down to Tyler Eifert, Brandon LaFell and Boyd as their top pass receivers. Outside Eifert, I look for Boyd to become the most fantasy relevant.
3. Tim Hightower (RB, New Orleans Saints) – Mark Ingram suffered a concussion last Thursday night, and Hightower continues to produce. I'm guessing that Ingram will return this week, but either way, on an explosive offense Hightower can be a viable flex play and continues to go under-owned. He has top potential (we saw it last year) if anything happens to Ingram and provides value in his current committee role.
4. Dion Lewis (RB, New England Patriots) – The Patriots eased Lewis in with 22 plays on Sunday, but they wanted him to shake off the rust rather quickly by starting him and targeting him three times on their opening possession. It's easy to see how elusive he is, making defenders miss en route to an eight-touch, 49-yard day. Lewis' role will continue to grow and he will provide explosive playmaking ability on a top-tier offense.
5. Mike Gillislee (RB, Buffalo Bills) – It's early, but it sounds as if LeSean McCoy will play this week. That being said, McCoy is continuously banged up, and I've seen Gillislee dropped in numerous leagues with McCoy back at full health coming off the bye. In his Buffalo career, Gillislee has tallied 103 carries for 593 yards, with seven touchdowns. He's proved to be a solid RB2 with upside in McCoy's absence and much like the guys I described above, he could return monster value if McCoy has to miss extended time for this injury or the next.
6. Chris Ivory (RB, Jacksonville Jaguars) – T.J. Yeldon left Sunday's game with an ankle injury, and in Chris Ivory to the tune of 17 carries for 39 yards but also six receptions for another 75 yards. Without Yeldon around, Ivory will carry the mail for the Jaguars. We're in the dark about Yeldon's injury at the moment and how much time he will miss, if any, but a starting running back getting the full workload, at this stage of the game is too good to pass up.
7. Marqise Lee (WR, Jacksonville Jaguars) – Quietly, Lee has taken over as the No. 2 option in the passing game. He led the team with eight targets against the Lions and has seen six or more targets in eight of 10 games this season. If you're in a PPR league, Lee is more of a priority add, but still his volume is solid for WR3/flex play value. He's not a big time touchdown scorer, as he scored his first the past week.
8. Tyreek Hill (WR, Kansas City Chiefs) – Hill has been the winner, in terms of production, when it comes to Jeremy Maclin injury. He's seen an average of 7.25 targets over the last four games and has rare playmaking ability. He's the type of player who can take any touch to the house. Hill has some quality matchups on the horizon against the Falcons and Raiders, after a date with the Broncos on Sunday night. You could do worse if you're in need of receiver help.
9. Sammy Watkins (WR, Buffalo Bills) – We know who and what Watkins is, and there's word he may have an opportunity to return this week. I think that may be aggressive, given that he wasn't able to practice last week, but now is the time to grab him. Robert Woods is banged up again, and we know McCoy is battling injuries too. Watkins could be a huge win for a playoff team, given how well Tyrod Taylor is playing.
10. DeVante Parker (WR, Miami Dolphins) – Parker is beginning to show similar late-season form that he showed last year. Over his last two games, he's racked up 13 receptions, 182 yards and a score in becoming a more viable and trusted option in the offense. The Dolphins are riding a five-game winning streak and are going to need additional offense with their offensive line banged up and the run game likely to slow a little because of it. Parker is going to be a part of that.
Just missed: All stud running back handcuffs, Bilal Powell, Kenneth Dixon, Dwayne Washington, Adam Thielen, Eddie Royal, Ted Ginn Jr., Malcolm Mitchell, Brandon LaFell, Jared Cook and Vance McDonald.
Jack Thomason is 670 The Score's fantasy football expert and co-host of "Chicago's Fantasy Football Today," which can be heard every Sunday during football season from 8-9 a.m. CT on WSCR-670 and 670thescore.com/listen. Follow him on Twitter @jthomason77 and feel free to ask fantasy questions.