Fantasy Football Week 12 Waiver Wire Targets feat. Jauan Jennings, Taysom Hill, and more
The waiver wire can be an excellent tool for optimizing your weekly fantasy football lineups. The primary goal is to utilize your bench spots to put your team in the best possible position to maximize each week's point total.
As we approach the final stages of the fantasy season, we should ensure our rosters have the dependable depth we can pivot to if our fantasy stars suddenly become injured. Managers should be proactive and add the highest implied value running backs available while searching for pass catchers with new roles.
At Sportskeeda, we'll prioritize our top 10 players while featuring the best options in each position to assist you with your waiver wire decisions and FAAB allocation before Week 12. We cast a wide net of potential targets as we consider all players under a 70% ownership threshold on popular platforms like ESPN and Yahoo! Sports.
Week 12 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Priority Adds Ranked
Top Fantasy Football Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups
Waiver Wire RB adds for Week 12
1] Jaylen Warren | Pittsburgh Steelers
ESPN 64% | Yahoo! 51% | FAAB Range 7-15%
Jaylen Warren appears on our priority list for the third consecutive week as our No. 1 running back under 70% owned. Warren's usage has been trending up since returning to the lineup in Week 6, and he turned in another decent fantasy performance last Sunday. The third-year back received 13 touches playing behind starter Najee Harris for 68 scoreless yards, but his day was saved by catching all four targets.
In his previous three games, Warren has turned 40 touches into 222 scrimmage yards compared to 19 touches for 82 scrimmage yards in the first three games of the season. Harris is a true workhorse back and never misses time, so Warren's opportunities should remain consistent running as the No. 2 back in Pittsburgh. However, he could be helpful during the Week 12 byemageddon with six teams not in action.
2] Tank Bigsby | Jacksonville Jaguars
ESPN 42% | Yahoo! 61% | FAAB Range 3-5%
Consider this another friendly reminder not to rely on default filters when searching for players on the waiver wire. If you do, you won't see Tank Bigsby listed at the top because he is on a bye this week. Bigsby should be rostered on more teams than listed above, but if he's floating around on the wire, we need to change that immediately.
The second-year back will come out from his bye week as the early down back in Jacksonville and the preferred option over Travis Etienne Jr. With Bigsby missing last week due to an ankle injury, Etienne Jr. turned in another inefficient day with 15 touches into 33 scoreless yards against Detroit on Sunday.
It's tricky to roster any Jaguars running backs due to a predictable negative game script each week, and the coaching staff may only survive part of the year. However, anytime you can add a running back in Week 12 who takes most of the touches, you take the depth even though he may not start for you every week.
3] Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers
ESPN 58% | Yahoo! 71% | FAAB Range 1-3%
Jordan Mason is not startable. Let's get that straight and at the top. With three carries in the previous two games, Mason belongs on fantasy benches. But he's not entirely droppable yet, at least not to the teams with Christian McCaffrey on them. The third-year back has seen his fantasy value plummet since his shoulder injury and the anticipated return of McCaffrey in Week 10.
You can't describe this fantasy season without Mason's contributions, as he had weekly finishes as the RB3, RB8, and RB4 in the first four games. The 25-year-old has been relegated to special teams and occasional carry or two. That doesn't mean he could regain fantasy relevance again if something were to happen to McCaffrey down the stretch.
Waiver Wire WR adds for Week 12
1] Jauan Jennings | San Francisco 49ers
ESPN 69% | Yahoo! 60% | FAAB Range 50-100%
Jauan Jennings is a league winner. Hopefully, this will be the last week we feature him here, as he remained under 70% ownership in ESPN and Yahoo! Sports leagues before Week 11. Jennings appeared on this priority list numerous times, and the 27-year-old has flourished with his elevated role in San Francisco's offense. Jennings has been one of the best stories in fantasy football this year with his late-career breakout.
The fourth-year receiver has been a favorite target of quarterback Brock Purdy this season — especially with 22 targets in back-to-back games to lead all 49ers pass catchers. The big-bodied, physical wideout has played a significant role even with fantasy stars Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle in the lineup.
The only concern is the health of Purdy heading into Week 12 action. He turned in his worst yardage game of the season, and the team deemed him day-to-day on Monday due to a sore shoulder. Jennings' fantasy value is tied to Purdy's health, and it would be wise to monitor his status this week before thrusting Jennings into your lineup.
2] Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns
ESPN 58% | Yahoo! 45% | FAAB Range 7-15%
We knew veteran Jamies Winston had breathed some life into this Cleveland offense since Week 8, but deciding which pass catchers to target has been tricky. We had Cedric Tillman as a featured priority add because he would benefit from Winston's deep throws.
But last week, Jerry Juedy and not Tillman took advantage of Winston's aggressiveness by turning 11 targets into six catches and 142 yards and a touchdown against the Saints last Sunday.
Yes, 89 yards of Jeudy's total came on one play in the first quarter, but Winston has thrown for 300-plus in two of his three starts this season. Jeudy has led all Browns pass catchers in targets back-to-back games and could see more opportunities this Thursday with tight end David Njoku nursing a knee injury on a short week.
3] Christian Watson | Green Bay Packers
ESPN 48% | Yahoo! 42% | FAAB Range 4-7%
The Packers offense is unpredictable. That's the way head coach and playcaller Matt LaFleur likes it. It works for real football but could be better for fantasy decisions. Week to week, you depend on some boom or bust options and hope your players are in the game plan that week.
For example, running back Josh Jacobs led all Packers pass catchers with five targets in the 20-19 win over the Bears on Sunday. Second on the team was receiver Christain Watson, who turned his four targets into 150 yards. Watson is widely available heading into Week 12, as he eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark once this season and has only two touchdowns.
His arrow is pointing up, and the Packers will need all hands on deck for a showdown against rival San Francisco next Sunday. You have to live with the results when Watson doesn't produce with his limited opportunities.
Waiver Wire TE adds for Week 12
1] Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
ESPN 46% | Yahoo! 53% | FAAB Range 10-20%
Fantasy baseball had it right when it made two different versions of star Shohei Ohtani. You can draft him as a pitcher or a hitter, but not both. Fantasy football needs that version, but for Saints do-it-all playmaker Taysom Hill. Until then, Hill is one of the most polarizing players in fantasy football and is frequently called the fantasy unicorn in this waiver wire column.
Depending on your site defaults, he could be listed as a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, or tight end. The position that makes the most sense is in the tight end slot, as the talent is skinny and unpredictable. Hill had a game for the ages last Sunday with three touchdowns, 138 rushing yards, 50 receiving yards, and 18 passing yards. We may never see a game like that again, but Hill deserves to be in the TE1 conversation coming out of its bye in Week 13.
2] Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins
ESPN 32% | Yahoo! 26% | FAAB Range 4-7%
The Miami offense is suddenly one of the hottest units in fantasy football, which led to a career-high in receiving yards for veteran Jonnu Smith against the Raiders on Sunday. Smith turned a team-high eight targets into six receptions and two touchdowns of one and 57 yards.
The eight-year pro has recorded at least four receptions in six of the team's nine games this season and continues to be a favorite target for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Smith should be in the conversation for TE1 status against a poor pass defense in New England in Week 12.