Week 13 brings with it massive bye week issues with 6 teams sitting out this weekend – Baltimore, Buffalo, Chicago, Las Vegas, Minnesota and the New York Giants – so fantasy managers will be missing some key players in a crucial late season matchup.
Hopefully you looked ahead and planned for this coming weekend, but if you didn’t, we’re here to (try) and help you find some waiver wire studs to help you navigate this week.
We don’t want to exclude those who have full lineups going into this week, so we’ll also highlight some skill players who are slightly above our 40% rostered threshold who will be entering a bye this week and are probable candidates to be dropped by other manager searching to fill their week 13 roster holes.
Now is also the time to snag some high value bench stashes that can come through for you when the fantasy playoffs start so there’ll be some names to consider looking at if you have a playoff spot locked up and don’t need an immediate starter.
Quarterbacks
With Josh Allen (QB1), Lamar Jackson (QB6), Joshua Dobbs (QB11) and Justin Fields (QB21 while missing 4.5 games) off this week, there’s a dire need for a replacement quarterback option and not much value left.
Check if Russell Wilson is available. He’s only 56% rostered in Yahoo leagues and is facing the Houston Texans, who are giving up the 9th most points to fantasy quarterbacks. He also has a cakewalk remaining schedule facing the Chargers, Lions, Patriots, and Chargers to end the season. The Patriots are the only team who are outside the top 10 in QB points against, and they’re clearly just playing out a wasted season. Wilson absolutely has a capped ceiling, but with his propensity to throw at least one touchdown to Courtland Sutton every game, he has a surprisingly safe floor if your current quarterback situation is in disarray (looking at you Joe Burrow owners).
Jordan Love should also be owned in more than 53% of leagues. He’s the QB10 on the season due to a midseason slump. He started off the year incredibly hot, and has turned it back on as of late following some poor performances from weeks 5-9. However, the past 2 weeks the Packers offense as whole seems to have figured things out without the presence of Aaron Jones, utilizing Jayden Reed as a dual threat weapon and calling a game plan that actually uses Christian Watson’s talents properly. The Packers have a tough matchup this week against a strong Kansas City defense on Sunday night. But Love proved on Thanksgiving that he’s ready for the spotlight with a 3 touchdown performance versus the Lions.
As for the below 40% pickups…
Gardner Minshew – Indianapolis Colts – Week 13 @ Ten – 16% Rostered
The Colts offense has been a pleasant surprise this season with Minshew forced into a starting role after rookie Anthony Richardson hit the IR. But that unfortunately hasn’t been reflected in Minshew’s fantasy output. The Titans are a bit of a pass funnel defense. And with RB Jonathan Taylor reportedly undergoing surgery for his thumb, it would make sense that the Colts would prioritize the passing game this coming week. Michael Pittman is proving again that he’s an underrated receiver, and rookie Josh Downs is a true offensive threat now that he’s fully healthy. Minshew can scramble just enough that there’s potential for him to collect a few rushing yards per game, and, while he turns the ball over far too often, he does have a high ceiling if everything goes right in this matchup.
Kenny Pickett – Pittsburgh Steelers – Week 13 vs Ari – 16% Rostered
Pickett showed improvements last weekend in the new look Steelers offense after they moved on from former offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Pickett still didn’t manage to throw a touchdown, keeping him at just 6 over his 11 games this season, but the passing game started to open up, particularly in the middle of the field. With the Steelers facing a weak defense in the Arizona Cardinals, I would expect that they try to work on some things with their passing game. Pat Freiermuth is extremely talented at tight end, and made a big difference in last week’s games after missing multiple weeks due to injury. Pickett is coming off a season high passing performance and could finally have a big game this week as the Steelers fight to secure their wildcard spot in a tight AFC race.
Running Backs
With the latest news of Jonathan Taylor undergoing surgery on his thumb, Zach Moss immediately becomes the #1 pickup this coming weekend. He’s already proven he can be a starting back at the beginning of the season while Taylor was on IR. Despite the Colts facing some tough run defenses down the stretch, he is who you should be unloading the rest of your FAAB on if he’s still available. Moss is owned in 51% of leagues right now, but that number is set to explode with Taylor’s injury timeline questionable going forward. The Colts have shown no interest in involving third stringer Trey Sermon into their offense, so Moss is an extremely rare late season 3-down back addition that could help win leagues.
Samaje Perine – Denver Broncos – Week 13 @ Houston Texans – 20% Rostered
The Broncos are on a roll right now. They’ve won 5 straight and are actually playing great football. One major benefactor is Perine. He’s put up double digit fantasy points in 2 straight weeks, including a 7 carry, 55 yard 1 TD rushing performance against the vaunted Browns defense last week. Perine took advantage of Javonte Williams leaving the team’s opening drive due to injury to get the score. While Williams did return, Perine looks like he’s fitting into the role we originally expected him to take. In week 11, Perine was the entire Broncos offense during their 2 minute drill as he racked up reception after reception to lead the Broncos to a game winning field goal. He’s topped 60 scrimmage yards in back to back contests and seems to have pushed aside rookie Jaleel McLaughlin as the RB2. He should have a solid game in a close matchup with the Texans this week.
D’Ernest Johnson – Jacksonville Jaguars – Week 13 vs Cincinnati Bengals – 1% Rostered
Very quietly, Johnson has surpassed rookie Tank Bigsby as the Jaguars RB2 with Johnson lining up for 39% of the team’s offense snaps compared to a season low 3% for Bigsby in week 12. Johnson has had 17 carries for just 51 yards over the past 3 games, but adds a receiving element with 104 receiving yards during that stretch. He was a critical part of the Browns running offense last season when their backfield was dealing with injuries so there’s reason to believe that could be the case again this season with Etienne getting banged up in week 12. He’s definitely worth a speculative bench addition as Bigsby’s fumbles have clearly moved him into the doghouse in Jacksonville.
Jeff Wilson – Miami Dolphins – Week 13 @ Washington Commanders – 17% Rostered
This is a hard call to make, because as of right now there’s very little clarity on the status of De’Von Achane. Without Achane in the lineup, Wilson ripped off several nice runs against the Jets in week 12 and was involved in the passing game with 3 receptions. He’ll almost assuredly become irrelevant if Achane returns, as he was a healthy scratch in week 11 when Achane was activated from IR. But with serious questions about Achane’s durability going forward, Wilson’s potential is worth taking a flier on if he’s to take on a larger role with the offense.
Potential Bye Week Drops To Look For
Keaton Mitchell – Baltimore Ravens – 61% Rostered
Ty Chandler – Minnesota Vikings – 44% Rostered
Roschon Johnson – Chicago Bears – 23% Rostered
Mitchell and Chandler have very similar profiles – they’re smaller, explosive backs who are stuck behind a “workhorse” and are coming off of disappointing performances in good matchups.
Mitchell’s usage in week 12 was actually a season high but that didn’t translate to a fantastic fantasy performance. There could be some managers who are leery to bank on his explosive upside and be forced to drop him for a week 13 starter.
Ty Chandler was barely used against the Bears in week 12, rushing just 4 times for 8 yards. He was still on the field for 33% of the team’s offensive snaps though, so it appears that the Vikings still have faith in their 2nd year back. The Vikings come back in week 14 against a vulnerable run defense in the Raiders, a disappointing Bengals team that could be mailing it in during week 15, and the Lions in week 16 who might not have much to play for. Chandler could have a standout rest of the season.
Johnson’s rookie season has been a mild disappointment, and the Bears backfield has been a mess. But in week 12, Johnson logged 4 more carries than Khalil Herbert, was on the field for 74% of the team’s offensive snaps, and was 3rd on the team in receptions, receiving yards and targets. D’Onta Foreman is very likely to be back and healthy by the time the Bears take the field in week 14, but with nothing to play for this season, it would make sense for the Bears to begin to feature Johnson to see what they have in him for next year.
Wide Receivers
There are some nice young talents that are stepping up as they’ve gotten acclimated to the rigors of the NFL.
Jayden Reed (48% owned) looks like an absolute steal for the Green Bay Packers as they begin to work him into the offense in more creative ways. And the Chiefs are FINALLY prioritizing Rashee Rice (68% owned) in their passing game as he hit a season highs in virtually every offensive receiving stat this past weekend against the Raiders.
Tutu Atwell – Los Angeles Rams – Week 13 vs Cleveland Browns – 27% Rostered
Atwell was the most productive receiver for the Rams in week 12 – outgaining Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Demarcus Robinson combined despite only being on the field for ⅓ of the offensive snaps. Kupp and Nacua are clearly working through some injury issues, and with the Rams playoff hopes hanging in the balance, it doesn’t make sense to continue to force them on the field if they drop their next couple of contests. While the Browns defense is one of the best in the league this season, Atwell has a habit of making the best of a bad situation when called upon. If he is indeed promoted into a more prominent role to end the year, the Rams will face the Commanders in week 15 and the Giants in week 17 – two bottom 5 defenses against wide receivers in the league.
Curtis Samuel – Washington Commanders – Week 13 vs Mia – 29% Rostered
Curtis Samuel appears to be healthy again, and Sam Howell has an affinity to look his way whenever he’s on the field. Samuel recorded at least 50 yards and/or a touchdown in his first 6 games before suffering a toe injury that limited his snap percentage as the team tried to keep him healthy during the middle of the season. In last week’s loss to the Cowboys, Samuel played his highest snap percentage since week 7 and saw 12 targets with 9 receptions and 100 yards. It makes no logical sense that Samuel is the preferred option over Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, but fantasy football doesn’t seem to follow logic. Grab Samuel as your solid floor WR3 or flex to end the season.
Jameson Williams – Detroit Lions – Week 13 @ New Orleans Saints – 22% Rostered
Williams entered the 2022 draft with plenty of hype, despite it being known that he would be unavailable for the majority of his rookie season due to injury. He then was suspended for gambling on team premises to start his sophomore season. And there was definite chatter of his immaturity and lack of commitment to becoming a full time NFL player. However, head coach Dan Campbell has recently praised Williams’ development as of late, and his snap percentage has taken a noticeable uptick in the past 3 weeks. He might still max out at around 66% of offensive snaps, and will continue to make pedestrian catches look difficult, but if he’s finally healthy and figuring out the NFL, he’s such a dynamic weapon for the Lion’s offense. There’s plenty of depth in the Lions wide receiver room, but no one has as much potential to be an explosive WR2 alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown as Williams has.
Potential Bye Week Drops To Look For
Khalil Shakir – Buffalo Bills – 17% Rostered
Jalin Hyatt – New York Giants – 3% Rostered
Shakir has solidified himself as the Bills slot receiver, playing a season high 80% of offensive snaps against the Eagles in week 12. Those snaps didn’t result in a big fantasy output, but being able to grab someone on a Josh Allen led offense who will constantly be on the field is a huge plus this late in the season. Shakir has seen 4 or more targets in 5 of his last 6 games, but has struggled to find the end zone with only 2 touchdown catches on the season. With the Bills on a bye, then facing the Chiefs and Cowboys, Shakir is likely to be dropped by most teams this week. The Bills finish the season off against the Chargers and Patriots however, so there’s some fantasy final potential there.
Jalin Hyatt looks to be finally solving the Giants WR1 problem as Darious Slayton continues to be limited. The Giants season is over and done, but they’ll be looking to see what they have for next year so should look to feature Hyatt in a leading role as they come out of their bye week. As fun as the Devito reign has been, Tyrod Taylor could potentially come off of IR by week 14 which would give the Giants an actual quarterback to see what they have in Hyatt.
Tight Ends
With the new Steelers offense realizing that the middle of the field is an option, Pat Freiermuth’s rest of season outlook looks extremely promising, recording 100 receiving yards for the 1st time in his career. Freiermuth is a big play tight end, and had catches of 29, 24 and 16 yards in the Steeler win against the Bengals in week 12. He was left as an afterthought after missing 6 weeks, but he’s the priority add at tight end this week at only 50% ownership.
Cade Otton – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Week 13 vs Carolina Panthers – 29% Rostered
Otton is on the field for over 95% of the team’s offensive snaps this season, so there’s always some potential there. He can give you a serviceable floor, but with only 3 touchdowns on the season (2 in one game), his ceiling is extremely low. Unfortunately this week there aren’t many better waiver wire options to plug and play.
Juwan Johnson – New Orleans Saints – Week 13 vs Detroit Lions – 9% Rostered
Someone has to catch the ball in New Orleans. Michael Thomas is on IR, Chris Olave is in concussion protocol and likely to miss this week’s game, and Rashid Shaheed has a quad injury. Johnson ran a route on 34 of the team’s 40 dropbacks in week 12, and could be forced into becoming a focal point of the passing offense alongside Alvin Kamara. The Saints could likely enter week 13 with A.T. Perry as their WR1, so if they want to have a shot against the Lions, Johnson needs to be a big factor in their offense.
Potential Bye Week Drops To Look For
Isaiah Likely – Baltimore Ravens – 51% Rostered
Likely didn’t have a Mark Andrews level game in his season debut as the starting tight end for the Ravens, but he did finish second on the team in targets and paced all pass catchers in yardage. Zay Flowers will probably take on a larger role with the absence of Andrews, but Jackson loves throwing to his tight ends and with an extra week off, Likely has a chance to be an end of year star at tight end.
-Devon Gallant
Twitter: @DevGallant
Photo: Senior Airman Andrew D. Sarver. This image or file is a work of a U.S. Air Force Airman or employee, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image or file is in the public domain in the United States.