Fantasy Football: Week 12 Waiver Wire Targets 2021
By Pat Pitts
Don’t look now, but the Fantasy Football playoffs are QUICKLY approaching and some key players on your rosters are finally reaching those late season Bye weeks. Let’s take a look at who could possibly help you win some late-season matchups if you’re able to scoop them up off the Waiver Wire.
Quarterbacks
Trevor Siemian (Rostered in 6% of ESPN and Yahoo leagues)
Siemian finished as Week 11’s QB4, his second straight week as a Top-5 fantasy QB, against the Eagles. He threw multiple touchdowns for the third consecutive week. After his date with the Bills on Sunday, Siemian makes an excellent streaming QB for the rest of the year.
Tyrod Taylor (Rostered in 5% of ESPN leagues and 6% of Yahoo leagues)
Tyrod Taylor had an average fantasy performance on Sunday, salvaged by two rushing touchdowns, in the Texans upset win over the Titans. Taylor has matchups against the Jets, Colts, and Seahawks over his next three games, making him a decent QB2 streaming option for those late season Bye week QBs.
Taylor Heinicke (Rostered in 13% of ESPN leagues and 15% of Yahoo leagues)
Heinicke has been a very serviceable QB this season since stepping into the starting role practically from the jump for the Washington Football Team. He faces an awful Seahawks defense next Monday night, making for a high quality streaming option.
Running Backs
Dontrell Hillard (Rostered in <1% of ESPN leagues and Yahoo leagues)
Hillard led the Titans backfield with eight receptions, launching him into fantasy relevancy. He had one less carry than Adrian Peterson and made the most of his fill-in for Jeremy McNichols. Hillard is worth the claim in deep leagues with the hope he’ll see more playing time against New England in Week 12.
Ty Johnson (Rostered in 19% of ESPN leagues and 21% of Yahoo leagues)
Michael Carter’s injury has him missing 2-3 weeks, giving Ty Johnson a chance to shine. With the Jets being an absolute mess at QB, Johnson has a chance to take control of the offense in New York in Carter’s absence.
Deejay Dallas (Rostered in 0.5% of ESPN leagues and 1% of Yahoo leagues)
Dallas found the end zone on Sunday and seems to be the lone competent RB in the Seattle backfield as the team tries to sort things out with Chris Carson now being ruled out for the season. He’s a speculative add that has tons of upside if Pete Carroll decides Dallas is the “guy” moving forward for the rest of the season.
Wide Receivers
Elijah Moore (Rostered in 40% of ESPN leagues and 58% of Yahoo leagues)
Moore finished Sunday with a career-high 141 yards against the Dolphins and found the end zone for the fourth time in three games. This will be the last week he will be on waivers as everyone now knows he’s the best WR the Jets have.
Marquise Goodwin (Rostered in <1% of ESPN leagues and Yahoo leagues)
Goodwin caught four passes for 104 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, and saw his usage increase when Andy Dalton came in to relieve the injured Justin Fields. His speed makes him the perfect deep threat for the gunslinging Dalton to target. His ceiling is just a low-end FLEX player, but there are worse options.
DeAndre Carter (Rostered in 1% of ESPN leagues and 3% of Yahoo leagues)
In his last three games, Carter has caught a touchdown and averaged almost 10 yards per catch in that span. Heinicke loves to target him and has turned Carter into his safety blanket of sorts. With matchups against Seattle, Las Vegas, and Dallas over the next three weeks, Carter is a decent WR3/FLEX addition to your roster for the playoff push you could be embarking on.
Tight Ends
Austin Hooper (Rostered in 21% of ESPN leagues and 22% of Yahoo leagues)
Hooper has eight catches in his last two games and has been Baker Mayfield’s most reliable pass catcher in that span. He’s a low-end TE2 for any team still dealing with late season Bye weeks.
Foster Moreau (Rostered in <1% of ESPN leagues and Yahoo leagues)
Moreau caught another touchdown this week and has been a great second-fiddle to Waller. While Moreau obviously benefits when Waller is not on the field, but he will have a role in the Raiders offense with the lack of pass catchers the team has. He’s a decent TE2 add for remaining Bye weeks and possible injury replacement scenarios.
Donald Parham Jr. (Rostered in <1% of ESPN leagues and 1% of Yahoo leagues)
Parham caught more passes than Jared Cook for the third straight week on Sunday against the Steelers. His role in the offense has increased and Justin Herbert seems to trust him in the pass game more than Cook. Parham needs to be rostered, especially in deep leagues.