Ladies and gentlemen, we’re entering Week 13 with ZERO teams on bye, thanks to the Thanksgiving holiday. We hope you have a happy, healthy, and SAFE Thanksgiving.
To satiate your football appetite, we set off to find the best waiver wire options of the week so you don’t have to, because we know how important having a ton of information will be now that we’re inching closer to the fantasy playoffs. We’ll get you set up for success heading into Week 13’s action.
Note: All rostership percentages use Sleeper for this Fantasy Football Week 13 Waiver Wire (2024) article.
Quarterback:
Trevor Lawrence – Sleeper Roster – 30%
- It’s clear that the Jaguars have missed Trevor Lawrence at the quarterback position, as Doug Pederson has had to push Mac Jones out from backstage catering to average a not-so-good 6.2 fantasy points per game in his two starts before the Jags’ Week 12 bye.
- At the very least, Lawrence has been more than serviceable this season from a fantasy points aspect. From Week 5 to Week 9, Lawrence was QB8 in fantasy points per game with 20.2; better than Jayden Daniels, Jordan Love, Patrick Mahomes, and many more. Sure, Lawrence doesn’t have Christian Kirk or Gabe Davis, but he can certainly make do with rookie Brian Thomas Jr. and Evan Engram. Lawrence deserves to be added, as he’s likely to make his return in Week 13 against the Houston Texans.
Bryce Young – Sleeper Roster – 11%
- To say the first season and a half of Bryce Young was an abject failure would be a gross misrepresentation of that phrase. It was next-level bad. Young was well on his way toward becoming a cautionary tale and an answer to a trivia question for decades to come. But then a funny thing happens, as what typically happens with young players: they get better.
- While Young hasn’t been excellent, very good, or even good, he’s been serviceable for the Panthers over the past few weeks. He’s, at the very least, establishing a floor we can potentially rely on. I’m not advocating starting him in every league; he’s an option for only the very deepest of leagues or in Superflex formats as the Panthers play the Buccaneers, who are a bottom-three defense in the NFL in fantasy points per game allowed.
Russell Wilson – Sleeper Roster – 44%
- Given the literal snow globe that Russell Wilson was playing on Thursday Night Football, 270 passing yards and a touchdown wasn’t a terrible stat line to put up. Fortunately for our pal Rusty, he gets the path of least resistance as the Steelers will travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals.
- Where the Browns were at least moderately defensible against quarterbacks, the Bengals are an abomination as they’ve allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the quarterback position and the 11th-most passing attempts per game. Wilson immediately becomes a viable streamer if you’re looking for good matchups or needing to replace an injured quarterback or one with a bad matchup.
Running Back:
Jeremy McNichols – Sleeper Roster – 0%
- With Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler leaving the game in Week 12, Jeremy McNichols becomes arguably the waiver wire pickup of the week for a Commanders team that is suddenly reeling a bit. Robinson picked up an ankle injury, left, came back, and then left for good toward the end of the first half. In a play that likely didn’t need to happen if Dallas’ Juanyeh Thomas, Austin Ekeler suffered a concussion on the ensuing kickoff.
- With both Robinson and Ekeler’s Week 13 in jeopardy as the Commanders face the Titans, McNichols becomes the de facto top back in Washington, and he’s had success in limited opportunities this season. McNichols has averaged a robust 4.9 yards per carry this season on a 44-carry sample and also has four rushing touchdowns on the season. If Robinson and Ekeler are out, consider McNichols a strong RB2 volume-dependent option at home against the Titans in Week 13.
Ameer Abdullah – Sleeper Roster – 33%
- Both Alexander Mattison and Zamir White were out in last week’s game against the Denver Broncos, so veteran Ameer Abdullah had to tote the rock. He did just that, with as close to an every-down role as he could get. Abdullah earned 89% of the snaps, 80% of routes per dropback, and totaled 65 total yards plus a receiving touchdown.
- It’s possible Mattison and/or White could return, but if they don’t, Abdullah looks primed to carry the rock a bunch of times against an admittedly tough Chiefs defense. No matter the defense, the receiving work gives Abdullah a solid floor if he starts, so consider him a locked-in RB2 in that’s the case again in Week 13.
Tyler Allgeier – Sleeper Roster – 38%
- Nothing has changed with the Falcons’ running back hierarchy, as Bijan Robinson takes the lion’s share of the work and leaves a few scraps for Tyler Allgeier. This role is so fruitful for Robinson and even though there’s not much leftover for Allgeier but crumbs.
- But that’s the thing: if something happens to Robinson, Allgeier – he with a 1,000-yard season in his back pocket from his rookie season – becomes a top-end RB2 option with more upside. Of all the stash options, Allgeier has done it all before, so it’s all about the opportunity. That value is plenty valuable with the fantasy playoff weeks coming up soon. Stash him on your benches and in case something happens to Bijan, you’ll have him snapped up.
Wide Receiver:
Dontayvion Wicks – Sleeper Roster – 20%
- Ladies and gentlemen… are we back? Is it once again Dontayvion Wicks season? The last time we proclaimed this from the rooftops, we got a two-catch, 20-yard effort in Week 5 with plenty of drops. Well, he’s going to get plenty of opportunities on the outside boundary for the Packers in a short week as they host the Miami Dolphins.
- With wide receiver Romeo Doubs leaving Green Bay’s Week 12 contest with the 49ers, that opens up a spot on the outside opposite Christian Watson. We know Jayden Reed frequently rotates in as the primary slot man, but he doesn’t stay on the field when the formation condenses to two wide receivers. This should get Wicks at least 75-80% routes per dropback for the Packers. Let’s make this clear: Wicks is nothing but an upside stab in a flex spot if you need it, but it could be one of the biggest flop lag spots you’ll find across fantasy.
Xavier Legette – Sleeper Roster – 47%
- Week 12 saw the return of Adam Thielen to the Panthers’ lineup, and with Jalen Coker inactive with a quad injury, we got a little shakeup in the wide receiver room. The best thing with Xavier Legette is that he’s likely immune to any of the shifting and moving players around. Legette has an awesome full-time role that you can set your watch to.
- Legette has ran routes on 97% of Bryce Young’s dropbacks in the past three games and has averaged five targets per game. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are next up in Week 13 and they’re in the bottom-half of teams in terms of fantasy points per game allowed to wide receivers. Legette will get every chance to get some momentum and cap off his season on a high note, so in the 53% of leagues where he is available, he’s a worthwhile pickup for the rest of the season.
Noah Brown – Sleeper Roster – 19%
- I’ve feel like I’ve written about the everlasting search for the Commanders’ WR2 since the Eisenhower administration was in the White House, but the answer for weeks has been Noah Brown. Since Brown catching his only touchdown on the improbable Hail Mary that gave the Commanders a big win in Week 8, Brown has ran 82% of routes per dropback and averaged just over six targets per game in that five-week span.
- Brown has cleared the junk pile of deep threats, also-rans, and never-weres as Brown has been the only wide receiver on the Washington roster that’s earned targets consistently in his career. Somehow, Brown is available in 80% of leagues and represents some of the cheapest target upside you can find.
Tight End:
Cole Kmet – Sleeper Roster – 50%
- Cole Kmet is riding that 50% threshold and just makes our limit, but Kmet had one of the better games of his 2024 season with 10 targets, seven receptions, and 64 yards. Kmet is one of the streaming options at tight end that has actual upside as Kmet had two top-two finishes this season at the positions.
- While looking at the Lions and 49ers back-to-back is a tough pill to swallow when looking to start him, all it takes is a touchdown to make his week. Like a Cade Otton, Kmet has routes-based upside as he’s run 87% of routes of Caleb Williams dropbacks. While he has to play behind in the pecking order between D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen, Kmet is more than capable of getting his.
Luke Schoonmaker – Sleeper Roster – 19%
- With Jake Ferguson (concussion) out the last couple games, it hasn’t mattered that the quarterback is Cooper Rush, as Schoonmaker has still delivered for anybody starting him in fantasy. With two top-ten fantasy weeks, Schoonmaker should get a shot to put a third such week in his belt with Ferguson’s status reported as “a bit of a longshot.”
- Averaging seven targets, 4.5 catches, and 55 yards, Schoonmaker is making do with the volume he’s getting in this Cowboys offense. It might be harder to start him this week of all weeks, with all 32 teams playing a game, but if you’re in a pinch, you can do worse.
Chig Okonkwo – Sleeper Roster – 7%
- The tight end position is gross, so as a wise prophet has said in decades past, “modern problems require modern solutions.” While Chig Okonkwo doesn’t have a game over six targets and four receptions, Okonkwo made his presence felt last week against the Texans with his sole catch being a 70-yard touchdown.
- It’s hard to make a season-long determination based on one catch, but Okonkwo saw 70% routes per dropback for only the third time this season. We’ve known that Okonkwo has been incredibly efficient throughout his career, and Week 12 is a good example. Entering the streamer tight end conversation, Okonkwo brings his big-play ability and with Will Levis playing better, it gives us more confidence to fire up Okonkwo against the Commanders – the 21st ranked defense in fantasy points per game given up to tight ends — in Week 13.
D/ST:
Dallas Cowboys – Sleeper Roster – 19%
- Recommending the Dallas Cowboys in a waiver column (in this economy!) would normally be career seppuku, but hopefully when you’re enjoying the company of your family on Thanksgiving, you’re also watching a Cowboys defense rip into a great matchup with the New York Giants.
- Tommy DeVito gives up sacks like they’re going out of style with four allowed last week against the Commanders and five or more sacks allowed in nine games last season. The Cowboys should be more than capable of putting up a solid fantasy output for your teams this week.
Indianapolis Colts – Sleeper Roster – 5%
- While the Indianapolis Colts don’t strike fear into many opponents, they’ll head into Foxboro to take on the New England Patriots in Week 13. The Patriots have been up and down this season, but their offensive firepower is a week-to-week mystery.
- While Drake Maye has improved the overall complexion of this offense, the offense as a whole just isn’t very good; especially from a skill-position standpoint. We’ve seen some potential out of the Colts just last week, as they held the Lions to 24 points. Riding that momentum, I don’t mind rolling with the Colts this week against New England in Week 13.
Seattle Seahawks – Sleeper Roster – 14%
- The Seattle Seahawks under head coach Mike Macdonald have been a bit inconsistent, especially as a fantasy football defensive unit. While Macdonald had been a defensive guru in Baltimore for many years, he has some pieces but overall, it’s not one of the strongest on-paper units.
- Against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12, the Cardinals were held to just six points and the Seahawks tallied five sacks, an interception, and a touchdown. Against a spiraling Jets team, the opportunities for turnovers should be plentiful. Seattle is a sleeper unit this week, but is a solid play this week.
