Fantasy Football Redraft

Week 12 Waiver Wire Deep Dive

By Kevin English 12:58pm EST 11/22/22

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Below I have dug into some important data from the week to help you find some players who could help you in the coming weeks and potentially beyond. I have listed the players at each position in order of priority.

RBs

Kyren Williams, Rams

Williams played on 55% of snaps on Sunday, ahead of Cam Akers and far ahead of Darrell Henderson, who only played on 4 snaps. While Akers had one of his most productive days of the season (14-61 on 39% of snaps), Williams appears to be the direction the Rams coaches want to go. He finished with 7 carries for 36 yards, and caught 1 pass for 8 yards. Matthew Stafford may be out a while with another concussion, so this offense might get even worse in the near term. But Williams needs to be rostered in fantasy leagues of 12+ teams just in case the offense ever turns things around.

Justin Jackson, Lions

Even though both Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift were playing, and both scored, it was Jackson who was most effective on the ground on Sunday. He rushed it 9 times for 66 yards, a 7.3-yard average. He also caught his only target for 11 yards. The Lions just are not willing to give Swift many touches, and that seems unlikely to change, so Jackson is an intriguing add in deeper leagues. The Lions want to be a run-first team and have been committed to that, and it makes sense with the success they have seen on the ground. Jackson will likely remain in a three-way committee, but that doesn’t mean he can’t provide value for those who just need a back getting some opportunities.

Trestan Ebner, Bears

Ebner got 22% of snaps with Khalil Herbert out, so in very deep leagues he is a player you might consider adding. He struggled to produce, only gaining 8 yards on his 6 carries and failing to catch his only target. But the Bears will trail a lot and his specialty is as a pass-down back. So he could have a couple nice games down the stretch and is an interesting consideration for those hurting at RB.

WRs

DeMarcus Robinson, Ravens

With Rashod Bateman out, many of us assumed it would be Devin Duvernay operating as the top WR option for Lamar Jackson. Instead, it was clearly Robinson. He played on fewer snaps than Duvernay (78% to 84%), but received a whopping 9 targets (a 27% share). He caught them all for 128 yards. This performance may have earned him additional opportunities, as the Ravens likely don’t win this game without him. Duvernay finished with 1 catch for 3 yards. Robinson will still have to fight for targets most weeks in a low-volume passing attack, but he’s worth a speculative add.

Alec Pierce, Colts

Pierce was cut in many of my leagues after failing to produce for a few weeks, and with the emergence of Parris Campbell. He has shown he is a very talented rookie, so in deep leagues he is certainly worth having on your roster. He led the team in targets on Sunday with 8 (25% share), and has shown a nice rapport with Matt Ryan all season. Unfortunately he only caught 3 of those targets for 28 yards, but the targets mean something. The lack of production will lead to many missing the high target share. The Colts seem to be playing to win again, so he could have some nice games down the stretch.

Randall Cobb, Packers

It seems like Aaron Rodgers knows his time is nearing an end, and if he is going out he’s going out throwing to his guys. Cobb is a good friend of his and he insists on targeting him, even when he’s far past his prime. Then again, the Packers have very few dependable weapons at WR. If you are in need of help at WR, Cobb is at least going to get some looks.

Richie James, Giants

With Wan’Dale Robinson going down with a season-ending knee injury on Sunday, it will likely be Richie James the Giants turn to in the slot, just as it was early in the season. James is not a special talent, but he will likely get 4-6 targets per week and be on the field a lot. On Sunday he played on only 22% of snaps and got 3 targets, catching them all for 48 yards and a score.

TEs

Austin Hooper, Titans

Hooper’s role is still not close to elite, as he only played on 45% of snaps, the same as fellow TE Chigoziem Okonkwo. But Hooper’s role in the passing game is slowly ticking up a bit of late, and he caught all 4 of his targets on Thursday night (a 15% target share). He is also receiving red-zone targets, and caught both of them this week, scoring twice. He is still only worth a look in pretty deep leagues, but could provide help if you’re desperate at the position.

Jonnu Smith, Patriots

It’s so tough to know what the Patriots are going to do, so I hesitate to mention Smith. But he has been involved in the passing attack of late, so I think he’s worth mentioning. He only played on 54% of snaps, compared to 84% for Hunter Henry. But Smith caught all 4 of his targets for 40 yards, while Henry only got 1 target. This will likely switch around week to week, but Smith is a decent option for managers in very deep leagues who are desperate for some production at TE.

Kevin Scott is a fantasy pro who has been playing in high-stakes redraft and dynasty leagues for over 15 years. He has won over $100,000 playing fantasy football. He has written for Sports Illustrated, 4for4, Fansided, FFToday, and Chiefs Wire. You can follow him on Twitter @kevinscottff, or check out his podcast called Grinding the Data.