Week 13 Waiver Wire Deep Dive

By Kevin Scott 12:10pm EST 11/29/22

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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

I have been saying his name for weeks, so he is very likely already on your roster. But just in case you didn’t listen and no one else grabbed him, I’d add him first among the options here. He is the clear lead back now for the Rams, and looks pretty good. He played on 70% of snaps in Week 12 and went 11-35 on the ground and 3-25 through the air. The offense is bad with Matthew Stafford out, but if Stafford returns, Williams could be very valuable down the stretch.

Jordan Mason, 49ers

Mason looks like the next man up as a partner for Christian McCaffrey in the backfield, after Elijah Mitchell went down again and is out for the rest of the regular season with another knee injury. HC Kyle Shanahan has shown he does not want to lean on only one back. So Mason will likely pick up around 30% of the snaps and should have value the rest of the way. He played on only 9 snaps on Sunday but took 5 carries for 25 yards.

JaMycal Hasty & Darrell Henderson, Jaguars

Word on the street is that Travis Etienne’s foot injury is not serious, but the facts are that he is a RB who was having foot issues on Sunday. That is very concerning, especially since he has had issues with the same foot before. I have a hunch that his running style puts extra strain on his feet (he runs on his toes), but I could be wrong. Either way, I think it’s worth adding both Hasty and Henderson if they are on your wire, just in case, especially since the Jaguars seem to be getting better each week. Hasty played on 78% of snaps on Sunday (Henderson was not active since he just joined the team), and he got 17 touches. They are likely to split work if Etienne misses time.

Ronald Jones, Chiefs

Jones saw his first action of the season on Sunday with Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the IR, and I would guess Jones remains active on game days the rest of the season. He looks good and is excellent between the tackles. To my eye he looks like a more fluid runner than Isiah Pacheco, although Pacheco runs with more nuance. I do not think he’s taking Pacheco’s snaps, but I do think he will continue to work in here and there, giving him some upside in deep leagues.

Darrynton Evans, Bears

Trestan Ebner only got 1 snap on Sunday, while Evans got 18 snaps (32%). He got 9 carries and 1 target, and took those 10 touches for 67 yards. If he keeps the role over Ebner, he could have some nice value down the stretch once Justin Fields returns, so he is worth consideration, particularly in deep PPR leagues.

WRs

Richie James, Giants

I mention James for the second straight week, as he did indeed pick up the full-time slot duties with Wan’Dale Robinson done for the season. He played on 70% of snaps on Thanksgiving and tied for the team lead in targets with 6 (17% share). He caught 5 of them for 41 yards and a score. Daniel Jones is fond of throwing to slot receivers, so James has a very nice floor the rest of the way and is worth adding in almost all formats, especially PPR leagues.

DeAndre Carter, Chargers

I’m not sure how long Mike Williams will remain out, but until he is back, Carter is a nice plug-in option. He got 10 targets on Sunday, a 21% target share, and caught 7 for 73 yards and a TD.He played on 80% of the snaps.He is a worthy add for those dealing with injuries or inconsistency at the position.

DeVante Parker & Nelson Agholor, Patriots

I hesitate to bring these guys up, because it seems they will be valuable one week and do absolutely nothing the next. I suppose that’s the nature of the Patriots’ offense. In Week 12 they were both very effective, so they deserve mention in case you are desperate at WR. Parker played on 85% of snaps and Agholor on 78%. Parker caught all 4 of his targets for 80 yards, while Agholor caught 6 of his 8 targets for 65 yards and a score.

D.J. Chark, Lions

Take this one with a grain of salt, since Jameson Williams will likely play soon for the Lions and could take a lot of the targets that Chark might receive. But Chark stepped back into a significant role on Thanksgiving. He finished with 73% of snaps and got 5 targets, catching 2 for 16 yards and a score. A 14% target share isn’t bad, and that percentage might grow. So Chark is worth an add in deep leagues.

David Bell, Browns

If Bell is going to pan out, this might be the last call to get him for cheap. QB Deshaun Watson returns this week, which could increase Bell’s value by quite a bit. He is playing 60%+ of the snaps every week now (63% on Sunday), and his targets continue to tick up. He got 6 on Sunday, catching 4 for 23 yards. He is a sneaky add for your playoff push.

DeSean Jackson, Ravens

Jackson saw his first real action of the season on Sunday and got 3 targets. He caught 2 of them for 74 yards, including a nice 62-yard catch. He still has the speed to stretch defenses, so in very deep leagues he is an interesting speculative add since the Ravens do not seem to trust their other WRs to perform consistently.

TEs

Jordan Akins, Texans

Akins seems to have grabbed the top TE spot for the Texans, after several players have been involved over the season. He played on 52% of snaps and caught all 5 of his targets for 61 yards and a score. Any offensive player on the Texans has a very low floor, but Akins is an interesting add if you are desperate, as they will certainly be trailing in most games.

Cameron Brate, Bucs

I was hopeful that Cade Otton would get the chance to keep his role as the primary receiving TE for the Bucs for the rest of the season, as it seems clear to me he is better in the role than Cameron Brate. But the coaches and/or Tom Brady disagree, and it was Brate who got the targets in Week 12. While they split the snaps (52% for Otton & 51% for Brate), Brate got 5 targets and Otton didn’t get any. Brate only caught 2 for 15 yards, but that role is valuable in this offense.So if you are desperate at TE (as it seems most of us are), Brate could be a flier who gets in the end zone for you.

Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans

While Okonkwo continues to play fewer snaps than fellow TE Austin Hooper, his role in the offense is growing. He played on 33% of the snaps, compared to 67% for Hooper, but he received more targets (5 to 4). Okonkwo caught 3 of those 5 targets for 35 yards. This is a name to keep in mind in very deep leagues and potentially in keeper/dynasty formats, as he might become their starting TE down the line, pushing Hooper out. He is a very athletic player with raw but obvious skills.

Josh Oliver, Ravens

Oliver was a promising prospect when entering the NFL, but he just never seemed to quite pan out. Sunday might have been his best game as a pro, as he played on 61% of snaps and got 6 targets (a 19% target share). He caught 4 for 76 yards, leading the team in yardage, and also scored a TD. Mark Andrews is their first option, but with the lack of other viable pass catchers in Baltimore, Oliver could have some nice games down the stretch. Of course, Oliver is only a potential option if TE Isaiah Likely remains out.

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.