X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Deeper League Free Agent Pickups for Week 12

Some fantasy football leagues are deep enough that the top Week 12 waiver wire adds are already gone. Jake Trowbridge identifies some deeper free agents to pick up at QB, RB, WR, and TE.

Rotoballers, if you're not active on the waiver wire this time of year, there are only two reasonable explanations: 1) You're sitting at 3-8 (or worse) and don't find it enjoyable to play spoiler to your league mates, or 2) You're 8-3 (or better) and have nothing but matchup-proof studs on your starting lineup and bench. Anyone who's not still committed to watching the waiver wire is playing a dangerous game.

As a reminder, keep an eye out to see if anyone in your league happened to drop players from teams previously on bye to make space on their roster. It happens more often than you may think.

The following players are owned in approximately 10% or fewer of Yahoo leagues, so they won't be the flashiest names on the market. But if you're looking for a good spot start or just need some high-upside lottery tickets, these are your guys. Let's look at some potential waiver wire adds in deep leagues.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Free Agent Quarterbacks

Jeff Driskel, Detroit Lions - 3% owned

If you gagged just reading that name, know that it wasn't much easier to type it. Driskel is certainly no one-for-one swap for the injured Matthew Stafford, but if you've constantly been railroaded by underperforming "brand name" quarterbacks, you may want to consider Driskel as a legitimate option. He threw the ball just 26 times for a paltry 209 yards against Dallas, but found the end zone twice and added 51 yards (and another TD) with his legs. Driskel gets a friendly matchup against Washington in Week 12 and may end up being "the guy" in Detroit for at least a few weeks longer.

Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers - 10% owned

Death, taxes, and Mason Rudolph in this space every week with 10% ownership. Yes, he looked bad against Cleveland in Week 11, and his involvement in the end-of-game extracurriculars has earned him a fine (along with a lot of ire, especially from Browns fans), but he isn't likely to miss any time. He'll pay his fine and then face the Bengals in Week 12, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks thus far.

 

Free Agent Running Backs

Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens - 7% owned

Anyone who watched Edwards roll all over the Houston Texans last Sunday and didn't immediately transition him into "must have" status as a running back handcuff...well, maybe this game just isn't for you. Edwards racked up 112 yards and a touchdown on his eight touches, though nearly half of that production came on one play late in the fourth quarter. He's certainly not a dependable weekly starter so long as Mark Ingram is active and healthy, but Edwards could be a dominant fantasy force if the almost-30-year-old Ingram were to miss any time.

Jonathan Williams, Indianapolis Colts - 6% owned

Marlon Mack is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on a broken right hand, which frees up an enormous opportunity in this Colts backfield. Indianapolis has averaged the fourth-most rushing attempts per game, and without their underrated bell cow, someone will have to step up. Williams did just that when Mack left the Colts game against Jacksonville, picking up 147 total yards on just 14 touches. The Colts have a short week and play the Texans (and their mediocre run defense) on Thursday. Provided that quick turnaround, Williams should lead Indy's rushing attack at least for one week.

 

Free Agent Wide Receivers

Demaryius Thomas, New York Jets - 10% owned

The trusty veteran has seen no fewer than five targets in four of his last five games, and five of his last seven. Thomas hasn't really boomed at all this season, as he's not topped 85 yards in any single outing, but he's remained a steady and reliable presence in the Jets offense. He should be in line for some positive touchdown regression as well, as he's somehow yet to come down with one in the end zone so far this year.

John Ross, Cincinnati Bengals - 8% owned

Ross has been designated to return from IR, and this week officially marks the opening of his practice window. Granted, Ross can't actually return to game action until Week 14, but the speedy wideout faces off against Miami in Week 16, known in the majority of leagues as the fantasy championships. Ross was electric in the four games he played, and even with Ryan Finley under center, Ross should be in line for a good chunk of targets.

 

Free Agent Tight Ends

Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 2% owned

For those of you who thought O.J. Howard had finally broken out after his 4-71-1 stat line in Week 10, allow me to reintroduce you to Jameis Winston's true BFF, Cameron Brate. In route to a stunning 10 receptions for 73 yards, Brate usurped all other options on the field in terms of targets and overall production. Howard, meanwhile, was benched after bobbling a catch that led to an interception. Brate should return to being the top tight end option on the team and gets a soft matchup against Atlanta in Week 12.

Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings 3% owned

Again, we have to start considering the fact that Smith will be a larger part of this offense moving forward. The rookie tight end finally found the end zone against the Broncos in Week 11, which was the final piece to his fantasy puzzle. It's obvious the Vikings feel comfortable scheming him -- and Kirk Cousins feels comfortable targeting him -- so you should consider him scooping him up to stash him as he heads into his bye week.

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Moises Ballesteros

Riding An 11-Game Hit Streak
Victor Mesa Jr.

Starting Rehab Assignment On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF