Week 12 Bye-Week Blues: Waiver Wire Adds For Fantasy Football

Welcome to Week 12 of the NFL season, where we have six teams on that dreaded bye week. Fantasy players will be without anyone on the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, and New York Jets this week.

Unfortunately, fantasy players might have to find replacement options off the waiver wire to use a spot start in Week 12. Who should fantasy players target off the waiver wire? Let’s dive in!

For context, every player in this article is rostered in under 25% of Yahoo leagues.

• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
• Running back fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
• Tight end fantasy football rankings
• Kicker fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Superflex fantasy football rankings
• IDP fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Bye-Week Quarterback Pickups for Week 12

Drake Maye, New England Patriots: 14% Rostered

New England hasn’t won many games this season. Yet, Maye has been a massive bright spot for the team. He has averaged 1.5 passing touchdowns and 16.2 fantasy points per game in his six starts. Furthermore, the rookie has averaged 17.2 fantasy points per game in the five starts he didn’t leave early with a concussion, totaling 15.7 or more in all but one contest.

More importantly, Maye has racked up fantasy points with his legs, averaging 5.1 fantasy points per game on the ground as the starting quarterback. New England’s offense has played better lately, while the Miami Dolphins’ defense has been inconsistent. Last week, the Dolphins gave up 282 passing yards, two touchdowns, and 18 fantasy points to Gardner Minshew II. Furthermore, they have surrendered 18 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks over the past month.

Bye-Week Running Back Pickups for Week 12

Cam Akers, Minnesota Vikings: 17% Rostered

Thankfully, Aaron Jones played in Week 11 after suffering a rib injury the week before against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, the veteran running back struggled in the win over the Tennessee Titans, averaging only 2.6 yards per rushing attempt, totaling a season-low 4.8 half-point PPR fantasy points. By comparison, Akers scored 10.6 fantasy points on four fewer touches, scoring his first touchdown with the Vikings in 2024.

Akers with his first receiving TD of the season!

📺: #MINvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/P2Gx05VJJC

— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024

For the second consecutive week, Akers was the clear-cut No. 2 running back ahead of Ty Chandler. He had 12 touches, while Chandler didn’t see the football. Meanwhile, Akers faces a Chicago Bears defense that has struggled to stop running backs lately, giving up 26.6 fantasy points per game over their past three contests. Akers is a startable flex option in deeper leagues this week.

Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears: 8% Rostered

While the Bears backfield was a fantasy football nightmare earlier in the year, Khalil Herbert was recently traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, and Johnson has become a boom-or-bust touchdown-dependent flex option for fantasy players.

The former Texas Longhorn had double-digit rushing attempts only once before Week 11, averaging 5.1 per contest. By comparison, the second year running back had his second double-digit rush attempt performance on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.

More importantly, Johnson had a rushing touchdown, ending the game with 10.6 half-point PPR fantasy points. By comparison, D'Andre Swift had 14 attempts for 15.4 fantasy points against the division rivals. The 14 to 10 rushing attempt distribution is the closest the two running backs have been in a game this season. Hopefully, Johnson continues to see more work against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12.

Bye-Week Wide Receiver Pickups for Week 12

Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers: 20% Rostered

Thielen hasn’t played since Week 3 because of a hamstring injury. However, when he got hurt, the veteran wide receiver performed best in the game. He had three receptions on five targets for 40 receiving yards, a receiving touchdown, and a season-high 11.5 half-point PPR fantasy points before leaving the game with a hamstring injury. More importantly, Thielen should return to the lineup this week against the Kansas City Chiefs.

What a throw by @andydalton14! What a catch by @athielen19!

📺: #CARvsLV on CBS/Paramount
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/9kJOeUA22e

— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024

The Panthers made significant changes to their wide receiver room over the past few weeks, trading Diontae Johnson and Jonathan Mingo away. Meanwhile, Thielen succeeded last year with Bryce Young under center, putting up multiple top-12 performances. While the matchup against the Chiefs in Week 12 isn’t ideal, the veteran is a solid bye-week replacement, with Carolina likely throwing the ball early and often.

Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns: 8% Rostered

Last week, Moore had his best game this season, with Cedric Tillman struggling to make an impact. The former Ole Miss star has seen an uptick in targets since the Amari Cooper trade. The veteran averaged 3.8 targets and 2.9 half-point PPR fantasy points per game over the first six weeks. By comparison, he has averaged 8.8 targets and 9.9 fantasy points per game over the past four contests.

Meanwhile, Moore had six receptions on eight targets for 66 receiving yards and his first touchdown this year on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. The veteran wide receiver has scored 12.5 or more fantasy points in two of the past three games. While the matchup Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers isn’t fantasy-friendly, Moore should continue to see a significant target share with Jameis Winston under center.

Bye-Week Tight End Pickups for Week 12

Will Dissly, Los Angeles Chargers: 24% Rostered

Dissly is the TE21 for the year, averaging six half-point PPR fantasy points per game. The veteran tight end was a popular streaming option in Week 11 because of his matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. They had given up 16.2 or more fantasy points to tight ends in three of their past four games heading into the Week 11 contest. More importantly, Dissly has become a consistent part of the Chargers’ offense.

The veteran tight end has averaged 6.6 targets per game over the past five weeks, totaling six or more in all but one matchup. Last week, Dissly had four receptions on six targets for 80 receiving yards, a touchdown, and a season-high 16 fantasy points. More importantly, he faces a Baltimore Ravens defense on Monday night that has struggled to slow down tight ends this season.

Herbert finds Dissly up the seam! 29-yard touchdown!

📺: #CINvsLAC on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/zBH6Cpwcm4

— NFL (@NFL) November 18, 2024

Ja'Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers: 2% Rostered

While Dissly is my favorite streaming tight end in Week 12, he’s not likely to be on the waiver wire in deeper leagues. However, Sanders is an excellent consolation prize for fantasy players. The rookie is one of my favorite tight end options for the rest of the season. He plays for one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Yet, the former Texas star has played well lately.

Sanders has averaged 4.2 targets and 7.2 half-point PPR fantasy points per game over the past five contests. Meanwhile, the rookie tight end scored his first NFL touchdown in the team’s last game. More importantly, his 26 targets over the past six games lead the team. Don’t be surprised if Sanders has a double-digit fantasy performance in Week 12 against a Kansas City Chiefs defense that has struggled to stop tight ends.

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