Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 12

This wasn't a great week in terms of wide receivers coming out of nowhere to perform, but that's what happens at this point in the season. Positional rotations solidify. Teams in contention keep their best players out there more. Etc., etc., etc.

But this week did see Dez Bryant back on an NFL field again for the first time since 2017, provided you ignore the two snaps he saw in Week 9. Is Dez back? Did he catch it, with "it" being "footballs in the year 2020"?

Not all options are the same. Some players may be better in PPR or deeper leagues, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all comparison. Use your best judgment when deciding which of these players is the right fit for your roster. Check out our Waiver Wire Adds for Week 8 for help at all the skill positions. All players on this list here are around 30% rostered or below.

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Jalen Reagor, Philadelphia Eagles

29% rostered

So, Carson Wentz has reached "replace him with Jalen Hurts" levels of bad, right? I guess we'll see, but a quarterback change could really help Jalen Reagor, whose five targets ranked second among Eagles wide receivers this week. He caught four passes for 52 yards. He's a borderline WR3/4 play most weeks with Wentz and could go higher with improved quarterback play. And hey, he has that atrocious Seahawks Defense on deck next week!

Tim Patrick, Denver Broncos

21% rostered

Yes, his five catches for 119 yards is artificially inflated by a 61-yard catch on the final play of the game when the Broncos were trying to run out the clock, but I still like his usage lately, with six or more targets in three consecutive games. He's a good floor play moving forward.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

10% rostered

The veteran wideout's time in the NFL might be winding down, but he's still capable of having productive games. Fitzgerald was targeted 10 times against Seattle, finishing with eight receptions for 62 yards. He's topped 50 yards in two of three games since the bye week and has some value in full PPR leagues, though admittedly not a ton of it.

Breshad Perriman, New York Jets

10% rostered

The first of two Jets on today's list, Perriman caught just two passes on Sunday, but finished with 54 yards and a touchdown. He's the big play guy here, which isn't a very safe role, but if you need a fantasy receiver who can do the boom/bust thing, Perriman is an option for you.

Dez Bryant, Baltimore Ravens

9% rostered

DEZ IS BACK.

Bryant was targeted five times in this one, hauling in four passes for 28 yards. Not great numbers, but with it becoming more and more clear how little Marquise Brown is involved in Baltimore, there's a viable path to Bryant being the No. 1 receiver in Baltimore going forward. Although, the No. 1 wide receiver role in Baltimore might not actually be a fantasy relevant role at this point...

Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons

7% rostered

We saw Julio Jones on and off the field in this one with a hamstring issue. If that winds up being a lingering thing that keeps Jones off the field, Gage likely slides into a larger role. This week, he was targeted 12 times, catching seven passes for 58 yards. Look, I know we were wrong weeks ago about Gage becoming a solid fantasy play, but maybe the conditions are right for it this time?

Denzel Mims, New York Jets

5% rostered

Is Mims the new Jamison Crowder? Crowder has been targeted just five times in the past two games, while Mims has 16 targets in that time frame. He turned this week's eight targets into three catches for 71 yards. Would be nice to see a higher catch rate, but Mims is clearly the No. 1 option for Joe Flacco right now. I guess we'll have to see if he stays the No. 1 option should we ever see Sam Darnold again.

Willie Snead IV, Baltimore Ravens

4% rostered

Dez Bryant's role is growing, but Snead once again led the Ravens receivers in targets. Of course, he only turned those seven targets into three catches for 23 yards, so I probably shouldn't even be writing about him at this point. Sorry. Pick him up in very deep leagues if you need someone who should have an acceptable floor.

Damiere Byrd, New England Patriots

2% rostered

Jakobi Meyers took a backseat this week, with Byrd leading the way with six catches for 132 yards and a score. He also addd an 11-yard run. Byrd was targeted nine times in Week 9, then zero times last week against the Ravens, so if you pick him up, you're going to be dealing with a really volatile situation. But if you need a deep-league flyer, Byrd's definitely someone who can be in play.

Steven Sims Jr., Washington Football Team

2% rostered

Sims caught three passes for 13 yards and a touchdown. The volume definitely wasn't there, though part of that was because Washington didn't need to take to the air too much, as Alex Smith only threw 25 passes.

Anyway, Sims has slowly worked his way back into things in Washington and while he isn't performing like he did earlier in the season before he missed time with injury, he does seem to be becoming part of the Football Team's attack, and he has an enticing Week 12 game against the Cowboys on tap.

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