Week 11 of the 2022 fantasy football season is nearly in the books! And it’s time to improve our rosters on the Week 12 waiver wire. Let’s take a look at the top Week 12 waiver wire pickups and targets that fantasy managers should consider adding to their rosters, which include Samaje Perine and Treylon Burks.
Note: All roster percentages are from Yahoo, and players are listed by position in order of priority.
Waiver Wire Pickups To Target in Week 12
Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns (48% Rostered)
Deshaun Watson’s roster percentage continues to rise with each successive week as we near his return from suspension. The Browns have just one game remaining with Jacoby Brissett under center. By Wednesday morning, I expect Watson’s roster percentage to be well over 50%. If he’s still out there in your league, time to pick him up.
Samaje Perine, RB, Cincinnati Bengals (6% Rostered)
Entering Sunday night, Samaje Perine was the overall RB2 on the week with 30.2 PPR fantasy points. He carried the ball 11 times for a very inefficient 30 yards but caught all four of his targets for 52 yards and three touchdowns, helping me hit my Joe Burrow passing yards higher on Underdog Fantasy.
Of course, there’s no reason to expect Perine to do this again with a healthy Joe Mixon. Unfortunately, Mixon sustained a concussion in the Bengals’ win over the Steelers.
While it’s entirely possible Mixon returns this week, we’re not seeing many players return to action without missing at least one game. If Mixon is out even for one week, Perine is immediately an auto-start RB2.
We won’t know anything regarding Mixon’s outlook for next week on Tuesday night. As a result, fantasy managers must pursue Perine as if Mixon isn’t playing next week. It’s the only way to approach the situation.
So, how much is a one or two-week spot start worth? Well, that’s entirely up to you. With just three weeks left in the fantasy regular season, spend as much FAAB as you feel is necessary based upon your roster and however many wins, if any, you need to secure that playoff spot/bye.
Latavius Murray, RB, Denver Broncos (23% Rostered)
The Broncos’ backfield was back to a two-man show this week. Latavius Murray and Melvin Gordon III split snaps just about evenly. Murray played exactly half the snaps. Gordon played three fewer, with those going to Chase Edmonds.
Murray carried the ball 17 times for 49 yards and caught all four of his targets for 23 yards. He also punched in a short touchdown.
Murray will likely be touchdown-dependent most weeks, but any running back seeing 20+ opportunities needs to be rostered. Murray is worth an 8-12% FAAB bid.
James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills (17% Rostered)
This is probably nothing, but James Cook is the clear handcuff to Devin Singletary. Cook continued to play ahead of Nyheim Hines, who has absolutely no role on this team. Cook actually saw 11 carries in this one, amassing 86 yards.
MORE: Week 12 Non-PPR Fantasy Rankings
I don’t really envision him carving out any standalone value, but we still have two more weeks with byes, including a very heavy six-team Week 14. Cook could be a standalone RB4 with RB2 upside if Singletary were to go down. He’s worth a 3-7% FAAB bid.
Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams (27% Rostered)
The reality is no Rams player is really worth anything anymore. But any starting running back needs to be rostered. I guess that might be Cam Akers. On Sunday, he led the Rams with 14 carries despite playing just 39% of the snaps.
I really can’t imagine any LA running back being startable. This is a cooked team that may be without its quarterback for the rest of the season. They’re not going to be scoring many points. But for the desperate, Akers looks like he’s once again usurped Darrell Henderson Jr., who played a whole four snaps. I guess you can throw a couple bucks of FAAB on him.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Cleveland Browns (44% Rostered)
Amari Cooper may have had the monster game, but Donovan Peoples-Jones actually played more snaps and ran more routes. Of course, DPJ only saw six targets, but he caught five of them for 61 yards and a touchdown.
Peoples-Jones has now scored double-digit fantasy points in five straight. He’s caught at least four passes for at least 50 yards in seven consecutive games. With Watson on the horizon, Peoples-Jones’ outlook is only going to get better. He’s worth a 12-15% FAAB bid.
Parris Campbell, WR, Indianapolis Colts (40% Rostered)
It was an uneventful Week 11 for Parris Campbell but still an encouraging one. Campbell caught five of six targets for 67 yards. It wasn’t the 20 ppg he’s been averaging with Matt Ryan over his last three prior to this game, but it was his fourth consecutive Ryan game with double-digit fantasy points.
MORE: Week 12 PPR Fantasy Rankings
Campbell was second on the team in snaps behind Michael Pittman Jr. He did run fewer routes and saw fewer targets than Alec Pierce, but Campbell was far more efficient. He remains a high-floor weekly option who belongs on far more fantasy rosters. I would spend 15-20% of my FAAB on him.
Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans (19% Rostered)
We’ve seen many rookie wide receivers do nothing over the first half of their inaugural NFL season only to smash down the stretch. Was Thursday night Treylon Burks’ breakout performance? It sure looks that way.
Burks may have played on only 50% of the snaps, but he ran just six fewer routes than Robert Woods and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Most importantly, he led the team with eight targets, catching seven of them for 111 yards.
It really doesn’t matter whether you think this is legit (and for the record, I do). Add Burks. He has first-round draft capital and is clearly the most talented pass catcher on his team.
This late in the season, you don’t find players with this level of upside on the waiver wire often. Last week, we had Christian Watson. This week, it’s Burks. I would spend 20-25% of my FAAB on him.
Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants (51% Rostered)
Somehow, Darius Slayton has become the Giants’ clear WR1. He led all wide receivers in snaps and routes run. Although he was out-targeted by Wan’Dale Robinson, Slayton caught five of his 10 targets for 86 yards and now has 58 yards or more in four straight games.
Additionally, Robinson may be done for the season with what is feared to be a serious knee injury. Slayton has double-digit fantasy points in four straight and five of his last six. He’s worth a 10-15% FAAB bid.
Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans (27% Rostered)
For the second consecutive week, Nico Collins led the Texans in snaps, routes run, and targets. It wasn’t his biggest game, as Davis Mills struggled mightily, but Collins still caught five of seven targets for 48 yards.
Collins won’t ever be a consistent option given his quarterback, but he’s scored just about 10 fantasy points in four of his last five games played. He belongs on far more fantasy rosters. I would spend 5-10% of my FAAB on him.
Demarcus Robinson, WR, Baltimore Ravens (4% Rostered)
With Rashod Bateman done for the season, Demarcus Robinson is the Ravens’ WR2. Against the Panthers, Robinson caught all nine of his targets for 128 yards — by far, his best game of the season.
There’s no reason Robinson’s role would change going forward. At least not negatively. If anything, he might be elevated ahead of Devin Duvernay as the WR1. Robinson played just four fewer snaps and ran just five fewer routes. It wouldn’t surprise me if that flipped going forward.
Robinson is worth rostering at this point and could be a weekly WR3 down the stretch. Consider spending 7-10% of your FAAB on him.
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants (28% Rostered)
It’s worth mentioning that Robinson smashed on Sunday, catching nine of 13 targets for 100 yards. Unfortunately, he’s believed to have suffered a serious knee injury, which might end his season. We will know more by the time waiver claims are due, but it’s not looking good. Had Robinson not gotten hurt, he would’ve been a recommended add.
Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints (30% Rostered)
I guess it’s time to take Juwan Johnson seriously as a TE1. He’s now finished as a TE1 in four of his last five games, scoring five times over that span.
Slightly concerning is Johnson actually playing fewer snaps than Adam Trautman this week. However, Johnson’s usage in the passing game is superior. He ran nine more routes and saw more targets.
Fantasy managers in need of a tight end should look to Johnson. He’s still a touchdown-or-bust option. He’s just been scoring, but that’s most tight ends, anyway. Johnson is worth a 3-5% FAAB bid.