There are just two weeks remaining in the 2023 fantasy football regular season. The NFL landscape continues to shift, and fantasy managers should always be looking to improve their rosters. Let’s take a look at the top Week 13 waiver wire targets and pickups that fantasy managers should consider for their rosters.
Top Waiver Wire Pickups in Week 13 | Quarterbacks
Note: As always, all players are rostered in 50% or less of Yahoo leagues.
Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts (16% Rostered)
Week 13 is going to be tough for some fantasy managers, with Josh Allen on bye. If you’re looking for a fill-in, the options are not great. Among the less-than-ideal options is Gardner Minshew.
There haven’t been many big games from Minshew this season. He has one with 28 fantasy points and two with about 15. Sadly, that may be good enough from a streamer in Week 13. It’s a favorable matchup against the Titans, making Minshew a viable option.
FAAB Recommendation: 2-5% should be enough
Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints (44% Rostered)
This is definitely not my preferred streamer for Week 13, but the Lions pass defense has completely fallen apart recently. Given how potent the Lions remain offensively, the Saints should have to throw to keep up.
If Derek Carr doesn’t have Chris Olave due to the receiver’s concussion next week, that definitely downgrades him as an option. But there aren’t many good ones if you need a QB.
MORE: Fantasy QB Streamers and Rankings Week 13
Carr threw for 304 yards against the Falcons, but he was unable to throw a touchdown. In fact, the Saints couldn’t score a touchdown at all, settling for six field goals (making five). Typically, you can count on Carr for 15-18 points.
FAAB Recommendation: 0-5% should be enough
Top Waiver Wire Pickups in Week 13 | Running Backs
The Week 13 waiver wire is a relatively weak one, but we have some backup running backs worth grabbing.
Antonio Gibson, Washington Commanders (50% Rostered)
Checking in right at the roster percentage threshold, Antonio Gibson has proven to have a decent enough floor that he’s worth rostering.
There was a point in the season at which I thought rookie Chris Rodriguez would be the primary rusher if Brian Robinson went down. It does appear as though Gibson has played his way back into the clear RB2 role.
Plus, it’s not as if Gibson’s value is only as a Robinson contingency. Since Week 5, he’s scored at least 5.1 fantasy points in every game, and he has four games with at least 8.6. That’s not nothing. Given how hard it is to find usable running backs on the waiver wire, Gibson is worth picking up if he’s out there.
FAAB Recommendation: 8-12%
Ezekiel Elliott, New England Patriots (40% Rostered)
This late in the season, upside handcuff running backs need to be rostered, preferably by the teams with the starters. Ezekiel Elliott is still firmly behind Rhamondre Stevenson, but he did see 11 touches this week and looks halfway decent.
If Stevenson were to get hurt, Elliott might legitimately be a 70%-snap-share player. He could be a startable RB2. Pick him up if he’s out there.
FAAB Recommendation: 8-12%
Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys (12% Rostered)
The Rico Dowdle thesis is the same as it was last week. There’s no standalone value here. But he’s the clear handcuff to Tony Pollard.
Whenever a starting running back goes down, fantasy managers rush to spend a bunch of their FAAB on the backup that is now taking over. I certainly don’t want Pollard to get hurt. But football is a violent game. We see it happen every year, multiple times. Get out ahead of the game and grab Dowdle now.
FAAB Recommendation: 2-5%
Top Waiver Wire Pickups in Week 13 | Wide Receivers
We don’t have a clear priority add off the Week 13 waiver wire at wide receiver, but Jayden Reed, Curtis Samuel, and Jalin Hyatt are interesting options.
Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers (47% Rostered)
The Packers showed up and showed out in Detroit on Thanksgiving. They came out and completely punched the Lions in the mouth. The Lions never recovered. A big part of that was Jayden Reed.
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The rookie posted 15 fantasy points as he continues to find ways to get it done, both as a receiver and a rusher. Reed now has 15+ fantasy points in three straight games. He’s hit for double-digit tallies in five of his last six and on seven total occasions for the season.
Even in the Christian Watson breakout game, Reed was able to produce. He looks like the best receiver on the Packers and is proving to be a useful fantasy asset. Pick him up.
FAAB Recommendation: 10-15%
Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders (28% Rostered)
What a performance by Curtis Samuel on Thanksgiving. In a game the Commanders lost by 35 to the Cowboys, Samuel was the best receiver on the field. He caught nine of 12 targets for 100 yards. It was easily his best performance of the season.
Samuel is never going to be a reliable weekly option. But he carries weekly WR2 upside. He just has a very low floor.
Samuel has four games of 14+ fantasy points but six games under 7.5 fantasy points as well. You take the good with the bad. For those in deeper leagues, you can do worse than Samuel as a desperation Flex.
FAAB Recommendation: 8-12%
Demario Douglas, New England Patriots (36% Rostered)
This one is far less appealing now that Demario Douglas is hurt. But he has posted double-digit fantasy points in three straight games. Douglas is the clear WR1 for the Patriots. He’s now shown an ability to produce with both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
Before you put in your waiver claims, be sure to check for an update on Douglas’ injury status. If he’s going to miss an extended period of time, then there’s no reason to add him. If not, he’s a viable WR4.
FAAB Recommendation: 5-10%
Jalin Hyatt, New York Giants (3% Rostered)
It’s hard to invest anything in the New York Giants right now. But they lack any clear top option in their passing game. Their receivers are largely a bunch of journeymen who we know can’t be top guys. Maybe Jalin Hyatt can be that guy.
Hyatt caught five passes for 109 yards against the Patriots. It’s probably just a blip, but if you have room on your bench, there’s no harm in adding Hyatt now and seeing what happens next week.
FAAB Recommendation: 5-10%
Top Waiver Wire Pickups in Week 13 | Tight Ends
The tight end position is not in a good spot this season, but there are a couple of pickups with decent upside.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers (48% Rostered)
On the list of things I did not expect to ever see, Pat Freiermuth posting a 100-yard game is very high on the list. Muth caught nine of 11 targets for 120 yards in the Steelers’ win over the Bengals.
Freiermuth entered Sunday with just 60 yards on the entire season. He recorded double that in this one game alone.
MORE: Fantasy TE Streamers and Rankings Week 13
Given that the Steelers just made a change at offensive coordinator, there’s reason to believe Freiermuth will continue to be involved going forward. At the rough tight end position, he is definitely worth a pickup.
FAAB Recommendation: 8-15%
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (29% Rostered)
Cade Otton only saw four targets against the Colts, but he caught all four of them for 45 yards. While that may not seem like much, it’s more than many of us get from our tight ends. He’s certainly a far better option than Kyle Pitts, who continues to be rostered in over 90% of leagues for reasons I cannot understand.
Otton now has eight or more fantasy points in two straight games. Next week against the Panthers is a tough matchup, but after that, it’s mostly neutral-to-good matchups for Otton.
FAAB Recommendation: 0-5%
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