Elijah Moore of the Cleveland Browns was a reasonably popular sleeper pick for fantasy football managers before the 2023 season began, but he has been a disappointment thus far. With an injury to Amari Cooper (ribs), could Moore be a waiver priority?
Should Elijah Moore Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 13
Entering year 3 of his NFL career and a fresh start in Cleveland after falling out of favor with the New York Jets, Moore has yet to become a viable fantasy option for managers this season.
Though targeted many times, his best outing was against Baltimore, where Moore caught five of seven targets for 44 yards and his first and only TD of the season. Also, this was with starter Deshaun Watson behind center, who is now out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
The Browns have gone through injury issues at quarterback, switching between Watson, P.J. Walker, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The latter suffered a concussion in the third quarter in Week 12 and is unlikely to be cleared in time for Week 13’s contest against the Rams.
We saw Walker start for the Browns three straight weeks earlier this season, beginning in week 6. During those weeks, Moore was a nonfactor for fantasy managers, finishing with 6.7, 9.9, and 5 PPR points.
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Some positive news for fantasy managers looking Moore’s way is that Cooper suffered a rib injury during Week 12’s contest. Should he miss the game or not be 100 percent against the Rams, opportunities may open up for Moore.
Also, Joe Flacco could get the start over Walker. The 38-year-old QB does have experience on his side, along with zero rushing upside, which could benefit Moore, as Moore tends to run routes closer to around the line of scrimmage should Flacco need to get rid of the ball quickly.
With those two options in favor of Moore and with fantasy playoffs right around the corner, I would still steer clear of Moore as a waiver priority. He has not shown fantasy managers he could do much with any extra opportunity, as demonstrated by the eight games already played where he saw seven or nine targets and only scored just above double-digit fantasy points in three games this season.
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