The Week 12 waiver wire is not particularly strong. Most of the guys on this list are purely speculative adds. But there is one player that fantasy football managers should go all in on. Here are a few potential RB targets on the wire this week.
Top RB Waiver Wire Targets in Week 12
Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks (44% Rostered)
Zach Charbonnet is already rostered in plenty of leagues, but he surprisingly remains below the 50% threshold. He was also pushing Kenneth Walker III for playing time, even out-snapping him multiple times over the past few weeks.
Against the Rams, Charbonnet showed what he could do in a lead role. He carried the ball 15 times for 47 yards and caught six passes for 22 yards. He wasn’t overly efficient, but that type of usage is fantastic, and the Seahawks have an above-average offense.
More Waiver Wire Targets: WRs | TEs | QBs
Of course, Charbonnet’s increased role was a product of Walker leaving early with an oblique injury. We saw Christian McCaffrey not miss a game earlier this season with the same injury. So, it remains to be seen how long Walker will be out.
With the Seahawks playing Thursday night, it seems highly unlikely Walker will be able to go for that one. At the very least, we should get one game of Charbonnet as the RB1. It’s a tough matchup, but he will be startable as an RB2. And he carries continued upside if Walker remains out. He is the clear top pickup this week and worth dropping the proverbial hammer on to acquire.
FAAB Recommendation: Whatever it takes
Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys (17% Rostered)
It was not, in fact, a Rico Dowdle takeover against the Panthers. Tony Pollard had his best performance since Week 2, re-establishing control of this backfield.
With that said, Dowdle is definitely the RB2. If Pollard got hurt, Dowdle would be startable as an RB2. Whether you have Pollard or not, Dowdle is worthy of a spot on benches.
FAAB Recommendation: 3-8%
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (40% Rostered)
Another week, another 6-8 touches for Tyjae Spears. It’s just what he does. His role isn’t valuable, but he’s definitely the RB2 behind Derrick Henry. If Henry were to go down, Spears would instantly be a startable RB2. That’s at least worth stashing on your bench.
FAAB Recommendation: 2-5%
D’Ernest Johnson, Jacksonville Jaguars (0% Rostered)
There’s certainly no pressing need to add D’Ernest Johnson. Travis Etienne Jr. is perfectly healthy, his back-to-back duds notwithstanding. But we’re at the point in the season where there really aren’t any speculative pickups based on ambiguous situations. We know what teams are doing.
Johnson has clearly overtaken Tank Bigsby for the Jaguars’ RB2 role. He has no standalone value, but if something were to happen to Etienne, I believe it would be Johnson and not the rookie as the lead back.
FAAB Recommendation: 0-5%
Which RBs Should You Roster in Fantasy Football?
Should You Roster Rico Dowdle or Darrell Henderson Jr.?
This is a really interesting one. Darrell Henderson has played well enough in place of an injured Kyren Williams. And the Rams have no allegiance to Williams. But with Williams due back this week, I do lean more on the side of him getting his job back. That relegates Henderson back to low-upside handcuff.
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Dowdle is a high-upside handcuff. Any dreams of him earning standalone value should be put to rest now. Nevertheless, if Pollard gets hurt, Dowdle would be a much more sought-after asset than if Williams were to go down again.
If Henderson had one more week as the starter, I might prefer him. But assuming Williams does return, these two players are the same type of stash, except Dowdle has a much higher ceiling. Give me Dowdle.
Should You Roster Zach Charbonnet or Devin Singletary?
Devin Singletary has benefited from Dameon Pierce’s absence for the past three weeks. Charbonnet is about to benefit from Walker’s absence, at least for one week.
We know what Singletary has been able to do as the lead back. We have an idea of what Charbonnet can do, but we don’t know his true upside, nor do we know how long he might have the job.
I am skeptical that Charbonnet can play his way into the lead role. When Walker returns, I fully expect him to resume his previous role, with perhaps a little extra volume for Charbonnet if he plays well in the interim.
Meanwhile, I believe Singletary has completely taken Pierce’s job. The Texans have no allegiance to Pierce. He was drafted by a previous regime with a previous head coach. He’s a Day 3 pick, and we know how little job security Day 3 running backs have, regardless of performance.
There are no words to accurately describe how much better Singletary has played this season than Pierce. I doubt 80% snap shares will continue, but it would be truly shocking if Singletary wasn’t the clear lead back going forward.
I want both of these guys on my team, but if the choice is between Singletary and Charbonnet, I am sticking with Singletary.
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