Entering Week 12, let’s take a look at the top wide receivers to target on the waiver wire in your fantasy football league. All players listed below are rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo, ESPN, and/or Sleeper leagues.
Note that I have done away with FAAB recommendations this year, as there are too many variables to account for. Instead, I replaced it with my opinion on how aggressive fantasy managers should be in pursuing the player on a scale of 1-10.
Looking for other positions? Check out our Week 12 Waiver Wire article, which covers a plethora of players from all positions.
Jerry Jeudy, WR | CLE
Rostered: 51%
The Cleveland Browns are not going anywhere with Jameis Winston at quarterback. There is definitely a risk that they give Dorian Thompson-Robinson a shot. That would torpedo the fantasy values of all Browns, but as long as Winston is out there, it’s wheels up for this receiving corps.
Jerry Jeudy caught six passes for 142 yards and a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints.
JEUDY 89-YARD TD!! 😳
📺: #CLEvsNO on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/pPwT9dYWZs— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024
He’s now averaging 17.8 points per game over his last three. This is a weekly startable WR3, at worst.
Aggressiveness Rating: 5.5
Elijah Moore, WR | CLE
Rostered: 8%
The same argument in favor of Jeudy applies to Elijah Moore. Supposedly the team’s WR3, Moore caught six of eight targets for 66 yards and a touchdown. He almost had a second one.
Moore has now hit double-digit fantasy points in three of his last four. He won’t be as consistent every week, but as long as Winston remains the starter, Moore is worth rostering.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, WR | TEN
Rostered: 4%
If you look purely at Nick Westbrook-Ikhine’s fantasy points, you’d be encouraged. I like 19.7 fantasy points too. However, he caught a 98-yard touchdown pass. That is never going to happen again. Do not add him.
Aggressiveness Rating: 0.0
Christian Watson, WR | GB
Rostered: 44%
Every time a Green Bay Packers WR pops off, fantasy managers rush to pick him up off the waiver wire. One week, it might be Dontayvion Wicks. The next, it’s Christian Watson with four receptions for 150 yards.
It’s great that Watson had such a big game. It’s great that he caught all four of his targets. But he only saw four targets. He’s hit double-digit fantasy points a mere three times this season.
Watson will have other useful games, you just won’t know when they are. He is not a priority pickup.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0
Kendrick Bourne, WR | NE
Rostered: 1%
With five catches for 70 yards and a touchdown, fantasy managers definitely noticed Kendrick Bourne’s performance against the Rams. I wouldn’t read too much into it, though. It was the first useable game by Bourne all season, but he only ran a route on half of Maye’s dropbacks.
Between DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, and Bourne, someone will have a useful game each week. Who will it be? Your guess is as good as mine. I would not add Bourne.
Aggressiveness Rating: 0.0
DeMario Douglas, WR | NE
Rostered: 28%
Another Patriots receiver finds his way onto the list of potential waiver wire pickups. Douglas has been the presumptive WR1 for the Patriots all season. Since their offense has mostly struggled, his production has been limited.
Douglas caught five passes for 59 yards. He’s now hit double-digit fantasy points in four of his last seven. However, he barely gets there every time. Week 6 was the last time he did anything notable, scoring 21.2 fantasy points.
You can add Douglas if you need a warm body at WR, but there’s not much here.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR | NO
Rostered: 25%
A fair amount of you clearly added Marquez Valdes-Scantling after his Week 10 debut saw him grab three passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Well, he did it again in Week 11, catching two passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.
MVS is who he is. He’s going to see 2-4 targets a game, usually downfield. Maybe he catches one for a long touchdown. If he does, great. If not, you’re getting about two fantasy points.
If you have a complete void in your lineup, swinging at Valdes-Scantling’s upside is better than nothing, but you will never feel comfortable starting him.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0
Curtis Samuel, WR | BUF
Rostered: 9%
Amari Cooper returned this week. Yet, Curtis Samuel remained heavily involved on offense, catching five passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. He now has 14 targets over his last two games.
With that said, Keon Coleman could be back after the bye. Dalton Kincaid almost certainly will be. Adding Samuel now to hold him for two weeks hoping he can maybe be startable does not seem like a worthy use of a roster spot.
Aggressiveness Rating: 0.0