By Ryan Weisse
Look, I try to be a man of my word, and I said last week that if Jalen Reagor was still below 50% rostered that I was done speaking to you until it was remedied. He is still available in 72% of leagues, but since he hasn’t exactly been the home run I thought he would be…I’ll just have to accept that 72% of you are living a lifestyle that I don’t approve of. Should you still sign him? YES! He plays Seattle this week and is building towards a huge game. However, I’m also here to get you into the fantasy playoffs, not just rub your nose in your terrible decisions. So with that being said, here is a list of players, most available in 50% or more of Yahoo leagues, that will help you in your playoff push. Pick ‘Em Up! (After you add Jalen Reagor.)
PRO TIP: Always look at last week’s bye week teams for good players that may have been dropped out of desperation. Week 11 was Buffalo, Chicago, NY Giants, and San Francisco.
Quarterbacks
Derek Carr (64% Available)
He isn’t anyone’s favorite QB but his upcoming schedule redeems him. He just put on a good show against Kansas City and plays Atlanta and the Jets over his next two games. He has shown a proclivity to disappear from time to time, but recently, that was due to weather and a blowout game. If you need two wins to end your regular season — and you just lost Joe Burrow — Carr might be your guy.
Taysom Hill (57% Available)
Apparently, this living gimmick-play can actually play QB. He won’t get Atlanta every week but he does get them again in Week 13 after playing Denver in Week 12. His ability to run the ball gives him that little extra that makes him worth an add if you don’t have a great QB. Editor’s note: ESPN announced on Monday that Hill will no longer have TE designation — he is a QB and a QB only.
Kirk Cousins (58% Available)
Another QB that no one is thrilled to sign, but Cousins does have eight touchdowns over his last three games and a solid upcoming schedule for fantasy QBs. His next two are against Carolina and Jacksonville, who have both proven capable of giving up huge QB games over the last few weeks.
Running Backs
James White (60% Available)
After we spent the last month lamenting his lack of usage in this offense and flat out telling you to drop him most leagues, Rex Burkhead gets hurt and now White is worth a look again. Burkhead will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL and White had his best game of the season in Week 11. He could easily disappoint and is only worth an add in PPR leagues, but if you have the roster spot, you can’t leave him on waivers for your competition.
Wayne Gallman (45% Available)
There is a small chance that Devonta Freeman takes this job back in Week 12, but it is far from guaranteed. Gallman has scored 10+ fantasy points in each of the last four games for the Giants, scoring a TD in each as well. Gallman has done far more with his touches than Freeman has this season and he deserves to keep this role. It’s just a question of will he? He’s worth a stash to find out.
Myles Gaskin (35% Available)
Gaskin is eligible to return from the IR in Week 12 and should have no issue making his once-former college backup, Salvon Ahmed, his new professional backup. Gaskin scored 10+ fantasy points in every game he has played this season and has a pretty decent schedule to end the season. He’s not available in many leagues but with him spending the last three weeks on IR, there may have been managers that dropped him out of desperation.
Wide Receivers
Sterling Shepard (55% Available)
Shepard is only available in this many leagues because he was on a bye last week. He has 32 targets over his last four games and three of his next four games are against Cincinnati, Seattle, and Cleveland. He is going to eat and you want him on your team.
Michael Pittman Jr (56% Available)
If you had listened last week we wouldn’t be having this discussion again. Pittman is Rivers’ new Mike Williams and is going to be a WR3 with huge yardage and TD upside for the rest of the season. Over his last three games, he has 223 yards and one touchdown on 18 targets. Looking at his schedule, he plays Houston’s weak secondary in both weeks 13 and 15. Add him now.
Nelson Agholor (81% Available)
As Derek Carr has improved, so has Agholor, to the point that he is firmly the WR1 on this team. He is better at underneath routes than Renfrow, better at the deep-ball plays than Ruggs, and is outperforming both in fantasy. His dud games have coincided with Carr’s, meaning that weather and game-script played more of a part than anything that Agholor did. He is a solid WR3 with a legit WR1 ceiling on a weekly basis.
Corey Davis (50% Available)
It’s time to stop hating Corey Davis. Over his five games since returning from COVID, he has 36 targets, two 100-yard games, and two touchdowns. His ceiling isn’t quite as high as the guys mentioned above, as he is capped by A.J. Brown and Jonnu Smith, but if you miss on the other guys and need a WR3, Davis is worth the add.
Denzel Mims (95% Available)
I get not wanting a WR from the Jets, but Mims has looked solid since coming back from injury. Over four games, he has seen 26 targets and at least 40 yards in each game. The QB play should improve as Sam Darnold takes back over and Mims seems ready to pop for a big game. The Jets have dates with Las Vegas, Seattle, and Cleveland over their next five games, and that Browns matchup is in Championship Week. Mims is more of a stash than a WR3 but he could pay off big down the stretch.
Tight Ends
I have to be honest: I would not use my waiver priority or FAAB to get a single TE available this week. Check your waivers to see if someone dropped Evan Engram while he was on bye.
