With just Monday Night Football still to happen, now is that glorious time of the week when we turn our attention to Week 13 and attack the fantasy football waiver wire.

As we grow ever closer to the fantasy playoffs, the waiver wire is the perfect way to add the final touches to a championship roster. If you aren’t getting prepped for a playoff berth, well, then the waiver wire is a great way to screw over your league-mates by rostering the players they want. All’s fair in love, war, and fantasy football.

The Panthers, Browns, Packers, and Titans are all on bye this week, so no Christian McCaffrey, Aaron Jones/AJ Dillon, Davante Adams, D.J. Moore this week. To be as helpful as possible to you dear readers, I’ve got at least two players at each position, ranging from over 50% rostered in Sleeper leagues to well under the 30% mark. No matter your league size, there’s someone in here for you.

Let’s begin!

Quarterbacks

Mac Jones, New England Patriots (45% rostered)

Since Week 10, Jones has been the QB8 in fantasy, averaging over 17.5 points per game. Jones is coming off his best game of the year, tossing for 310 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Titans. His Week 13 matchup against the Bills is a much taller task, but he follows that up with games against the Colts, Jaguars, and Dolphins. The Patriots’ offense is clicking and Jones has been a sneaky productive fantasy QB during it.

Tyrod Taylor, Houston Texans (23% rostered)

As I always say whenever I mention the Texans or Jets or Jaguars here, it might feel weird to put your faith in bad teams. However, TyGod is more than just a man. Since the Texans’ Week 10 bye, Taylor has scored two touchdowns in every game, either through the air or on the ground. His rushing floor makes him a viable streaming option and a decent QB2 if you’re in a deep Superflex league. With the Colts and Seahawks on tap, Taylor will again be a reliable QB1.

Running Backs

Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings (55% rostered)

Dalvin Cook left the Vikings game with a shoulder injury that seems to be serious. Cook is still getting an MRI on the injury but the fear is that it’s a torn labrum. Whatever the outcome of the MRI will be, Cook will miss at the very least Week 13, making Mattison a must-add. We’ve already Mattison put up RB1 numbers in spell of Cook, and against a struggling Lions’ defense, he’s a safe bet to do it again. If he’s on your waiver wire, go get him.

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers (48% rostered)

With Christian McCaffrey on IR and done for the season, Hubbard returns to the starting gig in Carolina. A starting running back on any team is worth rostering in fantasy football, especially if we’ve already seen success from said player prior. That being said, a word of caution to this tale. The Panthers face the most difficult run defense schedule rest of the season which doesn’t bode well for a huge amount of RB1 performances from Hubbard. He’s 100% worth rostering, but I personally wouldn’t blow all my FAAB on him.

Dontrell Hilliard, Tennessee Titans (44% rostered)

The Titans are on a bye this week but don’t let that dissuade you from adding Hilliard. After a solid game against the Texans last week, Hilliard broke out in a major way Sunday against the Patriots. He finished with 133 total yards on 13 touches and a touchdown. While D’Onta Foreman led the backfield with 20 touches, Hilliard was clearly the more explosive back. Both backs are worth rostering with the Titans facing the Jaguars and Steelers after their bye.

Jamaal Williams, Detroit Lions (37% rostered)

D’Andre Swift left the Lions’ Thanksgiving game with a sprained shoulder and is considered day-to-day. With Swift out for most of Thursday’s game, Williams led the backfield with 20 touches for 83 yards. Even if a banged up Swift is able to play this week against the Vikings, chances are Williams will be heavily involved to keep Swift as healthy as possible.

Matt Breida, Buffalo Bills (15% rostered)

Breida is a total shot in the dark play, but in deep leagues, these are the kinds of moves available on your waiver wire. Breida has somewhat emerged in the Bills’ backfield over the last three weeks, scoring at least one touchdown in two of those weeks. He’s seen his snaps increase and was given the nod over Zack Moss Thursday against the Saints. It’s a mirky situation in Buffalo but Breida might have found himself a reliable role in Buffalo.

Wide Receivers

Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams (58% rostered)

I feel like I’ll be mentioning Jefferson in every waiver article from here on out. The Rams’ No. 3 receiver has seen at least six targets in every game going back to Week 7. Against the Packers Sunday, he caught 3-of-9 targets for 93 yards and a touchdown. He’s the only piece of this Rams’ passing game you can add off waivers so you should be doing just that.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Titans (34% rostered)

The Titans placed A.J. Brown on IR this week meaning the star wide receiver won’t be back until earliest Week 15. That opens the door for at least one remaining wide receiver in Tennessee to do something of fantasy note. Westbrook-Ikhine has now had back-to-back games with either 100+ receiving yards or a touchdown. Like I said with Dontrell Hilliard, the Titans are on bye this week, but their Week 14 and Week 15 opponents of the Jaguars and Steelers are great WR matchups.

Kendrick Bourne, Patriots (20% rostered)

since week 6, kendrick bourne has been the WR18 in .5ppr

he’s scored more points than devonta smith, terry mclaurin, dk metcalf, dj moore & amari cooper

gonna have another WR1 week this week with 50+ yds & 2 tds already pic.twitter.com/TxODlCaAfs

— pete astronaut aboard the pitts-8 rocket rogers (@petemrogers) November 28, 2021

Need I say more? Personally, I’ve been waiting for Bourne’s production to drop off and thus have yet to add him in my own leagues. And that’s just caused me to miss multiple WR1 performances from him. This week, I’m 100% adding him.

DeSean Jackson, Las Vegas Raiders (6% rostered)

DJax had himself a nice Thanksgiving against the Cowboys, going for 102 and a touchdown on 3 catches. The nature of Jackson’s game makes him a boom-or-bust fantasy receiver. That being said, the Raiders’ offense has been missing a downfield threat since Henry Ruggs has been out of the league and DJax offers that in spades. He’s worth a flier in deep leagues.

Tight Ends

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers (66% rostered)

The Steelers’ rookie tight end has caught five touchdowns in his last five games. He also averaged 6.6 targets during that span as well. I don’t know what more you need to see from the man before you add him off waivers. He’s putting up elite fantasy numbers and it seems the touchdowns are reliable. He is dealing with a concussion so that is worth monitoring as the Steelers head into their Week 13 game against the Ravens.

Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears (27% rostered)

Cole Kmet saw 11 targets Thursday against the Lions. Eleven. That right there is reason enough to add him off waivers. He caught 8 of those 11 targets for 65 yards. The second-year tight end has seen at least eight targets in two of his last three games. As long as Andy Dalton remains under center, Kmet will continue to be peppered with targets.