Fantasy Football 2020 Week 13 Waiver Wire Pickup Advice
Is your fantasy team in need of new blood? Each week I’ll bring to you the best pickups to make ahead of the waiver deadline. All the players I list will be owned in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the ownership percentage coming from Yahoo.com.
Quarterbacks
Kirk Cousins, Vikings (40% Owned): Cousins has been a smash play for four weeks now, throwing 11 touchdowns against one interception in that span, and tossing three touchdown passes in three of those games. He has one more cake matchup left – Jacksonville – before the schedule toughens up and you have to look elsewhere. The Jaguars entered Week 12 with the NFL’s third-worst pass DVOA and RB Dalvin Cook left this week banged up, so there could be an uptick in reliance on Cousins for this week too.
Philip Rivers, Colts (33% Owned): It was very ugly for most of this week for Rivers, who didn’t go off on the Titans’ normally mushy defense like I expected. Still, at the end of the day he finished with 295 yards and two touchdowns, which makes for a fantasy neutral performance. Rivers was also vulture on two QB sneaks for touchdowns by Jacoby Brissett, which apparently is a thing now for the Colts. The good news is that he’s passed for 280+ yards in three straight games, and has beautiful matchups for the next three games: at Houston, at Las Vegas, vs. Houston.
Running Backs
Cam Akers, Rams (29% Owned): Akers exploded finally, hitting up the 49ers solid defense for 84 yards and a touchdown on nine rushing attempts. It’s another shaky week to find RB help on waivers, and the Rams’ roulette wheel could always leave you hurting, but Akers was the preferred back by most fantasy owners this preseason, and he was a second-round pick in this draft. Malcolm Brown is simply not a lead back, and Darrell Henderson has slowed considerably, with Akers clearly showing the most explosiveness in his limited opportunities. I’m not eager to start him right away, but if he earns the lion’s share moving forward, he has incredible matchups vs. the Patriots and Jets in Weeks 14 and 15.
Devontae Booker, Raiders (9% Owned): Booker has clearly become the Raiders No. 2 back, and Josh Jacobs’ injury didn’t look great. Booker has been in the NFL since 2016, and rarely made good on his opportunities, so don’t get too excited here. He certainly could be a smash play in Week 13, however, against the Jets so he’ll be worth a pickup for next week at minimum. He could also be a volume play moving forward if Jacobs misses real time.
Frank Gore, Jets (25% Owned): Gore refuses to be irrelevant. After news came out La’Mical Perine would be the featured back after the Jets’ bye week, he immediately got hurt, and Gore has seen 15 and 18 carries the last two games. With that kind of volume, he’s damn near a must-start in Week 13 vs. the Raiders, who entered Sunday with the NFL’s literal worst rush DVOA. He’s rushed for 60+ yards in back-to-back games, so there’s a good chance he’s useful in this matchup, and he should see goal line carries. I don’t like saying this, but he’s actually a safe play.
Alexander Mattison, Vikings (32% Owned): I’ve said for weeks Mattison should be owned in the event of a Dalvin Cook injury, and it happened. While Cook did come back and may very well play this week, it was a wake-up call to Cook owners that they need to get Mattison. Cook is a very injury-prone talent, and if given a lead role, Mattison will be an RB2 at worst.
Wide Receivers
Allen Lazard, Packers (39% Owned): Lazard saw six targets in this game, catching four for 23 yards and a score. Lazard carries risk, as does any Packers pass catcher not named Davante Adams, but the way Aaron Rodgers is playing Lazard also has a high ceiling. Prior to his injury, he had become a pretty clear No. 2 option in the passing game, and with Philadelphia, Detroit and Carolina on the slate he should have some good games.
Nelson Agholor, Raiders (43% Owned): Agholor has done the unthinkable, and become the Raiders top receiver. That doesn’t make him a smash play every week, as Vegas relies heavily on the run, but in plus matchups Agholor has major big play potential. I’m happy to play him this week vs. the Jets, and probably in Week 15 vs. the Chargers.
Denzel Mims, Jets (7% Owned): Mims has been shockingly consistent since getting healthy, drawing seven or more targets in four of his five games, and topping 60 yards receiving in three straight weeks. He’s big bodied, has shown rapport with both Sam Darnold and Joe Flacco, and is just dying to have a breakout game. That might have to wait until Week 14 vs. the Seahawks, but I’m willing to throw him out there as a high-floor WR3. It seems the Jets finally have a legitimate threat in the passing game.
Tim Patrick, Broncos (22% Owned): You’ve got to throw out this catchless game from Patrick, as he did not have a functioning QB. With Drew Lock under center, Patrick has been a consistent, high-floor WR3/FLEX play, and he’ll be just that in Week 13 against a Chiefs defense that should force the Broncos to throw. His teammate Jerry Jeudy is owned in 75% of leagues, yet Patrick has been the better player in 2020.
Tight Ends
Jordan Reed, 49ers (25% Owned): Reed turned in a dud this week, but who doesn’t at this position besides Travis Kelce? Buffalo came into this week giving up almost eight points per game to opposing TEs, so if you’re turning to waivers, he’s my first look. I’m not excited though.
Dalton Schultz, Cowboys (22% Owned): Schultz has as low a floor as anyone at the position, but he has seen five or more targets in four straight games, and he always has the upside of a short-yardage TD. The Cowboys’ offensive line is in shambles, so Schultz could even see an uptick in opportunity as Andy Dalton is forced to cut his reads short and find him on short routes.
Jimmy Graham, Bears (40% Owned): Graham is in a mess of an offense with no good options at QB. He’s a similar play to Schultz, only his targets are fewer, but his touchdown upside is greater. Graham also has slightly better matchups, but the difference is pretty much negligible.