With two weeks remaining in the regular season for most fantasy leagues, the push for the playoffs is in full effect. Every start/sit decision feels a little more magnified and the urgency to find solid players to fill in for your regulars is ratcheted up a notch. Technically, fantasy managers won’t be forced to navigate another treacherous six-team bye week this season. The downside is that the four teams with Week 12 byes (Chiefs, Vikings, Cardinals, and Chargers) all have multiple fantasy-relevant players so it might feel like six teams are off again this week. Whether you’re searching for replacements in your lineup this week or just want to kick the tires on some players who might be able to help you in the postseason, here are a few RB/WR/TE streamers I feel can help you finish strong.
* Players marked with an asterisk below can also be found in the priority waiver wire adds article referenced at the end.
Running Back
Derrius Guice (RB, Washington Redskins)
A lot of fantasy managers gave up on Guice after he was placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury suffered in Week 1. He also missed all of 2018 (torn ACL), plays for a 1-9 team, and his role since returning to the lineup has been as more of a change-of-pace back behind Adrian Peterson than a lead back. While that doesn’t exactly sound a ringing endorsement of Guice’s fantasy prospects, it has led to him being widely available and presents a great buying opportunity for a player whose role should continue to grow as long as he can stay off the injury report and on the field making plays like last week (one catch for 45 yards and a touchdown in addition to seven carries for 24 yards). The Lions don’t present much resistance against the run, making Guice a solid play and worthy stash heading into Week 12.
Bo Scarbrough* (RB, Detroit Lions)
As much as I would have loved to include Scarbrough in my analysis of J.D. McKissic last week, he wasn’t on the Lions’ roster until less than a day before their Week 11 game. He stepped right into the early-down role and turned his 14 carries into 55 yards and a touchdown, likely leading to him being among this week’s most-added players. Scarbrough is more of non-PPR asset as someone who doesn’t offer much in the passing game, but he’s capable of doing some damage against the Redskins’ bottom-third run defense. Pick him up for this week as a Flex option as we determine whether Week 11’s performance was a fluke or a sign of things to come.
Additional RBs to consider: Jonathan Williams*, Jordan Wilkins
Wide Receiver
Deebo Samuel (WR, San Francisco 49ers)
Who else wants some of Deebo? After registering his second-straight game of eight catches and 110+ yards, you should want some of Deebo on your roster. He has undoubtedly benefitted from George Kittle and Emmanuel Sanders being out or limited with injuries the past two weeks, but Samuel has shown the chops to be a legitimate difference-maker at the pro level if nothing else. He came out of Week 11 a little banged-up with a shoulder injury but is still worth an add, at least in the short-term, if his fellow 49ers pass-catchers remain out or limited.
James Washington (WR, Pittsburgh Steelers)
For the record, I wouldn’t normally advise picking up the third receiver on a team that does everything in its power to protect its young QB with conservative play-calling. However, with the Steelers’ top two WRs (JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson) in concussion protocol, Washington could very well vault to the top of the depth chart and earn a significantly larger target-share this week against the Bengals’ unspectacular secondary. If Pittsburgh really wants to see what they have in their second-year, second-round pick, there’s no time like the present considering the state of their WR corps and the soft matchup. Keep an eye on the Steelers’ injury report leading into the weekend and don’t be afraid to use Washington as a Flex if Smith-Schuster and Johnson aren’t able to return this week.
Additional WRs to consider: DeVante Parker, Darius Slayton*, Randall Cobb*, Hunter Renfrow
Tight End
Ryan Griffin (TE, New York Jets)
Twice this season have I recommended Chris Herndon only for him to sustain or aggravate an injury during the week of practice leading up to the game. Not this time. Ryan Griffin has pretty much been everything fantasy football managers wanted out of Herndon, yet his ownership level suggests that not many are buying it. Griffin has four-or-more catches and 50+ yards in three of his last four games, including 109 yards and a touchdown in Week 11. I don’t think he’s going to turn into a 29-year-old breakout star by any means, but I believe Griffin is as good a streamer as any fringe TE1/TE2 on a weekly basis considering the connection we’ve seen thus far between him and Sam Darnold.
Additional TEs to consider: Jacob Hollister, Eric Ebron, Noah Fant
Looking Back
Accountability is everything so here’s a quick look back at last week’s recommendations
Brian Hill (RB, Atlanta Falcons): Frankly, it was a bit of a letdown performance from Hill last week in a positive matchup that the Falcons dominated (15 carries for 30 yards and one catch for eight yards). Still, you hang onto starting running backs on good offenses and don’t cut bait after one poor performance. I understand benching Hill if he burned you last week but I see better days ahead as long as Devonta Freeman is out.
J.D. McKissic (RB, Detroit Lions): See Scarbrough, Bo. McKissic didn’t quite get the amount of work that was expected [before Scarbrough was signed at the last minute] but he still gave you an okay floor performance (three carries for 13 yards, three catches for 40 yards). Consider him as more of a change-of-pace/ passing-down specialist for consideration in deeper leagues.
Will Fuller V (WR, Houston Texans): After practicing in limited fashion last week, there was guarded optimism that Fuller would return to take on the Ravens in Week 11. I’m sure the Texans would have liked to have had him out there as they steadily got buried by the Lamar Jackson avalanche. There’s a chance he returns for a crucial divisional contest at home against the Colts on Thursday, but I would play it safe and keep him your bench until we see he’s healthy.
Cole Beasley (WR, Buffalo Bills): Catch a few high-percentage passes for 40ish-to-70ish yards and score the occasional TD: it’s the Beasley way. This time he finished with four catches on four targets for 38 yards. This was Beasley’s floor but, as always, he didn’t kill your team with a zero.
Mike Gesicki (TE, Miami Dolphins): You have to like Gesicki receiving six targets for the third-straight week but I understand that four catches for 18 yards isn’t going to excite many folks. I won’t be surprised if Gesicki ascends the tight end ranks within the next year or so, but I don’t think it’s happening as a TE1 this season.
Make sure to check out the priority waiver wire adds article every Tuesday for more insight on who you should be submitting claims for heading into each Wednesday. Good luck in Week 12!
(Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire)