Top Players to Add in Week 13
A great draft can make a great team, but leagues are won on the waiver wire. Injuries happen, top draft picks become busts, and no names become household names. Successfully navigating the waiver wire will lead to a winning season.
As a reminder, I’ll be covering waivers every Tuesday right here on football.pitcherlist.com. You can also catch me and Brian Hartman (aka @TooMuch_Brian) on the waiver podcast every Tuesday morning and the start-sit podcast every Thursday morning wherever you listen to podcasts. If you like my work, give me a follow on Twitter @marioadamojr. With that out of the way, let’s dive into it.
Here are my top five targets, as well as some honorable mentions, to help you win through the wire this week.
An important thing to consider: This article focuses on players who are rostered in 50% or fewer of leagues. There could be players rostered in over 50% of leagues that are available in your league. Be vigilant; watch your league’s free-agent pool and look for players who were given up on too early.
1. John Metchie III: With Garrett Wilson on IR and slated to miss at least the next three games, we’re taking a look at the rest of the New York Jets’ passing offense to see what we can find. For the second week in a row, John Metchie III finished as a top-17 wide receiver. After being traded midseason from the Philadelphia Eagles, Metchie has started to find his rhythm in this offense. In his first game against the Cleveland Browns, he saw just one target, but his targets have improved every game since then. He’s also found the end zone in each of his last two games while bringing in nine of his 10 targets. While Wilson will certainly be the top pass catcher when he returns, we have at least three more games without him. If the Jets are deep into the tank, Wilson may not return at all. Metchie is my top wide receiver target this week.
2. Chris Rodriguez Jr.: He was lightly talked about last week in my honorable mentions. Now, fresh off a bye, Chris Rodriguez Jr. is back in my top targets. Over the last three weeks, Rodriguez has been the running back to roster in our nation’s capital, with a touchdown in two games and 85 yards in the other. The early shine of Jacory Croskey-Merritt is wearing off as Bill has 104 yards combined in those same three games. While Rodriguez and the Washington Commanders face a tough matchup this week at Denver, their schedule gets easier, including a terrific fantasy playoff schedule. Rodriguez is my top running back target this week.
3. Colby Parkinson: The Los Angeles Rams have been using 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends) more than any other team in the league. While having three tight ends makes it tough to find one to start, we’re starting to see Colby Parkinson emerge as the top option. Parkinson has three straight finishes in the top nine, mainly stemming from a touchdown in each. But wait, Mario, why are we chasing touchdowns? Great question, astute reader. We’re not chasing touchdowns, we’re chasing red-zone opportunities. When looking at the Rams’ pass catchers over the last three weeks, we see Parkinson leads the Rams with seven red-zone targets, even more than end-zone magnet Davante Adams‘ six. No other tight end has more than one in that span. Even though the Rams like three tight ends on the field, they love one in particular in the red zone. If your team is all set on wide receivers and running backs, Parkinson is my top waiver target.
4. Jacoby Brissett: While it’s unlikely you need a quarterback at this point in the season on a week with no byes, it’s possible. Maybe you were a Joe Flacco manager, and with Joe Burrow looking like a return is likely this week, you want to plan ahead. Maybe Jordan Love broke your heart, and you’re no longer in love with Love. Maybe Baker Mayfield left the oven on and overcooked the turkey, ruining Thanksgiving. Either way, if you’re exploring your options, look no further than Jacoby Brissett. Any doubts about Brissett not being the guy are over. It was easy to say his QB10 finish against Dallas was expected against a Cowboys defense that made Russell Wilson look like his younger self. Since that Dallas game, Brissett has finishes of QB10 against a tough Seattle defense, QB4, and QB8. While some tricky matchups are on the horizon, hosting the Rams in Week 14 and traveling to Houston in Week 15, I feel confident making my fantasy playoff push with Brissett as the main dish. If you’re shopping for a quarterback this Black Friday, Brissett is my top target.
5. Chimere Dike: Another repeat offender in the top five. Can we get some originality next time? It’s for good reason. First, is it really a top five without a Tennessee Titan on the list? Second, Chimere Dike leads all Titans pass catchers in red-zone opportunities (nine) and only trails Tony Pollard. Yes, it was Dike’s first touchdown since Week 7, but including Week 7, Dike has finished as WR16, WR17, and WR9*. We’ve mentioned before that with Calvin Ridley out for the year, Dike is the top weapon in this offense for rookie Cam Ward. It’s not a flashy pick, but this week is a favorable matchup as the Titans host the Jacksonville Jaguars in a battle of the AFC South. In deeper leagues, Dike is worth consideration.
*Before “Monday Night Football”
Others Receiving Votes
Bam Knight, ARI (40% ESPN, 29% Yahoo): At the time of writing, it’s unclear if Trey Benson will be back this week. If not, Bam Knight once again handled he bulk of the carries for the Arizona Cardinals. While Knight was inefficient, only 12 yards on 10 carries, it’s the fact he got those 10 carries that matters. He also found his way into the end zone to save his day.
Dylan Sampson, CLE (7% ESPN, 11% Yahoo): While Quinshon Judkins continues to handle a bulk of the carries, Dylan Sampson gets the pass-catching opportunities, including ones that got 66 yards to the end zone. It seems Sampson and starter Shedeur Sanders have a connection, so I expect more passing work to come. Sampson is a name to monitor and is worth a bench spot in deeper leagues.
Parker Washington, JAX (20% ESPN, 40% Yahoo): After a dud of a week last week, Parker Washington returned to the top. It appears Week 11’s 2 target performance was the exception, not the norm, as Washington had another game with seven targets, his fourth in the last five games. His 71 yards and a touchdown rewarded anyone who didn’t shy away from the stud. The only question that remains to be seen is what happens to Washington’s role if/when Brian Thomas Jr. returns. I am optimistic about Washington heading into the fantasy playoffs.
Jayden Higgins, HOU (23% ESPN, 22% Yahoo): The Texans’ game plan is simple: Get Jayden Higgins a touchdown every other week. Higgins has scored every even week since Week 4, continuing the trend this past week and finishing as WR21*. While this information won’t help you this week, you should have the bench space available with no players on bye this week. Now is the perfect time to pick up Higgins for the following week. As for this week, his odd-week performances leave something to be desired. Week 11’s finish as WR33 was his best odd-week performance of the season.
Juwan Johnson, NO (50% ESPN, 66% Yahoo): A down week for Juwan Johnson as he only finished as TE12. The good news is people have caught on to how talented he is. This will likely be the final time I mention Johnson this year. I feel like a proud parent, kicking the baby bird out of the nest.
*Before “Monday Night Football”
Defense Wins Championships
The Jacksonville Jaguars (35% rostered) are the lucky winners of “Who plays the Titans this week?” On top of that, last week, they were the Sacks-onville Jaguars, getting to the quarterback a season-high six times. They’ve also recorded an interception in three of the previous four games. While the Titans’ offense looked better against the Seahawks, they’ve still been the best matchup for defenses all season, allowing an average of 10.5 points.
While Cleveland has been one of the best defenses all year, it is also an excellent option to stream against. This week, the San Francisco 49ers (29%) travel to Cleveland, where rookie Shedeur Sanders will make his second NFL start. The Browns allow the seventh-most points to defenses, while the 49ers are coming off a three-turnover game.
The Los Angeles Chargers (25%) host the Las Vegas Raiders, who just fired their offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly. Kelly was hired this past offseason and was the highest-paid OC in the NFL at the time. The thought of the Raiders benefiting from the interim bump, combined with the chaos of a divisional game, may steer some managers away. That won’t change the fact that Geno Smith has thrown six interceptions and been sacked 22 times in his last four games. The Raiders are allowing the third-most points to defenses; don’t let superstition get in the way of a favorable fantasy matchup.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurt_player02 on Instagram & Threads @kuwasemiller.bksy.social on BlueSky)