Welcome, welcome, RotoBallers. Please join me for my deeper PPR league sleepers column for Week 12 of the NFL season.
In this weekly article, we are going to take a look at some deeper waiver wire options for PPR leagues and target players who could help out your team in the upcoming week.
The following waiver wire suggestions for Week 12 of the NFL season are all owned in 15% or less of Fleaflicker leagues.
Editor's Note: Once you're done here, be sure to read about even more Week 12 waiver wire recommendations, for all fantasy-relevant positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS
PPR Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Adds
Tyler Boyd (WR, CIN) - 5% Owned & Brandon LaFell (WR, CIN) - 11% Owned
Following the massive blow that is the loss of A.J. Green for a good while and Giovani Bernard for the season, the Bengals are frantically hoping their season can be kept from going into complete free-fall. So where does this team go from here? They do all they can: turn to Tyler Boyd and Brandon LaFell. Boyd, a second-round rookie, was a prolific pass-catcher in college and made good on the extra attention shown to him Week 11, catching 6-of-8 passes for 54 yards and his first career touchdown. He is certain to outperform LaFell most weeks while tight end Tyler Eifert was injured to a forgotten body on the field. He's back on the radar though after seeing nine targets last week. Both get the PPR bump as it is hard to not see them averaging 7-9 targets each per game going forward, but Boyd's age and secure future (relatively speaking) make him the clear-cut winner of this situation. Both will be worth using Week 12 against the Ravens, a team that's allowed the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.
Dorial Green-Beckham (WR, PHI) - 4% Owned
If just seeing wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham's name has you sticking your nose up in disinterest, I heard you. A lot of noise was made of the Eagles' trade for him over the offseason but little has been done with him on the field. That said, he has seen more action the past few games at the expense of fellow receiver Nelson Agholor, receiving 26 targets the past five games to Agholor's 25 despite not playing Week 10. The Eagles will face the Packers Week 12, a team that is now leading the NFL in points allowed to wide receivers on the year. Green-Beckham might not fill the stat box to the brim, but a repeat of his Week 11 line of five catches for 54 yards and a touchdown are not unreasonable expectations.
Tajae Sharpe (WR, TEN) - 12% Owned
Where have you been all year, Tajae Sharpe? It has taken the fifth-round rookie about half a season to get up to speed with the Titans' "Exotic Smashmouth" offense, but it appears to finally be taking hold. After catching 4-of-7 targets for 68 yards and a touchdown Week 11 against the Colts, Sharpe has at least 58 yards in four of his last five games and a touchdown in his last two. He isn't just becoming a secret PPR weapon, he's making noise in standard scoring leagues as well. With Chicago giving up the most fantasy points to wide receivers over the past four weeks and sixth-most on the season, expect this to be the last time Sharpe's ownership is so low he qualifies for this column.
Adam Thielen (WR, MIN) - 4% Owned
There is really no reason to get excited about any fantasy player on the Vikings' team, and wide receiver Adam Thielen isn't any different. But deep PPR players understand that those are exactly the types of players that make-or-break championship teams during the dog days of the season. Thielen hasn't been the most consistent contributor this year with his targets sitting around the five per game mark. But he's been making the best out of what he does get, averaging 62 yards per game the past six games. Expect similar production Week 12 against a Lions' team he put up four catches for 68 yards against a couple weeks ago back in Week 9.
Marqise Lee (WR, JAX) - 4% Owned
There's no denying that wide receiver Marqise Lee has passed over fellow Jaguars' receiver Allen Hurns as the go-to behind the team's WR1, Allen Robinson, after Week 11's game versus the Giants. Yes, this is regardless of what the official depth chart may say. Over the past three weeks, Lee has caught 12-of-22 targets for 186 yards and a touchdown while Hurns has caught 3-of-13 targets for 22 yards and no touchdowns. Quarterback Blake Bortles spends most of his time trying to come back from behind, which in turn causes opposing teams to focus on shutting down the Allens, which in turns gives Lee all these opportunities. The Bills aren't complete lightweights when it comes to stopping wide receivers, coming in to Week 12 allowing the 22nd-most fantasy points to them on the year, but they've struggled lately, allowing the ninth-most points over the past four weeks.
Others: Kenny Stills (8% owned) has been inconsistent at best this year. But for those desperate for a shot-in-the-dark, few players draw a more favorable matchup than he does Week 12 against the 49ers, a team allowing the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers over both the entire season and the past four weeks.
PPR Running Back Waiver Wire Adds
Wendell Smallwood (RB, PHI) - 3% Owned
Another rookie making the list this week, running back Wendell Smallwood may still not have a clear path to playing time, but he is getting closer. Following the Week 11 exits of both running backs above him on the Eagles' depth chart, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles, Smallwood came in and put up his second straight fantasy relevant week, rushing 13 times for 48 yards and catching 4-of-5 targets for 31 yards. This follows a Week 10 performance where he rushed 13 times for 70 yards. With the initial word on the street that neither injured running back is expected to miss much, if any, time, it's hard to say how big of a role Smallwood will have in Week 12. But he's shown enough here to be worth a speculation play against a Packers' run defense that's seventh in fantasy points allowed to running backs over the past four weeks.
PPR Tight End Waiver Wire Adds
Jared Cook (TE, GB) - 12% Owned
Here we go. It took a little longer than expected, but it looks like tight end Jared Cook is finally back and ready to shelf the failed experiment known as the "Rodgers-to-Rodgers Situation." He showed up big time Week 11 in his first game action since Week 3, catching 6-of-11 targets for 105 yards and a touchdown. But he also showed he's still prone to big-time mistakes, dropping a walk-in touchdown. There's nothing to like about Cook's Week 12 matchup against the Eagles, a team allowing the 29th-most fantasy points to tight ends this season, but that doesn't mean it's a guaranteed bummer. Expect Cook to be a decent TE1 more often than not going forward in PPR leagues. Expecting much else, especially with his next two games coming against the Eagles and Texans--who have both been great at containing tight ends this year-- would be a foolish gesture.
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