Week 13 Byes: None
Here are some players to consider picking up this week, if available, to get ahead of the other managers in your league. These players include potential bye-week fill-ins, players who are returning from injury, and defenses to look at in advance.
Beat the Waiver Wire: No-Brainers
In most leagues, these guys aren't available. But if you're fortunate enough to see them on the waiver wire, grab them.
TE Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints (67% rostered on Sleeper)
The Saints were resting in Week 12, so some managers may have dropped Hill. Hill's ceiling is worth every penny in a season where the tight ends have been incredibly hit or miss. He was the TE1 in Week 11 and completed almost every football move on a bingo card - he is always a threat to score a touchdown.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Quarterbacks
Cooper Rush, Dallas Cowboys (9% rostered on Sleeper)
Rush has started two games and finished as a QB1 in both. It would be scary to start Rush, but he is available to start in Week 14, which automatically pushes him up in the possibilities. Dallas has three weeks of great fantasy matchups for Rush, with Dallas going up against Cincinnati, Carolina, and Tampa Bay, who are all in the top six teams giving up fantasy points to the quarterback position.
Drake Maye, New England Patriots (28% rostered on Sleeper)
Maye continues to offer a small rushing baseline, which is good to have as a backup on your bench. The schedule isn’t incredible for the Patriots in the fantasy playoffs, but for managers making sure they have healthy players to slot in their lineups, Maye should be considered.
Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers (41% rostered on Sleeper)
It was a rough game for Wilson last Thursday in the snow, which is understandable, but he still threw for almost 300 yards and a touchdown. He is a startable fantasy quarterback, and he is playing in Week 14, which is joyous news for most fantasy managers. The Steelers play Cleveland in a rematch that week, and the team will be itching to make a statement. You probably will not use him the following week against Philadelphia, but Week 16 brings Baltimore, which has allowed the fifth most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
Tyrod Taylor, New York Jets (2% rostered on Sleeper)
I'll be honest: at this point, there aren’t many quarterbacks out there to stash with your eye out for good matchups. If you are playoff-bound, you already have your main guy (or two). If Week 12 byes had you wringing your hands, hold my beer because Week 14 is also delightful with six more teams on a bye. This doesn't leave incredible options, but hey, you need a starting quarterback. Taylor could be an option, with the chance of Aaron Rodgers not finishing out the season. Taylor can run an NFL offense, and they have a nice matchup against Jacksonville in Week 15.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Running Backs
Jeremy McNichols, Washington Commanders (12% rostered on Sleeper)
Austin Ekeler had a scary injury at the tail end of the game on Sunday, and one would think he could be sidelined for a game or two. Brian Robinson Jr. also had an injury earlier in the game but did return. McNichols is the next man up. He rushed three times for 22 yards on Sunday, and keep in mind that Washington has a bye in Week 14, so this could be a precautionary pickup. Either way, he should be on your radar.
Gus Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers (56% rostered on Sleeper) & Kimani Vidal (7% rostered on Sleeper)
J.K. Dobbins left Monday night's game with a knee injury and did not return. It was reported that he had a knee sprain and would miss some time. Edwards would be the lead back in Dobbins' absence, but Vidal would still see the field. Both are solid pickups for a team in the middle of a playoff push.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Wide Receivers
Noah Brown, Washington Commanders (20% rostered on Sleeper)
Brown had a 29% target share this week with ten targets - he caught six of them for 71 yards. As I mentioned above, Ekeler sustained an injury on Sunday, and he has been averaging 3.5 targets a game this year. If he has to miss time, the combination of Brown’s overall talent in the offense plus vacated targets could lead to a potential fantasy start.
Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills (61% rostered on Sleeper)
Coleman didn't play in Week 11 due to a wrist injury, and the Bills were on bye in Week 12, so he might have been dropped. Rookie wide receivers often have a second-half breakout, and in a high-powered offense like Buffalo with Josh Allen under center, Coleman is poised to explode. After San Francisco in Week 13, Coleman gets to play the Rams, Lions, and Patriots, teams all giving up fantasy points over expectation to the wide receiver position.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tennessee Titans (27% rostered on Sleeper)
Westrook-Ikhine has scored a touchdown in six out of his last seven games, and the offense in Tennesee has been doing well as of late. The Titans have the best remaining schedule for fantasy wide receivers, including two matchups with Jacksonville (one in championship week), a team that averages 6.8 fantasy points over expectation to opposing wide receivers.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Tight Ends
Noah Gray, Kansas City Chiefs (17% rostered on Sleeper)
Again, it is tough out there for tight ends, so Gray is no guarantee, especially with Travis Kelce a Chief. Gray has scored four touchdowns in the last two weeks, and one could tell the story that Head Coach Andy Reid will temper Kelce’s usage during the end of the season to save him for the playoffs. This could lead to continued opportunities for Gray. The matchups aren't particularly encouraging for him, but it is Kansas City, and they always seem to get it done.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Defense/Special Teams
Indianapolis Colts (18% rostered on Sleeper)
With the Colts playing Detroit last week, there is a strong chance they are available on the waiver wire. Unfortunately, they have a bye in Week 14 and an average matchup in Week 15, but the final two weeks of the fantasy playoffs are delightful. You are looking at the Titans and the Giants, so if you can piecemeal together the weeks leading up, you could have a strong finish.
Seattle Seahawks (20% rostered on Sleeper)
We just saw the Seahawks defense put up 20 fantasy points against the Arizona Cardinals, and guess what? They match up again in Week 14. They also have great matchups against Minnesota and Chicago in Week 16 and 17 and will be fighting for a playoff berth.
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