Happy Thanksgiving week everyone! I'll be adding new waiver wire pickups until Wednesday, but if someone needs additional advice on pick-ups or sit/start decisions, don't hesitate to leave a comment below or reach out to my X. Appreciate everyone following along all year and I'll be happy to take any tips in the form of pumpkin pie.
For the audio and video component of the article, I also went through a fully developed list on the RotoWire YouTube channel that you can view below.
Be sure to keep an eye on our NFL injury report and the latest fantasy football news. For player usage updates and roster context, check out RotoWire's NFL Depth Charts, and don't miss the Weekly Projections to see how this week's matchups shape up.
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Must Checks
Before we get to this week's list by position, I just jotted down a handful of players you should at least make sure are rostered. If not, pounce.
RB Emanuel Wilson, Packers - Josh Jacobs said Thursday the knee contusion that kept him out of Sunday's win over the Vikings "definitely" won't have him miss Thanksgiving against the Lions, but we've heard that song and dance before. I doubt Wilson has carved out a bunch more reps if Jacobs is active, but the Packers do like to use the third-year back in the screen game if nothing else.
RB Trey Benson, Cardinals - I think we're getting closer to the second-year back returning after a seven-game absence following meniscus surgery. Jacoby Brissett has made Arizona's offense relevant, and I'm adamant that Benson will clearly be the team's bellcow over the castaways the Cardinals have rotated through.
RB Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs - Pacheco has missed the last three games with a knee injury and it's unclear if he'll be available on a short week against Dallas. Kareem Hunt has shouldered such a load that I think it's inevitable he'll break down at some point, but Pacheco has hardly been reliable either. Of the three RBs to check, Pacheco is likely the least valuable to me rest of season.
WR Jayden Reed, Packers - Reed is expected to return the next two weeks after undergoing surgery early in the year to repair a dislocated shoulder and fractured foot. Neither injury sounds like a particularly easy recovery, but it's undeniable what the explosive wide receiver can provide to an offense that is quietly getting a handful of key pieces back at the perfect time. This is arguably the biggest "boom-bust" potential of any of the players to check and therefore is lowest on my ranks.
Quarterback
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars - This probably won't be super useful for the majority of the people out there given Lawrence is rostered in 49 percent of Yahoo leagues, but there's arguably a good group of streamers at least for Week 13 available regardless. Why the 2021 No. 1 overall pick makes the top of the list is an incredibly generous schedule rest of the way that only has the Broncos in Week 16 as a dangerous play. If you're set to miss Baker Mayfield (shoulder) like I am in a handful of leagues, I'd pivot here first. FAAB: 8 percent if you need ROS starter
Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins - Tagovailoa is the patron saint of streaming quarterbacks because he's too unreliable to be rostered week to week, but significantly above the threshold of "2QB guys" like Tyler Shough or Shedeur Sanders. This week, the Dolphins play the Saints, who surprisingly yielded way too much production to an over-the-hill Kirk Cousins. I think Tua can put up similar results. FAAB: 0 percent of budget
Running Back
Devin Neal, Saints - Alvin Kamara is underdoing an MRI for what was reported to be an MCL injury. Unless this is the cleanest MRI of all time, I'd be stunned if the 2-9 Saints trot out the veteran at any point the rest of the year. It's also perfect because it allows the team to see what it has in the rookie sixth-round pick who has held off a wide cast of backup running backs like Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Audric Estime and Velus Jones to hold onto a roster spot since preseason. I loved Neal coming out of college and figured he'd be at worst a fourth-round pick in April. The depth of the running back class allowed the Kansas product to fall, but he also wasn't particularly explosive at the Combine (4.56 40-yard dash) and it's probably a bit telling Kendre Miller took all of the backup reps in New Orleans before he was placed on injured reserve in Week 8. If we've learned anything from this year's rookies it's that effectively everyone is coming in ill-prepared in terms of pass blocking, and I'd expect that will cut into Neal's snap counts initially. But I'm going to willing trust my preseason evaluation, which was built around some incredible collegiate tape (three years of 1,000-plus rushing yards) and suggest Neal could be in position for RB2 status the rest of the way. FAAB: I'm effectively trying to maintain like 7 percent of my FAAB budget for ROS moves. Spend everything besides that mark for Neal
Wide Receiver
John Metchie, Jets - This one came a bit late into the waiver wire process last week once it was confirmed Tyrod Taylor was the starter. I admit that I didn't really foresee this outcome, but in just about every one of my moderately deep leagues Metchie had been picked up by Week 12 kickoff. In hindsight, it was incredibly obvious given Taylor is a functioning NFL quarterback and Metchie is a capable pass catcher in his own right. I don't know where to rank him among Parker Washington or Christian Watson or even Tre Tucker, who continues to see plenty of targets. But Metchie absolutely vaults into the conversation as a player who belongs on rosters, much less starting lineups, as we creep through the final part of the fantasy regular season. FAAB: 8 percent if you need a starter this week
Jayden Higgins, Texans - It's been such a pleasant surprise to see an NFL team actually use the talent it has on the roster as opposed to force-fitting some scheme-focused guy into snaps they don't deserve. Higgins is the team's second-best wide receiver, and that's incredibly lucrative especially when C.J. Stroud (concussion) returns. That Xavier Hutchinson is losing more and more playing time really reassures me that Higgins is someone who could end up helping lineups toward the fantasy playoffs. FAAB: 7 percent of budget
Luther Burden, Bears - It only took 12 weeks, but I think it's safe to say Burden is finally in position to see relevant playing time for fantasy purposes. Of course, that probably doesn't matter for early August investors, but if Burden is somehow available on waivers, it's time to rectify that. The rookie now has three consecutive weeks with at least 30 offensive snaps and he's compiled 13 targets in that time while Olamide Zaccheaus's playing time has steadily declined. The long-awaited prophecy might finally come. FAAB: 6 percent of budget
Tight End
Brenton Strange, Jaguars - I highly doubt the burly tight end will go for close to 100 receiving yards anytime soon, but again Jacksonville's schedule rest of season is comfortably easy and we know Trevor Lawrence relies on Strange as a safety blanket. I don't think the 24-year-old is any different than Harold Fannin or Zach Ertz in terms of consistent volume game to game, but that still puts Strange in low-end TE1 territory on occasion. FAAB: 3 percent if you need a starter
