Dynasty Fantasy Football Waiver Wire, Week 12
Week 12 is upon us, and only 4-5 weeks remain until playoff season. Many of you (myself included) are down to making dollar bids. If your team is in a rebuild, you may be sitting on a surplus of faab, now is a great time to trade some of that faab for a draft pick or high-upside player. For those of you with contending teams, you may be down one $1 per week, so use it wisely. I have a few player suggestions here, and of course, I have them at all the pertinent positions.
Roster percentages from Fantrax 11/23/2021
Teams on bye: Chiefs and Cardinals
Quarterback
Tyler Huntley QB Ravens (9% rostered)
Tyler Huntley’s performance on Sunday was perfect for dynasty football leagues. Huntley’s final line offered few fantasy points: 26-36 passing for 219 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception, adding 40 yards on seven rushes. I appreciate this type of performance because it’s likely to depress FAAB bids. When you take a deeper look at Huntley’s numbers from Sunday’s game, you notice he came close to 260 total yards and did not score a touchdown—that won’t happen often. The interception reduced fantasy points, but if you look at that interception, it was the result of an excellent play by veteran safety Tashaun Gipson. Tyler Huntley’s performance was better than his fantasy line indicates. He will likely return to a reserve role next week, but you want to add this guy to your roster as we see what he can do when given an opportunity.
Marcus Mariota QB Raiders (10% rostered)
Las Vegas is now on a three-game losing streak. They went from 1st place in the west to a team that seems destined to most of its remaining games. If things continue on this path, the Raiders may turn to their backup QB Marcus Mariota. Mariota has high pedigree than most if not every free agent available in a respectable dynasty football league. He was the 2nd overall pick of the 2015 draft. Mariota amazed NFL scouts measuring in at 6′,4″ 225lbs, running a 4.48 forty, and ripping passes with velocity all over the field. The forty time is probably closer to 4.6 in 2021, and we haven’t seen Marcus throw the ball in a game situation in quite some time. If someone asked me, “Is there any player still available in dynasty leagues that could win my league for me?” I’d answer, “Marcus Mariota.”
Joe Flacco QB Jets (15% rostered)
Flacco flung the ball around New York’s Metlife Stadium on Sunday. Joe totaled 290 yards and 2 TDs in the 17-24 loss against the Dolphins. He still has a strong arm, and he made good decisions on Sunday. Incumbent starter Zach Wilson may return next week, but if he doesn’t, the Flac Attack will take on the Texans in the dome in Houston.
Runningback
Matt Breida RB Bills (14% rostered)
Breida looked like the best Bills back on Sunday. He’s gained 117 total yards and scored two TDs the past two weeks. Get him if he is still available in your league.
Rex Burkhead RB Texans (8% rostered)
The 31-year-old veteran had 18 carries for 40 yards on Sunday. It’s not a pretty line, but the Texans won the game. Sometimes it’s best not to tinker with a winning formula, so I expect Rex to start at RB again next week against the Jets. Count me in for a Burkhead TD in week 12 as the Jets defense has allowed a league-leading 20 rushing TDs this season.
Qadree Ollison RB Falcons (4% rostered)
He was the talk of training camp, and it seemed like he might be involved in the offense, but that was before Cordarelle Patterson took over the Atlanta backfield. Patterson is out, however, and his absence has opened a door for Ollison. Qadree is a big back 6′, 1″ 230lbs. Falcons head coach Arthur Smith was successful with a big runningback when he called plays for the Titans and Derrick Henry. The differences are, Qadree Ollison is not Derrick Henry, and the Falcon O-line is not the Titan O-line. I would pick up Ollison to see how things shake out.
La’Mical Perine RB Jets (13% rostered)
Michael Carter’s injury (out 2-3weeks) opens a spot for Perine on the Jets roster. He will begin as the 3rd string back, but I think he surpasses Tevin Coleman in short order. Current Jets RB1 Ty Johnson has been good in a part-time role this season. The Jets may want to keep Ty in that role, at least to some degree. Another Jets RB will be able to sneak in for 8-12 touches per game. Coleman has the benefit of experience and will get the first crack at those opportunities. However, La’Mical is five years younger than Tevin. The Jets used a 4th round pick on Perine in 2020. I expect Perine to start the takeover next week and maintain that spot until Michael Carter returns from injury.
Dontrell Hilliard RB Titans (1% rostered)
Hilliard hopped onto the scene with 82 total yards against the plucky Texans’ defense after spending most of the season on the practice squad. It’s a fun story, but take what Dontrell Hilliard did on Sunday seriously, at least until Jeremy McNichols returns from injury. Dontrell was the primary pass-catching back on Sunday, a significant role for the Titans. Titans QB Ryan Tannehill is a competent QB who reads the field well and understands the importance of a check down. Tennesse designs many passing plays with the runningback as the primary receiver. While Hilliard has this role, get him on your team.
Wide Receiver
Mack Hollins WR Dolphins (3% rostered)
Mack has posted a few good fantasy weeks this season but remains rostered by only 3% of teams. Miami’s offense has been inconsistent, but the Dolphins typically win when Hollins has a good game. They are 2-1 when Hollins produces over ten fantasy points. Miami’s coaching staff may take notice of this and pass him the ball more often.
Marquise Goodwin WR Bears (7% rostered)
This fleet-footer Bears burner saw eight targets and turned them into four catches for 104 yards and a TD. The targets and production are encouraging. Goodwin’s speed has always made him an enticing fantasy player. Some of you may remember the hype swirling around him in San Francisco in the summer of 2018. Marquise is on a one-year contract for Chicago, so the rest of the season plays out like an audition for the speedster. He’s worth an add as the Bears figure out options for next year’s roster.
Ja’Marcus Bradley WR Browns (0% rostered)
Donovan People-Jones and Anthony Schwartz are out due to injury. Ja’Marcus Bradley has assumed the deep route role for the Browns, as he caught both of his targets for 46 yards receiving on Sunday. Baker Mayfield targeted Ja’Marcus on another deep endzone pass that fell incomplete and would have been negated by a penalty anyway. Bradley was an undrafted free agent last year. The Browns liked him enough to stash him on their practice squad the past two seasons. Typical deep-threat rules apply– they don’t need to catch many passes to be fantasy relevant.
Titans Wide Receivers
A new week and a new 100-yard receiver for the Titans, par for the course. It was Marcus Johnson two weeks ago. This week Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (7% rostered) was the receiver de jour as he totaled 107 yards on seven catches (8 targets). Dez Fitzpatrick (13% rostered) got in on the action playing 79% of the Titans’ offensive snaps and seeing six targets, which he turned into three catches for 35 yards and a TD. I am finding it difficult to get a read on this team’s WR situation.
I’d prioritize Fitzpatrick for now. The Titans traded picks 126 (4th), 166 (5th), and 232 (7th round) in the 2021 NFL draft to the Panthers in exchange for Carolina’s 109 (4th) and took Dez Fitzpatrick, so they saw something they liked in him. Dez has NFL measurables 6,2″ 210lbs 4.46 forty-yard dash, and he was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, so he has a strong pedigree.
I’d order them:
Dez Fitzpatrick
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
Marcus Johnson
Tight End
Ryan Griffin TE Jets (4% rostered)
I had Griffin on this list last week because I thought he might see targets against some poor pass defense the Jets face in the coming weeks. Griffin caught three of four targets on Sunday for a total of 39 yards. He’s a TD-dependent TE, but he is playing nearly all the snaps for the Jets. Expect to see similar production going forward. Sprinkle in a few TDs, and you have yourself an average Tight End that’s available in your league. If you desperately need to fill the TE position, Griffin might be all you’ve got.
Josiah Deguara TE Packers (5% rostered)
Starting Packers TE Robert Tonyan is out for the season, and Deguara appears to have the edge on snaps (27) over Marcedes Lewis (17). Green Bay used a 3rd round pick on Josiah in 2020, so the coaching staff likes him. He corralled a contested 25-yard TD catch on Sunday, making it all the more likely Aaron Rodgers will look in Deguara’s direction the next the Packers are near the goal line. JosiahDeguara is likely the best TE available in your league. Get him while you still can.
