Week 11 was another wild one for fantasy football with plenty of surprises and players posting monster weeks. It was also one of the busiest weeks of the season for injuries. Even with Sunday and Monday night matchups still to come, several names are already popping as strong pickups from the waiver wire for Week 12.
As we start to get ready for next week, it’s important to remember that the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints are coming off their bye week, while the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders are on their bye weeks.
Throughout the week, DK Network will have you covered with potential waiver wire pickups and strong plays for Week 12 and for the rest of the season. Be sure to stay tuned to the outstanding coverage from the whole team. This post is designed to be an early look at some of the names to keep an eye on coming out of Week 11.
Another key factor to keep a close eye on every week is new injuries. Here are some new situations to monitor moving forward:
Players with new injuries from Week 11 to watch:
- QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
- QB Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
- QB Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
- QB Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
- QB Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
- QB Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders
- QB Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns
- RB De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
- RB Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
- RB Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers
- RB Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
- RB Emari Demercado, Arizona Cardinals
- RB Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars
- WR Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
- WR Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans
- WR Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers
- WR Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons
- WR Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans
- TE Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
With those injuries in mind, here are some of my early names to watch if you’re shopping on the Week 12 waiver wire.
WR Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers
In the Packers’ narrow comeback win in New York, Christian Watson (20.6 FPTS) hauled in two touchdowns and finished with four catches for 46 yards.
After missing the first seven weeks of the season while working his way back from last year’s knee injury, he has played each of the last four weeks. He has multiple catches in each game since returning and has between 40 and 90 yards each week. He has progressively played more and more snaps each week, and he’s re-established his strong connection with Jordan Love (17.7 FPTS).
Watson had 29 catches for 620 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games in 2024, and he looks ready to pick up where he left off as one of the team’s go-to options, as least until Jayden Reed (collarbone) is back from the IR. Watson and the Packers have a tough matchup against the Vikings and Lions in Week 12 and Week 13, but then he has three great matchups in the last four weeks of the season against the Bears twice and the Ravens.
Watson is still available in about two-thirds of leagues, but if you are looking for some deeper options who emerged as options from the waiver wire Week 12, check out Tyrell Shavers (19 FPTS), Xavier Legette (18.3 FPTS), John Metchie III (13.5 FPTS), and Jalen Coker (11.2 FPTS).
RB Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Coming into their matchup in Buffalo, there was some buzz that the Buccaneers were going to give Sean Tucker (37 FPTS) more of a role instead of Rachaad White. We broke it down on Friday, and highlighted Tucker as a value play with high upside. He absolutely went off, though, exceeding everyone’s expectations.
Tucker racked up 106 rushing yards and two touchdowns on his 19 carries, and he added a third touchdown by catching both of his targets for 34 receiving yards.
Tucker’s fantasy stardom could be short-lived, though, since Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder) is returning from his injury soon. Next week, the Bucs also have a tough game on the road against the Rams. After that, though, Tucker has a great schedule with the Cardinals, Saints, Falcons, Panthers and the Dolphins taking him through Week 17.
If Irving comes back, Tucker could be relegated to a smaller role, but if he stays involved he has RB1 upside, so he should be added in all formats.
Other options that make sense from the waiver wire in Week 12 after big Week 11 games include Kenneth Gainwell (29.5 FPTS), Devin Singletary (17.7 FPTS) and Ty Johnson (15 FPTS).
QB Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers bounced back from a brutal home loss to the Saints last week with a monster win in Atlanta. Bryce Young (34.8 FPTS) signified the turnaround after only producing 3.6 fantasy points in Week 10 before going off for 34.8 fantasy points in Week 11.
Young went off for 448 passing yards while helping the Panthers rally back against the Falcons. He finished with three touchdown passes as well, helping rookie Tetairoa McMillan (36 FPTS) post a huge game as well. Young sustained an ankle injury on a sack in the first quarter, but he didn’t miss an offensive snap in Sunday’s win. He also didn’t miss many passes on his way to a career-best performance.
Young and the Panthers will look to build on this week’s success in a good matchup in San Francisco next week. He is tough to use in Week 13 (against the Rams) or Week 14 (bye), but if you need a one-week solution next week, Young has proven he brings a high ceiling.
TE Noah Fant, Cincinnati Bengals
It was a very slow week for tight ends overall, with only a few getting touchdowns or posting big games. While his Bengals came up short against the Steelers, Noah Fant (6.6 FPTS) remained very involved in the offense.
Fant had five catches for 36 yards but lost a fumble. He continues to get plenty of attention from Joe Flacco (10.9 FPTS) and the Bengals have to stay aggressive since their defense has struggled so much.
In each of his eight games this season, Fant has multiple catches. His six targets against the Steelers this week were a new season high, and he should stay involved even once Joe Burrow returns.
Next week, he has a great matchup against the Patriots, who have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. If you need a streaming option, he’s a great pickup for next week. Other options on many waiver wires that make sense include AJ Barner (17.1 FPTS), Chig Okonkwo (8.6 FPTS) and Mason Taylor (7.0 FPTS)
Browns DST
The Browns defense looked strong against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Myles Garrett had four sacks and continues to lead a strong defense that is helping to compensate for the struggling offense. The defense finished with five sacks, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and this defensive touchdown.
The Browns are available in more than half of leagues, and they have some very favorable matchups ahead. In Week 12, they face the Raiders, followed by the 49ers in Week 13 and the Titans in Week 14. They have racked up 18 sacks in their last four games with a whopping 10 takeaways and a pair of defensive touchdowns.
Other streaming options to consider if the Browns are already snagged include the Jaguars (at ARI), the Raiders (vs. CLE) and the Bears (vs. PIT), especially if Aaron Rodgers is out.
