There were a lot of playoff implications around the league this past weekend. The Washington Commanders were effectively eliminated, the Buffalo Bills overtime loss could prove fatal to their season, and the Chargers lost again to signal the end of their hopes of a playoff berth as well.
League position can be really important in fantasy football, as can the teams schedule the rest of the way. The two go hand in hand, especially if you can find a way to pick up players who could have easier matchups when your fantasy football playoffs are underway.
For example, if you make it to your league’s Super Bowl in Week 17, the Eagles are playing the Arizona Cardinals in that week. That game could be the game that seals the number one seed for Philly, and so Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and co. might have one of the biggest days of their season in order to solidify their spot with a game to spare.
Let’s look at some waiver wire options for Week 13, with players who could impact your Super Bowl chances, as well as a couple who might come into play in the future.
Quarterback
Aidan O’Connell – Las Vegas Raiders (3% rostered)
I liked O’Connell’s performance against the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend. Keeping up with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense might be a little easier this year than it has been in years past, but regardless, O’Connell did a good job in his fourth career start.
Kansas City’s defense has stifled some of the best offenses in football already this year, and as a result ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards allowed.
Aidan O’Connell came out and threw for 248 passing yards and a touchdown, and at this point I don’t see why the team would go back to Jimmy Garoppolo over the rookie. Jimmy G was clearly Josh McDaniels’ quarterback, and he’s gone now, so O’Connell might get a genuine look at the starting job long term.
The result is the potential he has as a fantasy football quarterback. He might be a popular pick up on dynasty waivers this week, and that would be my suggestion over his potential in a redraft league.
Monitoring the head coaching situation, Jimmy Garoppolo’s situation and the performance of O’Connell will be crucial here, but I liked him in the preseason and on Sunday I saw him repeat that performance against a Super Bowl contender.
Running Backs
Keaton Mitchell – Baltimore Ravens (34% rostered)
I’m stunned that Keaton Mitchell’s roster percentage is as low as it is, considering he’s now been an impact player in every game he’s featured in for the past several weeks.
Mitchell made his debut in Week 9, and in three of his four games he’s managed 60+ rushing yards or a touchdown at the very minimum, or both.
Okay sure his opportunities in a somewhat crowded committee of running backs will be limited, and the threat of Lamar Jackson keeping the football for himself of course plays a part, but Keaton Mitchell is averaging 9.3 yards per carry right now…
Again in Week 12 he showed that he can make big plays with limited reps, carrying the football nine times but managing 64 rushing yards in the process. He added two receptions for another 25 yards too, making for a few nice bonus points as a RB in PPR formats.
Perhaps some fantasy players just have enough running back talent that they don’t need to pick him up and plug him into their lineup, but if you’re struggling with injuries or dealing with headaches like Miles Sanders or Najee Harris, Keaton Mitchell is a great call.
Jeff Wilson – Miami Dolphins (27% rostered)
This one is solely dependent on the status of Dolphins rookie DeVon Achane, so keep that in mind. Achane was placed on IR back in Week 5, and re-emerged in Week 11 only to hobble off the field again on his very first carry.
He’s somewhat undersized for the NFL and reinjured the same knee that had landed him on injured reserve, opening up carries for both Jeff Wilson and Salvon Ahmed behind Raheem Mostert.
It was Wilson who put on a great display with his reps against the New York Jets on Friday night, taking 11 carries for 56 yards. Add three receptions to that and another 17 receiving yards and you’ve got a very productive day for an RB2.
Wilson is a guy Mike McDaniel knows he can trust. He spent time with him in San Francisco and brought him to Miami with Mostert. The question now is whether those 11 carries are sustainable. It was more touches than Wilson has had all season, in just one game.
It might be a slight risk, but I think you could get Wilson for $1 on waivers. Perhaps prioritize the bid on Keaton Mitchell, and then have Wilson as a very cheap alternative.
Wide Receivers
Jalin Hyatt – New York Giants (2% rostered)
Tommy DeVito can play. He looks so comfortable in an NFL uniform and for what felt like the first time this season the New York Giants were actually able to stretch the field, and against a Bill Belichick Patriots defense.
Jalin Hyatt is the first of three rookie wide receiver waiver claims I’m suggesting this week, currently 2% rostered but breaking into the Giants lineup before our eyes.
In all likelihood, DeVito and Hyatt have built some chemistry at Giants practice this season. They’re both rookies, both have been working with the backups and both now have a point to prove as the season comes to the business end for all parties.
The Giants won’t make the playoffs, but both DeVito and Hyatt can make their claims for the 2024 season, especially the Biletnikoff award winning wide receiver who the Giants drafted in the third round back in April.
Hyatt was a known project. He had run pretty basic routes in a vertical offense at Tennessee, but seems to be growing in his role with the Giants late in the year.
His six targets on Sunday marked a new career high, as did the five catches and 109 receiving yards. I liked what I saw, and we could see plenty more of Jalin Hyatt before the end of the year with the Giants having nothing to lose in giving their young players more work.
Jonathan Mingo – Carolina Panthers (8% rostered)
Jonathan Mingo has been a little hit and miss this year, but everything could be about to change in Carolina. Coaching changes are always chaotic when it comes to players’ reps, opportunities and production, especially young talent around the RB/WR three or four mark.
The new coaching setup could come in and see a promising young player in Jonathan Mingo, and end up working him into the offensive rotation even further. He’s been on the field a lot this year, but just isn’t getting many receptions.
Part of that problem is the offensive line, with Bryce Young taking a beating every week. That isn’t helping, but in time this Panthers team is going to improve, and Jonathan Mingo could very easily claim the WR2 role if he impresses.
This one is more of a dynasty play, while Jalin Hyatt could be more productive immediately. Either way, Mingo is largely available, and might be worth a shot.
Cedric Tillman – Cleveland Browns (0% rostered)
The third and final rookie wide receiver is Cedric Tillman, who caught his first pass in Week 4 before missing several weeks of the season. The former Tennessee Volunteer then returned in Week 9, but hasn’t had more than one catch in a game until this weekend.
Cleveland have been reshuffling at wide receiver, trying to find a WR2 complement to Amari Cooper. Elijah Moore came over in a trade and Tillman was selected in the third round of the 2023 draft, and it finally looks as though he might be getting a genuine shot.
On Sunday, Tillman was targeted five times, catching four passes for 55 yards and 13.8 yards per reception on average.
Cleveland might be working with backup quarterbacks, but Cedric Tillman was producing, and this could be a sign that he’s ready to take on a larger role in the offense.
There is an element of risk here of course. He’s only proven it in one game so far, but the cost should be $1 on waivers. He hasn’t had a major breakout game yet, but don’t be the manager who gets in a week too late. Better to be a week early, it’s way cheaper.
Tight Ends
Isaiah Likely – Baltimore Ravens (31% rostered)
There was a real hesitation around Isaiah Likely prior to the weekend, with many believing Mark Andrews’ targets would just get swallowed up by the wide receiver talent on the team.
Turns out that wasn’t at all true. In fact, Likely led the team with four receptions for 40 yards, in what was actually a pretty slow day for the Ravens offense.
I expected them to go to work against a struggling Chargers defense, and while they didn’t, you have to love the production out of Likely in a game where Lamar Jackson only managed 177 passing yards.
The team believes in their young tight end, and it looks like he will just take over Mark Andrews’ role as it was, without any adaptation.
Juwan Johnson – New Orleans Saints (8% rostered)
Juwan Johnson missed several weeks earlier in the season, which likely stunted his chemistry with the teams new franchise quarterback Derek Carr.
He’s now back in action, and has had 4+ catches in two of his last three appearances. On Sunday, Johnson caught four balls for 45 yards, following his five catches for 29 yards and a touchdown against Chicago in Week 9. Taysom Hill hasn’t really been used as a tight end this season, not unless the offense is running trick plays and disguises, leaving the more traditional work to Juwan Johnson.
If five catches for 40+ yards becomes the norm, he could be a nice waiver wire priority tight end. If you’re lacking depth or need another guy, perhaps a Mark Andrews replacement, maybe Juwan Johnson is a safe bet.
