The playoffs are drawing near and with trade deadlines past fantasy owners will need to work the waiver wire hard in order to keep themselves loaded with depth against the cream of the crop.
The waiver wire pickups aren't as obvious this week as they were following Week 11 action, but there are certainly still diamonds in the rough.
Quarterbacks
Eli Manning, New York Giants
Scared off by Eli's five-interception meltdown in Week 11? Don't be. Manning is turnover-prone sometimes sure, but if you're stuck with an inconsistent guy like Cam Newton or Andy Dalton, Manning isn't a bad guy to grab.
His ceiling on a week-to-week basis is high-Odell Beckham Jr. is clearly a legit WR1 right now and Manning can go off for 300-plus yards at any time. Here's Manning's remaining slate-at Jacksonville, at Tennessee, vs. Washington, at St. Louis, vs. Philadelphia. That's juicy.
Running Backs
LeGarrette Blount, New England Patriots
So uhhh, hope you didn't blow your whole FAAB budget on that Jonas Gray guy. Due to some sleeping issues that caused him to miss a meeting, Gray didn't receive a single touch on Sunday following a 199-yard, four-TD performance.
Instead, newly re-signed Blount rushed 12 times for 68 yards and two touchdowns, potentially installing himself at the top of the Patriots' running back depth chart. Now we know the Patriots' running back situation always changes but Blount has become a must-own.
Latavius Muray, Oakland Raiders
The Raiders finally unleashed Latavius Murray on the world, and he ran for a ridiculous 112 yards and two touchdowns on only four carries. He sustained a concussion in the same game, and head coach Tony Sparano is hesitant to hand him the reins, but he's clearly got the most ability of the three Raiders backs. His injury may allow you to actually snag him.
Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers
Hyde is still dealing with limited work, but he's found the end zone in two of the last three games. In deep leagues where injuries to running backs or frustrating time shares have ruined all your plans, Hyde is a safe bet to receive a handful of carries each week. He also offers the threat of a touchdown, and is the 49ers most explosive rusher.
Wide Receivers
Charles Johnson, Minnesota Vikings
Johnson is a big, fast receiver who is getting targeted quite a bit these days. He has some Mike Evans-lite appeal to him, and has a competent quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater delivering the ball. He'll be a solid FLEX option going forward and nice injury insurance.
Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins
Not sure what fantasy owners have been waiting for when it comes to this rookie Dolphins pass-catcher. He caught two touchdown passes vs. the Broncos on Sunday, and now low-waiver priority owners will probably be unable to get him. Landry is a keeper league dream-he has high upside, he's young, developing chemistry with a young franchise quarterback, and is a waiver pickup.
Andre Holmes, Oakland Raiders
He's been up-and-down, but this 6'5 wide receiver is the most talented pass-catcher the Raiders have, and easily their top red zone target. He was targeted 10 times on Thursday night, and going forward rookie quarterback Derek Carr would be wise to keep chucking it Holmes' way.
Tight Ends
Tim Wright, New England Patriots
I'm warning you now, starting Wright may end up with a zero. That said, as limited as his targets are, they almost all come in the end zone. Wright's an athletically gifted pass-catcher, and with Rob Gronkowski soaking up all the defense's attention Wright's often left to pick up the scores. If you've been scuffling along with a Jordan Reed-type, or are impatiently awaiting the return of Jordan Cameron, pick up Wright and start him until your other guys prove something.
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