10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets Heading Into Week 13

Week 13 has only a few teams on bye -- the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, and Carolina Panthers -- as we head down the homestretch of the fantasy football season. That makes some of our choices a bit more clear-cut.

And while we have some running backs worth targeting, there are minimal slam-dunk options on the wire this week.

How does that affect the process, and which players stand out above the rest?

(I'll stick to players rostered on 50% of Yahoo teams or fewer and also list some other viable pickups who may be available in shallower leagues or relevant only in deeper leagues.)

Quarterbacks
Mac Jones, New England Patriots

Roster Percentage: 38%

Is Bill Belichick really gonna do this to again?

After a slow start to the 2021 season, the New England Patriots were definitely flying under the radar a bit. However, there's no hiding for the Pats now. They've won six straight games, and they head into a monster showdown with the Buffalo Bills that could determine the fate of the AFC East.

While Jones hasn't been necessarily the most efficient, posting a league-average 0.11 Passing Net Expected Points (NEP) per drop back, he has been very solid and especially as of late. In a Week 12 win, Jones was solid yet again, logging 310 passing yards and 2 touchdowns. While Jones may not light up the scoreboard with a pile of passing yards, he has logged seven touchdown passes in his last four games.

The Bills certainly won't be an easy matchup, but he makes for a high floor option if you are looking for some depth.

Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers

Roster Percentage: 34%

If the rookie Jones isn't exactly your jam at the quarterback slot, Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers could be more your speed.

While the 49ers continue to feature a run-heavy offense, as evidenced by Garoppolo's meager 230 passing yards on 26 pass attempts on Sunday, like Jones, his floor is solid. Ignoring that boring Week 12 effort, Garoppolo topped 15-plus fantasy points in four straight weeks prior to coming into the contest.

And if you are looking ahead to the fantasy playoffs, nothing gets tastier than this schedule. He faces the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans, whose pass defenses rank second- and third-worst, respectively, in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks.

Others to Consider:
Matt Ryan (47%, at Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Tyrod Taylor (11%, vs. Indianapolis Colts), Trevor Lawrence (30%, at Los Angeles Rams)

Running Backs
Boston Scott, Philadelphia Eagles

Roster Percentage: 19%

While it's certainly been a bit of a perplexing backfield situation in Philadelphia, it would appear that Boston Scott has emerged as a runner to roster.

Ignoring a tough fumble as the Eagles lost to the New York Giants, Scott did carry the workload here. He rushed 15 times with a score, and he also added 2 receptions on the day. That's a much stronger effort than his eight-touch game the week prior.

It's worth noting that Miles Sanders suffered an ankle injury in the second half, which helped prop up Scott's touches. But Scott should continue to see his share of opportunities in this run-heavy offense.

And his Week 13 opponent, the New York Jets, have the league's worst rushing defense, making him a priority we want to focus on.

Alex Mattison, Minnesota Vikings

Roster Percentage: 50%

Sitting behind Dalvin Cook of the Minnesota Vikings, it's always been more about a lack of opportunities for Alexander Mattison. But thanks to an unfortunate shoulder injury Cook suffered, Mattison may be getting that shot.

We should expect him to be the primary ball carrier if Cook were to miss some time. And the matchup is a delight. He will face the Detroit Lions, who have allowed the third-most points to opposing fantasy running backs, and the Vikings have opened as 7.0-point favorites on NFL odds.

Keep a close eye on this situation, but Mattison may be worth emptying your FAAB budgets on.

D'Onta Foreman, Tennessee Titans

Roster Percentage: 46%

With juggernaut Derrick Henry sidelined, the Tennessee Titans running back picture seemed to gain a bit of clarity on Sunday. This is now a two-back committee with both D'Onta Foreman and Dontrell Hilliard seeing significant field time.

And quite frankly, the argument can be made that both runners are viable adds. The Titans were great on the ground again, rushing 39 times for a whopping 270 yards.

For me, I want Foreman over Hilliard. He led the way in touches (20 to 12, respectively), and while both topped the century mark in rushing yards, give me Foreman and his increased workload. He's definitely worth a stash as the Titans head into their bye week.

Others to Consider:
Dontrell Hillard (29%), Tevin Coleman (18%), Jamaal Williams (39%), Tony Jones Jr. (24%), Jeff Wilson (46%)

Wide Receivers
Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams

Roster Percentage: 48%

This may seem like a bit of a redux, but here we are to recommend Van Jefferson of the Los Angeles Rams again.

With DeSean Jackson officially out of the picture and Robert Woods out for the season with a torn ACL, Jefferson is the guy we need to look at. The splashy 79-yard touchdown catch in Week 12 will garner a lot of attention, but let's peek under the hood here. Jefferson received nine targets this week, and this could have been a far larger effort, as he just missed a second touchdown catch on a pass from wide receiver Cooper Kupp.

Jefferson is a full-time player within an elite offense, and against a poor Jacksonville Jaguars team this week, he could be ready to explode.

Kendrick Bourne, New England Patriots

Roster Percentage: 26%

From a fantasy perspective, Kendrick Bourne has clearly been a consistent weapon that quarterback Mac Jones has been ready to utilize. In their last five contests, Bourne has caught exactly four passes in each of them.

This week, Bourne slightly improved that catch rate -- nabbing five balls -- and he added two scores, as well. Bourne and Jakobi Meyers are options 1A and 1B in this passing tree, each topping 600 yards receiving on the year.

This week's matchup against the Bills, even without Tre'Davious White, will be a challenging one, but given Bourne's solid floor, he's certainly a fantasy asset worth considering.

Cedrick Wilson, Dallas Cowboys

Roster Percentage: 25%

This one may be a bit out there, so let's dive in a bit.

With two star receivers down and Ezekiel Elliott also seemingly dinged up, Cedrick Wilson led the Dallas Cowboys in targets on Turkey Day with 10 looks, converting those into 7 catches and 104 receiving yards.

While many expected teammate Michael Gallup to be thrust into the spotlight -- who also had a big day -- it was Wilson who was the surprising clubhouse leader in targets.

It's interesting noting Wilson's recent uptick in performance. With CeeDee Lamb in the lineup in Week 11, Wilson was still a big part of the offense, receiving seven targets on the day.

He's worth a pickup to see if he maintains the role when Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb return.

Others to Consider:
Russell Gage (16%), Randall Cobb (11%), T.Y. Hilton (28%), Laviska Shenault (42%), Darius Slayton (5%), Jalen Reagor (7%), Tim Patrick (27%), Keelan Cole (2%)

Tight Ends

Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears

Roster Percentage: 24%

Volume is king, and one guy who's been ballin' out lately is Cole Kmet of the Chicago Bears.

Thanksgiving Day saw Kmet rack up a career-best 11 targets in a win over the Lions, and the tight end nabbed 8 of those passes for 65 receiving yards. This may seem a bit out of left field because the tight end caught a singular pass a week ago.

But if we can look past that ugly outing, Kmet racked up 14 targets in the three contests prior, so it looks like he is developing some rapport with his quarterbacks. Let's see if he can build on that effort this week.

Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts

Roster Percentage: 1%

Let's be real about this one, kids -- this performance for Jack Doyle came out of nowhere.

Doyle owned exactly one prior double-digit fantasy-point effort in 2021 heading into Week 12, so a 6-catch, 81-receiving yard day and a score was not likely. Or really, anywhere on the horizon for that matter.

But following this up, the Colts stay in the AFC South and play the Houston Texans, who have gotten obliterated by opposing tight ends, allowing the sixth-most points to the position (12.7 per game).

Doyle is definitely worth a Hail Mary if you are struggling to fill in the tight end slot.

Others to Consider:
David Njoku (2%), Jared Cook (48%), Jonnu Smith (23%), Evan Engram (34%)