The Desai Guys continue their Waiver Wire Fantasy Football coverage this week with injury updates and replacements.
Fantasy Football Updates: Week 12 Injuries And Waiver Wire Week 13
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Michael Carter, RB – New York Jets
- While the Jets came away with a win against the Bears, Carter left the game with an ankle injury in the second half.
- Tests will be run to determine the severity, but it looks like he might miss a week or two
- This is another hit to the New York backfield. They’ve already lost Breece Hall for the entire season.
- The strange thing about this game was that James Robinson was a healthy scratch for this game.
- We may hear more news about this move as the week moves along, but we have to expect that Robinson should be active going forward with the injury to Carter
- Undrafted rookie Zonovan Knight had the most carries against the Bears with 14 and should hold some value in case Robinson continues to be in the Jets doghouse
- Also, Ty Johnson was involved in the rushing attack and holds some value in deeper fantasy leagues
- In case you can’t grab Knight or Johnson off the waiver wire, you can grab a few other guys from other offenses instead
- J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Darrell Henderson Jr., and Isiah Pacheco
Elijah Mitchell, RB – San Francisco 49ers
- After returning to the lineup just two weeks ago, Mitchell suffered an injury to the same MCL he injured back in Week 1
- He left the game in the third quarter against the Saints and was ruled out for the rest of the game
- This may not seem like a big deal because the 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey, but McCaffrey was also seen stretching his knee out and wearing additional protection on it as well
- McCaffrey played the majority of the game, but this could be a situation where San Francisco puts him on a pitch count to manage his usage for their playoff push
- Undrafted rookie Jordan Mason stepped in and looked good to fill in for Mitchell
- Rookie third-round pick, Tyrion Davis-Price, was a healthy scratch but he could be activated going forward with the Mitchell injury
- Mason would be the running to pick-up if you’re in dire need of a running back, but Davis-Price could be a good consolation prize off the waiver wire as well
Travis Etienne, RB – Jacksonville Jaguars
- Left the game against the Ravens early in the first quarter with a foot injury
- He was held out of the rest of the game as a precaution and Etienne said in a post-game interview that he should be fine for their Week 13 game against the Detroit Lions
- The only reason this injury is concerning is that this is the same foot that Etienne suffered the Lisfranc injury on that forced him to miss his entire rookie season
- Definitely monitor this practice situation all week if you have Etienne on your fantasy roster
- In case the Jaguars are without Etienne for a week or two, they have some solid options behind him
- The Jaguars claimed Darrell Henderson Jr. off waivers and he was a healthy inactive this week but should be active going forward
- In the game, JaMycal Hasty took the majority of the carries and looked good in the offense
- He totaled 95 scrimmage yards and one touchdown off of 17 touches
- Etienne is a dynamic playmaker but possibly you could expect the Jaguars to be extra cautious with the young running back as they think towards future seasons
- Hasty is a great pickup off the waiver wire as he’s rostered on less than 1% of ESPN leagues
- Henderson could be a good option as well in case you miss out on Hasty.
Darnell Mooney, WR – Chicago Bears
- Mooney injured his ankle in the third quarter of the game against the New York Jets on a blocking play
- He failed to register any stats in that game and is now facing a season-ending injury to his ankle
- This is tough for the Bears offense because they also lost Justin Fields for an extended amount of time and now their number one option is most likely done for the 2022 season
- They did trade for Chase Claypool before the trade deadline and he led the team in receiving yards against the Jets
- Although, for the most part, the offense led to some shorter passes that led to yards after the catch
- David Montgomery, Darrynton Evans, and Cole Kmet were also involved against the Jets with Trevor Siemian under center
- Although, for the most part, the offense led to some shorter passes that led to yards after the catch
- It’s tough to rely on players in this offense for fantasy purposes, but there’s lots of potential going into next year and future seasons
- Until then though, avoid the Chicago offense for fantasy purposes and look to other offenses to fill in the void left by Mooney on your roster
- Try to make some claims for guys like Donovan Peoples-Jones, Treylon Burks, Elijah Moore, and Zay Jones
Allen Robinson, WR – Los Angeles Rams
- After trying to gut it out during practice this week, Robinson ended up being a late scratch with a foot injury before the Week 12 game against the Chiefs
- It’s determined that his foot will require surgery and he will miss the rest of the season
- This is another blow to the offense that lost Cooper Kupp for most likely the rest of the season as well
- This has been a nightmare season for Robinson after his offseason signing seemed to possibly turn the young receiver’s career around
- He finished the 2022 season with 33 receptions, 339 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns in 10 games played
- Bryce Perkins wasn’t exactly airing it out. He had a total of 23 passing attempts in the game against the Chiefs and this limits the potential for other receivers in this Rams offense
- There’s talk that Los Angeles might shut down Matthew Stafford for the rest of the season, as they don’t want to risk him getting hurt in a lost season
- If they do roll with a combination of Perkins and John Wolford during the final stretch of games, this passing offense holds next to no fantasy value
- Look to receivers in other offenses if you have a need at the receiver position to help you strive towards a playoff spot or better playoff seeding
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 13 Picks
Waiver Wire Week 13 Quarterbacks
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns vs. HOU (ESPN Roster Percentage – 43.1%)
- Watson is probably itching to get on the field and put all the offseason drama behind him
- He gets to face his former team in his first game starting for the Cleveland Browns
- While he may be rusty out of the gate, this is about getting his feet wet again
- His value should rise as he sees more action. He can be a difference-maker for your team as you march to the fantasy playoffs
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. DET (ESPN Roster Percentage – 59.2%)
- He’s scored 20+ points in his last two games
- Looking ahead to his schedule he plays the Lions, Titans, Dallas (admittedly not great there), and then when the playoffs roll around, the Jets, Texans, and Titans again
- He’s scored at least 18 points in six of his 11 games so far this season
Waiver Wire Week 13 Running Backs
Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. NO (ESPN Roster Percentage – 65.2%)
- I honestly think this guy has won the starting job over Leonard Fournette at this point
- Over his last two games, he’s had 36 carries for roughly 160 yards and scored 10+ points in his last two games, all without scoring a TD
- With the Bucs in the playoff hunt, their smartest move is to go with the hot hand
- So yes, a lot of his volume has to do with Fournette being hurt but I think he still has a lot of promise as a bench stash with honest RB2 potential
Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens vs. DEN (ESPN Roster Percentage – 40.5%)
- While Denver has been great on defense, their putrid offense is limiting what could have been a fantastic season for the Broncos
- Edwards and this Baltimore rushing attack should be able to jump out to an early lead and then eat the clock on the ground
- Especially after losing a winnable game against the Jaguars last week, the Ravens are going to be a bit angry this coming weekend
- Edwards led the team in rushing attempts against Jacksonville and should be the leader in this game against the Broncos as well
- While J.K. Dobbins is expected to return to practice this week, he will likely be limited in game action and this just means more work for Edwards
Waiver Wire Week 13 Wide Receivers
Elijah Moore, New York Jets vs. MIN (ESPN Roster Percentage – 33.2%)
- Zach Wilson has been benched for the time being and this raises the fantasy value for all Jets receivers, including Moore
- Moore wanted to be moved off of the Jets roster but this switch at quarterback could be the best thing that happened to him
- He could still ask for a trade in the offseason, but now he can build up some numbers to make him more tantalizing for a trade.
- Garrett Wilson is still the number one option in the passing offense, but Moore can certainly become more of a weapon with Mike White under center
- While he only had two receptions, he did score once and could earn himself more targets in the coming weeks
- Moore becomes more valuable too as the Jets could be without Michael Carter in the running game as well, which could lead to more passing for the Jets offense
Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams vs. LV (ESPN Roster Percentage – 14.7%)
- He scored 10 points last game with Bryce Perkins. With Allen Robinson and Cooper Kupp both out, this is a prime opportunity for him to succeed
- Yes, he will get a lot of attention from opposing defenses but it’s like we said last year, you have to throw it to someone
- He may not break the bank scoring-wise but the sheer amount of target volume he will see instantly puts him in FLEX territory
Waiver Wire Week 13 Tight Ends
Foster Moreau, Las Vegas Raiders vs. LAC (ESPN Roster Percentage – 35.5%)
- Since coming off the BYE week in Week 6, Moreau has had 33 targets which ranks him fifth among tight ends in that span
- Clearly, Darren Waller is probably not going to suit up again for the Raiders this season, but the Raiders offense is comfortable rolling with Moreau for the time being
- He’s scored a touchdown in two of his last three games and has a great match-up with the Los Angeles Chargers this coming week
- The Chargers have allowed 8.5 fantasy points to opposing tight ends, which is the 10th most points per game in the league
- Moreau is a great option down the stretch here as the Raiders offense is starting to come alive and he’s very much a part of the offensive game plan every week
Waiver Wire Week 13 Defenses/Special Teams
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. DET (ESPN Roster Percentage – 5.6%)
- The Jaguars are coming off a thrilling win against Baltimore last weekend and are looking to build more upon this turnaround season under head coach Doug Pederson
- The Lions boast a good offense but are prone to be inconsistent as well
- Jacksonville is tied for seventh in the NFL with the most turnovers forced
Minnesota Vikings vs. NYJ (ESPN Roster Percentage – 27.6%)
- Ignore the bad performance against the Cowboys, everyone has a bad game in the season
- This defense has scored 10 or more points in three of their last five games
- Their next few games are against the Jets (Mike White is a fraud), the Lions, and Indianapolis
- This is a streamer that could buy you weeks of not having to worry about a defense leading up to the championship game
Waiver Wire Kickers
Jason Sanders, Miami Dolphins vs. SF (ESPN Roster Percentage – 8.3%)
- Yeah, his accuracy has been a legitimate issue this season but that hasn’t really affected his fantasy value all that much
- He’s scored 9 or more points in two of his last three starts
- This Dolphins offense is firing on all cylinders so he should be able to at least be somewhat consistent in the number of points he’s put up
Cade York, Cleveland Browns vs. HOU (ESPN Roster Percentage – 15.7%)
- As mentioned earlier, Watson might show some rust in his first game action since the 2020 season
- This could end up being a good game for York as the Browns may end up stalling a few times on offense, which could lead to field goals
- York has been averaging at least five fantasy points in his last six games