Fantasy football Week 12: Add and drop

Each week I’ll list the best widely available free agents for fantasy football — I define “widely available” as being owned in around half of all ESPN or Yahoo leagues — and some guys who are probably better off in the free-agent pool than collecting dust on your roster.

Follow me on X (formerly known as Twitter) @UTEddieBrown if you have questions throughout the week.

Here’s my NFL Week 12 waiver wire cheat sheet for all league sizes and formats, with players you need to add, drop and stream in your fantasy football league:

ADD

— QB Anthony Richardson, Colts (ESPN: 44%; Yahoo: 48%): As disappointing as this season has been, Richardson’s ceiling remains too enticing to discard, with Indianapolis or for fantasy purposes. He finished as the overall QB4 thanks to a three touchdown performance in a win over the Jets. It was Richardson’s second game with at least 27 fantasy points this season. Only four quarterbacks have more such games (Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts).

— WR Quentin Johnston, Chargers (ESPN: 51%; Yahoo: 41%): Johnston is the overall WR7 in standard formats (WR11 in PPR) since he returned from injury three weeks ago, and has six TD receptions in his last seven games. Johnston also has a premium matchup in prime time this week against the Ravens, who are allowing the most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.

— RB Tank Bigsby, Jaguars (ESPN: 42%; Yahoo: 47%): Travis Etienne looked terrible in the 52-6 loss to the Lions, and Doug Pederson may have coached his final game for Jacksonville. Bigsby missed the debacle in Detroit with a sore ankle, but the Jaguars are on a bye this week, and he should be fine after a second week off. An interim coach would likely institute a “back to basics” approach on offense, which would boost Bigsby’s value, considering how much better he’s been than Etienne this season.

— WR Xavier Legette, Panthers (ESPN: 40%; Yahoo: 28%): Before Carolina’s bye, Legette had been the overall WR23 in standard formats (WR27 in PPR) since Week 4. The dynamic rookie faces the Buccaneers twice over the next six weeks including during fantasy championship weekend.

— TE Taysom Hill, Saints (ESPN: 46%; Yahoo: 54%): Just like that, Hill is the overall TE3 in standard formats (TE12 in PPR) through 11 weeks despite missing four games. He’s the top overall tight end in fantasy since Week 8. Is he going to explode for 188 total yards, eight receptions and three TDs every week? No. Does he have to do that to warrant being a starting tight end in fantasy? Of course not. With all of their injuries on offense, getting Hill involved has become a necessity for the Saints, not a luxury.

— BONUS: WR Cedric Tillman, Browns (ESPN: 66%; Yahoo: 65%): There’s simply too much volume in Cleveland’s passing game for the Browns’ three starting receivers not to be rostered more. Tillman has had at least eight targets in each game since Amari Cooper was traded to Buffalo, producing 24 receptions for 302 yards and three TDs in the last four games. Also, Elijah Moore (ESPN: 9%; Yahoo: 8%) has 23 receptions (on 35 targets) in four games without Cooper, and has flex appeal in deeper PPR leagues going forward. Even Jerry Jeudy (ESPN: 58%; Yahoo: 51%) has surpassed 70 yards in each of the three games Jameis Winston has started with 18 receptions on 30 targets for 294 yards and a TD.

— BONUS: QB Bo Nix, Broncos (ESPN: 69%; Yahoo: 49%): Nix is the overall QB7 through 11 weeks, but the rookie has been even better recently, as the overall QB4 since Week 5. He’s on pace to throw for 3,516 yards with 22 TD passes against only nine interceptions, and run for 456 yards and another six TDs.

— BONUS: TE Will Dissly, Chargers (ESPN: 14%; Yahoo: 24%): Dissly took advantage of a great matchup against the Bengals to the tune of four receptions for 80 yards and a TD on Sunday night. He has at least four receptions in five of the last six games. In the last five weeks, he has been targeted 33 times, and has by far the best fantasy schedule for the position the next four weeks, with games against the Ravens, Falcons, Chiefs and Buccaneers. All four are among the bottom 12 teams at preventing fantasy points to tight ends.

— BONUS: WR Jalen McMillan, Buccaneers (ESPN: 18%; Yahoo: 13%): If McMillan’s healthy, he should slide into Chris Godwin’s role across from Mike Evans, who could return from his own hamstring injury this week. The third-rounder could have WR3/flex upside going forward with QB Baker Mayfield playing his best football as a pro.

— BONUS: QB Matthew Stafford, Rams (ESPN: 28%; Yahoo: 57%): Since he got his two best receivers back in Week 8, Stafford is the overall QB7 with at least 279 passing yards in every game and 10 TD passes against only three interceptions.

— BONUS: WR Christian Watson, Packers (ESPN: 48%; Yahoo: 45%): Watson’s four receptions for 150 yards against a good Bears secondary on Sunday was a reminder all the principals in Green Bay’s pass attack need to be rostered in well over half of all leagues.

— BONUS: WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Titans (ESPN: 2%; Yahoo: 4%): Westbrook-Ikhine is the overall WR12 in standard formats (WR20 in PPR) since Week 6 with a TD reception in five of the last six games, including a 98-yarder against the Vikings on Sunday.

— BONUS: QB Drake Maye, Patriots (ESPN: 18%; Yahoo: 14%): Since making his first professional start in Week 6, Maye has been the overall QB10. He has averaged 41.3 rushing yards in his six starts, which helps provide a solidly safe floor in fantasy.

— BONUS: WR DeMario Douglas, Patriots (ESPN: 26%; Yahoo: 28%): Douglas is the overall WR26 in PPR formats since Week 3, and has produced double-digit fantasy points five of the last nine games. He’s been Maye’s most consistent target.

— BONUS: TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, Panthers (ESPN:

— BONUS: RB Cam Akers, Vikings (ESPN: 17%; Yahoo: 17%): Akers has had double-digit carries in each of the last two games with Aaron Jones banged up (rib). Jones turns 30 on Dec. 2 and has a history of injuries. Plus, there’s just not a lot of running backs on the waiver wire these days with a clear path to touches barring an injury.

— BONUS: TE Theo Johnson, Giants (ESPN: 2%; Yahoo: 1%): Johnson has seen six targets in each of the last two games and has a premium matchup this week against the Buccaneers, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season.

— BONUS: D/ST Buccaneers (ESPN: 9%; Yahoo: 13%): Tampa Bay’s defense has only hit double-digit fantasy points twice this season while allowing an average of 31.3 points over its last six games, but they have an excellent opportunity to get right the next three weeks against the Giants, Panthers and Raiders.

— BONUS: D/ST Commanders (ESPN: 29%; Yahoo: 20%): Target bad quarterbacks when you’re streaming defenses. Washington will host Cooper Rush/Trey Lance this week and Will Levis in Week 13. The Cowboys have scored 16 points in two games without Dak Prescott and the Titans have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing defenses this season.

— BONUS: D/ST Falcons (ESPN: 14%; Yahoo: 17%): If your roster is in good enough shape to begin stashing potential playoff difference-makers, Atlanta will travel to Las Vegas in Week 15 and host the Giants in Week 16.

DROP

— QB Daniel Jones, Giants: Jones was benched on Monday, in favor of Tommy DeVito, likely signaling New York plans to cut ties with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft after this season.

— RB Raheem Mostert, Dolphins: Mostert is healthy and has only seen five touches in the last two games.

— WR Diontae Johnson, Ravens: It’s not that Johnson has only seen four targets and made one catch in three games since being traded to Baltimore, it’s that he’s barely seeing the field. He played 30% of the Ravens’ offensive snaps in his debut, but that has dipped below 20% in the last two games.

— TE Pat Freiermuth, Steelers: Freiermuth has turned into a TD-dependent option in fantasy with three-or-fewer targets in six straight games.

— WR Tyler Lockett, Seahawks: With the ascension of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and DK Metcalf healthy, Lockett has only 10 targets in the last three games.