Waiver Wire Week 13: Jameson Williams, Kyren Williams, Foster Moreau

For fantasy managers, it is crunch time. It’s Week 13, which used to be the last week before playoffs (and for some leagues, it still might be depending on how your playoffs are structured). Managers need wins and they need points, so the waiver wire is more important than ever. It is time to officially drop your second defense or a player that you have been hanging onto, just waiting for them to break out. If they haven’t done anything yet, it’s time to let go.

Teams on bye: Arizona, Carolina

Quarterbacks

Mike White, QB, New York Jets (4 percent rostered)

Granted it was against a terrible Chicago Bears defense, but White threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns. This was his first game played in 2022 and it was one that ignited the Jets team that was struggling. New York has a very real chance to get into the real-life playoffs, and the team is going to use what they have in order to get there. In this case, it will be White. He may not continue to have games like this (in fact, he likely won’t) but that doesn’t mean he’s not a solid streaming option in Week 13 against the Minnesota Vikings.

Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers (1 percent rostered)

Aaron Rodgers was already playing through a broken thumb, and then he took a hit to the ribs in Week 12 that sent him to the locker room. On Monday, he was going through tests to see what the damage was, but it seems unlikely that he will be able to suit up for Week 13. The team has Love, who threw for 113 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter in Week 12. Love would be in line to take over for Rodgers, and he has shown that he can get the ball deep to Christian Watson. He’d be a solid streaming option against the terrible Chicago Bears assuming Rodgers sits.

Running Backs

Zonovan Knight, RB, New York Jets (2 percent rostered)

How many fantasy managers (including Jets fans!) knew of Knight prior to Michael Carter getting injured in Week 12? Knight was active in Week 12 and had a few carries while Carter was healthy (with James Robinson a healthy scratch). Knight then took over after Carter left, turning 14 carries into 69 yards. He added three receptions for 39 yards. The news on Carter is that he has a sprained ankle, which will likely cost him a week, but not more than that. Knight is worth a waiver add, but keep an eye on Carter.

Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams (37 percent rostered)

To be fair, the Rams' offense is terrible and doesn’t show signs of getting any better. However, someone has to move the ball, and so far, it seems that Williams is the most likely to do so. The rookie had 11 carries for 35 yards in Week 12, which is three more than Cam Akers. The Rams do not want Akers to be their back, so it seems like with the season essentially lost, it may be time for Williams to see what he can do. He should be owned in more leagues and has RB3 value for Week 13.

Jordan Mason, RB, San Francisco 49ers (1 percent rostered)

Elijah Mitchell is injured, again. He’ll be out for the rest of the regular season, which means the backup job to Christian McCaffrey is open. This is a good thing, as McCaffrey is dealing with a knee issue of his own. The workload for McCaffrey has been reduced (he was splitting time with Mitchell) because of the injury. For Week 13 against the Dolphins, look for both McCaffrey and Mason to find work. Mason should be treated as an RB3.

Wide Receivers

Chase Claypool, WR, Chicago Bears (54 percent rostered)

Typically, this column only includes players who are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, but Claypool is just over that threshold. For those in leagues where he is still available, he should be a top waiver claim. Darnell Mooney is out for the season and the Bears need someone to step up. It seems like Claypool will be that guy. It’s not clear if Justin Fields will return, but if he is back, Claypool’s value just went up. Keep an eye on the practice reports for Fields this week, but grab Claypool if possible.

Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions (39 percent rostered)

Williams has yet to play a snap in the NFL as he recovers from an ACL tear, but that is about to change. It is possible that Williams plays in Week 13, but not likely. Rather, he should be on the field in Week 14, so if you have room on your bench, grab Williams. He was a promising rookie, but it was hard to tell how he will fare in the NFL as he has been sidelined.

Zay Jones, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (25 percent rostered)

Against the Detroit Lions, Jones is a WR3 in Week 13. Trevor Lawrence has looked good and has been looking for Jones on the field. He had 14 targets in Week 12, and he caught 11 of them for 145 yards. It was his first game with more than 100 yards and he only has one touchdown on the season, but he is still someone to look at as the bye weeks are back upon us.

Tight End

Foster Moreau, TE, Las Vegas Raiders (39 percent rostered)

The Raiders face the Chargers in Week 13, and Moreau will be the starting tight end for another week. Darren Waller is still out, and in his absence, Moreau has been getting plenty of targets. He had seven targets in Week 12 and caught three of them for 33 yards and a touchdown. He only has two touchdowns and no games with over 45 yards, but he can fill in as a TE2.

Defense/Special Teams (DST)

Cleveland Browns (8 percent rostered)

It has become: play the DST that faces the Houston Texans. It doesn’t seem that the Texans are trying to win, and opposing DSTs will feast on their offense. In Week 12, the Miami Dolphins had five sacks, two interceptions and a touchdown. They held the Texans to 15 points. The Texans have only scored more than 20 points once this season, so in leagues where DSTs get points for keeping their opponents under 21 points, this bodes well.

— Written by Sarah Lewis, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network and lives, eats, and breathes fantasy football. Have a fantasy football question? Send it to her on Twitter @Sarah_Lewis32.