10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets Heading Into Week 13

With Week 12 almost behind us, we are now in the home stretch of the fantasy football regular season. For most leagues, the playoffs are just two weeks away!

There are six teams on a bye in Week 13 -- the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, and New York Giants.

As we move through the final stretch of the regular season, it is time to start planning for the playoffs if your record is good enough.

If you still have some work to do to make the postseason, short-term production is the name of the game.

With that in mind, here are some of the best additions you can make to your squads heading into Week 13.

10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets

Quarterbacks

Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers

Baker Mayfield briefly left Week 12's game with an ankle injury but returned to finish with 20 completions on 30 pass attempts for 199 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. It marked the fourth time in the last five weeks that Mayfield has thrown two touchdowns.

In Week 13, Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face a Panthers' defense ranked 18th against the pass in numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics. Mayfield has displayed a consistent connection with superstar Mike Evans throughout the season, with the two producing nine touchdowns in 11 games, including four scores across their last three games. That connection elevates Mayfield's outlook, especially in the red zone.

With six teams -- and several notable signal-callers -- on bye in Week 13, Mayfield is worth considering. With games against the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, and Jacksonville Jaguars from Weeks 14 to 16, Mayfield has some appeal beyond this week, as well.

Jordan Love, Packers

Jordan Love showed up in a big way in Week 12, shredding the Lions defense for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns with 22 completions on 32 pass attempts. He also added 39 rushing yards in the upset win over Detroit.

Love has now thrown for multiple touchdowns in each of his last three games and is averaging 293 passing yards per game over that stretch. Love's inclusion in this piece has less to do with Week 13 and more to do with his outlook beyond that.

In Week 13, Love will face a Chiefs defense ranked third against the pass, per numberFire's metrics. Kansas City's defense has been effective in recent weeks, holding the Eagles and Dolphins to 21 and 14 points, respectively. If you are in a tough spot, you can consider Love this weekend, but his schedule beyond that is far more favorable.

From Weeks 14 to 17, Love faces the Giants, Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, and Vikings. Even if you don't need a signal-caller, consider adding him to play keep-away against a league member who does. It could end up being the difference between a playoff loss and a playoff victory.

Others to Consider:

Derek Carr (vs. Detroit), Russell Wilson (at Houston), Gardner Minshew (at Tennessee), Kenny Pickett (vs. Arizona)

Running Backs

Keaton Mitchell, Ravens

Keaton Mitchell has been included in this piece multiple times before, and if he is still available in your league, he is the highest-priority addition you can make this week.

For the second week in a row, Mitchell failed to find the end zone, but his utilization took another step in the right direction. After moving ahead of Justice Hill in Week 11, Hill moved ahead of Gus Edwards in Week 12.

The Ravens still deployed a three-man committee, but Mitchell was the clear leader, playing on 47% of Baltimore's snaps and handling 27% of their rushing attempts. He led all Ravens' running backs in route participation (39%) and target share (7%).

Edwards' involvement was his lowest since Week 9 and well below his season averages due to Mitchell's work on early downs. It wasn't all good news for Mitchell, though, as Hill handled all of the Ravens' attempts inside the five and in the two-minute drill.

That said, Week 12 was another step in the right direction for the rookie, and his role could grow further coming out of Baltimore's bye. If this trend continues, Mitchell could be the lead back in one of the league's best offenses just in time for the fantasy playoffs.

Chuba Hubbard, Panthers

Chuba Hubbard had his best game of the season in Week 12. He was effective on the ground and as a pass-catcher against the Titans, operating as the Panthers' lead back in a split with Miles Sanders.

Hubbard played on 64% of Carolina's snaps and handled 48% of their rushing attempts, but where he really separated from Sanders was in the passing game. Hubbard ran a route on 68% of the Panthers' dropbacks, compared to just 18% for Sanders. He commanded a 21% target share, compared to just 4% for Sanders. Hubbard also saw all of the Panthers' snaps inside two minutes and inside the five-yard line.

The result was 14 carries for 45 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown with 5 receptions on 5 targets for 47 receiving yards.

Moving forward, this backfield will likely remain a committee, but Hubbard appears to have the inside track to the most valuable touches for fantasy production: red zone and passing downs.

Hubbard will need that pass-game involvement in Week 13 in a difficult matchup against a Buccaneers defense that ranks first against the run by numberFire's metrics.

Ty Chandler, Vikings

Ty Chandler and the Minnesota Vikings will be on a bye in Week 13 after facing the Bears on Monday night in Week 12. If you have room available, Chandler is worth picking up for the fantasy playoffs as his role could continue to grow in the final stretch of the season.

Alexander Mattison is the lead back in Minnesota, but Chandler is the clear second option and was far more efficient in both phases of the offense in Week 11. Chandler generated 7.3 yards per carry on ten attempts, compared to just 4.5 yards per carry for Mattison on his 18 attempts. In the passing game, Chandler caught all four of his targets for 37 receiving yards while Mattison caught one of two targets for -1 receiving yards.

If a similar situation unfolds against Chicago on Monday night, Minnesota could use the bye to make a change -- or at the very least opt for a 50/50 split -- for the final weeks of the season.

While this situation plays out, Chandler is a priority bench stash.

Others to Consider:

Tyjae Spears (vs. Indianapolis), Kenneth Gainwell (vs. San Francisco), Zamir White (bye), Samaje Perine (at Houston), Ezekiel Elliott (vs. Los Angeles Chargers), Rico Dowdle (vs. Seattle), Elijah Mitchell (at Philadelphia), Joshua Kelley (at New England)

Wide Receivers

Josh Downs, Colts

Josh Downs didn't make a big impact on the box score in Week 12's win over the Buccaneers, but his utilization was fantastic.

Downs caught 5 of 13 targets for 43 yards. He ran a route on 80% of the Indianapolis Colts' dropbacks and was targeted on 32% of those routes, resulting in a 32% target share. Fully back from a knee injury that has impacted him since Week 9, Downs picked up right where he left off.

The Colts' passing game is highly concentrated, with Downs and Michael Pittman Jr. accounting for 26 of 40 targets in Week 12. That kind of utilization bodes well for Downs moving forward.

In Week 13, the Colts face a Titans' pass defense that ranks inside the bottom five in numberFire's metrics. After that, they'll see the Bengals, Steelers, Falcons, and Raiders the rest of the way.

If Downs is still available in your league and you need production in Week 13, he is a higher-priority addition than Keaton Mitchell this week. Even if Downs wouldn't make your starting lineup, consider adding Downs to keep him from bolstering the rosters of your leaguemates in the playoffs.

He should not be on the waiver wire in any league.

Jayden Reed, Packers

Jayden Reed picked up right where he left off in Week 12, catching four of eight targets for 34 yards and a touchdown with two carries for 16 rushing yards. It was Reed's third game in a row with a touchdown and his fourth in the six games since Green Bay's bye in Week 6.

Reed's 27% target per route run rate was a career-high, and his 25% target share and 79% route participation were the second-best marks of his season thus far. Despite Christian Watson having his best game of his season, catching five of seven targets for 94 yards and a touchdown, Reed continued to make an impact.

Like quarterback Jordan Love, Reed has a difficult matchup in Week 13 against the Chiefs, but his schedule is fantastic after that, with games against the Giants, Buccaneers, Panthers, and Vikings coming up.

The Packers' offense is trending in the right direction, and the schedule provides them with the opportunity to finish the season with multiple big games.

A.T. Perry, Saints

Heading into Week 13's game against the Detroit Lions, the New Orleans Saints could be extremely thin at wide receiver. Michael Thomas was placed on injured reserve prior to Week 12, and in Sunday's game, both Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (thigh) were forced to exit early.

For Olave, the assumption as of Monday morning is that he is unavailable for Week 13's game against Detroit. Players usually miss at least one week after suffering a concussion. Shaheed tried to return to Sunday's game but was unable to do so.

If both Olave and Shaheed are out, rookie A.T. Perry could see more targets. Perry recorded an 80% route participation in Week 12 but hauled in only one of two targets.

If Olave is out but Shaheed is available, Perry's outlook is far worse. In that scenario, Shaheed would be an excellent addition and could be started as a flex play. Before his injury, Shaheed was a clear focal point of the Saints' passing game -- he saw a target on 38% of his routes.

The Saints' practice report will be important to figuring out this situation. If you have space available, consider adding Shaheed and/or Perry while we wait to see how this situation plays out.

With games against the Panthers, Giants, Rams, and Buccaneers from Week 14 to 17, New Orleans' pass-catchers have a favorable schedule for the rest of the season.

Others to Consider:

Curtis Samuel (vs. Miami), Demario Douglas (vs. Los Angeles Chargers), Jameson Williams (at New Orleans), Michael Wilson (at Pittsburgh), Khalil Shakir (bye)

Tight Ends

Pat Freiermuth, Steelers

Against the Browns in Week 11, Pat Freiermuth had just one catch in his first game back since injuring his hamstring in Week 4. In Week 12, he caught 9 of 11 targets for 120 yards against the Bengals.

In between those two games, the Pittsburgh Steelers moved on from offensive coordinator Matt Canada. In their first game without Canada, Pittsburgh managed just 16 points, but they generated more than 400 total yards for the first time in 59 games. Pickett's 278 passing yards were a season-high, and things are looking up heading into a Week 13 clash with the Cardinals.

With the Steelers' offense trending in the right direction, Freiermuth is a solid option against a Cardinals defense that ranks inside the bottom 10 against the pass by numberFire's metrics. With several notable tight ends on a bye in Week 13 -- including T.J. Hockenson and Dalton Kincaid -- Freiermuth has appeal as a streamer.

Beyond this week, the Steelers face the Patriots, Colts, Bengals, and Seahawks from Week 14 to 17, which is a favorable schedule for Freiermuth.

Others to Consider:

Isaiah Likely (bye), Juwan Johnson (vs. Detroit), Cade Otton (vs. Carolina), Gerald Everett (at New England), Chigoziem Okonkwo (vs. Indianapolis)

Defenses

Atlanta Falcons

There are several defenses with favorable matchups in Week 13, but only the Falcons have the benefit of facing Tim Boyle and the New York Jets' offense.

The Falcons are averaging 2.8 sacks per game since Week 6 and have an interception in each of their last two games, with one of those being a pick-six versus New Orleans this past Sunday.

The Jets finally made a quarterback change heading into Week 12, and the result was more of the same. New York scored just 13 points and is now averaging a meager 10 points per game since Week 8.

The Jets are allowing 2.5 sacks per game this season behind an offensive line that has done little to help a below-average quarterback situation.

Others to Consider:

Jaguars D/ST (vs. Cincinnati), Buccaneers D/ST (vs. Carolina), Los Angeles Rams D/ST (vs. Cleveland), Los Angeles Chargers D/ST (at New England)

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.