The 9 best fantasy waiver pickups for Week 12

Anthony Richardson, Roschon Johnson and Christian Watson highlight the top waiver wire targets in fantasy football entering Week 12.

Welcome to the Week 12 waiver wire watch! Consider making a waiver claim in your fantasy football leagues for the following players (available in at least 50% of ESPN leagues).

Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts

The Colts went back to last year’s fourth-overall pick as its starting quarterback on Sunday, and Richardson went for 300 total yards and 3 touchdowns in the team’s first win in a month. Richardson’s rushing ability raises the offense’s floor (as shown by his two scores on the ground) and ceiling (see below). His 28-point fantasy outing could be just the start for the 22-year-old.

Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots

The third-overall pick of this year’s class continues to stack grown-man performances. He set career-highs in completion percentage (75%) and passing yards (282) to go with 2 passing touchdowns and 27 rushing yards on Sunday. While he’s not a 99th-percentile athlete like Richardson, Maye does bring more rushing value than one might expect — he ranks top-10 in yards and first downs per game among passers. His arm and leg strength alike should continue powering him toward fantasy relevancy despite a weak supporting cast.

Roschon Johnson, RB, Chicago Bears

There’s not much available on waivers as far as running backs go, but Johnson deserves a mention after tying his career-high with 10 rushing attempts. It was Chicago’s first game with Thomas Brown calling offensive plays so perhaps it’s a sign of things to come. Starting back D’Andre Swift had 16 touches for 84 total yards and a spike — he’s not going anywhere — but considering Johnson is tied with Swift in carries within the 5-yard line (6) and could have a larger role going forward, he should be on the radar of RB-needy fantasy managers.

Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers

Watson made his supporters beam on Sunday when he caught all 4 of his targets for a career-best 150 yards. Explosiveness has always been his draw, and he put it on full display with his shortest catch being a 17-yard gain. The Packers have plenty of playmakers — so he can’t be relied upon to repeat this performance consistently — but that said, it was an encouraging day for perhaps the best athlete in Matt LeFleur’s offense.

Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers

Coker and the Panthers were on bye in Week 11. They face a tough schedule for the rest of the season, but that’s good news for Bryce Young’s receivers, who will see extra opportunities via garbage time. Coker leads all Panthers in yards per reception, yards per route run, and PFF grade — don’t be surprised if the 2024 UDFA starts performing even better with the rookie post-bye bump.

Jonnu Smith, TE, Miami Dolphins

Taysom Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints

Will Dissly, TE, Los Angeles Chargers

In a week with George Kittle, Dalton Kincaid, Sam LaPorta and Noah Fant all absent due to injuries, these three players stepped up. Smith corralled 6 of 8 targets for a career-high 101 yards and 2 scores; Hill embarrassed Father Time (and the Browns) by taking 7 carries for 138 yards and 3 touchdowns plus 8 catches for 50 receiving yards; Dissly caught 4 balls for 80 yards and his first score of the year. Consider one of these tight ends if you’re hungry for the position.

Washington Commanders D/ST

Following a tough Thursday Night Football game in Philadelphia, Washington will host the Cooper Rush-led Cowboys and Will Levis-led Titans over the next two weeks. The Commanders should build strong leads against those turnover-prone passers, which would invite plenty of opportunities for negative plays. Scoop up Washington D/ST now if available.