Welcome to the Fantasy Football Week 12 Waiver Wire, where the stakes are rising, the bye weeks are thinning, and the playoff push is officially on. This is the time of year when handcuffs become league-winners, and we’ve already seen a handful of stashes turn into instant starters.
Whether it’s next-man-up options like Emanuel Wilson stepping into massive workloads or explosive breakouts like Sean Tucker forcing their way into bigger roles, the waiver wire is rich with RBs who can swing matchups down the stretch. Add in rising young receivers like Michael Wilson and steady-volume tight ends emerging at the right time, and Week 12 offers more upside than usual for savvy managers.
Of course, it’s not just about running backs. High-ceiling wideouts are popping as injuries and QB changes shake up target hierarchies across the league, and streamers at quarterback and tight end are flashing real weekly upside. Guys like Jacoby Brissett and AJ Barner are proving they can deliver fantasy-relevant production when you need it most, while late-season volatility continues to fuel opportunity at both positions. Whether you’re filling injury gaps, reinforcing your bench for the fantasy playoffs, or chasing that next big breakout, Week 12’s waiver wire has everything you need to elevate your roster — and maybe steal a league while you’re at it.
HEADS UP: Each player featured is rostered in 50% or fewer leagues on Yahoo! at the time of publication.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 12 WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS
QUARTERBACKS
JACOBY BRISSETT, ARIZONA CARDINALS (33% ROSTERED)
Jacoby Brissett just went full video-game mode in Week 11, setting an NFL record with 47 completions while tossing for 452 yards and two touchdowns against the 49ers. Even without Marvin Harrison Jr., Brissett kept the Cardinals afloat by feeding Michael Wilson (who exploded for 185 yards) and Trey McBride (115 yards and a score) like a seasoned point guard running a fast-break offense. Arizona was trailing big for most of the game, but Brissett turned the negative game script into a fantasy gold mine, finishing with one of the most productive passing days you’ll see all season.
And this isn’t a one-week blip. Brissett has quietly been balling since taking over for Kyler Murray. Through five starts, he’s averaging 314 passing yards per game with a 10:3 TD-to-INT ratio while completing 67% of his throws. The Cardinals have also proven far more stable and fantasy-friendly with Brissett at the controls, leaning into a high-volume passing approach that boosts everyone around him. He gets the Jaguars next in Week 12, and as long as this offense keeps rolling, Brissett is firmly on the streaming radar, and in deeper leagues, he’s entering the low-end QB1 conversation.
OTHER QBs TO TARGET: Bryce Young, Panthers (13%); Justin Fields, Jets (42%); Marcus Mariota, Commanders (16%); Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars (41%)
RUNNING BACKS
SEAN TUCKER, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (26% ROSTERED)
If you’ve been rolling with RSJ all season, Sean Tucker shouldn’t even be on your waiver wire. But if he is… get ready to pay up. Tucker delivered one of the wildest boom weeks from a running back rostered in barely 25% of leagues, erupting for 140 total yards on 21 touches and three touchdowns against the Bills. That’s 30+ fantasy points and the kind of week that turns a stash into a must-start overnight. Even with Bucky Irving potentially returning soon, it’s going to be impossible for Tampa to put him back on the bench.
Tucker’s usage wasn’t a fluke, either. The pregame rumblings about a bigger workload came true as he out-carried Rachaad White 19 to 10, doubled him up in rushing yards, and ripped off 43- and 6-yard touchdown runs. Just for good measure, he added a 28-yard receiving score early in the fourth. This marks the third straight week Tucker’s role and production have trended up, making this feel more like a breakout arc than a one-off spike.
If Irving remains sidelined in Week 12, Tucker profiles as the clear lead back again against the Rams, and even if everyone’s healthy, he’s played his way into weekly FLEX consideration with massive upside.
EMANUEL WILSON, GREEN BAY PACKERS (17% ROSTERED)
Emanuel Wilson didn’t exactly break out in Week 11; he became an instant waiver-wire siren the moment Josh Jacobs went down. Thrust into lead-back duties early in the second quarter, Wilson handled 11 carries for 40 yards and punched in a tough 11-yard touchdown while also adding a nine-yard reception. Once Jacobs exited for good, Wilson operated as a true workhorse, dominating backfield touches and looking every bit like the next man up in a run game that leans heavily on volume.
The performance wasn’t flashy, but the role absolutely was, and that’s what matters for fantasy. With the Packers awaiting MRI results and Matt LaFleur offering zero clarity postgame, Wilson suddenly finds himself on the hot list. If Jacobs misses time, Wilson projects as a workload-driven RB2 with borderline RB1 upside based purely on opportunity. Chris Brooks would likely serve as the complementary back, but this would be Wilson’s backfield. If you need running back help, this is one of those “don’t overthink it” streamers.
BHAYSHUL TUTEN, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (30% ROSTERED)
Bhayshul Tuten finally gave us the rookie breakout we’ve been waiting on, ripping off 15 carries for 74 yards and a score in Week 11 before exiting with an ankle injury late in the fourth. Jacksonville used him as a true 1B to Travis Etienne’s 1A, and he rewarded them with explosive cuts, efficient runs, and the kind of red-zone juice that actually moves the fantasy needle. In an offense that’s found its stride on the ground under Liam Coen, Tuten showed real streamer upside if the role sticks.
Now the tricky part: the ankle. Tuten was rolled up on, and the injury looked like a dreaded high-ankle sprain. Hopefully, we’ll find out the diagnosis before Tuesday night. He and Etienne were essentially playing to a draw in snaps and production, which makes this even more frustrating. For Week 12, he’s probably on the wrong side of questionable against the Cardinals. If he sits, LeQuint Allen Jr. slides into the 1B role and becomes the deep-league pivot. Still, Tuten is absolutely worth a speculative add where available because, as a preseason RSJ favorite, the talent and usage were very real.
OTHER RBs TO TARGET: Kenneth Gainwell, Steelers (32%); Tyler Allgeier, Falcons (44%); Devin Singletary, Giants (20%); Ollie Gordon II, Dolphins (9%); Chris Rodriguez, Commanders (12%); Jaleel McLaughlin, Broncos (1%); Tyjae Spears, Titans (37%); Keaton Mitchell, Ravens (3%); Ty Johnson, Bills (2%); Bam Knight, Cardinals (17%)
WIDE RECEIVERS
MICHAEL WILSON, ARIZONA CARDINALS (47% ROSTERED)
If you were early on Michael Wilson, go ahead and take a victory lap. If not… well, we tried to warn you on Friday night when he was available in over 70% of leagues. Now that he’s rostered in nearly half, it might be too late, and his Week 11 explosion is exactly why. With Marvin Harrison Jr. sidelined, Wilson stepped into the de facto WR1 role and absolutely erupted for a career-best 13 receptions, 170 yards, and 15 targets. Yes, FIFTEEN targets. It was the type of volume spike no one could have reasonably projected, but exactly the kind of performance that forces the entire fantasy community to take notice.
Context matters, of course: the Cardinals trailed for most of the afternoon and were forced into constant dropback mode. But the more important note is that Arizona looks far more stable and fantasy-friendly in the passing game when Jacoby Brissett is under center. With Harrison recovering from appendicitis and not a lock to return in Week 12, Wilson should operate as a high-floor WR2 with real weekly upside for as long as MHJ is out. Even if you missed the initial window, check your waiver wire just in case, because breakout games like this often signal a rest-of-season role change, not a one-off blip.
CHRISTIAN WATSON, GREEN BAY PACKERS (34% ROSTERED)
Christian Watson is finally starting to shake off the rust, and Week 11 was the clearest sign yet that he is getting his groove back. The Packers’ wideout turned five targets into four grabs for 46 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Giants, flashing the explosive red-zone presence and downfield physicality that made him such a breakout candidate in the beginning of his career.
Watson’s two scores, from one and 17 yards out, were a reminder of just how dangerous he is when the ball is in the air. With the Packers offense settling in and Watson earning a steady role again, he’s trending toward weekly FLEX value with legitimate spike-week upside. Rolling into a solid Week 12 home matchup against the Vikings, Watson is firmly back on the waiver wire radar.
OTHER WRs TO TARGET: Tyrell Shavers, Bills (0%); Xavier Legette, Panthers (7%); Pat Bryant, Broncos (1%); Isaiah Hodgins, Giants (0%); Greg Dortch, Cardinals (3%); Jalen Coker, Panthers (3%); Mack Hollins, Patriots (5%); Jayden Higgins, Texans (16%); Demario Douglas, Patriots (8%)
TIGHT ENDS
AJ BARNER, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (9% ROSTERED)
AJ Barner continues his quiet ascension, bouncing back from a Week 10 goose egg to haul in a whopping 10-of-11 targets for 70 yards in Week 11. Seattle clearly wanted to get the second-year tight end involved, and he responded with career highs across the board. For a position that’s been a weekly scavenger hunt for usable production, Barner flashing volume, reliability, and a growing role is exactly what fantasy managers want to see heading into the stretch run.
Barner now sits at 31 catches for 306 yards through 10 starts, and the trendlines are pointing up. He’s becoming a trusted underneath option in an offense that desperately needs chain-movers outside of JSN. While he’s not a locked-in TE1 by any stretch, Barner is absolutely on the radar as a Week 12 waiver add, especially for managers streaming the position or navigating injuries.
OTHER TEs TO TARGET: Dalton Schultz, Texans (49%); Colston Loveland, Bears (48%); Cole Kmet, Bears (1%); Evan Engram, Broncos (46%); Mason Taylor, Jets (17%)
