Fantasy Football Week 12 Waiver Wire: Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the Rescue

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The 2021 fantasy football season is reaching the home stretch. Only a few weeks remain before the playoffs get underway.

Whether you are fighting for a postseason berth or are close to locking up a first-round bye, it’s still critical to keep an eye on your league’s waiver wire.

With byes ongoing for another three weeks—coinciding with the end of most regular fantasy seasons in Week 14—and injuries sure to occur, managers can never have enough depth down the stretch.

While there may not be many game-changers available in the free-agent pool right now, there are some promising players worth taking a flier on as well as some spot starters who can get you through a bye week or injury in a pinch.

With that in mind, here are the top waiver-wire targets for Week 12. All suggested players are rostered in 50 percent or less of Yahoo leagues.

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DK DFS Value: $5,400

The New England Patriots are one of the hottest teams in football right now. Quarterback Mac Jones has been a large reason for their success during their current five-game winning streak.

Jones may not be putting up huge numbers, but the rookie is avoiding mistakes and managing the game at a high level. He’s also tossing enough touchdowns to make him fantasy-relevant.

The Alabama product has played especially well at home lately, throwing for over 500 yards and notching five touchdowns over his last two combined starts at Gillette Stadium. Expect that trend to continue in Week 12, when the Patriots take on a beatable Tennessee Titans defense.

Tennessee rates amongst the league’s worst at limiting opposing passing offenses. The Titans have given up more fantasy points to QBs than all but six teams and have allowed the third-most points to receivers.

With some big-time fantasy quarterbacks on bye this week—both Patrick Mahomes and Kyler Murray will be resting—Jones can get you through by providing a respectable floor with the upside for much more.

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DK DFS Value: $4,600

After Derrick Henry went down indefinitely with a foot injury, fantasy managers turned their attention to the pair of veteran running backs whom the Tennessee Titans signed to replace the superstar.

While Adrian Peterson and D’Onta Foreman have struggled to make an impact since joining the club three weeks ago, an unlikely back has suddenly emerged as an intriguing fantasy option in Tennessee.

Dontrell Hilliard broke out in his first appearance with the Titans this week, going off for 82 total yards on 15 touches against the Houston Texans. The fourth-year back had an almost equal share of totes with Foreman (seven carries) and Peterson (nine carries), and he led the team in targets with 10.

That type of volume makes Hilliard a must-roster free agent going into Week 12, especially for managers in point-per-reception leagues. The Titans are hard-pressed for pass-catchers with both of their top wideouts nursing injuries.

Julio Jones won’t be eligible to return until after Week 12 after landing on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, while A.J. Brown exited Sunday’s matchup in the third quarter with a chest injury and wasn’t able to return.

Add in an upcoming matchup with a stingy New England Patriots front that allows only 101.7 yards per game on the ground, and you have the recipe for Hilliard getting plenty of receiving work in Week 12.

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DK DFS Value: $4,100

Marquez Valdes-Scantling still has yet to become a consistent playmaker for the Green Bay Packers, but he may be on the cusp of breaking out after a trying start to the 2021 campaign.

Valdes-Scantling drew his fourth start of the season in Week 11 and had by far his best game yet. While he caught only four of his team-high 10 targets, the fourth-year veteran went off for 123 yards and a score against the rival Minnesota Vikings.

Much of that production came on a 75-yard scoring strike late in the game, a play that showcased the potential MVS still holds. 

Allen Lazard’s absence (shoulder) opened the door for Valdes-Scantling to play a bigger role across from Davante Adams. It remains to be seen whether Lazard will be healthy enough to play in Green Bay’s Week 12 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams.

With L.A.’s smothering secondary on tap—and world-class corner Jalen Ramsey likely to shadow Adams—Valdes-Scantling should be in line for another high-volume outing regardless of Lazard’s status.  

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DK DFS Value: $3,500

The Dallas Cowboys receiving corps was one of the more loaded units coming into the season, but attrition has left the cupboard bare ahead of Week 12. Cedrick Wilson Jr. is one of the few wideouts left standing going into the team’s annual Thanksgiving Day matchup.

CeeDee Lamb suffered a concussion on Sunday, and he’s unlikely to clear the league’s concussion protocols before Thursday. Amari Cooper missed the loss against the Kansas City Chiefs after he landed in health-and-safety protocols, so he’ll be out Thursday as well.

Those projected absences leave Michael Gallup and Wilson as quarterback Dak Prescott’s top receivers for the Week 12 clash against the Las Vegas Raiders.

While Wilson didn’t make the most of his expanded opportunity Sunday—he caught only four passes for 36 yards—he did see a significant increase in volume after Lamb’s injury. All but one of his seven targets and all four his catches came in the second half with Lamb sidelined.

The third-year veteran now has 23 catches for 316 yards and a trio of touchdowns on the season despite seeing the field for only half of the team’s offensive snaps.

With the Raiders allowing 18 touchdowns through the air—tied for the seventh-most in the NFL this season—there is a good chance that Wilson will serve up a score on Thanksgiving.

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DK DFS Value: $3,500

After cutting ties with Odell Beckham Jr., the Cleveland Browns were already looking shorthanded in the receiving department.

With Jarvis Landry reportedly aggravating a knee injury that sidelined him for a month earlier in the season, the team could soon be downright desperate for pass-catching talent. 

Austin Hooper may be able to fill the void for both the Browns and your fantasy team.

The 27-year-old has seen his role increase slightly since OBJ’s departure, drawing 12 targets over the last two games. He’s been productive on those looks too, catching eight of them for 78 yards and a score.

With tight end a notoriously difficult position to find consistency at, Hooper could emerge as a quality pickup at an opportune time. If Landry ends up missing some time, Hooper will be a low-end TE1 you can deploy over the final regular-season stretch and upcoming fantasy playoffs.

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