Staying active on the waiver wire is an important way for season-long fantasy owners to improve their teams and get an edge on the competition. Shifts in opportunities for players due to injuries or performance cause value spikes that owners can take advantage of to fill in roster holes to build a championship lineup.
Each week, we will discuss waiver wire targets at each position to consider for both the week ahead and the rest of the fantasy season.
Week 12 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds
* Current roster % in home leagues is noted in parentheses (from FantasyPros)
Bryce Young, QB (Carolina Panthers) (18%)
In an exciting overtime win, Bryce Young set career marks with 448 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. He averaged a season-best 10 yards/attempt as he led the Panthers to victory over the disappointing Falcons.
It is hard to think Young will produce this type of fantasy output on a regular basis. The Panthers scored more than 16 points against the Falcons for the first time since Week 6. Young came into the game with two straight fantasy stinkers with 226 total passing yards, zero touchdowns, and two picks combined in Weeks 9-10.
The Panthers take on the 49ers this week, who jumped out to an early lead and forced Jacoby Brissett to throw the ball 57 times in their win against Arizona last Sunday. That same game script could happen again for Carolina with Young attempting to throw the ball in a comeback effort. Don’t expect a 400+ yard passing game again this season, but this may be a good streaming spot for Young.
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Emanuel Wilson, RB (Green Bay Packers) (9%)
Injuries are often the main catalyst for running back fantasy opportunities on waivers, and Emanuel Wilson is this week’s example. With Josh Jacobs week-to-week with a knee injury, Wilson would be the primary ball carrier for the Packers if he misses the matchup with the Vikings this week.
Wilson saw 12 touches against the Giants and finished with 40 rushing yards on 11 attempts and one catch for nine yards. He did manage to fall into the end zone to make his fantasy day look a little better. His value as a potential RB2/Flex will come from expected volume rather than efficiency. He has 53 rush attempts on the season with a 4.2 yards/carry rate and just the one score.
The Vikings are middle of the pack against opposing fantasy running backs but showed weakness up the middle against the Bears last week. The game plan for the Packers will likely include a high dosage of power run plays. If Jacobs misses, Wilson is a low-end starting option in fantasy lineups.
Michael Wilson, WR (Arizona Cardinals) (34%)
Any receiver that earns 18 targets in a game is worth a look on the waiver wire. Michael Wilson was the recipient of a crazy pass volume game for Jacoby Brissett against the 49ers on Sunday as the Cardinals trailed from the jump. Brissett completed 47 passes on 57 attempts for 452 yards.
Wilson caught 15 passes for 185 yards but somehow was held out of the end zone. This was his first game finishing in the top 40 of fantasy wide receivers this season. His best previous game was three catches for 61 yards in Week 9 against the Cowboys.
The Cardinals were behind big early against the 49ers, which turned the game script into a pass fest. But that same game script could likely happen again this week against Jacksonville and in the next few games against the Buccaneers and Rams. Brissett seems to be the starter for the rest of the season and has taken a liking to Wilson as a primary passing option.
Juwan Johnson, TE (New Orleans Saints) (30%)
At the start of the season, many expected Juwan Johnson to be a sleeper tight end fantasy option. He has not lived up to those expectations through much of the year but seems to have a knack for catching touchdowns from rookie quarterback Tyler Shough since he took over the reins from Spencer Rattler.
Johnson quietly had four top-12 fantasy weeks in a row prior to the Saints’ Week 11 bye. He averaged 5.8 targets and 63.8 receiving yards over that span, with a pair of touchdowns coming with Shough behind center. At 6’4″, 231 pounds, Johnson is a big target in the red zone and a possible safety blanket in the middle of the field for the rookie quarterback.
The upside is limited for Johnson with a sub-80% snap rate in each of the last five games and 11.4 yards/catch, but Johnson did show some athleticism on a 52-yard catch in Week 10, his longest of the season. He is a low-end starting option for a tight-end-needy fantasy squad.
Cleveland Browns, D/ST (40%)
Cleveland is the obvious top defensive pickupof the week with an upcoming matchup against Geno Smith and the Las Vegas Raiders. The Browns gave Lamar Jackson fits with three total turnovers, a defensive touchdown, and five sacks on Sunday in a closer-than-expected game.
Myles Garrett and company have tallied at least three sacks in all but two games this season as a top-6 fantasy defense throughout 2025. They are licking their lips for a matchup with the Raiders, as Smith has been sacked 10 times over the last two games and has an interception in each of his last three starts. If they are available, the Browns are a must-add defense this week.
Pictured: Bryce Young
Photo Credit: Imagn
