The 12th week of the 2016 regular season is just about over, with only the Monday Night Football game remaining. Most fantasy football leagues will run their waiver wires late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but we are here to help you get a jump on the best options to consider.
We will be ranking the top five players likely to be available in your league at each of the major positions. Some weeks there might not be five good options available, but we’ll scour for the best we can find. Additionally, throughout the week, we will update each of these articles as ownership percentages change (via Yahoo!) and news arrives.
Waiver wire running back rankings, Week 13
1. Matt Asiata, Minnesota Vikings (48 percent owned)
The Vikings continued to struggle moving the ball on the ground in Week 12. Asiata has been the Vikings’ most effective running back in recent weeks, as his value is largely buoyed by his ability to score on the goal line. The Minnesota running back ran for 27 yards and a touchdown, and added three receptions for 14 yards in the Vikings’ loss to the Lions. While Asiata may not have a high ceiling, his chance to produce a moderate amount of points is fairly good as he continues to receive a solid share of goal line opportunities.
2. Jerick McKinnon, Minnesota Vikings (42 percent owned)
The other half of the Minnesota rushing attack is McKinnon, who has struggled in recent weeks, and has failed to find the end zone since Week 4. However, he is a starting running back, and that is difficult to find on the waiver wire. The Vikings running back rushed for 31 yards and caught three passes for 45 yards in Minnesota’s loss to Detroit. McKinnon showed a flash of his talent on a 41-yard catch and run, but failed to make much of an impact otherwise. He will try to bounce back against Dallas next week.
3. Kenneth Dixon, Baltimore Ravens (29 percent owned)
Dixon saw more touches and gained more yards than fellow running back Terrance West this past week, and showed more of why he is likely the future running back for the Ravens. The rookie ran for 49 yards and added 31 more yards through the air on four receptions in the Ravens’ win over the Bengals. At the very least, Dixon has carved out a role as the passing-down back for the Ravens. However, it looks like Dixon will continue his gradual uptick in production over the other running backs in Baltimore.
4. Chris Thompson, Washington (24 percent owned)
Thompson is secure in his role as the pass-catching back for Washington, which has featured a high-performing offense this season. The Washington running back rushed for 17 yards and added five receptions for an additional 17 yards in Washington’s loss to Dallas. The Cowboys were ahead the entire game which led to an unfavorable script for Thompson. Washington faces an Arizona team that has given up very little to wide receivers and tight ends this season, which may allow for more targets to go his way.
5. Shaun Draughn, San Francisco 49ers (one percent owned)
Draughn’s usage in the pass game has increased over the last two weeks. Despite being a running back, he did not post a single rush attempt, but did catch six passes for 49 yards in San Francisco’s loss to Miami. Draughn should continue to be targeted in the passing game, but his lack of any touches in the running game limits his upside.
