We are now entering Week 13, possibly the most critical week of the fantasy football season. Depending on your league settings, the playoffs start in either Week 14 or 15, so this is one of your last chances to earn a postseason bid, or secure that coveted first-round bye. With nearly every team done with their byes, bench depth and the waiver wire take on less importance as owners should ride their starters to the finish line. But that doesn’t mean the wire should be totally disregarded yet.
There are only two teams on bye this week -- the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans. That means fantasy owners will have to find one-week replacements for Terrelle Pryor, Rishard Matthews, and Tajae Sharpe. Fortunately, there are still plenty of decent options on the waiver wire, so let’s take a look at the top WRs owned in 50 percent or less of Yahoo! standard leagues.
Fantasy football waiver wire: 5 wide receivers to target for Week 13
With the fantasy playoffs right around the corner, we examine the top WR adds on the waiver wire this week.
Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals (50 percent)
Somebody has to step up after A.J. Green went down with a hamstring injury and Boyd could end up being that somebody. He saw nine targets against the Baltimore Ravens (second on the team behind Tyler Eifert) and converted those into five catches for 62 yards. With the Bengals’ running game also hit by injury, Boyd could see a good chunk of targets on short passes out of the slot. He’s worth using in PPR leagues when the Bengals face the Philadelphia Eagles.
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs (37 percent)
Talk about a star-making performance. With Jeremy Maclin missing another week, Hill stepped up and pretty much beat the Denver Broncos by himself, scoring three touchdowns in three different ways (receiving, rushing and kick return). He was the ultimate difference-maker in the Chiefs’ overtime win and has a dream matchup with the Atlanta Falcons this week. Maclin still has a chance to return, but Hill has earned his WR3 status in fantasy leagues.
Pierre Garcon, Washington (34 percent)
Jordan Reed suffered a shoulder injury on Thanksgiving and isn’t a sure thing to play this week despite the 10-day layoff. That would leave more targets available for Garcon, DeSean Jackson, and Jamison Crowder. Garcon is strictly a possession receiver these days and rarely gets yards after the catch, but his PPR floor is pretty stable. He’ll be a WR3 against the Arizona Cardinals if Reed sits.
Quincy Enunwa, New York Jets (28 percent)
Enunwa has been a disappearing act in recent weeks, but he had a big game against the New England Patriots, recording his first 100-yard game of the season and scoring a touchdown. He’s still hard to trust week-to-week because Ryan Fitzpatrick is so volatile under center, but Enunwa does have a friendly matchup with the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night. Still, he’s mostly a desperation play and owners should be careful about chasing last week’s stats.
Marqise Lee, Jacksonville Jaguars (10 percent)
After two disappointing seasons, it looks like Lee is finally figuring it out in his third year. After 11 games, he’s already set career-highs in catches (46), yards (581), and touchdowns (two). Lee has become a far more reliable than Allen Hurns (and even Allen Robinson at times), and after scoring in two straight games it might be time to start taking him seriously in fantasy. Unfortunately, he has a brutal matchup against the Denver Broncos’ defense this week and gets the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14. Lee is unlikely to help owners in the fantasy playoffs, but dynasty league players should consider stashing him.
