Best fantasy football QB waiver wire pickups for Week 13

Hello and welcome to the Week 13 waiver wire watch for quarterbacks!

Thanksgiving week is finally here and we’re entering the home stretch of the 2025 NFL season. That means we’re also just a few weeks away from the playoffs starting in most fantasy football leagues and it’s crunch time for managers everywhere. So you better start getting your roster in order before it’s too late.

We’ll go over some QB performers that you should consider scooping off the waiver wire ahead of Week 13 and as always, we’ll classify a waiver add as someone who is rostered in 60% of leagues at the max. Every team is in action this week, so there are no byes for you to worry about. You should also keep in mind that there are three games to be played this Thursday for Thanksgiving and one game scheduled for Black Friday, so be extra mindful when setting your lineups this week. You don’t want to get to Sunday and realize that one of your guys has already played.

Week 13 byes: None

Darnold was able to get back on track in a 30-24 victory over the Titans on Sunday, brushing off his four-interception disaster against the Rams the week prior. He earned 17.7 fantasy points by posting a solid stat line of 244 yards and two touchdowns for the afternoon and it helps when you have Jaxon Smith-Njigba breaking franchise receiving records in just 11 games.

The veteran is currently top-five in passing yards for the year and remains one of just two top-15 fantasy QB’s that are still in waiver wire territory. If you have a solid roster with question marks at QB this late into the season, Darnold could be your missing piece heading into the playoffs.

Week 13 matchup: vs. Minnesota Vikings, 4:05 p.m. ET

And on the other side of that Seahawks victory was Ward, who had his best game as a pro in the six-point setback on Sunday. 256 yards, one passing touchdown, and one rushing touchdown is what the 2025 No. 1 overall pick produced for the afternoon and he actually finished Sunday as the No. 4 fantasy QB for the week with 23.9 fantasy points.

Ward has had to battle through a difficult rookie campaign on the NFL’s worst team, but he has shown flashes of his potential in recent weeks. Sunday’s game against the Seahawks was the third straight game the Titans lost by just one score and it marked the second straight game where the rookie completed at least 65% of his passes. Keep him in mind if you’re pressed for QB options this late in the year.

Week 13 matchup: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET

It has become a weekly game to ask whether the good Trevor Lawrence or the bad Trevor Lawrence will show up and like most weeks, the answer was both on Sunday. The former No. 1 overall pick was able to lead the Jaguars to a 27-24 overtime victory over the Cardinals on Sunday, racking up 256 yards and three touchdowns in the win. He also threw three interceptions in the contest, all of them coming in the second half and he was fortunate that Arizona was only able to turn one of them into points.

That’s been the Lawrence experience throughout the year and it was still good enough to earn 20.1 fantasy points for managers that started him. He joins the aforementioned Darnold as the only other top-15 fantasy QB in waiver territory and even with his inconsistencies, he can still be a positive asset for a lineup that already has strong pieces surrounding him.

Week 13 matchup: @ Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET

The other side of that Jags-Cards matchup saw Brissett have another solid day in defeat, throwing for 317 yards and a touchdown in the setback. The veteran journeyman has actually been a top-five fantasy QB since taking over for Kyler Murray in Week 6, averaging 21.4 fantasy points per game in that stretch with 1,887 passing yards and 12 total touchdowns in that period of time.

Murray is eligible to return from IR in Week 14, so this may be the final week we see Brissett under center before the Cards return to their original starter. The Bucs’ secondary was just lit on fire by the Rams on Sunday, so if you’re thinking about picking up Brissett as a quick streamer, this is an ideal week to do so.

Week 13 matchup: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET