NFL Waiver Wire: Week 12 Pickups

This column is geared toward "standard" 12-team leagues and based upon a $100 free-agent budget. Please, please adjust for your league based on both the number of teams (I'm in a 24-team league, for example) and budget. This column will run every Tuesday to, hopefully, accommodate the various waiver schedules. I'll update it in the comments section during the week; please keep in mind a lot can change from Tuesday to Sunday.

RUNNING BACK

Primary Targets

Chris Ivory, JAC - Ivory is 48-percent owned in Yahoo leagues, barely making the cut for inclusion in this column. T.J. Yeldon is battling an ankle injury and could miss time, which improves Ivory's fantasy value. Ivory finished Sunday's game with 23 touches for 114 yards from scrimmage, including six catches. The only red flag is fumbling issues for Ivory, who has four this season. Denard Robinson ($1-$2) will work his way into the mix if Yeldon is out, but overall Ivory would stand to benefit the most getting a much heavier workload. FAAB: $20-$50

Secondary Targets

Wendell Smallwood, PHI - Smallwood is the last man standing in the Eagles' backfield with both Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles banged up. Mathews is considered day-to-day, but given it's a knee injury it's tough to imagine he'll play Monday night against the Packers. Sproles' outlook is a little better as he's dealing with a rib injury. Smallwood could be the only active player of the three this week, making him the likely workhorse for Philadelphia. If that scenario plays out, look for Kenjon Barner ($1-$2) to get some touches spelling Smallwood. FAAB: $8-12

Mike Gillislee, BUF - LeSean McCoy was initially expected back this week after undergoing a procedure on his thumb, which he dislocated Sunday against the Bengals. Word Monday night, though, was that McCoy might miss this week's game, putting Gillislee in line to start against the Jaguars this week. Gillislee is one of the better backups in the league, averaging 5.8 yards per carry this season after averaging 5.7 last year. He's capable of catching passes out of the backfield as well but is only a fantasy play if McCoy is out. FAAB: $8-$12

Hail Mary

Adrian Peterson, MIN - This is a gamble given the fact that there hasn't been a definitive timetable for Peterson to return. Reports speculate Week 15 would be the earliest he'd be back while Week 16 might seem more reasonable. He should only be on your radar if you have extra bench spots as he's not worth grabbing now if you have five or fewer reserve spots. Keep in mind, too, the Vikings' offensive line has not been good this season, and Peterson had trouble finding running lanes when he played earlier this season. FAAB: $1-$2

Alex Collins, SEA - C.J. Prosise looked like he would be a difference-maker for fantasy owners down the stretch but a scapula injury will keep him out the rest of the regular season. Thomas Rawls is roughly 60 percent owned and is worth blowing your FAAB if you can still acquire him. Troymaine Pope appears to have leap-frogged Collins on the depth chart, but he's dealing with a high ankle sprain that will sideline him the next few weeks. That leaves just Rawls and Collins as the only healthy running backs on the roster. Don't expect double-digit touches quite yet for Collins but 5-8 could be in the works this week as the backup to Rawls. FAAB: $1-$2

WIDE RECEIVER

Primary Targets

Tyler Boyd, CIN - A.J. Green will miss most, if not all, of the regular season after injuring his hamstring early in Sunday's game. As a result, Boyd got a season-high eight targets and scored his first career touchdown. Brandon LaFell ($5-$10) should see a slight uptick in targets, but Boyd appears to have more upside. In college at Pittsburgh, Boyd broke several of Larry Fitzgerald's receiving records, showing the type of talent he possesses. Look for Boyd to be heavily involved in the passing game this week against Baltimore. FAAB: $15-$25

Secondary Targets

Sammy Watkins, BUF - The hope is Watkins gets back on the field this week to help out a receiving corps that's been decimated by injuries. Robert Woods looks unlikely to play this week, and outside of Marquise Goodwin there's not a ton of upside to like in Buffalo. This is likely a case where you need a "show-me" game from Watkins before using him with confidence. Still, the opportunity is there to cash in big come fantasy playoffs if Watkins is healthy. FAAB: $8-$12

TIGH END

Secondary Targets

Vance McDonald, SF - McDonald became fantasy relevant when Colin Kaepernick went back under center and has turned in some solid performances. McDonald has touchdowns in two of his last three games, and the third game wasn't terrible with four catches for 50 yards. He has six targets in each of his last four games and had a 75-yard touchdown Week 2, showing his big-play ability. FAAB: $6-$10