Fantasy: Waiver Wire - Week 13

Every Monday during the season, theScore's Justin Boone runs down the recommended waiver-wire pickups.

Roster percentages are based on Yahoo leagues. Free-Agent Budget (FAB) amounts are based on a $100 salary cap. Only players rostered in less than 50% of leagues are considered.

Quarterbacks

Drake Maye, Patriots

It's not a great week for quarterback streamers, so we'll go back to the promising rookie we featured last week.

Maye's fantasy numbers were weighted down by a couple of turnovers versus the Dolphins, but the first-rounder continues to look like a star in the making.

Fortunately, he gets an easier outing this week with a Colts' defense that allowed the 13th-most fantasy points to QBs entering Week 12.

Moving forward, Maye should be viewed as a solid QB2 streaming option with low-end QB1 upside in softer matchups.

Caleb Williams is over the 50% rostered mark but would be among the top QB pickups this week if available.

Streaming options: Russell Wilson at CIN (36% rostered)

Risky streaming options: Bryce Young vs. TB (5% rostered), Aaron Rodgers vs. SEA (35% rostered), Will Levis at WSH (12% rostered), Jameis Winston at DEN (15% rostered), Derek Carr vs. LAR (13% rostered)

Risky streaming options (if healthy): Trevor Lawrence vs. HOU (36% rostered)

Desperation streaming options: Cooper Rush vs. NYG (5% rostered)

Desperation streaming options (if healthy): Aidan O'Connell at KC (1% rostered), Tommy DeVito at DAL (8% rostered)

Desperation streaming options (if starting): Brandon Allen at BUF (4% rostered), Mac Jones vs. HOU (1% rostered), Desmond Ridder at KC (0% rostered)

Running backs

Jeremy McNichols, Commanders

McNichols could become an intriguing fantasy RB2 this week if his teammates Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler are both sidelined.

Robinson is dealing with an ankle injury, and Ekeler is in concussion protocol. Neither player finished Sunday's game and, with a bye in Week 14, it wouldn't be surprising to see both backs get ruled out this week.

In that scenario, McNichols would step into the lead back role in an offense in which he's already had success. The 28-year-old has topped 40 scrimmage yards in three of the four outings in which he got at least 7 touches this year. He also found the end zone three times in that span.

The Commanders could also bring back Chris Rodriguez (0% rostered), who they waived last week. If Robinson and Ekeler are sidelined, Rodriguez could offer deep flex value behind McNichols.

High-upside backups

We'll use this space to remind you of all the high-upside backups who should be rostered in most leagues, including:

• Zach Charbonnet (41% rostered)
• Trey Benson (27% rostered)
• Braelon Allen (24% rostered)
• Tyler Allgeier (31% rostered)
• Ray Davis (16% rostered)
• Blake Corum (14% rostered)
• Cam Akers (24% rostered)
• Jaylen Wright (6% rostered)
• Roschon Johnson (28% rostered)
• Khalil Herbert (10% rostered)

Each of those players is one injury away from a significant role in their respective offenses, which could turn them into top-20 fantasy RBs.

Jaylen Warren is over the 50% rostered mark but should be rostered in all leagues.

RB3/flex options (if healthy): Alexander Mattison at KC (48% rostered)

RB3/flex options (if starting): Ameer Abdullah at KC (25% rostered)

Flex options (if healthy): Tyjae Spears at WSH (40% rostered)

Flex options: Jerome Ford at DEN (41% rostered), Gus Edwards at ATL (25% rostered)

Risky flex options (if healthy): Tank Bigsby vs. HOU (39% rostered)

Risky flex options: Antonio Gibson vs. IND (13% rostered), Devin Singletary at DAL (46% rostered), Sean Tucker at CAR (2% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options (if healthy): Zamir White at KC (23% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options (if starter is out): Craig Reynolds vs. CHI (0% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options: Justice Hill vs. PHI (20% rostered), Jordan Mason at BUF (43% rostered), Kenneth Gainwell at BAL (2% rostered), Jaleel McLaughlin vs. CLE (11% rostered), Chris Brooks vs. MIA (0% rostered), Emanuel Wilson vs. MIA (3% rostered), Samaje Perine vs. LV (4% rostered)

Other backups to roster: Dameon Pierce (2% rostered), Audric Estime (27% rostered), D'Ernest Johnson (1% rostered), Keaton Mitchell (3% rostered), Tyler Goodson (1% rostered), Isaac Guerendo (2% rostered)

Injured-reserve stashes: Kendre Miller (2% rostered), MarShawn Lloyd (4% rostered)

Wide receivers

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Titans

What more does Westbrook-Ikhine have to do to convince fantasy managers to pick him up?

The Titans wideout has scored a touchdown in six of his past seven contests and has been the WR26 in fantasy points per game during that span.

While touchdowns can be volatile, Westbrook-Ikhine has shown more than enough to warrant being rostered as a fantasy WR4/flex.

Quentin Johnston and Romeo Doubs are around the 50% rostered mark but should be rostered in most leagues.

WR4/flex options (if healthy): Keon Coleman vs SF (43% rostered)

WR4/flex options: Xavier Legette vs. TB (27% rostered), Marquez Valdes-Scantling vs. LAR (25% rostered)

WR4/flex options (if starter is out): Dontayvion Wicks vs. MIA (15% rostered), Adonai Mitchell at NE (6% rostered), Alec Pierce at NE (21% rostered), Elijah Moore at DEN (11% rostered)

Flex options: Noah Brown vs. TEN (10% rostered), DeMario Douglas vs. IND (31% rostered)

Risky flex options: Rashod Bateman vs. PHI (32% rostered), Demarcus Robinson at NO (22% rostered), Devaughn Vele vs. CLE (5% rostered), Wan'Dale Robinson at DAL (47% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options: Tre Tucker at KC (4% rostered), Adam Thielen vs. TB (25% rostered), Kayshon Boutte vs. IND (7% rostered), Ray-Ray McCloud vs. LAC (14% rostered), Joshua Palmer at ATL (17% rostered), Ricky Pearsall at BUF (33% rostered), Michael Wilson at MIN (10% rostered), Jalen Tolbert vs. NYG (11% rostered), Curtis Samuel vs. SF (9% rostered), Marvin Mims Jr. vs. CLE (2% rostered), Sterling Shepard at CAR (5% rostered), Calvin Austin III at CIN (1% rostered), Kendrick Bourne vs. IND (1% rostered), KaVontae Turpin vs. NYG (3% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options (if healthy): Jalen Coker vs. TB (4% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options (if starter is out): David Moore vs. TB (0% rostered)

Injured-reserve stashes: Brandin Cooks (10% rostered)

Tight ends

Luke Schoonmaker, Cowboys

Schoonmaker's fantasy value is directly tied to starter Jake Ferguson's health. The latter is currently in concussion protocol and Cowboys executive Stephen Jones described the veteran as a long shot to play Thursday.

That puts Schoonmaker in a position to get another start - a spot he's excelled in this season.

Schoonmaker has finished as a top-12 fantasy tight end in each of the three games Ferguson's missed, posting stat lines of 6-42-0, 5-56-0, and 3-55-1.

The Giants aren't the easiest matchup for fantasy tight ends, but Schoonmaker will be a strong streaming option this week.

Hunter Henry, Will Dissly, Zach Ertz, and Cole Kmet are around the 50% rostered mark but should be rostered in most leagues.

Streaming options (if starter is out): Dawson Knox vs. SF (8% rostered)

Risky streaming options: Isaiah Likely vs. PHI (30% rostered)

Risky streaming options (if healthy): Ja'Tavion Sanders vs. TB (5% rostered)

Dart-throw streaming options: Juwan Johnson vs. LAR (3% rostered), Theo Johnson at DAL (2% rostered), Chigoziem Okonkwo at WSH (5% rostered), Noah Gray vs. LV (4% rostered), Mike Gesicki vs. PIT (18% rostered), Austin Hooper vs. IND (0% rostered), Foster Moreau vs. LAR (0% rostered)

Dart-throw streaming options (if healthy): Noah Fant at NYJ (18% rostered)

Dart-throw streaming options (if starter is out): Tommy Tremble vs. TB (0% rostered)

Defenses

Week 13 streamers

Favorable upcoming schedules: Buccaneers DEF (54% rostered), Bengals DEF (16% rostered), Saints DEF (24% rostered)

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.