December is here.
Well, not exactly. But when the first game of Week 13 kicks off, it will be December 1st, and depending on your league, it could be the last week of your regular season.
There’s no time to mess around. Play your best players…the ones that got you here.
However, if an injury or role reduction has forced you to head for the waiver wire, we have you covered.
Tyreek Hill burns Denver for 3 TDs in OT win
Is Tyreek Hill the new Dante Hall?
For those that don’t remember, Hall (5’8″, 187 pounds) was an explosive returner/receiver for the Chiefs from 2000-06. He was an All-Pro in 2003 and during his seven seasons as a Chief, he scored 11 return touchdowns and nine receiving touchdowns.
Hill (5’10”, 185 pounds) is quite similar to Hall in size, style, and the way in which the Chiefs put his talents to use. Against the Broncos, Hill racked up 52 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions, which, even in a non-PPR league would be a good day.
The kicker with Hill is that he’s a threat to score on special teams, too, which he did Sunday night, when he took a Denver free kick following a safety, 86 yards to the house.
Oh, by the way, he scored on a 3-yard rush as well.
Hill gained 55 yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns. To score 23.5 points would be an tremendous output from any receiver, but considering Hill did that while playing in the Chiefs run-first, conservative offense is remarkable.
Make sure Hill is your top waiver claim this week.
Mitchell rescues Patriots with late touchdown
Predicting which players on the Patriots will be good fantasy options is like predicting the stock market–you may think you’ve done your research and have a good idea of what will happen, but things can change in an instant.
Besides Tom Brady, New England is an unpredictable fantasy football team. Even Rob Gronkowski has struggled–he’s only made 25 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns in eight games this season. Not only is that well below his standard, but according to Ben Volin, Gronkowski was moving “quite gingerly” after Sunday’s game.
At the same time, Brady is so good at spreading the ball around and New England is an excellent, well-run offense. So, there has to be some opportunity there, right?
But who can you look to? LeGarrette Blount and Julian Edelman are likely taken by this point. Chris Hogan has made some big plays, but he’s becoming an all-or-nothing-type player, which is not what you need heading into the playoffs.
Consider claiming Malcolm Mitchell. The rookie out of Georgia has made nine receptions for 140 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games. Moreover, according to rotoworld.com, Mitchell was only in on 47 percent of New England’s offensive snaps Sunday afternoon. He’s making the most of the chances he’s given.
Brady and Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels aren’t ones to shy away from the hot hand. That’s good for Mitchell, because this week the Patriots host the Rams, who just allowed 346 yards and five touchdowns passing to the Saints.
Fantasy Football Week 13 waiver wire quick reaction: Colin Kaepernick keeps running
Chris Towers of CBSSports.com gives us a good look at two players who could be starters for you this week and pay immediate dividends.
His first option is quarterback Colin Kaepernick (available in 61 percent of leagues). Kaepernick has been slowly but surely returning to his 2012 form when he could rifle a pass to any receiver on the field or take off for a 20 yard run at a moment’s notice. He’s averaging 24.8 fantasy points per game, and on Sunday he rushed for 113 yards and threw three touchdowns. San Francisco travels to Chicago in Week 13.
The next option Towers gives us is a familiar one: Kenneth Dixon (available in 37 percent of leagues). Dixon has been creeping up on Terrance West’s touches, and on Sunday finally surpassed Baltimore’s starter. Against the Bengals, Dixon continued to show grit and elusiveness, as he broke tackles and fought for every yard. He looks fresh, too, even though he played more against the Bengals than any Baltimore running back (31 snaps, per Pro Football Focus’ Nathan Jahnke).
Dixon looks like Baltimore’s biggest threat at the running back position, and is at home this week versus Miami’s 30th-ranked run defense (ranking as of Monday afternoon).
QB: Colin Kaepernick (3,918, 4th overall)
WR: Tyreek Hill (9,552, 1st overall)
RB: Wendell Smallwood (2,270, 10th overall)
TE: Jared Cook (3,125, 5th overall)
K: Brandon McManus (1,548, 15th overall)
D/ST: San Diego (2,351, 9th overall)
