12 weeks of NFL play are officially in the books, which means bye weeks are officially a thing of the past. With the fantasy football playoffs right around the corner, it’s time to search the waiver wire for all the best available running backs. Heading into Week 13, you should set your eyes on Benny Snell, Rashaad Penny, Jonathan Williams, Bo Scarbrough, and several other key handcuffs.
Note that in order to make this list, the player had to be available in over 50% of fantasy leagues. If you’re in smaller leagues, there may be better players available. Make sure to check your waivers to see if there are any diamonds in the rough before submitting your claims.
Week 13 Waiver Wire Claims: Wide Receiver – Quarterback – Tight End – Defense
Benny Snell, Rashaad Penny Highlight Fantasy Football Week 13 Running Back Waiver Wire Claims
Benny Snell
As long as James Conner is sidelined, Benny Snell is going to be a relevant player in fantasy football. Serving as the head of Pittsburgh’s backfield, the rookie recorded a team-high 21 carries for 98 yards and a healthy 4.7 yards-per-carry. Snell appears to have leapfrogged Jaylen Samuels on the depth chart, as Samuels recorded just two carries for six yards to go along with three receptions for 26 yards.
James Conner may or may not play in Week 13, but you still need to roster Snell. Conner is battling an AC injury and already re-aggravated the ailment. Conner has a history of injuries, so there is a good chance he’ll miss one or two more games as the season progresses. If he does, Snell has a chance to be a key piece during the fantasy football playoffs.
Rashaad Penny
The Seattle Seahawks love to run the ball and have one of the best offenses in the league. Because of this, anyone receiving carries in this backfield is going to carry a considerable amount of fantasy value. Throughout the majority of the season, Chris Carson has been the leader of the backfield. However, that could change in the upcoming weeks.
2018 first-round pick Rashaad Penny saw the majority of the carries in Week 12, ending his day with 14 touches for 129 yards and one touchdown. Carson, meanwhile, recorded eight carries for 26 yards while also fumbling. This isn’t Carson’s first battle with ball security, and head coach Pete Carroll could decide to transition to Penny if the fumbles continue. Penny is way too risky to start in Week 13, but he could be one of the most valuable waiver pickups if he gets the starting job.
Redux: Jonathan Williams, Bo Scarbrough
Both of these players would be higher if they weren’t on last week’s list. Entering Week 12, nobody knew for sure if Johnathan Williams or Jordan Wilkins would be the starter in Marlon Mack’s absence. Now, we know that the job is Williams’ to lose. Williams finished the night with 26 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown while Wilkins didn’t even receive a single carry. As long as Mack is on the sideline, Johnathan Williams is an auto-start in fantasy.
Ditto for Bo Scarbrough. The Detroit Lions have rotated their running backs since losing Kerryon Johnson but appear set on sticking with Bo Scarbrough. After a breakout Week 11, Scarbrough followed it up by recording 18 carries for 98 yards at an impressive 5.4 yards-per-carry clip. He’s the clear leader of the backfield and should be a solid flex play for the remainder of the season.
Honorable Mentions/Valuable Handcuffs: Tony Pollard, Alexander Mattison, Ryquell Armstead, Dion Lewis, Bilal Powell
Week 13 Waiver Wire Claims: Wide Receiver – Quarterback – Tight End – Defense
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