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 wide receivers. Heading into Week 13, you should set your eyes on Russell Gage, Robby Anderson, Sterling Shepard, and Anthony Miller.
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: Running Back – Quarterback – Tight End – Defense
Russell Gage, Robby Anderson Highlight Fantasy Football Week 13 Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Claims
Russell Gage
Russell Gage is making the most of the opportunity presented to him. After the Falcons traded away Mohamed Sanu, Gage stepped up and served that role in Atlanta’s offense. In Week 12, the wide receiver recorded eight receptions for 76 yards on 10 targets. Gage has had at least four targets in every game since the Sanu trade and now averages seven targets per game.
Gage isn’t a big play threat, so most of his fantasy value is going to come through volume in high-scoring contests. Fortunately, the Falcons face off against the New Orleans Saints and their high-powered offense in Week 13. Atlanta held the Saints in check last time these two teams met, but that was probably a one-week fluke. This should be a high-scoring affair, and Gage should see his fair share of targets.
Robby Anderson
Everyone knows about Robby Anderson’s freakish talent, but the big-play specialist finally paid off in Oakland. Anderson saw just five targets against the Raiders but turned that opportunity into four receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown. Sam Darnold is playing some of the best football of his career and, quite frankly, Anderson is talented enough to be fantasy-relevant with five targets per game.
The New York Jets had an easy matchup in Week 12 but now get the NFL equivalent of the “free” space in Bingo in the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals cannot stop anything through the air or on the ground, so Anderson should run wild in this matchup.
Sterling Shepard
New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard didn’t have the most impressive box score in his return to the field. The former second-round pick ended his night with five receptions for just 15 yards, but managed to record a team-high nine targets. As mentioned in a previous post, Shepard is still a key part of the passing attack and is going to see a high volume of the workload. Facing off against the Chicago Bears wasn’t great for his return, but he should be more efficient in the upcoming weeks against the Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, and Washington Redskins. If you’re in a PPR league, Shepard can be a solid flex play with WR2 upside.
Anthony Miller
The Chicago Bears are finally using their talented second-round pick in the passing attack. Second-year wide receiver Anthony Miller has the unfortunate task of catching passes from Mitchell Trubisky, but he’s made the most of his opportunities in recent weeks. Over the past two games, Miller has recorded 12 receptions for 131 yards on a whopping 20 targets. Head coach Matt Nagy appears to be making an active effort to include him in the passing game, and Miller’s talent should make him a starting-caliber weapon in deeper leagues. Miller faces off against an atrocious Detroit Lions defense in Week 13 and should continue his recent stretch of success.
Week 13 Waiver Wire Claims: Running Back – Quarterback – Tight End – Defense
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