FANTASY FOOTBALL ADD/DROPS
Week 12 working the waiver wire: Movers and Bakers
Nov 19, 2019, 4:26 pm
John Grieshop/Getty Images
Week 12 is upon us, which means the fantasy playoffs are right around the corner. This week, 4 teams won't be playing (Cardinals, Chiefs, Chargers, and Vikings) so expect this to be a fairly busy week on the waiver wire. Keep in mind the owner % mentioned is for 10-team standard ESPN PPR leagues. Some of these players below are good for the short-term, while others have more long-term value. You have to make the call on what your team needs. Immediate help to start this week, or a player to stash on your bench and hope he breaks out. Let's get started.
QB
Baker Mayfield: He's only rostered in 45% of ESPN 10-team leagues, and he plays the Dolphins this week.
Jacoby Brissett: He threw for over 300 yards and 4 TDs that last time he played the Texans, so he's worth considering for sure. He's available in 50% of leagues.
Sam Darnold: He's only rostered in 12% of leagues, and he gets the Raiders on Sunday. The matchup doesn't get much better, so grab him if you need him.
Nick Foles: He's available in 80% of leagues and his schedule is pretty nice down the stretch. He plays the Titans this week but next week is really where it's at. He plays the Bucs at home who have been dreadful at stopping the pass.
RB
Jonathan Williams: The Colts' backfield is a little murky right now, and we don't know if Jordan Wilkins will play this week. If Wilkins is out, Williams should get the work on 1st and 2nd down with Nyheim Hines getting the touches on passing downs. Marlon Mack isn't expected to miss a lot of time, so these are short-term options. Williams is widely available.
Derrius Guice and Adrian Peterson: They split the workload pretty evenly last week, so they both might be usable against the Lions defense this week. Detroit is at the bottom of the league when it comes to stopping the run, so it's a beautiful matchup. Guice is rostered in 47% of leagues and Peterson's at 55%.
Bo Scarbrough: He had a nice fantasy game against the Cowboys, but who knows how the Lions will split up the RB touches going forward. He's out there in pretty much every league.
Kalen Ballage: He stinks, but it looks like he'll get the bulk of the carries for Miami. He's rostered in 34% of leagues.
WR
DeVante Parker: I can't believe Parker is still available in so many leagues. This is probably your last chance to add him. He's recorded 100 yards or a TD in 5 of his last 7 games. He's rostered in 45% of leagues.
Darius Slayton: Slayton has 4TDs in his last 3 games, and this dude can run. He's worth adding for upside. If Sterling Shepard returns from his concussion issues, that could negatively impact Slayton's value. Shepard fully practiced on Monday, so you'll have to monitor his status this week. He might be somebody to consider also if he does return to action.
Deebo Samuel: He's been terrific for 2 weeks straight, so he's worth adding. We'll see if he continues to put up big numbers when Emmanuel Sanders gets healthy, but Samuel looks good for the next couple of weeks. He should put up decent numbers in what could be a shootout against the Packers this week. Samuel is dealing with a shoulder injury, but he's expected to play. He's rostered in 33% of leagues.
Mecole Hardman: Tyreek Hill injured his hamstring on Monday night, and Hardman was used as his replacement. Hardman has similar traits to Hill, so he should be a good option until Hill returns from injury. Keep in mind, the Chiefs have a bye this week, and it's certainly possible Hill is ready to return in week 13. But if Hill misses a few weeks, Hardman could help lead your team to the fantasy playoffs. He's available in 80% of leagues, and makes for a good handcuff to Hill at the very least.
TE
Kyle Rudolph: He's recorded 4TDs in his last 3 games, so he's clearly the guy you should target. He's only rostered in 41% of leagues, so he's out there for the taking.
Noah Fant: He's only rostered in 14% of leagues, and this guy can really run, especially for a TE. He's a great option if you're looking for some upside and tired of starting guys like Jimmy Graham.
DEF
This week, the Browns have the honor of playing the Dolphins, so they are a good streaming option. If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up on Twitter. Be sure to check out my show MoneyLine with Jerry Bo on ESPN 97.5FM. We're on every Sunday morning from 10-noon, and we'll talk a lot of fantasy football and NFL gambling getting you ready for kickoff every Sunday.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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