3 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice: Pickups to Avoid (Week 13)

Let’s take a look at players who had strong weekly performances, but our analysts aren’t buying it as they look ahead to this week and beyond. Here are a few players to avoid when making your fantasy football waiver wire pickups. And check out all of our Week 13 fantasy football waiver wire advice.

Waiver Wire Pickups to Avoid

FOOL’S GOLD

After not scoring a touchdown in the first 11 weeks of the season, Tyler Higbee rang the bell twice on Sunday. But Higbee had only 29 receiving yards on five receptions, and since Week 5, he’s averaged just 19.4 receiving yards per game. With WRs Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua hogging targets for the Rams, Higbee will disappear from the offense all too frequently.

Samaje Perine had 7-55-1 rushing and 1-11-0 receiving against the browns on Sunday, and he had 7-60-0 receiving against the Vikings in Week 11. Perine seems to have recaptured the No. 2 spot on Denver’s RB depth chart, leapfrogging rookie Jaleel McLaughlin. But Perine had a puny 26.9% snap share in Week 12, as Javonte Williams continues to dominate snaps and touches for the Broncos. Perine isn’t a great handcuff either, because if Javonte were to go down, Broncos head coach Sean McVay would probably use a mixture of Perine and McLaughlin.

Justin Watson has scored a touchdown in each of his last two games for the Chiefs. His 3-yard touchdown against the Raiders in Week 12 was his only catch of the day, however. Watson had 5-53-1 on 11 targets against the Eagles the previous week, but Watson hasn’t seen more than five targets in any other game this season, and his weekly snap shares routinely hover between 40% and 65%.

Successful In-Season Fantasy Football Management

Once your fantasy football team is drafted, the work is not over. Successful in-season management is crucial to a winning fantasy football season. Here are some tips to help you manage your team effectively throughout the season:

Stay up to date on player news
Keep track of player injuries, suspensions, and other news that may impact their performance. This will help you make informed decisions about which players to start each week.

Monitor the waiver wire
Keep an eye on the waiver wire and be ready to pick up players who may be undervalued or overlooked by other teams. This can provide valuable depth to your roster. Use our waiver wire assistant to view optimal lineups, waiver and trade suggestions, and league analysis.

Analyze matchups
Analyze the upcoming matchups for your players and opponents to determine which players to start in your lineup each week. Look for favorable matchups and take into account the strength of the opposing team’s defense.

Stay active in trades
Be open to trading players with other teams if it will benefit your team. Analyze the potential impact of a trade before making a decision and negotiate with other teams to find a mutually beneficial agreement.

Be prepared for bye weeks
Plan ahead for bye weeks by having backup players ready to fill in for your starters. Avoid having too many players with the same bye week, which can leave your team short-handed.

Don’t overreact to one bad week
Avoid overreacting to one bad week of performance by a player. Take a long-term view of their performance and evaluate their potential moving forward.

Continuously evaluate your roster
Continuously evaluate your roster throughout the season and make adjustments as needed. Be willing to drop underperforming players or make changes to your lineup if necessary.