Week 11 saw a bunch of starters leave their games with injuries, but they weren't necessarily in situations where Fantasy players can take advantage of their absences on the waiver wire. With one notable exception, as Zach Charbonnet could be a must-start Fantasy option if Kenneth Walker's oblique injury keeps him out moving forward.
And one thing that helps Charbonnet's chances is that the Seahawks have a quick turnaround ahead of their Week 12 game, as they're set to play Thursday against the 49ers. So, even if Walker's injury isn't particularly serious, it could put Walker in line to be the starting back next week. It's not an ideal matchup against the 49ers, but Charbbonet's role in both the running and passing games would likely make him worth ranking as a top-24 back for Week 12.
I wrote about Walker's injury and what it could mean for Charbonnet's value here, along with injuries to other running backs like De'Von Achane, Aaron Jones, and D'Onta Foreman. Hopefully, none of those injuries end up being too serious, but we could be looking at a situation where Charbonnet, AJ Dillon, and Roschon Johnson are some of the top waiver-wire targets for Week 12 wherever they are available.
There was one other non-RB injury from Sunday afternoon we need to talk about, too, as we saw Cooper Kupp exit Sunday's game with an ankle injury. He suffered the injury while blocking, and though he tried to play through it and was initially considered questionable, he was ultimately ruled out early in the second half.
And, of course, as we've already seen with the Rams, there really wasn't anyone who could step up in Kupp's absence. Puka Nacua led the team in every relevant receiving category, and he was the only player with more than 25 receiving yards. Tutu Atwell had some interesting showings in Kupp's absence early in the season and could be useful if Kupp's injury forces him to miss time, but Atwell also had just three targets, catching one for just 17 yards Sunday, so it's hard to say he would be much more than a TD-or-bust flex option for Week 12 against the Cardinals.
Nacua should remain a must-start Fantasy option if Kupp is out, but I wouldn't necessarily want to rely on anyone else in this Rams passing game if I could avoid it – Tyler Higbee might be the one exception if you just lost Mark Andrews at tight end. So, Kupp's injury won't necessarily have a huge impact on the Week 12 waiver-wire.
Here's who we'll be looking to add ahead of Week 12:
Sorting through the Packers various young wide receivers has been a headache all season, and Sunday provided a good example of why. Dontayvion Wicks had three catches for 91 yards, Romeo Doubs had five catches for 53 and a touchdown, while Christian Watson had two for 21 and a score, with all three targeted between four and six times. Reed was only targeted six times himself, catching four for 46, but I'm prioritizing him if I'm adding any of them because of the role in the running game. You can't count on 46 yards and a touchdown on the ground every week, but in a world where the Packers have no true No. 1 in the passing game and are spreading it around, the fact that they are looking to get the ball in Reed's hands suggests that's one way he can stand out. Reed, Doubs, Watson, and Wicks might all just be in the WR4-5 range moving forward, but there's clearly talent and upside here, and I like Reed's chances best of emerging from the pack.
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The Bills have been desperate for another playmaker to step up alongside Stefon Diggs for a long time, and maybe Shakir can be that. He hit on the longest passing play of the season in the NFL Sunday, scoring from 81 yards out on a nice catch-and-run from Josh Allen. Shakir ended up with just three catches as the Bills were able to take their foot off the pedal in a game where the Jets never really challenged them, but he now has 9.7 PPR points in three of his past four games – with two seeing him top 15 PPR points. You'd like to see Shakir earning targets more consistently (has just 16 over the past four games), but the hope is that the production will lead to more targets, and he could show some upside more consistently down the stretch.
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The Cardinals have been making a point of getting Moore involved in the running game as well, and he'll line up a few times in the backfield and get a few carries. However, it was in the passing game that he made his biggest impact Sunday, albeit on just one target – he hit a 48-yard touchdown on the very first drive of the game and then wasn't targeted again. Greg Dortch actually stepped up as Kyler Murray's most-targeted player Sunday with six catches for 76 yards on eight targets, and he's worth a look in deeper PPR leagues, but Moore showing some big-play potential here is interesting, too – especially if some of those Dortch targets go Moore's way once Michael Wilson is back from injury.
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It's been another disappointing season for Moore, who is running third in targets on a pretty poor passing offense. That's likely to continue moving forward, but we are seeing signs of him figuring things out lately, with five catches for 44 yards and a touchdown last week and now six for 60 Sunday. That came in a game where Cleveland threw the ball 43 times, so it's less impressive than it might seem initially, but Moore is a talented player, and if you've got a roster spot to play with, see if he can build on this in Week 12 against the Broncos.
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We'll see if Foreman's injury costs him some time, but Johnson remains an intriguing stash candidate even if Foreman doesn't end up missing much time. We're at the point of the season where, if you're a contender, your bench should be filled with more high-upside, relative long-shot bets like Johnson, who might only need one injury to Khalil Herbert (who just came back from IR) to be a must-start Fantasy option. Johnson runs hard and had a few nice reps Sunday, and if Foreman's injury lingers, Johnson could be well situated for a big stretch run.
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I can't say I'm recommending DeVito wholeheartedly, or anything, but he certainly needs to be rostered in your 2QB or SuperFlex leagues. He hasn't been great in the NFL, but he does have multiple passing touchdowns in consecutive games, and at least showed Sunday he can take advantage of good matchups. I'm not sure he's got one in Week 12 against the Patriots, and with no teams on a bye, you probably don't need to use him even in a 2QB league. But if you just lost Joe Burrow, DeVito might be the best option available.
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