Early Waiver Wire Favorites - Week 12

Want to get a leg up on your fantasy rivals? Want to find some of those deeper league waiver claims that your league mates would never see coming? Check out our early waiver wire favorites after week 12 Sunday here!

Austin Ekeler – RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Owned in 54.6% of leagues

We tend to focus on players available in a far higher percentage of leagues that 45.5%, but Ekeler’s case is special. Melvin Gordon left today’s game with a MCL injury, substantially increasing the workload Ekeler received. A MCL injury is nothing to take lightly, so it would not come as a surprise if Gordon was forced to miss a game or two. In his absence, Ekeler would take on that starting role and would become a RB2 candidate.

Baker Mayfield – QB, Cleveland Browns

Owned in 42.9% of leagues

Mayfield has thrown at least 2 TD passes in each of his last 5 games, and has only turned the ball over twice in that stretch. Over the last 2 weeks, he has 7 TD passes and is averaging 24 fantasy PPG. The Browns offense has really turned around since they gave Hue Jackson the boot, and Baker is now a low-end QB1 candidate in Freddie Kitchens’ offense.

Dan Arnold – TE, New Orleans Saints

Owned in 0.0% of leagues

Drew Brees threw 4 TD passes on Thursday night, and none of them were caught by Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram, or Michael Thomas. One of them was caught by TE Dan Arnold, on a nice little seam route up the middle of the field. Arnold was targeted 6 times and caught 4 of them for 45 yards and a score, setting career highs in targets, receptions, yards, and scoring his first TD as a member of the Saints. Ben Watson has been nothing special this year, leaving the door open for Dan Arnold to claim the TE1 role in New Orleans before the season is over.

Curtis Samuel – WR, Carolina Panthers

Owned in 6.3% of leagues

Curtis Samuel has now found the endzone 4 times in his last 4 games, and has scored at least 9 standard fantasy points in 3 of his last 4. The Panthers are continuously looking for ways to get him involved in the offense, utilizing him in both the passing and running game. This utility player from Ohio State has shown pretty good consistency as of late, and is worth at least rostering in your fantasy league.

Robert Foster – WR, Buffalo Bills

Owned in 0.1% of leagues

Robert Foster has caught only 5 passes over the last 2 weeks, but he has taken them for 199 yards and a TD, an average of 12.5 standard fantasy PPG. He is bursting with big play potential, and comes in as a good fantasy football Hail Mary play with a favorable schedule for WR’s coming up on the back end of the 2018 season.