Week 13: Waiver Wire Pickups

Players who have been mentioned in this space in the past and are still worth a waiver pickup include: QB Kyle Orton, RB C.J. Anderson, RB Isaiah Crowell, WR Odell Beckham Jr. , WR Jarvis Landry and TE Kyle Rudolph. Check to see if any of these players are available in your league before consulting this list.

QB Zach Mettenberger, ---

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With three consecutive starts under his belt, Mettenberger has arguably put himself in QB1 consideration when the matchup is right. In Week 12, he lit up a generous Eagles defense for 345 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. In two of his three NFL starts, Mettenberger would've been a decent fantasy option. And for the rest of the season, he faces the fourth-easiest schedule of any QB, beginning with Houston in Week 13. It takes some serious courage to start an unproven QB in the fantasy playoffs, but as we saw with Nick Foles in 2013, fortune sometimes favors the bold. If you're a playoff team with a big question mark in your QB slot, consider using a waiver claim on Mettenberger.

RB Dan Herron, ---

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Herron saw his first considerable work of the season in Week 12 with Ahmad Bradshaw out with a broken leg. Herron got the start against the Jaguars and shared the carries equally with Trent Richardson. 'Boom' was the more impressive runner, averaging 5.4 yards per carry to Richardson's 3.2 YPC. While Richardson held on to the goal-line work, Herron appears to have taken Bradshaw's valuable role in the passing game as evidenced by his five receptions for 31 yards. Richardson didn't catch his lone target. Herron's performance and apparent role in Indianapolis' high-scoring offense make him worthy of being owned in every league. He looks like a decent RB2 play in Week 13 against the dysfunctional Redskins.

RB Latavius Murray, ---

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Last week, we recommended Murray as the top waiver pickup, and if you had the guts to start him in Week 12, you were rewarded in a big way. Murray took a paltry four carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders' Thursday night matchup against the Chiefs. Most of his production came on a 90-yard touchdown run on which Murray showcased his impressive breakaway speed. Murray appeared to be headed for a markedly increased role in the Raiders' running game before he was taken out of the game by a concussion. His status for Week 13 is still in question, but with a few extra days to get through the league's concussion protocol, his chances of taking the field look good. Murray is the most exciting RB on Oakland's roster by a wide margin, and if he's available in your league, you should consider him the top waiver-wire add again.

WR Corey Brown, ---

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Brown had just one catch in Carolina's most recent game, but it was for a 47-yard touchdown. Last Tuesday, as the Panthers headed into their bye week, head coach Ron Rivera remarked to members of the media that Jason Avant was released in order to 'give (Brown) an opportunity to be on the field more.' That's encouraging news for the 22-year-old rookie out of Ohio State who ran an unofficial 4.37 40-yard dash at the combine. Brown is still raw and fighting for No. 3 WR duties on the Panthers' roster. But as he showed in Week 11, he has the ability to hit home runs for fantasy owners, and that makes him worth some consideration.

WR Charles Johnson, PHI

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Johnson posted his second straight week of solid fantasy production in Week 12, managing three catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. Most interestingly, Johnson was targeted 11 times by QB Teddy Bridgewater, almost double the number of targets Bridgewater sent to any other pass-catcher. Johnson ran a sub-4.40 40-yard dash at his 2013 pro day and spent time with Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner while both were with the Browns last year. It's possible that Johnson could begin to develop into the big-play threat that Cordarrelle Patterson has failed to become. Johnson shouldn't be started yet except in the deepest of leagues, but his upside is interesting, and he's worth a speculative waiver claim.