Fantasy football: Burks, Heinicke, Perine lead add/drops for Week 12

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Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke is a streaming option for fantasy football teams in Week 12. File Photo by Ian Halperin/UPI | License Photo
MIAMI, Nov. 22 (UPI) — Treylon Burks, Taylor Heinicke and Samaje Perine lead my fantasy football waiver wire priority list for Week 12 of the 2022 season. No teams are on bye this week, which means most fantasy football teams will be at full strength. Ryan Tannehill and Heinicke are among the quarterbacks I would consider this week if your normal quarterback faces a tough matchup. Advertisement
Tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson sustained season-ending injuries in Week 11 and can be dropped in redraft leagues.
Some fantasy team owners also chose to drop players who were on bye last week from the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars. You could find some value from those teams on your waiver wire.
This week also is a great time to target backup running backs to add to your bench just in case the starters on their respective teams get injured.
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Here are my top players to add and top players to drop for Week 12:
ALL-ADD TEAM
QB | Taylor Heinicke, Ryan Tannehill; RB | Samaje Perine; WR | Treylon Burks, Parris Campbell; TE | Evan Engram; D/ST | Dolphins; K | Chase McLaughlin
HONORABLE MENTIONS
QB | Zach Wilson, Marcus Mariota; RB | Jerick McKinnon; WR | Michael Gallup, Demarcus Robinson; TE | Mike Gesicki; D/ST | Colts; K | Jason Myers
TOP DROPS
QB | Jacoby Brissett; RB | Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chase Edmonds; WR | Wan’Dale Robinson; TE | Kyle Pitts; D/ST | Cardinals; K | Wil Lutz
Quarterback
Taylor Heinicke isn’t an ideal quarterback for your fantasy football team, but he should be on the streaming radar for Week 12. Heinicke and the Washington Commanders will host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in Landover, Md.
Heinicke didn’t throw a touchdown pass in either of his last two starts, but accounted for at least two scores in three of his five starts this season. He also eclipsed 200 passing yards in three starts.
This Falcons allowed the ninth-most fantasy points and second-most passing yards per game to quarterbacks through 11 weeks. Look for Heinicke to total at least 200 passing yards and two scores.
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He is a low-end QB1 in leagues with at least 14 teams.
Running back
Samaje Perine is among the running backs to target this week on the waiver wire. The Cincinnati Bengals backup could be in line for a decent workload in Week 12 due to a concussion sustained by starter Joe Mixon.
Perine logged 82 yards from scrimmage and scored three times on 15 touches in Week 11. This week, the Bengals will face a tough Tennessee Titans run defense, but Perine should still produce as a pass catcher. You should continue to monitor Mixon’s status this week, but Perine is still valuable even if Mixon plays. He also is a must-have for any Mixon stock owners.
Jerick McKinnon of the Kansas City Chiefs is another running back to target on you waiver wire, but he can’t be plugged in as a starter right away. You also should check to see if running back Rachaad White and backups Alexander Mattisonand Dontrell Hilliard are available in your league.
Wide receiver
Tennessee Titans rookie Treylon Burks is my top waiver wire target this week, if you don’t need a running back. Burks erupted for a career-high 111 yards on seven catches in Week 11. He also received six targets in Week 10.
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Look for the Titans to keep increasing Burks’ role in the offense each week. The Titans will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in Nashville. The Bengals own one of the best pass defenses in the NFL this season, but I expect their defense to focus most of their attention on running back Derrick Henry.
The Titans also could fall behind in this matchup and be forced to throw. Burks is a near lock for at least six targets. I also expect him to gain at least 80 yards and find the end zone for the first touchdown of his career.
Tight end
Evan Engram of the Jacksonville Jaguars is my favorite tight end target this week. Engram averaged 5.8 targets, 3.8 catches and 42.2 receiving yards per game over his last six appearances. He scored just once this season, but I expect a TE1 performance Sunday when the Jaguars host the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens own of the worst pass defenses in the AFC. Look for Engram to haul in at least five catches for 50 yards. He could provide elite TE1 value if he finds the end zone.
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