• Bryce Young and Xavier Legette are sneaky starts against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 12: The 49ers have been highly susceptible against the pass since losing both Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. The defense has been bleeding fantasy points to both the quarterback and wide receiver positions over the last month.  
• Jayden Reed could return to the field soon: Reed returned to practice this week after suffering a fractured collarbone in Week 2. Reed led the Green Bay Packers in receiving yards last season and led the team in targets in Week 1, his only full game played this season. He is still available in over 60% of ESPN and Yahoo! Leagues and should be picked up and stashed in all formats. 
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With so many key fantasy players injured or on bye weeks, you may find yourself digging deeper on the waiver wire than you ever expected. Here are five players to consider adding from the waiver wire heading into Week 12 if you’re in a pinch due to injury or bye weeks.

Young had a huge fantasy performance in Week 11 with 31.8 points on the back of 448 passing yards and three passing touchdowns against a tough Atlanta Falcons passing defense, which was allowing the fewest passing yards per game in the NFL entering last week. This week, Young gets a much easier matchup against the depleted San Francisco 49ers defense. The 49ers have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks since Week 5, behind only the New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals. Over the last month, C.J. Stroud, Jaxson Dart, Matthew Stafford and Jacoby Brissett all put up over 20 fantasy points in their matchup against the 49ers. 

Available in 87% of ESPN leagues and 81% of Yahoo! Leagues.

Kayshon Boutte is off the injury report after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury suffered early in Week 9. Before the injury, Boutte was putting up solid numbers, putting together three straight performances with 14-plus points from Weeks 6-8. In that span, Boutte averaged 74.3 receiving yards per game and scored four touchdowns. He has also had 50-plus yards and one-plus touchdown in each of the three games. 

Boutte has four receiving touchdowns of 20-plus yards in 2024, tied for third-most in the NFL, and this week’s matchup is a great one for Boutte to continue finding success deep down the field. The Patriots face the Bengals in Week 12, who have allowed an average of 3.7 receptions of 20-plus yards per game this season, tied for second-most in the NFL, behind only the Chicago Bears. 

Available in 68% of ESPN leagues and 65% of Yahoo! Leagues.

Last week, Legette put up 83 receiving yards and a touchdown on eight targets against the Atlanta Falcons. This week, the Panthers will face the San Francisco 49ers, who have allowed the most receiving yards and fantasy points per game to wide receivers since Week 5. In that span, the 49ers have allowed at least two wide receivers to score more than 11 points against them in every game, including the Arizona Cardinals’ Michael Wilson (33.5) and Greg Dortch (18.6), who each put up over 18 points against the 49ers last week. I expect Tetairoa McMillan to be the top dawg for the Panthers and have a monster game against this 49ers defense, but there is also plenty of room for Legette to put up a good performance in your flex spot as well. 

Available in 78% of ESPN leagues and 91% of Yahoo! Leagues.

Reed finally returned to practice this week after fracturing his collarbone in Week 2.  He may not play this week or next as the Packers just opened his 21-day practice window, but he should be stashed on your bench for your playoff run. In his one full game played this season (Week 1), Reed led the Packers with five targets and three receptions and caught one of Jordan Love’s two touchdowns in that game. Last season, Reed led the Packers in receiving yards and had the second-most receiving touchdowns on the team behind only Tucker Kraft. With Kraft currently on season-ending injured resrve, Reed should be heavily utilized in the middle of the field, where he excels. 

Available in 61% of ESPN leagues and 64% of Yahoo! Leagues.

The Bengals will need some extra hands in Week 12 after Ja’Marr Chase was suspended, and based on past precedent, their tight ends could be the biggest beneficiary of his absence. Enter Noah Fant. Given the Bengals’ struggles on defense, allowing a league-high 334 points through 10 games, the game script should dictate a pass-heavy game against the Patriots, who have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points on average to opposing tight ends this year. 

Last year, in the five games that Tee Higgins missed due to injury, Mike Gesicki ranked second on the team in targets, receptions and receiving yards, only behind Ja’Marr Chase, scoring 12-plus fantasy points in three of those five contests. Fant leads the Bengals with 162 routes run this year.

Available in 96% of ESPN leagues and 96% of Yahoo! Leagues.