AddDarren Waller: The Miami Dolphins tight end averaged 15.2 PPR points per game in the three games he stayed healthy, will be eligible to return from injured reserve soon, and has an excellent schedule for tight ends in the fantasy playoffs.
Final opportunity to trade: In some leagues, the trade deadline has already passed. In most other redraft leagues, the trade deadline is in the next few days. Because in the majority of leagues, this is the last time to buy low or sell high, this will be the final edition of this article this season.
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Estimated reading time: 14 minutes
This piece is a fantasy manager's one-stop shop for managing their fantasy roster early in the week. For more players to add, check out the weeklywaiver wire, and for more on this past week's games in general, check out thefantasy football recap.
5 players to add
1. RBChris Rodriguez Jr.,Washington Commanders
Rodriguez started for the Commanders for a second straight week and was their primary running back for the first two drives, totaling eight carries before any other Washington running back ran the ball.
The Commanders started the season with Austin Ekeler as their starting running back, using him for two drives before turning primarily to Jacory Croskey-Merritt. After Ekeler’s season-ending injury, Rodriguez took over as the starter for two weeks. Croskey-Merritt played well enough over the first four weeks to earn the starting job in Week 5, leading to a 14-carry, 111-yard and two-touchdown game. However, he was held to 3.6 yards per carry or fewer in each of the past five games.
The team then turned back to Rodriguez for the first two drives last week. Rather than Croskey-Merritt taking over for the rest of the game, as he did in the first four weeks of the season, the two running backs split snaps for the second and third quarters. Rodriguez suffered a shoulder injury, causing him to miss the rest of the game, but he was a full participant in practice this week.
Rodriguez started the first two drives in Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins, which took most of the first half. Croskey-Merritt didn’t play his first snap until less than six minutes remained in the half. The Commanders also turned to Rodriguez to begin the second half. The Commanders did a good job of avoiding long third downs, so receiving back Jeremy McNichols didn’t play as much as usual. For that reason, Rodriguez recorded season highs in playing time and touches.
Rodriguez should be a top priority off the waiver wire in any league where he is available. The Commanders have their bye next week, but Rodriguez has an excellent schedule during the fantasy playoffs, when Washington faces its three division rivals. The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys both rank among the worst three teams at preventing fantasy points to running backs, while the Philadelphia Eagles have also been a favorable matchup for running backs.
Croskey-Merritt should no longer be in fantasy starting lineups, but he is one of the top handcuffs for the rest of the season due to the Commanders' late-season schedule.
2. RBEmanuel Wilson,Green Bay Packers
Josh Jacobs went to the medical tent in the first quarter of the Packers’ Week 11 win over the New York Giants, and then he left again in the second quarter and didn’t return.
Jacobs has been the Packers' lead running back this season. Early in the year, he was playing at least 65% of the offensive snaps each week. From Weeks 7-9, that dropped to 53%-59% as he worked through a calf injury. He appeared to be fully recovered last week, bouncing back to 73.5%. He also wasn’t on the injury report over the past two weeks.