NFL fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 12

TE Waiver Wire Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 12

Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens (4 percent rostered)

There is no one-for-one replacement for Mark Andrews, who suffered an ankle injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future. However, Isaiah Likely is about as good of a replacement as you can get thanks to his pass-catching ability.

Likely has proven that he can be a fantasy-viable option when given the opportunity. Per Yahoo Fantasy, Likely hauled in 15 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the three games that he played over 50 percent of the snaps last season.

Now, he will assuredly become a full-time player as the Ravens look to fill the void left by Andrews. Not to mention, he’s also connected to one of the more potent passing attacks in the NFL and best quarterbacks in the NFL (Lamar Jackson).

Managers in need of tight end help would be wise to prioritize Likely.

Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams (41 percent rostered)

After earning 26 targets through the first four weeks of the season while All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp was on injured reserve due to an ankle injury, Tyler Higbee was quickly phased out of the offensive game plan once Kupp returned to the lineup.

Higbee has seen fewer targets from Weeks 5-11 (20) than he did in the first four games of the season. That is natural when a player of Kupp’s caliber returns from injury combined with the emergence of rookie phenom Puka Nacua.

Now, Kupp is dealing with yet another ankle injury after he suffered a low ankle sprain in Week 11 against the Seahawks. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that Kupp is currently being viewed as day-to-day but also notes that the Rams will “be careful with him” given his extensive history with ankle injuries.

With that said, Higbee has a chance to re-emerge as a viable PPR option for managers in need of a tight end.