UPNXT: Best Week 13 NFL Waiver Wire Pickups and Trading Card Moves

After missing the first six weeks of the season, Mims has now seen the field in five consecutive games. In his last three contests, he’s had no fewer than 60 yards receiving and seven targets per game. Although he’s yet to catch his first professional touchdown, he posted a career-high in yards in week 11 and matched his career-high in targets in week 12. Also, Mims has receptions of 25 yards or more in four games in a row, proving he has big-play potential each week.

The Jets got Sam Darnold back for week 12, but he posted another abysmal game, posting a QBR of 18.3 and a QB Rating of 51. Quarterback play might be the biggest thing holding back the 6’3, 215-pound Mims, as he has all the physical tools and complementary pieces around him to set him up for success. Let’s hope head coach Adam Gase continues to feature his young guys while the New York Jets continue the hunt for their first win of the year.

Fantasy Ownership: We dug deep this week to find you someone that was low-owned, super talented, and has plenty of upside. I think we hit the nail on the head with ownership, as Mims is on just 6% of rosters at the time of this writing. Looking ahead, the Jets will face the Raiders and Seahawks, making Mims a sneaky stash in fantasy leagues. He’s still fighting for targets with the likes of Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman, so set your expectations low, but you may be pleasantly surprised with Mims if Darnold can overcome his shoulder injury and finish the season strong.

DFS: (DraftKings: $4,100 FanDuel: $5,500) vs. Raiders The New York Jets host the Las Vegas Raiders, who are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Mims and company get a favorable matchup, as the Raiders are allowing 39.1 DraftKings’ points and 30.9 FanDuel points to opposing wideouts. The implied total for this game is 47, which should mean plenty of meat on the bone for Mims. The Jets are +7.5 underdogs, suggesting there’s a chance they’ll be passing more than usual if playing from behind all day. Mims finally received a price increase of $600 on DraftKings, but interestingly saw a price decrease of $100 on FanDuel. I like him this week in daily fantasy, but don’t go overboard rostering him, as he’s just a dart throw in tournament formats.

Card Market Rating: As a Jets fan and possibly the single biggest collector of rare low-numbered Denzel Mims cards on the planet, I can't be held responsible for this take... but Denzel Mims is the next Jerry Rice and the value of his cards are about to shoot to the moon. I plan on retiring off my personal collection of this future legend.

In the meantime, I will continue to keep my day job :)

WARNING: the Rams backfield may cause dizziness, nausea, or vomiting. If you suffer from any of these symptoms, discontinue rostering and playing them immediately.

But seriously, trying to make sense of who is leading this backfield on any given week is difficult. First, it was Malcolm Brown, then Darrell Henderson, and now Cam Akers is the latest to pop for Los Angeles. It’s clear that Rams’ head coach Sean McVay doesn’t care about our fantasy football teams. However, he drafted Cam Akers for a reason. Todd Gurley is long gone, and I get the sense he doesn’t fully believe in Brown or Henderson as long-term solutions at running back. I do think Akers is the most talented of the three and will end up as the leading this backfield eventually. 

Now that he’s finally healthy, McVay seems to be getting the former FSU Seminole more involved in the offense. Akers has now scored touchdowns in two consecutive weeks, which is encouraging to see if you have him on your team. Just heed the warning at the beginning of this writeup and proceed with caution if Henderson or Brown rear their heads once again.

Fantasy Ownership: Akers’ ownership is somewhat surprising as he has done little-to-nothing this season, his first as a pro. Perhaps those managers who have him rostered are chomping at the bit, waiting for McVay to turn the keys over to the highly talented rookie. You can find Akers in over 70% of fantasy leagues right now. But, let’s be honest, he doesn’t have the most fantasy-friendly schedule ahead as he faces the Cardinals and Patriots in his next two. Couple that with what is a running back by committee approach, and it’ll be hard feeling good about playing him in your lineups unless his usage goes up dramatically.

DFS: (DraftKings: $4,500, FanDuel: $5,600) @ Cardinals Akers has seen a small price bump since last week, which makes sense seeing as he’s finding the endzone with regularity lately. Arizona allows just 17.7 fantasy points to running backs, which is far from fantasy-friendly. Akers may not be worth playing in season-long or daily fantasy formats this week, but still, this is a situation worth monitoring. If he continues to rack up touchdowns and 80+ yards each week, he may be a difference-maker in your fantasy football playoff games.

Card Market Rating: Stay away from Cam Akers cards as an investment. If you're a Rams fan, have fun, but don't expect to make any money. As a cautionary tale for investing in young running backs, take a look at what happened to the value of Clyde Edwards-Helaire cards from the start of the season until now, and CEH was in a perfect situation to thrive. Even at the low point of entry, your money can be invested in something better. 

When a veteran receiver with a role like John Brown’s goes onto injured reserve, the next guy in line should garner some attention. For Buffalo, that next guy is rookie receiver Gabriel Davis. He is likely relegated to the third-string duty behind the likes of Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley, but Davis was on the field for 60 out of 61 offensive snaps for the Bills. What did he do with his increased playing time? He led all Buffalo receivers with 79 yards and a touchdown on just four targets. Look for the rookie out of UCF to continue to be involved if Brown remains out of the lineup.

Fantasy Ownership: I know everyone is trying to get their hands on the new Xbox and Playstation consoles, but supplies are limited and they’re tough to come by. You know who is much more widely available this holiday season? Yep, you guessed it! Gabriel Davis. At just 2% ownership, Davis makes for a worthwhile receiver stash as Brown is expected to miss the next two contests at minimum. His next two games are against the 49ers and Steelers, two defenses that rank near the middle of the pack in points surrendered to opposing receivers. Davis makes for a WR4/FLEX option in deeper leagues.

DFS: (DraftKings: TBD, FanDuel: TBD) @ 49ers As we alluded to above, Davis doesn’t have the greatest matchup this week against San Francisco. Their defense allows nearly 35 DraftKings points, and almost 28 FanDuel points per game to opposing wide receivers, making them one of the tougher defenses in the NFL. The implied total for the game is 48, with the Bills as -2.5 favorites. With quarterback Josh Allen at the helm, I expect Buffalo to do what they do best, which is pass the football. Fire up Davis as a tournament option, and possibly a cash gameplay if he is priced near the minimum once again.

Card Market Rating: I would never suggest investing in a #3 or #4 wide receiver unless you think the upside is there for them to become a bonafide Pro Bowler. I don't see that with Davis, which makes the decision easy. As an investment, it's a BIG no from me. 

Most of the time, when we write up a player, it’s because someone in front of him was injured, opening the door for more playing time. In this case, the circumstances are a bit different. Houston’s Will Fuller, who is the team’s best wideout, will be suspended for six games after violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Not only that, but the Texans just released fellow receiver Kenny Stills, and placed veteran Randall Cobb on IR, which means he’ll miss the next couple of games.

Enter Keke Coutee. Known more for his prowess as a slot receiver, someone will have to soak up all the targets the likes of Fuller, Cobb, and Stills have left behind. I expect that someone to be Coutee, as he is in his third year with the Texans and shown a rapport with quarterback Deshaun Watson in the past. Grab him, stash him, and maybe even play him depending on the matchup.

Fantasy Ownership: Talk about a steal. Keke do you love me? I think he does, as he’s only rostered in 1% of fantasy leagues and should be a popular addition to fantasy rosters this week. As we look ahead, some tough matchups lie in wait for Coutee as he faces the Colts, Bears, and Colts again in his next three games. Both of those teams rank in the top-10 for the fewest points allowed to opposing wide receivers.

DFS: (DraftKings: $3,500, FanDuel: $4,800) vs. Colts We kind of hit on it above, but this week is a tough one for Keke Coutee. Due to his price on DraftKings, I think he is worth a shot in cash games and tournaments. At just $3,500, you’d need about nine DraftKings points to make rostering him worth it, which is well within reach given the volume he should see. Give Coutee a look if you’re wanting to save some salary and pay up for some expensive guys.

Card Market Rating: Keke Coutee might be a fun fantasy play, but scroll up and ready every single note that I made about Gabriel Davis and apply them here. 

We might be way too early on this one, but that’s fine. Why? Because the seat that Carson Wentz sits on gets hotter every week. With each interception, fumble, sack, and loss, the whispers grow louder for the Eagles to bench Wentz in favor of second-round pick Jalen Hurts. As an Eagles fan, I still think Wentz gives the Eagles the best chance to win each week, and I don’t think it’s fair to put all the blame on number 11’s shoulders. Philly’s receivers have dropped more balls than other groups in the league and no other team has had more offensive line variations than they have. Couple that with what is bland offensive play calling, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

With that being said, there’s a part of me that would like to see what Hurts can do with more reps at quarterback. At this point, what’s there to lose? Wentz is leading the league in interceptions and sacks, the offense looks stale, so a part of me wants to see things shaken up a bit. Philadelphia said they would get Hurts more playing time, but that failed to come to fruition on Monday night. Might we see more of the former Oklahoma Sooner in the future? What are the chances the Eagles actually bench their franchise QB? This might be a great time to buy-low on Jalen Hurts if you believe Carson Wentz is running out of rope.

Fantasy Ownership: We’re not telling you to run out and roster Jalen Hurts. We have our doubts that he will be a difference-maker in the fantasy football realm anytime soon. However, he is posting a 3% ownership rate right now, which tells us that there are some speculators out there who are waiting for Wentz to get benched. If, and that’s a big desperate if, you have a spot on your bench, are in a two-quarterback league, or play in a dynasty league, Hurts makes for an intriguing dart throw addition to your rosters.

DFS: (DraftKings: $5,300, FanDuel: $6,900) @ Packers Point blank: don’t play this kid in daily fantasy leagues this week, or any week, until he is officially named the starting quarterback.

Card Market Rating: Jalen Hurts is a VERY interesting play. As we know, in the football card market, rookie cards of quarterbacks can rise (and fall) rather quickly after one good (or bad) performance. Not long ago, I couldn't see any way that the Eagles would bench Carson Wentz. However, the last few weeks have changed my mind. I think it's inevitable at this point that the Eagles will want to see what they have in Hurts, and when that time comes, all it will take is one or two big games for the market to buy into the hype in a major way. 

The only problem is that because of serious FOMO, the prices of Hurts' cards are already selling at a bit of a premium so it's going to be quite a risky play. There is plenty of meat left on the bone if he performs well, so the upside is certainly there. But if he gets a shot and plays poorly, you could be left holding the bag on your investment. This one is a tough call. I won't be buying any of his cards, but I won't talk you out of doing it!