Week 12 Fantasy Football FAAB Bids: Bo Nix, Jonathon Brooks, Taysom Hill, Quentin Johnston, Jameis Winston and More

Most fantasy football leagues have three more weeks of regular season before starting the playoffs. It’s time to make your move if you’re currently out of the playoff picture. There’s no use saving your free agent dollars for later if you don’t end up making the playoffs; you’ll be adding players to chase that consolation trophy!

Let’s look at some names on the waiver wire this week and what reasonable FAAB bids might look like. Your numbers might trend higher or lower depending on your remaining budget, but this is a good idea of what these guys and similar players are worth for most owners.

I used stats from NFL.com and our FantasySP defensive fantasy rankings and will reference those numbers often.

Quarterback

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Nix is coming off the best game of his career: 28-33 passing (85%), 307 yards (9.3 per attempt), four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Each of those numbers is a career best and came against an Atlanta team that is better than average in yards per pass attempt allowed.

Denver travels to Las Vegas this week, and the Raiders are very close to the Falcons in both yards per pass attempt allowed and fantasy points given up to quarterbacks. Nix likely won’t have as good of a game because those performances don’t just happen every week, but he could have another successful fantasy week against a reeling team.

Nix is generally a matchup-dependent fantasy player, but he also runs sometimes, adding fantasy value when he’s struggling to throw the ball. It’s unlikely that Nix will be a weekly starter, but he has proven he can be an asset on the right weeks.

Conservative Bid: $0

Aggressive Bid: $1

Desperation Bid: $2

Jameis Winston, Cleveland Browns

Winston put together a good statistical game as his team was beaten up by the Saints, throwing for 395 yards on 8.6 yards per attempt with two touchdowns and no interceptions. That was his second big performance in three games, making him a guy some will see as a possible weekly answer.

The matchups have driven Winston’s value, though, as the Saints and Ravens (against whom Winston threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns) both rank in the top six in most yards per pass attempt allowed. In his other game against the Chargers, Winston had 235 yards on 46 attempts (5.1 yards per attempt) and threw three interceptions and one touchdown.

A Thursday night matchup against the Steelers in Week 12 is more likely to look like the Chargers game rather than the two big games. Pittsburgh is better than average in yards per pass attempt allowed and has defensive stars at multiple levels.

Winston is a good streamer some weeks, but he’s unlikely to replicate his big Week 11 in this one.

Conservative Bid: $0

Aggressive Bid: $1

Desperation Bid: $2

Running Back

Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers

Brooks is making his debut against the Chiefs in Week 12 after missing the first part of the season recovering from a torn ACL. The Panthers aren’t a good team or a good offense, but they have found success running the ball. Carolina ranks 10th in yards per rush attempt, and ESPN rates them a little above average in run blocking.

There’s a good chance Brooks will ease into things and handle a lesser role while Chuba Hubbard continues to lead the backfield. That would cap Brooks’ fantasy value, leaving him with a low ceiling.

On a team that’s 3-7 and going nowhere, though, the Panthers have every reason to let their second-round pick loose to see what they have. Brooks was the first running back drafted despite suffering his major knee injury late in 2023 and could have been a first-round pick if he were healthy.

Brooks holds the upside of a true top fantasy back. This late in the season, that’s a rare commodity and worth paying for, especially if you have excess FAAB budget to spend. It’s not a likely outcome; Brooks’ realistic ceiling is probably as a flex-level back. For owners looking for a place to spend money, though, this is a high-upside play.

Pick him up and leave him on your bench in Week 12. The matchup against the Chiefs is one of the worst in the league. It’s a good chance to see what his usage will look like while not worrying about his production.

Conservative Bid: $6

Aggressive Bid: $11-21

Desperation Bid: Your Whole Budget

Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins

Wright has moved into the RB2 spot in the Dolphins’ lineup. He has more rush attempts than Raheem Mostert in each of the past two games, though that adds up to far less than De'Von Achane, who is the clear lead back.

Wright is a guy to grab if you want a high-upside bench player because of the role he would presumably take over if Achane were to get injured. The Dolphins have had one of the best run games in the league since Mike McDaniel took over as head coach.

They are just in the middle this year in yards per rush attempt, but a lot of that time came without Tua Tagovailoa, and the field opens up much more for the backs when the top QB is on the field. Miami’s RB1 is a valuable fantasy player.

Again, Wright’s potential value is dependent on an injury, so he’s not a great pickup, but he is interesting in deep leagues.

Conservative Bid: $0-1

Aggressive Bid: $2-4

Desperation Bid: $6

Wide Receiver

Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers

Johnston is more of a home run threat than a possession guy. He averages almost two full yards more per reception than teammate Ladd McConkey, who has twice as many catches as Johnston. Most important for fantasy, Johnston has scored six touchdowns, making for a rate of one TD every 3.7 catches.

That’s completely unsustainable and a rate that will go down, so Johnston will need to catch more passes to keep up his fantasy production. It’s more likely that Johnston hits less big plays and is only a fantasy starter on the few weeks he catches a touchdown. He has shown a knack for getting into the end zone, though, so it’s hard to ignore him if you’re short at receiver.

The Chargers have a fantastic matchup against the Ravens this week then face an Atlanta team that Nix just shredded in Week 13, so Johnston has matchups in his favor the next few games. He’s a reasonable pickup to consider against the rest of your roster if nothing else.

Conservative Bid: $0-1

Aggressive Bid: $2-4

Desperation Bid: $6

Tyquan Thornton, Kansas City Chiefs

This is a complete shot in the dark after Thornton was cut by the Patriots and subsequently signed onto the Chiefs’ practice squad. The former second-round pick joins a list of castaway receivers over the past half-decade who have joined Kansas City late in the season; previous additions have made big plays at the most important times.

It’s hard to project big things out of Thornton, but he could eventually make an impact given the patchwork receiving corps the Chiefs are running out. Even if it’s just a few gadget plays or specific routes, Thornton might find a niche with the best quarterback in the league.

Again, this is a complete lottery ticket for deep leagues, but there are worse bets to make.

Conservative Bid: $0

Aggressive Bid: $1

Desperation Bid: $2

Tight End

Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints

I wrote in length about Hill yesterday, so I’ll give you the short version: Hill has good matchups the rest of the season and a lack of playmakers around him to steal touches. Hill isn’t in the top tier of tight ends, but he fits into that next group with guys like Sam LaPorta, Dalton Kincaid, and others.

Hill is worth picking up either as part of playing matchups or even to fill your tight end spot for the rest of the season. It’s OK to spend a few bucks if you’re without a real option at tight end.

Conservative Bid: $0-2

Aggressive Bid: $3-4

Desperation Bid: $6

Ja'Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers

Sanders is coming off his bye, so he’s probably a little under the radar. He has two of the best tight end matchups in Weeks 12 and 13, facing the Chiefs then the Bucs. Entering Week 11, those teams were first and second, respectively, in most fantasy points per game allowed to tight ends.

Carolina’s offense isn’t good; I said it above, and I’ll say it more before the season is over. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Panthers playing from behind in both games and throwing a lot; with KC and Tampa Bay both struggling to stop tight ends, Sanders might get a lot of volume to rack up catches and yards.

Anyone without a weekly tight end can find a two-week option in Sanders without probably having to pay much.

Conservative Bid: $0

Aggressive Bid: $1

Desperation Bid: $2