Week 13 fantasy football waiver wire must-adds

There were plenty of letdowns and injuries to go around in Week 12 of the NFL season. Every Tuesday, we dive in to a handful of the top fantasy football pickups available that week and why they could be of value for fantasy owners looking to give their teams an extra boost.

Here are the top waiver-wire adds for Week 13:

1. Zack Moss, RB, Indianapolis Colts (rostered in 58% of fantasy leagues)

With Jonathan Taylor set to miss time with a thumb injury, Moss is a must-add if he’s available in your league. He leads the Colts in rushing yards and touchdowns — most of which came with Taylor in the PUP list — and he can be effective as a runner and a receiver.

Moss is 10th in the NFL in rushing despite getting only 16 carries over the last three games with Taylor taking on a bigger workload, and he’s had 50 or more rush yards in seven of the 10 games he’s played. Moss can be a serviceable RB1 for as long as Taylor is out, and he’d make a strong play in the flex position for a team already with two good RBs.

2. Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers (rostered in 32% of fantasy leagues)

Though he’s been banged up for most of the year, Freiermuth still has some upside down the stretch. He had the best game of his career in last week’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals, setting career highs in receptions (nine) and yards (120) in Pittsburgh’s first game since firing former offensive coordinator Matt Canada.

The Steelers want to throw the ball, and Freiermuth is certainly a security blanket of sorts for QB Kenny Pickett with Diontae Johnson and George Pickens both struggling with consistency. With Canada out of the picture, expect Freiermuth to be more involved in the passing game. He could be a good late-season addition as a high-reward TE1. 

3. Curtis Samuel, WR, Washington Commanders (rostered in 10% of fantasy leagues)

Washington has a strong trio of receivers with Samuel, Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, and Samuel tends to fly under the radar despite having the highest catch percentage of the three (74.2).

Despite the Commanders’ awful performance on Thanksgiving, Samuel had his best game of the year last week against Dallas, catching nine of 12 targets for 100 yards. He’s been targeted six or more times in five of his last eight games, and Washington’s offense always seems to perform better the more he’s involved. For teams needing WR help, Samuel is a solid option as a pinch WR2 or flex starter.

4. Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams (rostered in 42% of fantasy leagues)

Despite missing some time for a few weeks, Stafford appears to have found a groove in last week’s win over the Arizona Cardinals. He completed a season-best 75.8% of his passes while throwing for 229 yards and four touchdowns — just his second game this year with multiple touchdown passes.

At 5-6, the Rams are just half a game out of the playoff picture and have plenty left to play for. Stafford has always been a high-volume passer, and with weapons like Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell and Tyler Higbee to throw to, Stafford could be a steal as a QB1 or an add-and-stash QB2, if he’s still available.

5. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Commanders (rostered in 37% of fantasy leagues)

Though he’s not the rushing threat he was from 2020 to 2021 when he ran for a combined 1,832 yards and 18 touchdowns, Gibson is still a solid contributor for the Commanders offense. He hasn’t had more than six carriers or rushed for more than 34 yards this season, but his real value is as a receiver. 

Gibson has been targeted five or more times in three of his last four games, and he’s had three or more receptions in seven of 11 games this season. Both of his touchdowns have been through the air. Among running backs, Gibson ranks 10th in receiving yards (285), and he’s tied for 12th in receptions (31) and 14th in targets (39). He makes a ton of sense for teams looking for solid production from the flex position.