If your fantasy football roster needs running back help, Week 12’s waiver wire is here to help. Between injuries, rookie breakouts and shifts in pecking orders in backfields across the league, there are already multiple widely available exciting running backs to consider, plus the top early pickups at other positions, too.
Early Week 12 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Mack Hollins (WR – NE) | 3.9% Rostered
Kayshon Boutte has missed the last two weeks for the Patriots with a hamstring issue. In those two games, Mack Hollins has led the Patriots in route participation rate (82%), air yard share (34%) and receiving yards (170). He has seen 15 total targets for a 23% target share.
This impressive usage has translated to the fantasy scoreboard, as Hollins scored 13.6 half-PPR points last week and 8.4 on Thursday against the Jets. With the way Drake Maye has been playing, being his No. 2 WR (or even arguable No. 1 WR) is a valuable role. In deep leagues, Hollins should be added if Boutte looks likely to miss more time.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. (RB – WSH) | 15.2% Rostered
If today’s usage is anything to go by, we have a new No. 1 RB in Washington. Chris Rodriguez Jr. led Commanders running backs in snaps (30 to 18 for Jacory Croskey-Merritt) and carries (15 to nine). He also led the backfield in routes, although with just nine, and he saw one target (Jeremy McNichols saw two on eight routes).
Rodriguez was effective on his touches, averaging over five yards per carry. Given he didn’t score a touchdown, his nine half-PPR-point finish is respectable. And that’s what we should expect from Rodriguez going forward. He’s not much of a pass-catcher, and it doesn’t seem as though he will be a bell-cow back on the ground. But he’s the lead rusher on a decent offense, so he should be able to provide usable weeks in good matchups — that makes him worth adding in all but particularly shallow leagues.
Sean Tucker (RB – TB) | 18.2% Rostered
With Bucky Irving sidelined, Rachaad White has reclaimed his old role as the Buccaneers’ workhorse back. However, Sean Tucker has quietly been getting more involved on the ground in recent weeks. He posted running back rush shares of 41% and 47% in Weeks 10 and 11.
But there was nothing quiet about what Tucker did today against the Bills. He carried the ball 19 times, racking up 106 yards and two touchdowns. Add 34 yards and another touchdown on two receptions, and he finished with a massive 33 half-PPR points.
I should note that Tucker played just 31 snaps to Rachaad White’s 43. According to early Pro Football Focus (PFF) data, Tucker also only ran nine routes, while White ran 22. But he was the lead back on the ground, as White had only 10 carries. Tucker was the much more efficient back, so that should remain the case as long as Irving is sidelined. Unless we get reports that Irving will be back in Week 12, Tucker is definitely worth adding this week.
Emanuel Wilson (RB – GB) | 8% Rostered
Josh Jacobs exited this game early with a knee injury. In his absence, Emanuel Wilson took over as the Packers’ lead back. He played 38 snaps to Chris Brooks‘ five, and led the team with 11 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown. He also saw a solid 19 routes and caught his only target for nine more yards.
As of yet, it’s not clear how much time (if any) Jacobs will miss. But if we get confirmation that he is set to miss extended time (or even a couple weeks), Wilson becomes the add of the week. The top running back in Matt LaFleur’s offense will eat, no matter who it is. In deeper leagues, Brooks (0.8% Rostered) might also be worth stashing just to see how things shake out.
Kenneth Gainwell (RB – PIT) | 42.3% Rostered
Unlike Jacobs, Jaylen Warren was never officially ruled out, but he was very sparingly involved for the Steelers after suffering an ankle injury in the third quarter. Kenneth Gainwell — who was already involved and had even scored a touchdown before Warren’s injury — finished the day with 26 half-PPR points. Most of his production came through the air, as he caught seven of his eight targets for 81 yards and two touchdowns. But he also easily led non-Warren backs with nine carries (rookie Kaleb Johnson had five).
We’ve already seen this season that Gainwell can produce as the Steelers’ No. 1 RB. Warren was sidelined for Week 4, and the former Eagle racked up 28.4 points on 19 carries, six receptions and a 77% snap share. There’s a chance Johnson will be more involved if Warren misses time again, but Gainwell should see the lion’s share of work. If Warren is set to miss time, the veteran is a must-add.
Bhayshul Tuten (RB – JAC) | 23.7% Rostered
Unfortunately, Bhayshul Tuten exited the Jaguars’ big win over the Chargers early with an ankle injury. But before going down, the fourth-round rookie was in the middle of a massive breakout day. On 15 carries, he racked up 74 yards and a touchdown, consistently breaking off chunks and bouncing off defenders. He looked more explosive than Travis Etienne and was seeing more carries than the veteran, too.
Now, the question is how severe the rookie’s ankle injury is. Hopefully, we will get an update prior to waivers running on Tuesday night. If the injury is reportedly minor, Tuten is worth prioritizing. If he is set to miss more than a week or two, he is a much less appealing pickup. There aren’t many weeks left for him to work back from injury, and he will then presumably have to re-usurp Etienne as the team’s lead back.
Tyrell Shavers (WR – BUF) | 0.1% Rostered
When a player rostered in literally one out of a thousand leagues scores 17 fantasy points, they’re worth mentioning. With Keon Coleman a healthy scratch, 2023 undrafted free agent (UDFA) Tyrell Shavers was the Bills’ leading receiver. He caught four of his five targets for 90 yards and a score.
However, those targets came on just 15 routes of 34 Josh Allen dropbacks, tied with two other players (Gabe Davis and Ty Johnson) for sixth on the Bills’ offense. Outside of absurdly deep leagues, Shavers isn’t as exciting an add as he first appears.
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Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasyPros.com. Find him on Twitter and Bluesky @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.
