Fantasy: Neal, Strange lead waiver-wire pickups for Week 13

Finding studs on waivers is often the key to winning a fantasy championship. Check back every week to learn who is trending up.

Roster percentages are based on Sleeper leagues. Free-Agent Budget (FAB) amounts are based on a $100 salary cap. Only players rostered in less than 50% of leagues are considered.

Quarterbacks

Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals

Brissett continued his exceptional stretch of starts with another top-eight performance against the Jaguars. He has yet to finish worse than QB12, has attempted at least 31 passes in all six starts, and has at least one touchdown pass in every game. In fact, he's thrown two TDs in all but one contest.

I expect this to be the last time that I mention Brissett as a waiver-wire option. His rostered percentage should go well above the 50% cutoff moving forward. He has a great matchup versus the Buccaneers in Week 13, but the two following matchups against the Rams and Texans are more worrisome.

Other QBs to pick up:

• Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars (43%): Lawrence finished as a top-10 quarterback last week despite throwing three interceptions versus the Cardinals. He has a better matchup in Week 13 against the Titans, who have only five picks this season.

• Kirk Cousins, Falcons (19%): Cousins had an adequate outing in his second start of the season, but he should only be considered if you're really desperate for a signal-caller to stream against the Jets, who have allowed 18 passing touchdowns and still haven't recorded an interception this year.

Running backs

Devin Neal, Saints

Neal had the best game of his rookie campaign against the Falcons, finishing with 61 scrimmage yards on 12 touches, including five receptions. He averaged fewer than three yards per carry but was clearly the top back after Alvin Kamara exited the game.

Neal played 74% of the team's offensive snaps, easily clearing his previous best of 46%. The Kansas product could see a similar share this week if Kamara is forced to miss Sunday's matchup with the Dolphins due to the MCL sprain that he sustained. Neal would warrant flex consideration in that case. Miami has given up the second-most rushing yards and the sixth-most receiving yards to tailbacks this year.

Dylan Sampson, Browns

Sampson is more of an upside pickup than a reliable one. He scored his second NFL touchdown Sunday on a screen pass that he took 66 yards to the end zone, but that one play represented the vast majority of his production.

Although Quinshon Judkins exited the contest versus the Raiders, he eventually returned and doesn't look poised to miss Week 13's matchup with the 49ers. That means Sampson's floor remains next to nothing, but he's a better bench flier than many other options at this point in the season.

Other RBs to pick up:

• Tyler Allgeier, Falcons (50%): Allgeier has a decent chance to vulture a touchdown from Bijan Robinson against a Jets defense that's given up 10 rushing scores to tailbacks this season. He shouldn't be relied on for more than that.

• Keaton Mitchell, Ravens (7%): Like Allgeier, Mitchell should only be considered if you're looking for touchdown upside. The speedster has seen at least three touches in five straight games and could turn one of those limited opportunities into points versus the Bengals, who have allowed 15 total scores to the position.

Wide receivers

Chimere Dike, Titans

Dike and his quarterback, Cam Ward, have begun to establish a solid connection that's worth taking a shot on if you have the roster space. The Florida product has caught a touchdown in two of his last five games and has managed at least 44 receiving yards in three of them. He's especially valuable and worth significantly more FAB if your league's settings reward return production, as he's scored a return TD in two of his last three outings.

Looking ahead, Dike has an up-and-down sequence of opponents. The Jaguars (Week 13) and 49ers (Week 15) are his two best matchups remaining, while tougher meetings with the Browns (Week 14) and Chiefs (Week 16) should be considered when submitting a claim for Dike. The latter two games bode poorly for the wide receivers in Tennessee's inconsistent offense.

John Metchie, Jets

Metchie has emerged as a decent pass-catching weapon for the Jets over the last two weeks, reeling in three passes for 45 yards and a score against the Patriots and finishing with a 6/65/1 receiving line versus the Ravens. Both matchups were favorable ones against below-average defenses in terms of limiting fantasy points to wide receivers, and he took advantage.

He has another solid matchup ahead against a Falcons defense that's given up as many receiving touchdowns to wideouts as the Ravens (12). Atlanta has allowed fewer yards and receptions than Baltimore, but Metchie is worth flex consideration.

Other WRs to pick up:

• Andrei Iosivas, Bengals (37%): Iosivas was temporarily promoted to WR2 in the Bengals' offense due to Ja'Marr Chase's one-game suspension, and he recorded a solid 4/61/0 receiving line. He could operate as the team's No. 2 wideout again if Tee Higgins misses this week's meeting with the Ravens due to a concussion.

• Marquise Brown, Chiefs (23%): Brown should only be considered if you're willing to take a massive swing this week. He hasn't seen more than four targets in a game since Week 5, but he has the potential to go off against a suspect Cowboys secondary.

Tight ends

Brenton Strange, Jaguars

Strange saw five targets in his first game back from injury, hauling in all of them for 93 yards. He led the team in receiving, outgaining the closest pass-catcher (Parker Washington) by 22 yards. Strange will likely continue to be a large part of the Jaguars' passing attack moving forward.

The third-year pro has a below-average matchup with the Titans in Week 13. Tennessee has conceded just three touchdowns to tight ends this season, and only eight teams have given up fewer yards to the position. However, Strange still has too much upside at a shallow fantasy position to warrant being benched in favor of most other options.

Other TEs to pick up:

• Darren Waller, Dolphins (28%): Waller is returning to practice this week as he works his way back from a pectoral injury. He caught four touchdowns in three games before sustaining the injury.

• Colby Parkinson, Rams (2%): Parkinson has scored a touchdown in three consecutive outings.

Andrew Dixon is a contributing fantasy analyst for theScore.