With only two weeks left to secure a fantasy playoff spot, every waiver add, trade, or start/sit decision could be the difference between making it and falling short.

In most leagues, trades are no longer possible, with trade deadlines varying from league to league. For those still able to make moves, though, my weekly buy low/sell high article for PFSN is available here.

For the rest of us, who now have to rely on the waiver wire for new additions, I’ve highlighted five players who could make the difference in the next couple of weeks and beyond.

As always, running back handcuffs are a great stash if you have space on your roster, with the likes of Tank Bigsby, Blake Corum, and Tyler Allgeier widely available. For immediate impact players, though, look no further than the five players below.

Week 13 Waiver Adds: John Metchie III, WR, New York Jets

Tyrod Taylor’s promotion to the New York Jets’ starting quarterback job was long overdue, with a couple of surprise wins extending Justin Fields’ run in the job. However, Taylor is now the starter, and in Week 12, attempted 28 passes, more than Fields had attempted in all but two if his nine starts this year.

With Garrett Wilson still on IR, John Metchie III appears to have taken the WR1 role in New York, having proven more reliable than Adonai Mitchell. The former Texan has caught nine of his 10 targets for 110 yards and two scores over the last two games.

Garrett Wilson won’t be gone forever, but the Jets won’t be playing the Baltimore Ravens every week. Friendlier matchups should see the Metchie thrive, with Mason Taylor another potential star in the coming weeks.

Greg Dortch, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Greg Dortch made the Week 12 start/sit article last week, and I was delighted to see him finish as the WR14 on the week. That followed a WR12 finish in Week 11, as he continues to flourish in the shadow of Michael Wilson, with Marvin Harrison Jr. sidelined.

Jacoby Brissett broke the all-time NFL record for completions in a single game in Week 11, and continues to sling it without his leading receiver. With no set timeline for Harrison’s return, and no need to rush him back at 3-8, Dortch could enjoy an extended run of fantasy relevance.

Darren Waller, TE, Miami Dophins

Darren Waller exploded int relevance in his first game for the Miami Dolphins this season, catching three of four targets for 27 yards and two touchdowns. He followed that up with touchdowns in each of the next two weeks, before being placed on IR with a pectoral injury he picked up in Week 7.

The Dolphins opened up Waller’s 21-day practice window this week, and the veteran could be in line to return this week. The Dolphins have a dream schedule ahead, wight through the fantasy playoffs, facing the Saints, Jets, Steelers, Bengals, and Buccaneers.

In his three healthy games, Waller averaged 15.2 PPR points per game, and was the TE6 in FPPG (fantasy points per game) in that stretch.

Kayshon Boutte, WR, New England Patriots

I’ve pushed Kayshon Boutte as a sell-high candidate several times this year, as I typically don’t like relying on low-volume, touchdown-dependent players. However, now that he is widely available on waivers, he is a great pick-up for anyone with underwhelming flex options.

Boutte will have been dropped during his two weeks out with a hamstring injury, and anyone that held on, will have been disappointed with his 3.5 points on Sunday.

However, while the stat line states he caught two of two targets for 15 yards, there was the potential for so much more. Boutte had two big plays denied by pass interference on the same drive; both would likely have been touchdowns, and neither counted for anything.

The box score can hide a lot, and in this instance, a double-digit fantasy week. Make the most of that by adding Boutte for nothing this week.

Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals

Drawn among the hieroglyphics on a wall somewhere, deep inside the great pyramids of Egypt, is a picture of an injured Tee Higgins. Next to it, is a picture of a healthy Mike Gesicki, and then a big thumbs up and a wink emoji.

Higgins will miss Week 13, and possibly longer, after suffering a concussion against the Patriots on Sunday. In the five games that Higgins missed last season, Gesicki averaged 5.2 catches on 7.2 targets, for 62.4 yards and 0.4 touchdowns per game.

There are far better matchups than the Ravens, but Gesicki was the clear alpha among Cincinnati’s pass catchers in Week 12, despite having missed the previous four weeks.

If you’re already guaranteed a playoff spot, you can look beyond Mike Gesicki this week. However, if you’re needing wins to stay alive for Weeks 15-17, you should be considering Gesicki at tight end this week.

That’s all for this week’s waiver adds. Remember, if you’re still able to make trades, my buy low/sell high article is available here. I’ll be back with my starts and sits on Thursday, in time for the Thanksgiving games.

For all of my fantasy content, including my work for PFSN, you can follow me on X, BlueSky, or LinkedIn. Alternatively, you can subscribe to this blog, for free, to receive an email notification every time a new article drops.

Thanks for reading!