Pickups of the Week: Colin Kaepernick returns to fantasy relevance

Each week throughout the NFL season, we identify six players to target on fantasy waiver wires, plus a lightly owned D/ST. All are available in a majority of Yahoo leagues. Add as needed.

Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers, 24%

Another week, another 20-plus fantasy points from Kaepernick. He’s delivered multiple touchdowns in each of his last four games, delivering respectable totals against quality defenses (Ari, NE) and absolutely destroying the softer opponents on his schedule (NO, Mia). Kaepernick passed for 296 yards and three scores against the Dolphins on Sunday, plus he ran for a season-best 113 yards on 10 carries. Everyone knew about his rare rushing ability — it’s the trait that gives Kaep such a high fantasy floor — but he’s been a much more productive passer than anyone anticipated. Despite working with a mostly dreadful group of receivers, Kaepernick has averaged 277.5 passing yards per game in November. He’s not the game’s most efficient quarterback (6.9 Y/A, 55.3 comp%), but volume hasn’t been a problem in Chip Kelly’s offense. These are his weekly positional finishes for fantasy purposes over the past month: 7, 8, 10, 1.

It’s tough to make the case that Kaepernick is not a top-10 fantasy QB when he stubbornly keeps finishing inside the top-10. You won’t find any troubling matchups on his schedule through Week 16, so feel free to use him the rest of the way.

Rest of season schedule: at Chi, NYJ, at Atl, at LA, Sea.

FAAB bid: $12

Colin Kaepernick just keeps rolling. (Getty Images)
Colin Kaepernick just keeps rolling. (Getty Images)

Charles Sims, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 25% owned

Because we can’t just keep rolling out Kenneth Dixon as our priority running back add each week, here’s a change of pace. Sims has finally returned to practice after spending most of October and November on IR with a knee issue. He’ll be eligible to see the field again for the Bucs in Week 14, just in time for a pair of matchups with the Saints’ user-friendly run defense in the fantasy postseason. Remember, Sims hauled in 51 passes for 561 yards last season while averaging 4.9 YPC on 107 rush attempts. He can play. Sims should return to his high-volume receiving role, making him a flex-worthy option in PPR formats and a handcuff-with-benefits elsewhere.

Rest of season schedule: at SD, NO, at Dal, at NO, Car

FAAB bid: $8

Dontrelle Inman, WR, San Diego Chargers, 4%

If you expected the return of Travis Benjamin to impact Dontrelle Inman’s fantasy value … well, nope. Didn’t happen. Inman snagged all six of his targets from Philip Rivers on Sunday, with a 52-yard score included. He roasted poor Quintin Demps on the long TD. Inman finished with 119 yards, the second time this season he’s reached triple-digits. He’s seen at least six targets in each of his last five games, so there’s no reason to worry about workload. San Diego won’t face a worrisome pass defense in any of the team’s remaining games, leaving Inman with a clear path to a useful fantasy finish.

Rest of season schedule: TB, at Car, Oak, at Cle, KC

FAAB bid: $6

Dontrelle Inman
Dontrelle Inman

Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Carolina Panthers, 21%

A few young receivers delivered big games in Week 12 (scroll for details), but let’s also acknowledge the fine work by Ginn, a 10-year vet who has a chance to set a new single-season career high in receptions. Ginn has caught long touchdown passes in each of the past two weeks, and he produced 128 scrimmage yards on Sunday against Oakland. He’s averaging 7.2 targets per week over his last six games and hasn’t finished with less than 40 receiving yards since October 10. This season hasn’t exactly gone according to script for Carolina, but Ginn isn’t to blame. If you’re looking for an all-or-nothing fantasy flier in the money weeks, consider the add.

Rest of season schedule: at Sea, SD, at Was, Atl, at TB

FAAB bid: $9

Malcolm Mitchell, WR, New England Patriots, 4%

It was tempting to write off Mitchell’s excellent performance at San Francisco as a one-time event, related in part to Rob Gronkowski’s absence in Week 11. But all hands were on deck in New England’s receiving corps on Sunday, and Mitchell produced another big fantasy line. The rookie caught five balls for 42 yards and two scores on seven targets, which gives him 140 yards and three spikes over his last two games. So yeah, it’s probably time to take him seriously. He was a semi-buzzy player during the summer, but a preseason elbow injury set him back a bit. Both Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have been effusive (by their standards) in their praise for Mitchell recently, so that’s encouraging. If you’re looking for a cheap way to grab a share of an elite offense, go get him.

Rest of season schedule: LA, Bal, at Den, NYJ, at Mia

FAAB bid: $4

Taylor Gabriel, WR, Atlanta Falcons, 6%

Gabriel is a blindingly fast receiver who delivered three of the most impressive individual highlights from Week 12. He’s 5-foot-8 and live-wire quick, so he looked an awful lot like a vintage Darren Sproles on Sunday while carving up the Arizona defense (102 scrimmage yards, 2 TDs). Gabriel has visited the end-zone five times over Atlanta’s last four games, averaging 80.5 total yards per week during his recent surge. His touches have been limited, but he’s almost uniquely well-positioned to make big plays, as opposing defenses can’t divert attention from Julio, Devonta & Co. Gabriel’s emergence is a huge win for Matt Ryan owners, because he’s converting short screens into massive gains. Assuming he continues to see 4-6 opportunities per game, he’s a near lock to continue to make house calls.

Rest of season schedule: KC, at LA, SF, at Car, NO

FAAB bid: $4

Taylor Gabriel breaks the plane. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
Taylor Gabriel breaks the plane, dominates the Cards. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

San Diego Chargers, 18%

San Diego was a recommended play in Week 12 against Brock Osweiler & friends, and the Bolts managed to deliver four takeaways, allowing just 13 points. Next week, the Chargers are at home hosting Jameis Winston and the Bucs. For all his obvious talent and potential, Winston still ranks top-five in both interceptions (11) and fumbles (7). This is another decent spot for the San Diego D. If you’re making plans for the fantasy playoffs, you’ll note the date with Cleveland in Week 16…

Rest of season schedule: TB, at Car, Oak, at Cle, KC

FAAB bid: $2

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