Early NFL Week 12 Waiver Wire Targets: New York Jets RB Ty Johnson, New Orleans Saints WR Tre'Quan Smith

As we maneuver through the middle of the 2021 NFL season and approach the fantasy football playoffs, remember to remain vigilant — teams that get complacent end up suffering over time. Hawking those waiver wires is key.

When waivers roll around later this week, it’s important to stay ahead of the game and keep track of players from the big slate of games Sunday afternoon. Here are two players to keep high on your priority list when waivers are processed this Wednesday.

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RB TY JOHNSON, NEW YORK JETS

ESPN Rostership: 18.7%
Yahoo Rostership: 20%
Suggested FAB: 5%-7%

Michael Carter, the Jets' top running back, left the team's Week 11 game with a noticeable limp early in the third quarter. Head coach Robert Saleh was not able to confirm any details, but Carter is reportedly dealing with a mild ankle injury. Shortly after Carter exited the game, the Miami Dolphins went up by seven points and never allowed the Jets to get back to a neutral game script.

Just for posterity’s sake: There were three total rushing attempts after Carter’s injury, and Ty Johnson accounted for just one of them. However, he out-snapped journeyman back Tevin Coleman, 15 to 11, in the second half of the game.

Johnson's resume with the Jets includes three games with 10 or more rushing attempts. In each of those three contests, he recorded at least 45 rushing yards. His best outing was a day with 22 rushing attempts, 104 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12 of the 2020 season. He also recorded two receptions in two of the three outings.

We know that Johnson isn’t a world-beater, but frankly, that doesn’t matter much. With that being said, he still boasts a 63rd percentile forced missed tackles per attempt mark (0.19) and a 79th percentile yards per route run figure (1.68) — good for 11th this season among running backs with at least 25 targets.