Fantasy Football Week 12 Waiver Debate: Ollie Gordon Vs. Emanuel Wilson
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Welcome to a new Week 12 Waiver Debate!
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at whether fantasy owners should be targeting Ollie Gordon or Emmanuel Wilson on the waiver wire this week.
We'll have all sorts of waiver content coming throughout the early part of the week, but for now, let's see if we can figure out whether to pick up Ollie Gordon or Emanuel Wilson on waivers this week.
RB Ollie Gordon, Miami Dolphins
Ollie Gordon has had a relatively unremarkable rookie season in fantasy football terms as he's RB64 on the year. However, the rookie has been playing better lately with double-digit fantasy points in two of his last four games.
Gordon is still stuck behind De'Von Achane, so his ceiling is limited for now. But he's been effective when given touches and rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown on nine carries in the Dolphins' Week 11 win over the Commanders.
Gordon has a solid matchup coming out of the Dolphins' Week 12 bye as Miami will play a Saints team that has allowed 22.6 points per game to opposing running backs. It's worth remembering, however, that he'll still be behind Achane in the pecking order.
RB Emanuel Wilson, Green Bay Packers
Josh Jacobs went out with a knee injury during Sunday's win over the Giants, which would lead to Emanuel Wilson being the next man up. But the important question here is: for how long?
Josh Jacobs is OUT with a knee injury. Here is the play where it happened. Based on the mechanism it could be a
— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) November 16, 2025
-PCL sprain
Knee hit the ground which causes this type of injury pic.twitter.com/kaFA6BHdXT
If the injury is, indeed, a PCL injury, it would be a similar type of injury that cost Brock Bowers three games earlier this season. This is all speculation, of course, but there's definitely a world where the Packers are without Jacobs for a week or two. All we know for now is that he won't need surgery.
Emanuel Wilson hasn't done a ton this season as he's RB66 on the year, but he's performed well when called upon. He has three games this season where he's touched the ball more than 10 times, and he's put up double-digit fantasy points in each of those games.
Most recently, Wilson touched the ball 12 times against the Giants in Week 11 after Jacobs left the game, and he posted 49 total yards and a touchdown. On the season, Wilson is averaging 4.2 yards per carry and 6.3 yards per reception. That's obviously a very small sample size, but he's obviously more than capable of putting up numbers when he is given the opportunity.
The Packers will face a Vikings team that has allowed the 11th-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, so Wilson's matchup won't be a great one if Jacobs is unable to suit up.
The Verdict
While Ollie Gordon is a solid handcuff to Achane and a decent flex play in deeper leagues, he doesn't have the clear path to double-digit touches that Wilson does. If Josh Jacobs ends up playing in Week 12, this conversation is more or less moot. But for there's a clear pecking order for this waiver wire debate.
In case it needs to be said again, I'll be prioritizing Emanuel Wilson over Ollie Gordon on the waiver wire this week.
Once a top-ranked fantasy gamer on ESPN, Nick Raducanu has been playing fantasy sports for over 25 years. His written fantasy coverage includes stops at Rotoworld, Rotowire, and The New York Times.