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Pickups of the Week: Rawls, Funchess, Allen and other season-saving adds

Each week, we identify six players to target on fantasy waiver wires, plus a lightly owned team defense. These fantasy assets are all available in a majority of Yahoo leagues.

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Thomas Rawls, RB, Seattle Seahawks, 32 percent owned

If you've patiently held Rawls all season, either as a handcuff or a lottery ticket, we salute you. Go ahead and take an early victory lap. You've earned it. Talk whatever smack needs to be talked. We should maybe create a special Toyota fantasy medal for all the Rawls stashers, too. The kid was tremendous in Sunday's home win over the Niners, accounting for 255 yards from scrimmage on a whopping 33 touches. Check the highlights here. Rawls was a terror, running uncommon power and aggression, like a Beast Mode replicant. He's clearly a candidate to remain Seattle's featured runner beyond 2015.

With Marshawn Lynch's rest-of-season availability very much in doubt ...

... Rawls is, without question, this week's priority fantasy add. This is a spend-it-all FAAB situation. If Rawls is still available in your league, do whatever you can to snag him. He's in line to serve as the workhorse back for a team that never stops running, plus he gets a home date with the NFL's worst run D during the fantasy playoffs (Cleveland, Week 15).

FAAB bid: All of it.

Javorius Allen, RB, Baltimore Ravens, 8 percent

Javorius Allen. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Javorius Allen. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Six games remain on the schedule for Baltimore, and the Ravens have already lost their franchise quarterback (ACL), their featured running back (broken arm), their No. 1 receiver (Achilles), best pass rusher (Achilles) and their first-round draft choice (knee) to season-ending injuries. So things have not exactly gone according to script. With Justin Forsett removed from the backfield mix, rookie fourth-rounder Javorius Allen is in line to receive all the work he can possibly handle. Allen delivered 115 scrimmage yards on 27 touches in relief of Forsett on Sunday, with five receptions included. He accounted for nearly 2,000 total yards at USC last year, too.

Allen isn't the flashiest runner — he averages 3.9 YPC on 64 attempts — but he won't lack for touches. Baltimore figures to lean on its ground game whenever possible, now that Matt Schaub is at the controls of the offense. (*shudder*) We can't promise huge fantasy returns from Allen (nor from the Ravens' offense generally), but volume shouldn't be a concern. He'll face the NFL's two most generous run defense over the next two weeks (Cleveland and Miami), so the upcoming match-ups are certainly friendly.

FAAB bid: $33 ($100 budget).

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Indianapolis Colts, 6 percent

Frank Gore limped away from Week 11 with a knee/quad issue of as-yet-unknown severity, so Bradshaw definitely picked a good time to deliver his best game of the season. Bradshaw gained 52 total yards on 13 touches on Sunday against Atlanta, adding two short-range receiving touchdowns. He may potentially serve as Indy's featured runner in Week 12 against the Bucs, and he's obviously carved out a rest-of-season role as a rotational back, trusted with inside-the-10 touches. Bradshaw is back in the flex discussion, no doubt.

FAAB bid: $16

Spencer Ware, RB, Kansas City Chiefs, 6 percent

Spencer Ware. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)
Spencer Ware. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)

After Rawls, Spencer Ware was probably the second most impressive runner among all the handcuff backs who blew up on Sunday — and Ware, we should note, is actually the handcuff's handcuff. His surge began when Charcandrick West was sidelined by a hamstring issue. Ware rushed for 96 yards and two spikes on just 11 carries against the Chargers, displaying the power you'd expect from a 230-pound back, as well as surprising shiftiness. He carried defenders when necessary, plus he did impressive stuff like this.

West is reportedly day-to-day, so he can't yet be ruled out for Week 12 against the Bills. But even if West is available next Sunday, it seems likely that Ware will see an uptick in carries. Sure, he did most of his Week 11 damage in the closing minutes against a lousy run D, but he more than passed the eye test. Keep him in your plans, if Rawls and/or Allen are unavailable.

FAAB bid: $14

Brent Celek, TE, Philadelphia Eagles, 1 percent

Celek has delivered back-to-back useful fantasy lines, catching 11 balls for 213 yards over the past two weeks. Zach Ertz suffered a concussion on Sunday (on a terrifying play), and it's unlikely he'll clear the protocol in time for Thursday's trip to Detroit. As a result, Celek should see an increase in targets, which of course gives him a value bump in our game. The Lions defense has allowed the ninth most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season, and the third most receiving TDs (8). If you're looking for a low-cost share of the Thanksgiving action, Celek might just be your best bet.

FAAB bid: $4

Devin Funchess, WR, Carolina Panthers, 34 percent

Devin Funchess. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Devin Funchess. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

The Funchess surge continued on Sunday, as the rookie caught four passes for 64 yards and one score on eight targets. He drew the start for Carolina, played roughly 80 percent of the offensive snaps, and made highlight grabs like this one. It won't always be clinic with Funchess, but he has ideal size (6-foot-4, 225) and he's earning Cam Newton's trust and attention. The Panthers have match-ups remaining with both the Giants and Saints, defenses that rank last and next-to-last against the pass.

FAAB bid: $14

Cleveland Browns defense, 6 percent

OK, perhaps the Browns defense is never the answer. If that's your opinion ... well, we get it. That's really not such a bad guiding principle for fantasy owners. But please note that Cleveland is coming off a bye and preparing to face what's left of the Ravens offense, which isn't much (see above). Matt Schaub will get the start at QB for Baltimore, and he, of course, has been a carnival ride of turnovers, pick-sixes and general hilarity in recent seasons. It's tough to believe the Browns won't collect an interception or two (or four) on Monday night.

FAAB bid: $1

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