Fantasy Football Week 15 Waiver Wire Advice
Is your fantasy team in need of new blood? Each week I’ll bring to you the best pickups to make ahead of the waiver deadline. All the players I list will be owned in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the ownership percentage coming from Yahoo.com.
Quarterbacks
Lamar Jackson, Ravens (45% Owned): Jackson’s ownership percentage continues to perplex me, but if you have been getting by with guys like Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Tom Brady (before this past week) etc., then you really need to check if Jackson is still available. This fella is a machine as a running QB, topping 70 rushing yards in each of his first three starts and scoring in two of those tilts. He’s been a pedestrian passer, although he did manage two TD passes last week. That uptick is promising, especially with Tampa Bay’s 30th-ranked (per FootballOutsiders.com) defense on the slate. Lamar Jackson is 100 percent start-worthy in your fantasy playoffs. Do not be afraid.
Josh Allen, Bills (14% Owned): Allen has essentially been Jackson lately, although actually better. Allen is just as raw a passer as Jackson, but apparently just as good a runner. He’s rushed for 100+ yards in back-to-back games, and three weeks ago he managed just 99 yards. Turnovers are an issue for Allen, and he has truly putrid skill position players around him, so he doesn’t have quite the upside of Jackson. On the other hand, he’s much more widely available, and he’s playing a dead Detroit defense this week. Playoffs require production, and there are a lot of underperforming brand names out there that look better on paper, but won’t provide you the scoring you’ll need going against the rest of your league’s best.
Running Backs
Elijah McGuire, Jets (7% Owned): McGuire doesn’t appear to be a supreme talent, but with Isaiah Crowell leaving the game last week with an injury, the door was opened to fantasy’s greatest resource: opportunity. McGuire left last week’s game with 17 carries, 60 yards and a touchdown vs. a tough Bills defense. This week, McGuire goes up against another solid defense in the Texans. He’s not someone you’d LOVE to play, and he doesn’t have a fantastic matchup. He does have a floor of about 12-15 carries as a lead back, though, and the potential to remain on the field for passing downs. McGuire is a fine FLEX play in moderately deep leagues, and even a fringe RB2 in very deep leagues.
Kenneth Dixon, Ravens (8% Owned): Dixon has been given real work since coming back from injury/suspension, and the Ravens seem to just love him. He’s still on the wrong end of a timeshare with Gus Edwards, but he’s getting enough work that he’s a playable FLEX, and he has the potential to out-touch Edwards in any given week, especially if Baltimore falls behind and needs to start throwing. Baltimore has a chance to win the NFC North, and they get to feast on the Buccaneers’ awful defense, so there’s a chance multiple Ravens have nice fantasy games.
Damien Williams, Chiefs (17% Owned): Williams has a documented history of mediocrity in the NFL, so buyer beware. With that disclaimer stated, Williams scored two touchdowns last week, and should be owned by all Spencer Ware owners. Ware remains the lead back, but Williams is a threat to vulture touchdowns from him. If Ware gets hurt, Williams will be something approaching a must-start in Week 16. For now, however, avoid starting him this week unless you are incredibly strapped for RB bodies.
Wide Receivers
Dante Pettis, 49ers (46% Owned): Pettis began the year very slowly, but of late the rookie has been a model of consistency. He’s scored four touchdowns in his last three games, drawn exactly seven targets in each of those games, and exploded once for more than 100 receiving yards. He’s really the only show in town at this point as far as wide receivers go, so he is playing like a strong WR2. There’s always going to be potential for a dud when your QB is as unheralded as Nick Mullens, but their rapport is impressive, and he’s not competing with anyone besides George Kittle for targets.
DaeSean Hamilton, Broncos (7% Owned): Hamilton is the “next man up” in the wake of Emmanuel Sanders’ torn Achilles, and in his first chance he rose to the occasion, reeling in seven passes for 47 yards and scoring a touchdown. The yards per catch aren’t really there, but his role is safer for fantasy owners than fellow rookie Courtland Sutton’s is. Sutton has bigger upside, and sees more valuable targets, but Hamilton is the one who will see the lion’s share of Case Keenum passes thrown his way. I like Hamilton much more in a PPR format; in full or half-PPR leagues, Hamilton is a low-end WR2 or high-end WR3. In standard leagues, you can give him a shot but it’s high-risk.
Robby Anderson, Jets (21% Owned): The Jets’ offense is terrible, so Anderson isn’t someone to be excited about starting. He’s seen 19 targets in his last three games though, and his amazing speed makes him a threat for true, WR1-level blowup games. Sam Darnold’s return from injury is a plus for Anderson, but he’s mostly a WR3 play for owners in deeper leagues. Next week is really when you’d want to play him, as he’ll get Green Bay’s porous secondary.
Curtis Samuel, Panthers (30% Owned): Samuel has been productive for the last four weeks now, either by way of scoring or piling up yardage. Samuel has been targeted 19 times in the last two games; in the two weeks prior he managed just seven catches combined, but scored a touchdown in each game. Cam Newton is clearly playing at less than 100 percent, which may be why Samuel’s targets have shot up. Samuel is a game breaker talent, and Carolina has been feeding him the ball on short targets and giving him the opportunity to break big plays. With the Saints, Falcons and then Saints again remaining on his schedule, Samuel is going to have ample opportunity to face defenses that allow big plays.
Tight Ends
Vernon Davis, Redskins (5% Owned): Davis is an old man, but tight end is a wasteland. No one should be happy about playing him ever, but Josh Johnson is going to start for Washington this week, so expect some short, desperate targets for Davis.