Fantasy Football Week 14 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 (46% Owned): Jackson continues to play like a QB in name only, carrying the ball 17 times last week vs. the Falcons for 75 yards and a TD. It was Jackson’s second straight game with a rushing TD, and the third time the Ravens have won with him as the starter. It will be hard to return to Joe Flacco if the Ravens keep winning, and if he’s the starter this ownership percentage makes no sense. That kind of rushing ability is matchup proof, and his upcoming matchups at Kansas City and home for Tampa Bay are true fantasy postseason gold. I’m limiting the pickups these days to players you can actually use; unless you have a monster QB on your roster, you can comfortably play Lamar Jackson.
Josh Allen, Bills (5% Owned): Allen has morphed into a force as a runner, following up a 99-yard, one-score performance with 135 yards rushing vs. the Dolphins. If Allen is going to run at this rate, he’s actually a superior option to Jackson because he seems further along as a passer. Allen’s next two matchups are home for the Jets, and home for Detroit, so he’ll be startable for the fantasy playoffs (or the final week of the year for some). Both Jackson and Allen are less valuable for six-point passing TD formats, but in four-point passing TD leagues Allen is being slept on because he’s going to post low passing yardage.
Running Backs
Jaylen Samuels, Steelers (11% Owned): Samuels will no doubt be the top add of the week with news breaking that James Conner is out for Week 14. Samuels is as unproven as it gets, but Conner was from a certainty when he was thrust into Le’Veon Bell’s job, and he’s been a fantasy star. Pittsburgh is a place where RBs thrive; before Conner’s explosion, we’ve seen DeAngelo Williams thrive in Bell’s stead in the past when many believed he was shot. Samuels gets Oakland this week, so expect a big game from him.
LeGarrette Blount, Lions (42% Owned): Blount has proven he’ll be the man for as long as Kerryon Johnson is out, and while he’s not explosive whatsoever, his carries will make him an RB2 at worst. This week’s matchup vs. the Cardinals is wonderful for Blount, as they rank just 21st in the NFL vs. the run. Blount goes straight to the scrap heap if Johnson suits up, but his initial timetable was likely multiple weeks, so you’d be adding a cheap starter.
Justin Jackson, Chargers (24% Owned): Jackson is sharing work with Austin Ekeler while Melvin Gordon nurses a knee injury, so his upside is capped, but so far he’s made the most of his opportunities. Jackson has averaged more than 7.5 yards per carry in back to back weeks, and rushed for at least 57 yards in that span while receiving single-digit caries both times. This week’s matchup with Cincinnati is fantastic, but we could easily see him be eclipsed by Ekeler. There is high risk in playing him in a playoff matchup, but his recent showings indicate big blowup potential as well.
Rashaad Penny, Seahawks (30% Owned): Penny is worth the add with Chris Carson’s status up in the air due to a dislocated finger. The matchup with Minnesota isn’t great, but Penny’s talent is starting to shine through his limited opportunities. If Carson is out, it looks clear that Penny, and not Mike Davis, will assume the lion’s share of carries in a decidedly run-heavy offense. If Carson is active, stay away from Penny, but he’s likely a cheap add anyway; if you’re a Carson owner, failing to add Penny is fantasy malpractice.
Stevan Ridley, Steelers (0% Owned): Ridley is a name that fantasy owners haven’t heard in years, but as a member of the Steelers backfield he’s worth mentioning. The rush will be to add Samuels, but Samuels has never had a big workload before, and he’s inexperienced. It would be surprising if coach Mike Tomlin didn’t have Ridley, a veteran, get work and that means he could wind up vulturing Samuels. Conner owners should place bids on both players, because Ridley is a startable FLEX in emergency situations.
Wide Receivers
Courtland Sutton, Broncos (49% Owned): Sutton rewarded his believers last week with 85 yards and a score on four catches. At this point, despite his more prominent role in the offense, he’s just not yet the target hound we hoped. He is, however, Case Keenum’s top choice on deep throws; he’s averaging a tick fewer than 20 yards per reception, and anytime a receiver is consistently receiving those kinds of targets, they are going to be potential game-changers. He’s not an ideal WR2, but in three-receiver formats Sutton is as high-end a WR3 as you can get. Additionally, his matchups down the stretch are tasty cake—at San Francisco, home for Cleveland and at Oakland.
Anthony Miller, Bears (34% Owned): Miller was on a nice run that saw him briefly enter WR2 discussion before Mitch Trubisky got hurt. Despite scoring a touchdown last week, that score was his lone reception, and he’s not an option until Trubisky comes back. Trubisky does have a chance to return this week, though, and if he’s there, Miller will receive work against a soft Rams secondary.
Curtis Samuel, Panthers (18% Owned): Samuel would be a very high-risk play, but he’s been paying dividends lately. After back-to-back weeks of low-reception games with a touchdown, Samuel was targeted 11 times, and turned it into six catches for 88 yards. The Panthers run so much that Samuel is always a threat to turn in a big dud, but owners in deep leagues, particularly leagues with three receivers and a FLEX, and feel pretty good about Samuels’ upside.
Tight Ends
Chris Herndon, Jets (13% Owned): Herndon isn’t an appealing option because the Jets’ offense is probably the blandest, most toothless outfit in the NFL right now. But, tight end is a tricky position, where even high-level players are capable of putting up zeroes. Herndon is now a consistently targeted player, and he was seeing looks from Sam Darnold before Josh McCown took over. Regardless of who starts, they’ll probably target Herndon around five times.