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The fantasy football playoffs are here, and the waiver wire is as thin as ever in deep leagues. That said, it's time to pick up as many "handcuff" running backs and even wide receivers as possible. Remember, you don't have to have the starting guy on your roster to consider picking up their backup
These fantasy football waiver wire pickup suggestions are for fantasy managers in deep leagues of 14-teams or more or a higher number of bench spots than traditional fantasy leagues. That said, chalky waiver pickups for shallower leagues won't be featured. Each week sees this list shrink, as we are truly running out of options at this point in the season.
Without further ado, here are the top deeper league waiver wire targets for Week 15, including Zamir White, Joshua Kelley, Jameson Williams, Quez Watkins, and Chigoziem Okonkwo.
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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets for Week 15
Jameis Winston could be the starter in New Orleans any time soon, as Andy Dalton and the Saints' offense has cooled off mightily after a few weeks of competence.
Alexander Mattison has as much upside as any handcuff running back, so he's a must-roster in all deep leagues as the fantasy football playoff approach. He's more worth rostering than a WR2 or WR3 on a low-volume passing offense, so it's time to make that switch. We've seen Samaje Perine step in and pay off in a big way in the absence of Joe Mixon (concussion). Mattison would be an RB1 candidate immediately if Dalvin Cook misses any games.
James Cook appeared to be gaining traction as the lead back for the Buffalo Bills, but he handled just five touches for six yards in the win over the New York Jets. He's far from starting lineups, but he should be rostered in all formats as a high-end handcuff. If Devin Singletary goes down, he could be in for a major receiving role.
Gus Edwards rushed 13 times for 66 yards while JK Dobbins rushed 15 times for 120 yards in the win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dobbins was obviously much more efficient, but Edwards is going to keep a significant role in the Ravens' offense that could be without Lamar Jackson (knee) and Tyler Huntley (concussion) in Week 15.
Travis Homer was mighty disappointing in Week 14, as he totaled just 34 yards on 11 touches against the Carolina Panthers. However, he could start again on Thursday Night with the statuses of Kenneth Walker (ankle) and DeeJay Dallas (ankle) up in the air.
JaMycal Hasty didn't get to start in Week 13 or 14 since Travis Etienne's foot injury wasn't serious, but since Etienne carries plenty of injury risk, Hasty is worth rostering as a high-end handcuff.
Jaylen Warren saw just five touches for 27 yards against the Baltimore Ravens, but he'd likely get a workhorse role if Najee Harris gets banged up. Harris has been dealing with minor injuries all season, and with Pittsburgh nearly out of playoff contention, he could be shut down sooner or later.
Zamir White would get a ton of work if Josh Jacobs suffers an injury down the stretch, and Jacobs' massive workload makes him an injury risk. He suffered a minor hand injury in Week 14, but that could be the start of his body wearing down.
Darrynton Evans is the primary backup to David Montgomery in one of the most run-heavy offenses in the NFL. That's all there has to be said this late in the season.
Jordan Mason and Tevin Coleman were active for Week 14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Tyrion Davis-Price was a healthy scratch. If Christian McCaffrey goes down, Coleman or Mason would have plenty of touchdown upside in what remains a good offense despite having a third-string quarterback leading it.
Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell should remain on the fantasy radar as handcuffs to Miles Sanders in one of the best offensive attacks in football.
Joshua Kelley is back from injured reserve and is the clear backup to Austin Ekeler. Sony Michel was a healthy scratch and Isaiah Spiller didn't log a touch in each of the last two games. Meanwhile, Kelley rushed 14 times during that span.
Keaontay Ingram appears to be the clear RB2 behind James Conner in Arizona, and the Cardinals coaching staff liked him enough to feel comfortable releasing Eno Benjamin, so it wouldn't be surprising if he became the workhorse running back if Conner misses any games down the stretch. The Cardinals are falling further away from the playoff bubble, so there's also a chance they'd like to see what the rookie can do before the season concludes.
Zack Moss and Deon Jackson would fight for touches if Jonathan Taylor either gets hurt or the Colts begin to decrease his role in a lost season. Taylor has already been bitten by the injury bug this season, so it wouldn't be shocking if the Colts play it safe with him as the Colts get further away from the playoff bubble.
Richie James has 21 targets and three touchdowns over his last four games as the primary slot receiver since Wan'Dale Robinson tore his ACL. He's worth taking a look at after a few solid fantasy performances this season.
Jahan Dotson caught five of his nine targets for 54 yards and a touchdown in Week 13 before the Commanders' Week 14 bye. Fantasy managers have apparently slept on him because he's still widely available. The Washington offense is much better than people think, and Dotson is drawing more targets than Curtis Samuel.
Nico Collins missed the Week 14 game against the Dallas Cowboys with a foot injury, but he's been out targeting Brandin Cooks (calf) while healthy since Week 5. This Texans' offense is a bottom-dweller unit, but Collins has plenty of value in deep leagues.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore are far from safe fantasy options in a crowded skill group for Kansas City, but MVS has boom-or-bust upside that can win weeks and Moore had a few solid games when JuJu Smith-Schuster missed time with a concussion. Both are top "handcuff" wideouts in an elite offense.
Jameson Williams and Josh Reynolds are likely behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and DJ Chark for the remainder of the season, but both have upside when called upon in a top-five Lions' offense.
DeAndre Carter and Joshua Palmer are premier wide receiver handcuffs in the Justin Herbert-led offense. Mike Williams and Keenan Allen are finally back and making plays, but do we really trust them to stay healthy?
Quez Watkins is another top handcuff wide receiver, as any injury to either A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith would propel him to immediate fantasy relevance. Jalen Hurts is entering the group of elite passers, and Watkins can score double-digit fantasy points on one big play.
Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell combined for 17 targets in Baker Mayfield's first game as a Ram. Sure, Mayfield has largely been viewed as a bottom-of-the-barrel quarterback, but he's going to make the offense look more competent than John Wolford and Bryce Perkins could, so there could be some fantasy points to go around in the Sean McVay-led offense.
Chigoziem Okonkwo and Austin Hooper are seeing major roles in a weak pass-catching group for Ryan Tannehill. Hooper likely has the safer floor, but Okonkwo has real upside as an athletic tight end. The rookie tight end has caught 10 of his 11 targets for 113 yards and a touchdown over the last two weeks. Treylon Burks (concussion protocol) coming back would make Hooper and Okonkwo more risky fantasy starters, but surely Tennessee will continue to keep them involved.
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