December 8, 2015

Ed Gorelik analyzes Week 14 sleepers available on 2015 fantasy football waiver wires. These NFL running backs (RBs), wide receivers (WRs), tight ends (TEs) and quarterbacks (QBs) are fantasy football sleepers.

Waiver Wire Adds for Week Fourteen

The thirteenth Sunday of the season is through with the Steelers completely routing the Colts defense for the second year in a row, this time without the need of a competitive game. They did it just because they could.

Week 13 saw Cam Newton put in his highest bid so far for the MVP trophy, running backs Buck Allen and James White have fantastic receiving performances even by wide receiver standards, one of Allen Robinson's most dominant games, and a week where you could've played the entire Steelers offense, defense, and kicker as your starting lineup and potentially won.

Below are some waiver wire pickups and sleepers for Week 14 who can have a potential impact for your teams. My piece won't cover all waiver wire adds and targets each week, as there are just too many with all the league types out there, but I'll be highlighting and prioritizing the biggest impact players. Additionally, be sure to check out many more great RotoBaller articles and waiver wire analysis pieces at each position throughout the week, including risers/fallers, deeper league sleepers, rankings and more.

Week 14 Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups

Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB, NYJ)

39% Owned on Fleaflicker

Fitzpatrick has been steady and consistent for the entire year when it comes to getting touchdowns. Even with shaky on the field play, he's managed 2 TDs in every game he's finished this year, other than week 4 in Miami. His next opponent will be a weak Titans defense that lost it's top corner recently and he'll even get to play them at home. After that things get a little more difficult but it hasn't stopped him at any point from staying at a high floor.

Tyrod Taylor (QB, BUF)

41% Owned on Fleaflicker

With the Bills remembering that Sammy Watkins is a deep threat, Tyrod's passing has suddenly opened up. Despite being a lobber when it comes to the deep pass, it doesn't really matter when the guy you're throwing to is wide open all the time. Those deep passes have also helped open up the rest of the field and given Tyrod the ability to work a lot more like he used to work before an injury took him out mid-season. He's back on the QB1 radar with games against the horrible Eagles and Redskins defenses coming up.

Jameis Winston (QB, TB)

48% Owned on Fleaflicker

Jameis Winston faces the dream matchup this upcoming week with the Saints at home. Winston's already been showing high level play all season long and could be looking at even better play now that Vincent Jackson AND Austin Sefarian Jenkins are back in the lineup. He's likely the most wanted streaming option this week.

Other Quarterback Options: 

• CHI QB Jay Cutler - 54% owned - After a hot start to his season, Cutler's been off the rails his last three weeks. Despite some easy matchups, he's suffered from the losses of Jeffery and Bennett for short periods of time and even with them together failed to put together a good fantasy day. Despite that, he still has easy matchups and could be looking to bounce back once Marquess Wilson re-enters the lineup next week. Maybe he was a bigger part of his production than we realized.
• TEN QB Marcus Mariota - 52% owned - Mariota exits his two game easy schedule entering three difficult matchups against the Jets, Patriots, and Texans- two of which are on the road. Sometimes however, talent trumps everything else and maybe this is one of those times. He's there if you're in need.

More Options: Matt Hasselback, Brock Osweiler, Brian Hoyer

Week 14 Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups

Javorius Allen (RB, BAL)

56% Owned on Fleaflicker

Still available on just under half of all waiver wires, Allen is proving to be a much better player than expected- kinda. Allen still isn't much for a ground threat but with 10 yards per reception and a huge volume to work with he's had two great back to back weeks. Next week will be tougher with the Seahawks coming to town, and we'll likely see just how good Allen really is but at this point the volume of 25+ touches a game should cover his floor and make him a weekly FLEX play. He should be owned in every league.

Buck Allen's 41 yard TD isn't very impressive, as two defenders fall on their own while attempting to tackle him- but being able to catch is going to keep his floor high.

Shaun Draughn (RB, SF)

27% Owned in Fleaflicker

Somehow Shaun Draughn has managed to find a startable FLEX floor in nearly any kind of league. He's seeing a regular 40 yards in the air and 40 yards on the ground and has become one of Blaine Gabberts most used targets. In PPR leagues he's even better, with a 14 point floor every week so far. It's time to start respecting Shaun Draughn, especially since two of his next three matchups are going to be incredibly easy ones against the Browns and Lions.

James White (RB, NE)

36% Owned on Fleaflicker

James White operated as the lead back for the majority of the Patriots game against the Eagles. He managed to have the ninth highest receiving yardage amongst all players in week 13 (as of Sunday night) and might be able to keep putting up 50 to 60 yards as the Patriots lack healthy weapons to utilize. White's points may be unreliable since 13 targets aren't easy to come by, but this is a position of need for most owners and it's best to take what you can get at this point of the year.

Spencer Ware (RB, KC)

47% Owned on Fleaflicker

Still available in most leagues, Ware and West are in a timeshare where Ware seems to have the redzone area on lockdown. He's been a better rusher than West on the season, so he may be able to find a bigger role on the ground over the rest of the year. Unfortunately, his upside will be capped as long as West sticks around. Ware is showing to be a much better talent than many people anticipated and is a name to remember for next year.

Ameer Abdullah (RB, DET)

57% Owned on Fleaflicker

Abdullah's still a very skilled player playing on limited touches. At this point in the season it's hard to see him escaping his role and into the feature spot on this offense but he's worth more on the bench than some other players you might own. He'll be worth a lot more next year, especially since his lackluster rookie year will likely make him cheap.

Juwan Thompson (RB, DEN)

2% Owned on Fleaflicker

I bet few people remember that Gary Kubiak really liked Juwan Thompson during training camp and considered him in the running for the starting job. Well, C.J. Anderson got injured yesterday and might be missing a lot of snaps in upcoming weeks. This team already utilizes a committee, so there's a chance Thompson gets his.

Other Running Back Options: 

• TEN Antonio Andrews - 43% owned - Andrews is seeing the ball just 12 times a game, but that's more than most people on this part of the list. He hasn't done particularly great with the carries he's had this season and has a tough schedule coming up. He's a fill in if you're in need.
• DET RB Theo Riddick - 29% owned - Riddick's just an every week feature here at this point, continuing to show PPR value even in weeks where his yardage is weak. He's a low-end RB2 in PPR leagues, and should be owned in all of them.
• DAL RB Robert Turbin - 21% owned - Turbin operates as the backup behind perennially injured Darren McFadden. He's worth handcuffing if you're a McFadden owner.
• NYJ RB Bilal Powell - 22% owned - Powell's another player that's just not that talented and getting the most out of poor defensive play. His game against the Giants saw him run into wide open spaces as a receiver, and he's been utilized there often by the Jets but not often enough to make him startable. He's still looking like a handcuff for Ivory.
• PIT RB Fitzgerald Toussaint - 0% owned - He doesn't have any actual value, but he's now the #2 behind DeAngelo Williams. You know if Williams goes down, he'll be looking at a solid RB2 workload and scoring opportunity. Worth handcuffing at this point.
• TB RB Charles Sims - 58% owned - Overrated by the fantasy community, Sims is a decent back playing behind a far better back. He offers some low-end PPR flex value, and minimal standard value outside of a handcuff.
• MIA RB Jay Ajayi - 32% owned - Ajayi is still looking pretty good on the field but is just another handcuff to add to your bench right now.
• GB RB John Crockett - 1% owned - In his short time on the football field on Thursday, Crockett left quite the impression. I went back and re-watched the film and unfortunately didn't see the kind of flash that either Lacy or Starks show but the small amount of carries Crockett got isn't enough to judge him on. Crockett still seems like a long shot for meaningful carries and might've been on the field more-so to punish Lacy for missing a team meeting (as has been reported) than for his immediate talent. It should be noted that the Packers do really like Crockett, though.
• ARI RB Kerwynn Williams - 2% Owned - Weird add here, but Arians has been very weird with his running back usage all year long. Williams might find a role for himself as a rusher if Arians feels like using him that way. A long shot add.
• TEN RB David Cobb - 38% owned - Cobb's light is starting to turn on but not enough to make him startable. He's another name to keep in mind next year as his value should remain low due to a lackluster rookie year. I'm just putting him down here so you don't forget about him.

More Options: Denard Robinson, Rod Smith, Tim Hightower, Dexter McCluster, Jamize Olawale, Orleans Darkwa, , Stevan Ridley, Matt Jones,  Ka'Deem Carey, Jonathan Grimes

Week 14 Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups

Doug Baldwin (WR, SEA)

57% Owned on Fleaflicker

So Doug Baldwin might actually be real now. Crazy to think. He's always been a reliable target but never seemed to be the dynamic, offense carrying type, but he's been forced into that role this year and hasn't exactly shined or faded out. With few other targets to throw to, he might actually be worth owning especially since his next two weeks have the weak Ravens and Browns defenses that both allow some of the best stats against WRs.

Dorial Green-Beckham (WR, TEN)

35% Owned on Fleaflicker

It's time to fire up this bandwagon again. I love DGB's talent and would love for this big 117 yard, one touchdown game to be his true breakout. Re-watching the broadcast definitely showed a talented wide receiver finding space in zone coverage, beating man, adjusting to make tough catches and making the most of his size. Green-Beckham still has major WR1 potential in the NFL and although his value is currently tied to Mariota's ups and downs as well as his own ups and downs, he's still worth owning in all leagues.

Dorial Green-Beckham was bound to make plays sooner or later.

DeVante Parker (WR, MIA)

22% Owned on Fleaflicker

Coming off two straight weeks with a touchdown, DeVante Parker is showing his ability to make deep plays as his train finally gets on the tracks. Parker's an athletic talent who drew plenty of comparisons to players like Josh Gordon and A.J. Green during the draft process and that potential is still within him if he can build the rest of his game but right now he may be presenting the best outside threat for the Dolphins as he is. With Rishard Matthews likely lost for the rest of the year, Parker is going to be given his shot to keep this momentum going into his sophomore year.

DeVante Parker's ability to get separation, high point, and catch between two defenders is something Miami is going to want to use often.

Kamar Aiken (WR, BAL)

43% Owned on Fleaflicker

Schaub was expected to plummet the value of Aiken but instead he's just force fed him across two games. He's seen back to back double digit targets and caught 12 balls in the last two weeks for 128 yards and a touchdown. It's not great, but it's a lot of opportunity. A tough matchup lies on the horizon, but after that Aiken might be startable as a realistic FLEX.

Brian Hartline (WR, CLE)

8% Owned on Fleaflicker

That's right, we're talking about Brian Hartline again. With Travis Benjamin suffering an injury Brian Hartline may be the next man up. I'd keep an eye on Benjamin in case he does return this week, but if not Hartline faces an easy matchup against the 49ers defense and may be the #1 WR on a depleted offense. That isn't saying much since he isn't a big talent but volume is value.

Other Wide Receiver Options: 

• CAR WR Devin Funchess - 25% owned - Funchess has shown to be more touchdown dependent than reliable. It's likely that he's not seeing realistic value this year for most people but still might be able to find some in deeper leagues.
• CHI WR Marquess Wilson - 10% owned - He'll mostly be a handcuff for Alshon Jeffery, but he's a decent player on his own and could still see a bigger role in this offense.
• PIT WR Markus Wheaton - 41% owned - Wheaton's found a role on offense as the third WR behind two other-wordly WRs. He may be more touchdown dependent than reliable, but this is an offense that scores a lot of touchdowns.
• NO WR Brandon Coleman -  3% owned - All that offseason hype turned into a benching for Coleman in favor for Snead, who's now out with an injury for who knows how long. If he stays out this week, Coleman's value might grow again. He shouldn't be started next week when he faces TB's dreadful secondary, but in a Lions matchup where Cooks may be manned up with blooming corner Darius Slay, Coleman may be next in line for targets.
• ARI WR J.J. Nelson - 7% owned - A role player as a deep threat in an offense that loves to go deep, Nelson has volatile weekly value that's really dependent on the health of the wide receivers in front of him.
• DAL WR Cole Beasley - 12% owned - Beasley has been the only player to see any sort of increased value with Matt Cassel at helm for the Cowboys. He's averaged 7 fantasy points in standard with Cassel at QB vs 5 with Romo.

More Options: Cecil Shorts, Rueben Randle, Bryan Walters, Albert Wilson, Nelson Agholor, Lance Moore, Ted Ginn, Nick Williams, Kenny Stills, Josh Huff, Cody Latimer, Seth Roberts

Week 14 Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups

Scott Chandler (TE, NE)

45% Owned on Fleaflicker

Chandler saw seven targets in Gronk's absence and was able to make good on them with four catches for 61 yards and a touchdown against a defense that had only allowed two touchdowns to the position all year. If Gronk's out again this week, it looks like Chandler will be ready to put up some placeholder points.

Richard Rodgers (TE, GB)

47% Owned on Fleaflicker

Does the hail mary force Rodgers (the QB) to feed Rodgers (the TE)? We really don't know. Rodgers has been unreliable all year and very touchdown dependent, putting up less than 50 yards in all weeks prior to this one. Still, this is only a second year player who just caught all eight of his targets for 146 yards in a big comeback performance. I'd take the chance.

Austin Sefarian-Jenkins (TE, TB)

47% Owned on Fleaflicker

The return came as Austin Sefarian-Jenkins finally made it back onto the field. It was a quiet outing, but that's to be expected from someone who hasn't even seen the field in nearly three months. He still had 6 targets this week (which was the 9th highest amongst TEs for week 13) and might be seeing more as he gets comfortable.

Other Tight End Options: 

• TE DEN Owen Daniels - 36% owned - Vernon Davis' injury opens the door for Daniels to take back the leading role on this offense at tight end, even if that role might not have as much value as previously expected. Daniels talent isn't particularly special but there aren't a lot of tight ends on the waivers showing a lot more value.
• TE HOU Ryan Griffin - 1% owned - Griffin's a big target, who can run routes and break contact with his size but isn't much of a dynamic threat. Reportedly he's still recovering from his knee injury and had some trouble running routes as he still felt soreness but he's a player worth picking up if you're in need for the position. Likely better to wait another week before putting him in your lineup though. Side note, Bill O'Brian is the guy who OC'd the Patriots during their crazy two-TE years with Gronk and Hernandez.

More Options: Coby Fleener, Jared Cook, Kyle Rudolph, Luke Willson

Week 14 Defense (D/ST) Waiver Wire Pickups

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

33% Owned on Fleaflicker

Everyone remembers the old Drew Brees on the road thing right? Well, check it out for this season. Brees on the road has:

• 61% completion % compared to 71% completion % at home
• 6.43 yards per attempt compared to 8.43 yards per attempt at home
• 6 touchdowns on 207 attempts compared to 17 touchdowns on 249 attempts at home
• 6 interceptions on 207 attempts compared to 5 interceptions on 249 attempts at home

These are huge differences that completely change games. I'm never one for picking a divisional matchup as my streamer, but this feels like the exception this week. In his last 3 road matchups, Brees has thrown four interceptions and only three touchdowns and not surpassed 300 yards. That average is nearly the same output he had when he faced the Buccaneers in week 2. I'm going for it.

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