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The fantasy football playoffs are here, and although there are virtually no studs found on the waiver wire at this point in the season, there are still a few moves that can be made ahead of Week 15. Fantasy title contenders should look to strengthen their benches by adding high-upside running back handcuffs and maybe even a backup quarterback as insurance. We have you covered.
The top waiver wire adds are often obvious for traditional 10 and 12-team leagues, but a larger pool of players is in consideration in leagues of 14 people or more. Some of these Week 15 deeper-league waiver wire suggestions will have value right away, while others are simply bench stashes that could help your fantasy team in the future. We won't cover chalk waiver wire pickups for shallower leagues like Odell Beckham Jr. and Noah Brown.
Without further ado, here are the top deeper league waiver wire targets for Week 15, including Joe Flacco, Jake Browning, Chase Brown, Rico Dowdle, Joshua Palmer, Noah Fant, and more.
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Running Back Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Chase Brown rushed eight times for 25 yards and caught three passes for 80 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Colts. With Joe Burrow (wrist) done for the season, the Bengals are seemingly playing like they have nothing to lose. The rookie ball carrier should continue to see touches behind Joe Mixon moving forward.
Rico Dowdle would have legitimate RB1 upside if Tony Pollard had to miss a game during the fantasy football playoffs. If he's not rostered in your league, pick him up now. Feel free to drop any wide receivers that haven't panned out yet or don't provide value very often.
Zamir White will be the Raiders' RB1 if Josh Jacobs (knee) has to miss time. Although White's ceiling would be limited in a bad offense, the second-year pro could see enough touches to reach double-digit fantasy points against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night.
Kenneth Gainwell remains a high-end running back handcuff stash behind D'Andre Swift.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire wasn't overly productive in Week 14 while Isiah Pacheco was sidelined with a shoulder injury, but he out-touched Jerick McKinnon 13 to seven. Chase the touches, not the touchdown that McKinnon scored.
Tyjae Spears doesn't produce fantasy-relevant numbers every week, but he can always be utilized as a deep-league flex option since he often gets a decent amount of work behind Derrick Henry.
D'Onta Foreman returned from an ankle injury in Week 14, and he rushed 11 times for 50 yards. He also caught two passes for 22 yards. Meanwhile, Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson combined for 14 yards on four attempts, and neither caught a pass. It looks like Foreman's backfield as long as he stays healthy.
Jeff Wilson Jr. is back on the bench after the return of De'Von Achane. However, the veteran back can be utilized as a handcuff stash for either Achane or Raheem Mostert.
Royce Freeman is no longer worth consideration in fantasy lineups, but he's the top handcuff for Kyren Williams.
Jordan Mason has outperformed Elijah Mitchell this season, so he's probably the preferred RB stash behind Christian McCaffrey
Note: Any direct backup running back, especially one in a good offense, should be considered a bench stash in deep leagues.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Rashid Shaheed has sat out each of the last two games with a thigh injury, but reports suggest he could be back in Week 15 against the New York Giants. The speedster is an adequate boom-or-bust flex option in any matchup.
Zay Jones and Parker Washington both have increased value after Christian Kirk (core) was placed on Injured Reserve. Both players are catching passing from Trevor Lawrence, so there is plenty of upside.
Jonathan Mingo has seen at least nine targets in each of his last two games and he has drawn at least six targets in five consecutive contests. Although his ceiling is limited by a horrific Panthers' offense, he could have immense flex value in PPR formats over the final few weeks of his rookie campaign.
Curtis Samuel has 13 catches on 17 targets for 165 yards in his last two games. Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson have fallen off, and Samuel has taken advantage. The Commanders had a Week 14 bye, but Samuel can be flexed in favorable matchups moving forward.
Joshua Palmer (knee) could return from Injured Reserve in Week 14. If Justin Herbert (finger) was healthy, Palmer would be a must-add in deep leagues. Unfortunately, Herbert has a fractured finger and could miss the remainder of the season. Still, Palmer has some value since Quentin Johnston hasn't been reliable for the Chargers' offense this year.
Demario Douglas could return from the concussion protocol in Week 15, and he was trending up before suffering the unfortunate injury. He has posted at least 10.5 PPR fantasy points in four of his last five games.
Michael Gallup isn't worth inserting in fantasy lineups right now, but he can be viewed as a "handcuff WR" for Brandin Cooks or CeeDee Lamb. Quarterback Dak Prescott is playing the best football of his career, so Gallup would have no shortage of flex appeal if he was elevated to an increased role.
Josh Reynolds is a touchdown-or-bust option this year, but in the Lions' high-powered offense, that makes him worth consideration in deep formats.
Tight End Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Tucker Kraft is likely to be the Packers' starting tight end for the rest of the fantasy season, as Luke Musgrave (kidney) is on Injured Reserve. Jordan Love is catching fire at the end of the season, so that makes Kraft an intriguing fantasy option in favorable matchups.
Chigoziem Okonkwo is a matchup-dependent streaming candidate for Week 15. The Houston Texans have been a bottom-five unit against fantasy tight ends, and Okonkwo has been getting involved in Will Levis' offense in recent weeks.
Logan Thomas draws a Week 15 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, who have allowed the third-most half-PPR fantasy points per game to tight ends.
Noah Fant will face a Philadelphia Eagles defense that was shredded by the pass in Week 14. Whether Geno Smith or Drew Lock starts, the athletic tight end has mid-range TE2 value.
Quarterback Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Jake Browning has been on fire since taking over for Joe Burrow. This season, he has completed over 75% of his passes for 924 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. He's also rushed for a score. With weapons like Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, it's not unreasonable to think he can keep the production rolling.
Joe Flacco has averaged 19.25 fantasy points per game during his first two starts with Cleveland. In Week 15, he faces a Chicago defense that has surrendered the eighth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Flacco is back!
Drew Lock played relatively well against a fierce 49ers' defense in Week 14, completing 22 of his 31 passes for 269 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. If he starts in place of an injured Geno Smith next week, it'll be against the Philadelphia Eagles, who are the worst defense in the NFL against fantasy quarterbacks.
Desmond Ridder posted a career-high 26.4 fantasy points on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He now has five rushing touchdowns on the season. Although he'll face tough matchups over the next two weeks, he's a better fantasy option than immobile quarterbacks on bad offenses.
Will Levis is set to face the Houston Texans, who were just torched by Zach Wilson for 300 yards passing. The rookie from Kentucky has a low floor, but he's thrown five touchdowns and no interceptions in three home games in Nashville this season, which is where this AFC South contest takes place.
Backup Quarterbacks To Stash For Two-QB/Superflex Leagues
- Mike White
- Tyler Huntley
- Marcus Mariota
- Jacoby Brissett
- Teddy Bridgewater
- Jameis Winston
- Carson Wentz
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