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Kyle's must-have fantasy football bench stashes and waiver wire sleepers for Week 15 (2023). He picks high-upside NFL players to stash on your teams and outlines a plan to maximize your upside in the fantasy football playoffs.
In just about every fantasy football league the playoffs have started. Congratulations if you made it! If you're out of it, you might still be playing for the No. 1 pick in next year's draft, and in most dynasty leagues players can still make moves if they're eliminated, so it wouldn't hurt to pick up a few younger players who could make a splash next offseason. Nonetheless, even if you're in the playoffs it never hurts to look ahead to see who could be a potential solid depth piece for your team or who you might be able to pick up to block your league mates. Might sound harsh, but this is the fantasy playoffs and all is fair in love and war.
We saw plenty of fireworks on Thursday Night Football between the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders, a game that had a total of 84 points as the Chargers were defeated 63-21 and Head Coach Brandon Staley and General Manager Tom Telesco were both let go on Friday morning. This will be an action-packed weekend of NFL games with three being played on Saturday, December 16 followed by the usual slate of Sunday games.
The good news is we are officially done with bye weeks and the NFL playoffs are just one month away. Even if you are feeling good about your fantasy roster during the playoffs, it's always important to be scouring your league's waivers for any potential gems as well as looking at the rosters of your league mates and seeing who you might be able to block. Now let's dive into the Week 15 waiver wire stashes, shall we?
Editor's Note: Find sleeper picks, undervalued ADPs, and draft targets to help you dominate your fantasy football drafts. Try our free who to draft tool for personalized recommendations.
Weekend Waiver Wire Stashes Before Week 14
Jerick McKinnon (RB), Kansas City Chiefs
40% rostered on Yahoo, 236% on ESPN
2022's fantasy football playoff darling, McKinnon had three Top-6 fantasy finishes in Weeks 14-15, and Week 17 despite having a total of just 18 carries in all three games. His skill set is best as a receiver out of the backfield. McKinnon runs good routes, has good hands, and always seems to be in sync with QB Patrick Mahomes when the talented QB extends plays outside the pocket looking for an open man. This year, he has been a little slow out of the gates as RB Isiah Pacheco has taken control over the backfield, but Pacheco is banged up and will miss Week 15 and his status beyond that is also TBD.
New England has a matchup with the Patriots, Raiders, and Bengals to finish out the fantasy playoffs. McKinnon's only competition will likely come from Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Given how much they've struggled in the air this season compared to years past, you can't help but wonder if McKinnon brings an element to their offense that Pacheco doesn't. McKinnon has been a little banged up and is getting up there in age (31), but it's not unreasonable to think that he could give Kansas City's offense a spark this week and beyond depending on what happens with Pacheco.
Will Levis (QB), Tennessee Titans
27% rostered on Yahoo, 16% on ESPN
It's been a bit of a bumpy ride for Levis since his Week 8 debut where he shined with 238 yards passing and 4 TDs. He hasn't finished higher than QB15 in his last six starts, but Levis led the Titans on a ferocious comeback on MNF against the Dolphins where they trailed by 14 points with just three minutes remaining. Could that be the kind of event to supercharge the rest of their season? The Titans play the Texans in Weeks 15 and 17, and the Texans albeit having a very impressive 2023 season are limping into their matchup against Tennessee with several starters out with injuries including the uber-talented edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.
Levis has a cannon for an arm and good enough mobility, as evidenced by him trucking Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey in the open field last week. Rookie quarterbacks can get better down the stretch during their rookie season, and while Levis hasn't had a big game recently, the schedule is favorable with the Texans in Week 15 followed by a Seahawks defense in Week 16 that is leaking some major oil. WR DeAndre Hopkins has been good enough this season, but the offense has needed something from WR Treylon Burks, who hasn't been able to stay healthy. Nonetheless, keep your eye on Levis.
Demario Douglas (WR), New England Patriots
19% rostered on Yahoo, 29% on ESPN
The rookie was having a very successful debut season before a concussion derailed Douglas in Week 12. Known as "Pop," Douglas has been one of the lone bright spots for New England this season. Bailey Zappe is now in at quarterback for the Pats for the rest of the year and while it might not make a whole lot of difference, it could be huge for Douglas who hails from the slot. Before the concussion, Douglas had a total of 39 targets over five games and his value will be best in full PPR formats.
Kenneth Gainwell (RB), Philadelphia Eagles
28% rostered on Yahoo, 14% on ESPN
Yes, I know. You're tired of seeing Gainwell on this list when he hasn't done anything, but he's still the next man up in one of the league's top rushing attacks. Starting RB D'Andre Swift has cooled off over the last month and hasn't been dominant for fantasy at all. Is he wearing down after a full season of use? We certainly hope not, but Gainwell is still worth stashing just in case his name is called for a bigger role.
Zay Jones (WR), Jacksonville Jaguars
30% rostered on Yahoo, 33% on ESPN
Last week, Jones was an absolute target monster with 14 targets as Jaguars WR Christian Kirk was placed on injured reserve. Jones only finished with five receptions for 29 yards against a tough Cleveland Browns defense, but he's got the potential upside we are looking for. Starting QB Trevor Lawrence is still hobbled with an ankle sprain, but is expected to play. The Jags have another difficult matchup against the Ravens on Sunday, but it's hard to pass up a pass catcher like Jones who is sure to see plenty of volume. It might not look pretty, but there's one important lesson we've learned in fantasy over the years: always chase the volume.
Tucker Kraft (TE), Green Bay Packers
10% rostered on Yahoo, 3% on ESPN
Kraft will appear on this list for the second week in a row. The Packers could potentially be without starting RBs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, as well as WR Christian Watson and TE Luke Musgrave. Green Bay is facing off against Tampa Bay this weekend in a matchup of former NFC Central foes. The Bucs defensive front is stout and the Packers may just be forced to keep airing it out by default.
Kraft was a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and had an NIL deal to play at Alabama for his final season, but he opted to stay at North Dakota State. Last week in their loss to the Giants, Kraft finished with four targets and four receptions for 64 yards. He is likely a TD-dependent play, but given the injuries to the Packers' skill players right now he has some upside if you're in a tight spot this week.
Tennessee Titans Defense
20% rostered
Tennessee's defense hasn't been amazing for fantasy by any means this season, but they face the Houston Texans in Week 15, who will be without starting QB C.J. Stroud, WR Tank Dell (who was placed on injured reserve), and likely starting WR Nico Collins. Ouch. Veteran Case Keenum will be the starting QB for the Texans this week, and, inevitably, the Titans (who are still competing for the playoffs) might smell blood in the water. They will face the Seahawks in Week 16, who have also been struggling, followed by the Texans again in Week 17. If anything, the Titans defense is fine to start this week if you're really in a bind.
We hope you like these selections ahead of Week 15! Even if you don't have room to pick up some of these players, it's important to stay ahead of your league mates and preserve FAAB so that you have it at the end of the year when you need it. Feel free to follow me on Twitter/X for more waiver and player analysis throughout the season!
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