Top Sleepers & Waiver Wire Pickups for the Playoffs (Weeks 15-16)

December 8, 2014

Zach Wilkens looks at the top waiver wire and sleeper options for your fantasy football playoffs. These NFL RBs, WRs, TEs, QBs and DEF are worth a look off the waiver wire.

If you've made it this far into the season, congratulations! Its not easy getting into the playoffs and once teams get there, many owners don't bother scouring the waiver wire to make adds they probably won't use.

As we've saw with Brandon Marshall this week things can change quickly and you want to make sure your you have someone ready to step in on your bench! Beyond that, finding the right defense / special teams for the next couple of weeks is crucial, as the difference between a good matchup and a bad one can decide a championship.

I've compiled a list of several players who could help you during the playoff run. Take a look at your bench and if there are guys you KNOW you won't be using the next two weeks - whether it is bad matchups, tons of depth, an injury or whatever - add one of these guys instead. Maybe you'll use them, maybe you won't. As a playoff team I'm sure you know its better to be prepared for anything!

Fantasy Football Playoffs (Week 15-16) - Waiver Wire

WR Kenny Stills - 62% Owned on Fleaflicker

Week 15 @ Bears, Week 16 vs Falcons

Kenny Stills is still out there in plenty of leagues and at this point I feel really good about him. Not only that but his schedule is great. He is a WR2 play with WR1 upside. Brandin Cooks isn't coming back so the targets should be here to stay. I watched Stills' performance against the Steelers and every single catch was impressive. With Drew Brees at QB, Stills is not only a great add but could be a starter for many teams right away.

D/ST Baltimore Ravens - 50% Owned on Fleaflicker

Week 15 vs Jags, Week 16 @ Texans

This defense just lost Haloti Ngata and you can't underestimate that loss on the defensive line. Thankfully they face two of the weaker offenses in the league the next two weeks and should still be a strong play. I am a little worried about the Texans given how well Ryan Fitzpatrick played in Week 13 but the Ravens should be a top ten or twelve play there and a top five play against the Jags.

D/ST Green Bay Packers - 62% Owned on Fleaflicker

Week 15 @ Bills, Week 16 @ Bucs

The Packers aren't an elite defense but you have to acknowledge that nice fantasy playoff schedule. I have a hard time seeing either of those teams keeping up with the Packers. When they are inevitably forced to throw down in the second half that should lead to some turnovers and a decent number of fantasy points!

RB Dan Herron - 37% Owned on Fleaflicker

Week 15 vs Texans, Week 16 @ Cowboys

While neither the Texans or Cowboys represent an easy matchup, they aren't awful either. Especially when you compare Herron to Latavius Murray (Chiefs, Bills), a similarly popular RB add the last few weeks, the matchups make Herron the more viable play during the fantasy playoffs. The Colts claim they will keep splitting the touches between Herron and Trent Richardson but with how much better Herron has looked he will get more touches. I'm thinking they might give him a full workload at the end of the season as well just to see what they have for the playoffs since he is much fresher than other players given his light workload to date.

QB Alex Smith - 47% Owned on Fleaflicker

Week 15 vs Raiders, Week 16 @ Steelers

Sure Smith lacks huge upside but he is extremely reliable and you can feel good knowing he can get you points in the 12-17 range. Its not sexy but if you have Colin Kaepernick in Week 15 (@Seahawks) or Jay Cutler Week 16 (vs Lions), the safety of Alex Smith looks pretty darn good. He won't win you the championship, but he won't lose it for you either. If you know you have a strong team at RB/WR it might be smart to look to Smith.

QB Nick Foles - 58% Owned on Fleaflicker

Week 15 vs Cowboys, Week 16 @ Redskins

I'm pretty sure that ownership percentage is skewed by dynasty leagues and people not paying attention. In your standard league, Foles is probably out there. It would certainly be a gamble given that we don't know if he'll be healthy for his week 16 matchup but if he is I think he would be a top ten play against the Redskins. Of course Mark Sanchez also stands in the way as some have suggested he could keep the starting role with good play but we'll see about that. If you have a deep bench its a good waiver wire pickup to consider.

QB Johnny Manziel - 18% Owned on Fleaflicker

Week 15 vs Bengals, Week 16 @ Panthers

Yes, Johnny Football is finally the starter right now in Cleveland, as Hoyer was looking really bad and was on a short leash. Adding Manziel would be a savvy move that offers a ton of upside at the QB position. The idea of actually gambling on Manziel in a playoff matchup is scary but this is a guy who could easily run for 70 yards and a touchdown. That's 13 points right there, already in the safe range of Alex Smith. Add even just 150 yards and a touchdown, even with a turnover and that is a top ten quarterback. If you like to gamble, Manziel is your add for the playoff stretch.

RB Ronnie Hillman - 57% Owned on Fleaflicker

Week 15 @ Chargers, Week 16 @ Bengals

It looks like CJ Anderson has locked down the starting job in Denver and rightly so, as he's played great. That said, I'm still owning Hillman in a couple leagues just in case. Let's not forget that Hillman was ahead of Anderson on the depth chart to start and was a top ten RB for a four week period himself. In the best-case scenario he returns Week 15 and John Fox decides to name him starter for whatever reason. He would be in my top fifteen. Barring that ideal scenario he could still end up seeing around 10 touches which would make him a decent flex play.

WR Nate Washington - 9% Owned on Fleaflicker

Week 15 vs Jets, Week 16 @ Jaguars

I never imagined I'd be writing about Nate Washington this year but the right set of circumstances have led to some serious potential. First off, look at those two matchups! The Titans might have the best schedule for WRs during those two weeks. Beyond that Justin Hunter is out for the season and Kendall Wright now has a cracked bone in his hand. Its not clear what Wright's status is for Week 15 but either way I like Washington. He already has at least 60 yards in each of the past three weeks with two touchdowns. Kendall Wright is also worth considering but a cracked bone in the hand sounds like a serious issue for a receiver.