Week 14 Waiver Wire Sleepers & Overview for Fantasy Football Playoffs

 

Week 14 Waiver Wire for Fantasy Football Playoffs

We are past the bye weeks in the NFL, and if you've made it this far then you're in the fantasy football playoffs. Congrats, RotoBallers! Your lineups should once again be stocked with all the big-name players and star sleepers that you drafted.

Oh, that's right, half your team is injured...well, you've come to the right place. I'm here to help you out with reviews of all the top fantasy football waiver wire adds going into Week 14 of the NFL season and your fantasy football playoffs.

Just a friendly reminder that in my weekly waiver wire pickups overview column, I only highlight players owned in fewer than 50% of leagues on Fleaflicker. There very well may be other options out there, so be sure to read all of RotoBaller's Week 14 waiver wire analysis. And of course, you can always stop by the RotoBaller chat rooms for any live advice you may need.

For now, check out my waiver wire thoughts below for Week 14, and be sure to come back to see my rankings when they're posted right here on RotoBaller later on in the week!

 

Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickup Options

1. Johnny Manziel vs Colts - 13% Owned on Fleaflicker

First off, be aware that Manziel may not even have the starting job. Browns coach Mike Pettine said he would make his decision by Wednesday between him and Brian Hoyer. If he is the starter he makes a great fantasy play regardless of his actual QB talent, and he proved why in relief this past week. He made some aggressive throws downfield and flashed his great instincts as a runner with a great 10 yard rushing touchdown. Even if he struggles as a passer, he is very likely to add 50 yards rushing with a good chance for a score too. That means as long as he isn't a total zero throwing, he can easily give you a great streaming play this week.

 

2. Shaun Hill @ Redskins - 4% Owned on Fleaflicker

The Rams crushed the Raiders 52-0 this past week mostly thanks to their defense. While the game was still close though, the first two touchdowns were a pass by Hill and a rushing touchdown by Hill. Once the game was in the Rams' hands, he was able to sit back and play conservative with no turnovers. The Rams will have a great opportunity to follow the same formula against the Redskins. The Redskins are also one of a handful of teams that have allowed double-digit points to opposing quarterbacks in every game, so you can expect a high floor for Hill here.

 

3. Ryan Fitzpatrick @ Jaguars - 20% Owned on Fleaflicker

Something must have clicked for Fitzpatrick after he was benched. When he was asked to step back in, he promptly delivered the best performance of his career. It's easy to see his matchup against the Jags and want to jump on him as a stream this week. I'd advise caution. The Jags are no longer a good matchup for quarterbacks, and not even close really. The Jags are only giving up 12 points per game to opposing quarterbacks over their last seven games. That said, I do like Fitzpatrick's connection with DeAndre Hopkins, and even before this big breakout he wasn't really killing anyone that started him, so he should be a fairly safe play here with upside.

 

Running Back Waiver Wire Pickup Options

1. Dan Herron @ Browns - 28% Owned on Fleaflicker

Last week I was cautiously optimistic about Herron because I expected the Colts to (foolishly) continue giving Trent Richardson a healthy number of touches, limiting Herron's workload. Well that turned out to be correct and it still didn't matter. While T-Rich accumulated just 12 yards on 8 carries, Herron went off for 96 yards on 10 touches including a 49 yard run. Even without the big run, Herron was over 5.5 YPC on the day. It's safe to say that much like Ahmad Bradshaw before him, Herron is the much preferred option to Richardson for fantasy owners. The Browns aren't a great matchup but they are still much better than the Redskins who were very good against RBs before Herron torched them yesterday.

 

2. Latavius Murray vs 49ers - 46% Owned on Fleaflicker

I was really looking forward to how Murray would fare against the Rams, but unfortunately he was unable to recover in time from his concussion. He will almost definitely be back for his Week 14 matchup, but it's not a great one. The 49ers have only given up one rushing touchdown in their past five games. Despite that I expect the Raiders to lean on Murray heavily if he's healthy. Nothing else on the offense is working right now, so he is their best hope if they wish to score here.

 

3. Stepfan Taylor vs Chiefs - 7% Owned on Fleaflicker

It looks like Andre Ellington may miss Week 14 with an injury. There is no clear answer as to whether Stepfan Taylor or rookie Marion Grice will be his replacement. More than likely it's a total split and I prefer the guy with four touchdowns on the season, including a goal line score after Ellington left the game. I think it's pretty unlikely that Taylor exceeds 50-60 rushing yards, but he definitely seems like the goal line option. So if you're looking at RBs to grab off the Week 14 waiver wire this far down, he's probably your best bet.

 

Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickup Options

1. Kenny Stills vs Panthers - 47% Owned on Fleaflicker

Stills will almost certainly be the top waiver add in any league and with good reason. Over the past two games with Brandin Cooks out, Stills has recorded 13 catches for 260 yards and a touchdown. Against the Panthers there is a very good chance that continues. Stills has definitely passed Marques Colston as the top wide receiver for the high-octane Saints offense, and makes for an excellent play this week.

 

2. Stedman Bailey @ Redskins - 4% Owned on Fleaflicker

Bailey is another receiver who has seen a huge uptick in value over the past two games with Shaun Hill back at starting QB for the Rams. His numbers are dwarved by Kenny Stills, but still impressive nonetheless at 12 catches for 189 yards and a score over the past two games. He now gets a rather mediocre Redskins secondary. Just for some background info on Bailey - he was a college teammate of fellow Ram Tavon Austin, and came out of the same draft class in the third round. Bailey was the much more prolific touchdown scorer at West Virginia with an impressive 25 scores in his final year. He's not just some no-name that came out of nowhere. There may be some real staying power to his fantasy football value for your playoffs run.

 

3. Marqise Lee vs Texans - 8% Owned on Fleaflicker

It wasn't planned, but Lee has been thrust into a starting role for the Jaguars following the injuries of fellow rookies Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. It looks like Hurns will be healthy for next week's game, but Lee was still the most productive player on the field yesterday. Blake Bortles and Lee connected on a very nice looking touchdown. The Texans were giving up the most points to wide receivers going into yesterday and allowed a huge game by Kendall Wright (who has been a big disappointment on the year) while also allowing Nate Washington to score. I like the Jags' chances here.

 

Other WRs to consider: Much like the entire year the depth at WR is phenomenal. I mentioned Philly Brown (2%) here last week and he scored. Against the Saints next week he could do it again. Donte Moncrief (8%) had a huge day but it was fluky and only on 4 targets. I like him a ton for 2015 but this week's performance was unrepeatable. He definitely has upside though. Davante Adams (14%) has had several good games this year but this was his first game over 100 yards. He's still stuck behind Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb which makes him unlikely to repeat, but much like Moncrief he offers a lot of upside. Lastly we have Kendall Wright (66%) who is definitely out there in many leagues. He's been inconsistent on the year but has a favorable schedule during the playoffs.

 

Tight End Waiver Wire Pickup Options

1. Jordan Reed vs Rams - 52% Owned on Fleaflicker

I'm going slightly above the 50% line for tight end, because there are two really good options that are just above the line! If Reed is available he is by far the best tight end you can get. In two games with Colt McCoy he has 16 receptions. He appears to be fully healthy and is a much much better receiver than your average tight end. He offers upside you just can't find in other tight ends that might be available on the Week 14 waiver wire.

 

2. Kyle Rudolph vs Jets - 52% Owned on Fleaflicker

Rudolph's 2 catches for 7 yards and a touchdown was very typical for him. He rarely goes above 50 yards but he does score a lot of touchdowns and the Jets are a great matchup this week. He's definitely risky because of his low yardage totals, but he offers more upside than most.

 

3. Richard Rodgers vs Falcons - 6% Owned on Fleaflicker

Since I went over the 50% ownership mark with the last two, here is a player almost definitely available in your league. Andrew Quarless gets more snaps for the Packers, but Rodgers is the guy that has more upside for fantasy purposes. He now has two scores the past two weeks and has gone over 50 yards on two other occasions. I'd like to see more targets but with Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball Richard Rodgers always has potential.