As it always does, the 2022 NFL season has gone quite fast. With Week 14 upon us, the fantasy football playoffs have very much begun in a lot of cases and our actions have to be illustrative of that. It was a wild week once again as we watched Lamar Jackson leave with an injury and sweat out the status of Kenneth Walker. Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown went nuts for Philadelphia and we also saw Amon-Ra St. Brown go off. In preparation for what very well could be a make or break week, let us take a look at some NFL Waiver Wire targets. 

 

 

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups Week 14

NFL Waiver Wire Quarterbacks 

Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens, FAAB Bid: 10-15%

While Huntley is very clearly not the same player Lamar Jackson is, they have similar skillsets and he is more than a capable replacement from a fantasy perspective. For those in two quarterback or deeper leagues, I can see Huntley being even more expensive from a bidding perspective as the possibility of a Jackson return gives us some cause for concern during the bidding process. At this point, it does appear that, at the very least, Jackson will be sidelined for Week 14, and at this point, we are essentially in the playoffs so there really is no tomorrow. Huntley did a solid job through the air against Denver completing 27 of 32 passes for 187 yards and also coming through when it counted most as he led the Ravens on a game winning drive that spanned 91 yards and 16 plays. What truly puts him on our radar though is his legs, and Huntley carried the ball 10 times for 41 yards and a touchdown, which provides a nice fantasy floor.

 

Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers, FAAB Bid: 4%

If you are forced to play the wire this week, and Huntley is not available, Pickett looks to the best of the bunch. While he has yet to have a game with multiple touchdown passes, he did throw his third on Sunday while leading Pittsburgh to victory with 197 passing yards. It was the fourth straight week that Pickett did not throw an interception and the rookie has appeared to incrementally improve each week and, at the least, provide a solid floor in a good matchup against Baltimore.

 

Baker Mayfield, Free Agent, FAAB Bid: 2%

With Jimmy Garoppolo now out for the season, by the time you read this the newly released Mayfield could very well be calling San Francisco home. Mayfield, while talented (at least based on when he was healthy) does not have the best NFL resume, but there are more than a few teams that can use a veteran signal caller so he is certainly a name to keep any eye on. San Francisco did bring in Josh Johnson on Sunday, and he also bears watching here, but I do rank the veteran third among potential options. 

 

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers, FAAB Bid: 2%

Pressed into duty on Sunday against Miami, Purdy did a fine job in the sense that he led the 49ers to victory. The rookie threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns, and while I am not sure how much more we can expect to see from him moving forward, the main concern is that San Francisco brings in a veteran, such as Mayfield, to send Purdy back to the bench. We should also note that the 49ers have already brought in veteran Josh Johnson to, at the very least, lurk in the background. 

 

NFL Waiver Wire Running Backs 

Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams, FAAB Bid: 15%

To say that Akers has had an up and down season would be an understatement, but he is back front and center in the backfield for the Rams. That was very much evident on Sunday as Akers carried the ball 17 times for 60 yards and two touchdowns in what was his best game of the season. It is a quick turnaround to a favorable matchup against the Raiders on Thursday, and it is clear that the Rams have to get creative on offense that does entail relying on Akers and the ground game. 

 

Zonovan Knight, New York Jets, FAAB Bid: 12%

With Michael Carter still sidelined with an ankle injury and James Robinson taking a backseat, the Jets’ backfield once again belonged to Knight. This week that meant 90 rushing yards on 15 carries while the rookie also caught all five of his targets for another 28 yards. At this point, Knight appears to be the leading back for the Jets and his performance has backed that up. 

 

James Cook, Buffalo Bills, FAAB Bid: 7%

The Bills did not draft Cook for him to sit on the sidelines, and this week against the Patriots, we finally saw what the rookie is capable of. Buffalo let Cook loose and he gained 64 yards on 14 carries while also catching all six of his targets for another 41 yards. I would not expect to see the Bills dial things back with the rookie moving forward. 

 

DeeJay Dallas, Seattle Seahawks, FAAB Bid: 5%

Talk about a mess in the Seattle backfield. Kenneth Walker left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, and after an MRI we are still awaiting details on his status for next week’s game. With Dallas as the backup though, things should be cut and dry and we can just move along on our way. The issue though, is that Dallas also has an ankle issue of his own although it did not force him out of action against the Rams. With 10 carries for 37 yards, Dallas did not exactly make a splash, but when it comes to running back, it is all about who is sitting atop the depth chart, and it very well could be him this week. Another name to keep an eye on, Travis Homer, was inactive with a knee injury so the Seahawks could truly be shorthanded in the backfield this week.

 

Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers, FAAB Bid: 2%

With Elijah Mitchell out, Mason took on a larger role this week and finished with 51 yards on a eight carries. It is abundantly clear that the San Francisco backfield belongs to Christian McCaffrey, but right now Mason is the handcuff and if you are in a jam, there is room for him in a supporting role. Given the uncertainly under center for the 49ers, I would also look for them to rely a little more heavily on the run game so that would likely lead to additional work for Mason.

 

NFL Waiver Wire Wide Receivers

D.J. Chark, Detroit Lions, FAAB Bid: 5%

The main thing here for Chark is his health as that finally appears to be in order as he found his groove against the Jaguars this past week. It was a strong week all round for the Lions offense, and there is no reason for that success not to continue; although we cannot mark them down for 40 points on a weekly basis. Chark caught five of his six targets for 98 yards and I would expect there to be a great deal of offense again this week against Minnesota. 

 

Nico Collins, Houston Texans, FAAB Bid: 5%

If you follow the targets, Collins continues to be worth a closer look as he has been targeted 36 times over the past four weeks. What does hold Collins back though is the fact that he had just three receptions on Sunday and 18 in total over that stretch with a high of 49 yards. Kyle Allen will continue looking Collins’ way and that volume is worth pursuing. 

 

Isaiah Hodgins, New York Giants, FAAB Bid: 3-4%

At this point we have to simply accept that the Giants do not have much of anything to work with from a wide receiver perspective, although Odell Beckham Jr is lurking, but Hodgins has been making his presence felt as of late. Previously a member of the Bills, there is a great deal of familiarity here along with the opportunity alongside Darius Slayton, and Hodgins is taking advantage of the opportunity. He had his best game of the season on Sunday with five receptions, on six targets, for 44 yards and his first touchdown of the season. While New York is careful not to ask too much of Daniel Jones, they are going to have to move the ball through the air, and that means Hodgins continues to have a role. 

 

Corey Davis, New York Jets, FAAB Bid: 2-3%

The Jets are rolling, as they should, with Mike White under center once again, and the signal caller is looking for his third straight game with at least 300 passing yards. Davis has had an up and down season, to say the least, but his chances are better with White at the helm. Last week that was on display with Davis catching five of his 10 targets for 85 yards and they likely will be busy through the air once again to keep up with the Bills. 

 

Brandon Powell, Los Angeles Rams, FAAB Bid: 1%

This is very much a boom or bust play here, and the Rams play on Thursday so an early decision is necessary, but Los Angeles has to do something on offense even if we do not know who their quarterback will be. With Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson sidelined, something has to give, and Powell swept up some production this past week catching all four of his targets for 39 yards while rushing three times for another 45 yards. In deep leagues, chase if you must.  

 

NFL Waiver Wire Tight Ends

Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos, FAAB Bid: 2%

The Denver offense has been far from ideal this year, and Dulcich has not caught a touchdown since his first game this season, but he did get back on track this past Sunday. Dulcich caught six of his eight targets for 85 yards and that volume puts him back on our radar. 

 

Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, FAAB Bid: 2%

Trying to figure out Tampa Bay and their offense this season has been quite exhausting, but Otton did bounce back in a big way on Monday after not being targeting the previous week. Otton has emerged as steady contributor for the Buccaneers and that led to six receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. 


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