We are finally there; the fruits of our labor have finally paid off and we’re in the home stretch as we enter the fantasy football playoffs. You haven’t slacked off all year long, and you’re not going to start now. It is a little difficult out there on waivers, as we’re low on FAAB dollars, the choices are slim, and we have even more injuries to deal with. Justin Herbert may be done for the season, C.J. Stroud is in concussion protocol, Nico Collins injured his calf, Justin Jefferson went to the hospital with a chest injury, and Josh Jacobs left with an ankle injury, just to name a few. It may be rough, but we can do this!

Even if you don’t need someone, now is the time to trim the fat from your roster. If you’re not ever going to put them in your lineup and they haven’t been producing, get aggressive on the waiver wire to make sure your opponents don’t snipe someone and use them against you. We have to be proactive, but you know that already. To help you out, I’ve done the digging so you don’t have to. Let’s look at some of the few options available to pick up on your waiver wire.

 

Waiver Wire Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (Available in 66% of ESPN leagues, 43% of Yahoo leagues, and 47% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 15-20%

After several weeks of subpar performances (likely due to his thumb injury he suffered earlier in the season), Stafford came on in a big way against a very difficult defense on the road in Baltimore. The conditions were also bad, but Stafford battled through it, finishing the day with 294 yards and three touchdowns. He has a good schedule coming up in Week 15 against the Washington Commanders at home followed by the New Orleans Saints in Week 16 and New York Giants in Week 17. He has also been able to spread the ball around, even incorporating DeMarcus Robinson this week, and the return of Kyren Williams has added another dimension to this offense.

Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns (Available in 96% of ESPN leagues, 93% of Yahoo leagues, and 91% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid:10-15%

I was hesitant to add Flacco to the waiver wire article last week due to the fact that we didn’t know whether or not he would be the starter going forward, but we definitely got our answer in Week 14. It’s very hard to argue with 311 yards and three touchdowns, and he completely unleashed tight end David Njoku. Even David Bell ended up with a touchdown. The Browns are squarely in line for the playoffs, and the upcoming schedule against the Chicago Bears next week should put him in line for another good week. I would be cautious about starting him for the rest of the season, with games against the Houston Texans and New York Jets, but if you’re looking for a fill-in for C.J. Stroud, this could be the week.

Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals (Available in 70% of ESPN leagues, 72% of Yahoo leagues, and 72% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 10-15%

I didn’t really know what to think of Browning after his Week 13 performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but I think we have a legitimate starter on our hands. Over the past two weeks, he’s the overall QB2, and he was able to get that done without the help of Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins, as they were invisible for the majority of the game. The upcoming schedule is more difficult, with games against the Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Kansas City Chiefs, but if it’s thin, I like what Browning has shown so far and he may be more widely available than some of these other options. Just keep an eye on injury reports to make sure he’s not going to miss Week 15.

Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts (Available in 82% of ESPN leagues, 72% of Yahoo leagues, and 69% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 8-12%

Minshew didn’t take advantage of the Week 14 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals like I expected, but he still had a modest finish. He’s a volatile option with a lower floor than you’d like, but he also has the ability to bust open for 300+ passing yards on any given day. With games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, and Las Vegas Raiders, he could do just enough to get you over the hump if you lost Justin Herbert this week.

Waiver Wire Running Backs

Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings (Available in 76% of ESPN leagues, 78% of Yahoo leagues, and 71% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 20-25%

I’ve been harping on Ty Chandler for a few weeks, if nothing else for injury insurance, and sure enough, Alexander Mattison went down with an ankle injury. After that Chandler took over the backfield, and although we don’t yet know the severity of the injury, it’s a good bet that Chandler will see some increased work for at least the next week or two. His value does go down a little if the quarterback saga continues, but at least he should get the volume against the Cincinnati Bengals who, up until this week, were giving up a ton of rushing yards. At this point in the season, we have to take what we can get, and if you’re handling all the snaps, that’s good enough for me.

D’Onta Foreman, Chicago Bears (Available in 74% of ESPN leagues, 62% of Yahoo leagues, and 61% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 15-20%

After missing Week 12 with an injury, Foreman used the bye week to heal up and was back in his usual role. This backfield is largely a rotation, but Foreman saw the bulk of the work, playing 39 of the 71 snaps, with 11 carries and three targets. We usually don’t like to dabble in players who work out of a split backfield, but Foreman has managed to offer fantasy production despite that situation. It may be a tough Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns, but in Week 16, the Bears get the Arizona Cardinals, and that may be a big day waiting to happen. Stash him while you can before someone else gets hurt.

Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals (Available in 99% of ESPN leagues, 93% of Yahoo leagues, and 87% of Sleeper leagues) 

FAAB Bid: 15-20%

This backfield clearly still belongs to Joe Mixon, but the Bengals have carved out a special role for Chase Brown, and he is making the most of it. He caught our eyes last week, but in Week 14, he exploded in the receiving game, finishing with 80 receiving yards and a touchdown on three catches. He didn’t do much in the running game, with only 25 yards on eight carries, but if Jake Browning continues to dump the ball off to him, he’s a huge asset in PPR leagues.

Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders (Available in 99% of ESPN leagues, 98% of Yahoo leagues, and 94% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 10-15%

If Josh Jacobs misses time, Zamir White becomes a priority pickup, but we don’t yet know how much time, if any, he’s going to miss. There’s also the thorn in the side of fantasy managers with Ameer Abdullah, as he provided a little more in the passing game. I’m just not quite sure what to make of White at this point, and I don’t trust picking up people just because “they’ll get the snaps.” Jacobs got the snaps and finished with 37 yards, so how is a backup going to look behind this line? Again, the waiver wire is very thin right now, so he may be the only option to take a flier on, but I’m not a huge fan.

Waiver Wire Wide Receivers

Noah Brown, Houston Texans (Available in 57% of ESPN leagues, 51% of Yahoo leagues, and 46% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 15-20%

After his performance in Week 14, I’ve seen Noah Brown being dropped across all platforms, but we forget A) the secondary he was facing, B) the weather, and C) that his quarterback went out. With Tank Dell out and Nico Collins exiting early, Brown played out wide on 30 of the 30 total snaps he played, meaning he got covered by Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed. Yeah, no one is doing anything against them. We’re going back to the well with Brown this week, as he has a matchup against Titans poor secondary in Week 15. He also has a decent backup quarterback throwing him the ball if C.J. Stroud is unable to go in Davis Mills. At least we know what we have with Mills. Depending on the severity of Collins’ injury, Brown could become the number one receiver on this team for the remainder of the year.  

Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars (Available in 73% of ESPN leagues, 71% of Yahoo leagues, and 57% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 10-15%

With Christian Kirk out for what could be the rest of the season and Calvin Ridley struggling against man coverage in every matchup, this could be the time for Zay Jones to emerge as the legit outside receiving threat he was last season. He led the team in targets with 14, and although he was only able to haul in five of them for 29 yards, the usage was there. I’m less blaming Jones for the issues than I am for Trevor Lawrence and the ankle injury because he looked off the entire game. The usage is what counts, and now that they’re in danger of losing their lead in the division, expect them to pull out all the stops against the Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Carolina Panthers. 

Odell Beckham., Baltimore Ravens (Available in 49% of ESPN leagues, 58% of Yahoo leagues, and 48% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 10-15%

We’ve been waiting all season for the Todd Monken air raid offense to happen, and we finally saw it Sunday. Even in bad weather, the Ravens exploded for 316 yards, and OBJ was a huge part of that. He finished with 97 yards and a touchdown on four receptions, and although his snap share was a little concerning compared to Zay Flowers, he was still second on the team in targets. The battle for first place in the AFC is wide open, especially with the Miami Dolphins taking care of business Monday night, so don’t expect them to let up off the gas any time soon. Beckham should still continue to be a large part of this offense with his big playmaking ability.

Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns (Available in 62% of ESPN leagues, 49% of Yahoo leagues, and 43% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 10-15%

Elijah Moore basically disappeared in Week 14 in favor of David Njoku, but his usage was still promising. He was third on the team in targets, and I’m not convinced that he’s set up to be an outside receiver, as I think he works better out of the slot. If they do move him back to his natural position, he has great matchups against the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, and New York Jets over the next few weeks, and you know he wants that revenge game against New York more than anything. Just keep him on your radar. I know there aren’t many options available, but he should be stashed in case he pops off.

Waiver Wire Tight Ends

Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens (Available in 54% of ESPN leagues, 45% of Yahoo leagues, and 42% of Sleeper leagues) 

FAAB Bid: 10-15%

What were we saying last week about Isaiah Likely? Oooooh baby! Even in bad weather, he finished as the TE3 on the week going into Monday night, and with few options going in either of these two games, I think he stays there. He was third on the team in targets, but he finished second in receiving yards and found the end zone. He does have a more difficult schedule coming up, but if I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again…tight end is a wasteland and we take what we can get.

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (Available in 84% of ESPN leagues, 76% of Yahoo leagues, and 80% of Sleeper leagues) 

FAAB Bid:5-8%

This is not my Arkansas bias showing through at all, I promise. In that tight end wasteland, Hunter Henry has now become a viable option. The Patriots are dealing with injuries across the board to their receiving corps, and he seems to finally have built a rapport with Bailey Zappe, especially in the end zone. Hen-Dog loves to get in the henhouse.