It's Week 14, the last week of the regular season for the majority of fantasy football leagues. If you're done after this week, pat yourself on the back for staying with it, make some notes for next season, and schedule to email them to yourself in August of 2023. If you're already locked into a playoff spot or have a good chance of claiming a postseason berth with a win this weekend, it's as important as ever for you to look ahead to next week and beyond. Our Week 15 waiver wire watchlist will highlight the key players at each position who could very well end up waiver commodities after this weekend, including Mike White, Chuba Hubbard, and Trent Sherfield, who could easily win you a playoff matchup or two.
Don't wait until under-the-radar players go off this weekend or a stud comes off the IR early next week. You will more than likely find yourself getting outbid by an owner with more FAAB or a higher waiver priority. Instead, anticipate the breakouts, recognize your Week 15 needs, and grab the best available streaming options for free right now.
This time last week, we put you on Jared Goff (49-percent rostered then, 61-percent rostered now), and the veteran Lions QB promptly put up 25.6 fantasy points. We also got you ahead of the pack with the Titans' Ryan Tannehill, whose ownership has bumped from 17 percent to 26 percent. Goff plays the Vikings this week, while Tanne draws the Jaguars (both top-eight matchups for QBs).
We also featured the Rams' Cam Akers, who exploded for two TDs in Week 13 and has since seen his ownership vault from 47 percent to 59 percent. Oh, and Zonovan 'Bam' Knight of the Jets? He racked up 118 scrimmage yards and nearly 17 PPR points and moved from 40 to 51 percent rostered. Maybe you needed an upside receiver to stash for the bye-heavy Week 14? DJ Chark fit the bill for us last week at 14 percent owned, and 14.8 PPR points later, he's up to 26 percent and about to face a porous Vikings secondary.
This kind of proactive approach is one that all consistently successful fantasy owners engage in. You aren't just managing for the present -- you're also managing for the future so you never end up saying "what now?" Even with the bye weeks behind us after Week 14, you need to have backup plans when the injury bug or matchup gods strike. That can be the difference between "playoff-bound" and "gone Toilet Bowl fishing."
If you've been with us all year, kudos to you. You probably got ahead of the pack on players we've featured along the way, such as Justin Fields, Christian Watson, Garrett Wilson, Josh Palmer, Isiah Pacheco, Rachaad White, Samaje Perine, and dozens more players who went from owned in fewer than 50 percent of leagues to must-roster fantasy contributors.
If you have a "dead spot" on your roster, then use that open space to invest in a player who you expect to see a usage spike, breakout opportunity, or return from injury. Monitor your playoff matchups and grab a guy you can stream in place of a usual starter going against a particularly challenging defense. You give yourself a distinct advantage when you plug your team's expected holes while your competition fails to prepare for what's ahead.
WEEK 14 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Unfortunately, some shallower leagues don't feature enough roster spots for "planning ahead." But for those in relatively deep leagues, our week-ahead watchlist will continue to be a helpful resource. Even though you won't pick up most of these players, it's worth watching their snap counts, target shares, and weekly production trends to file away for later.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Watchlist
Reminder: This list was put together in the lead-in to Week 14, looking forward to the players who could be popular waiver-wire targets ahead of Week 15. If you have a roster spot to play with, these are free-agent options you could grab early to beat next week's waiver buzz.
All these players are below 50-percent ownership on Yahoo, unless otherwise specified.
Week 15 Waiver Wire Watchlist: QB
Mike White, Jets vs. Lions (20%)
The Mike White hype was bound to come crashing to a halt after his absurdly good debut two weeks ago against the Bears. After racking up 315 yards and three TDs in New York's 31-10 win over Chicago, the second-year signal-caller threw a couple of INTs in Minnesota and struggled mightily on third downs. Alas, let's look at the bright side. He threw for a whopping 369 yards, took just one sack, and continued to build on his strong rapport with rookie receiver Garrett Wilson. He has also made Elijah Moore and Corey Davis relevant again. Jimmy Garoppolo and Lamar Jackson owners, do yourself the favor of adding White to your squad now. In Week 15, he gets a home matchup against the Lions' last-ranked defense. Imagine riding a 27-year-old second-year QB with just a handful of NFL starts to the second round of the fantasy playoffs!
Russell Wilson, Broncos vs. Cardinals (49 percent rostered)
I know, I know — I've bashed Mr. Limited and Denver coach Nathaniel Hackett plenty throughout the season after getting burned on too many occasions to count. Let's just say I bought into Wilson and the Broncos hard during the offseason, and I'm a little bitter. But facts are facts: Arizona is a highly favorable QB matchup, Courtland Sutton (hamstring) should be back by next week, and it's a home game. If you're streaming — or just need an insurance policy in a deep league in case something happens to your starter — you could do a lot worse than Wilson.
MORE POTENTIAL WEEK 15 STREAMERS WITH FAVORABLE MATCHUPS: Andy Dalton, Saints vs. Falcons (8%); Mac Jones, Patriots at Raiders (15%); Sam Darnold, Panthers vs. Steelers (4%); Matt Ryan, Colts at Vikings (13%)
WEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 15 Waiver Wire Watchlist: RB
Chuba Hubbard, Panthers (25 percent rostered)
Hubbard makes for a prudent pickup, especially for owners of D'Onta Foreman. Foreman missed practice on Wednesday and has apparently been nursing injuries to his foot and ribs. Even if Foreman suits up this weekend against Seattle, there exists a very real possibility one of these nagging injuries worsens and Hubbard must close out the game. Considering the Seahawks are allowing the second-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to RBs, you would have a hell of a time trying to scoop Chub-Hubs off the wire if he explodes this weekend. When we last saw him before Carolina's Week 13 bye, Hubbard rushed 17 times for 65 yards. He should be rostered in leagues with 12 or more teams.
Ameer Abdullah (5%) and Zamir White (4%), Raiders
Another halfback nursing injuries — and who has suffered from many health issues in the past — is current NFL rushing leader Josh Jacobs. The bruising Alabama back apparently has quad and calf ailments and has been practicing in a limited fashion for the past three weeks. Having his handcuffs is a must for anyone who owns Jacobs or is in a deep league. Raiders coach Josh McDaniels has featured multi-pronged backfields in the past, typically with one RB rushing on first and second down and another RB playing on passing downs. We would venture to guess Abdullah would be the receiving back while White would be the primary rusher between the 20s. Regardless, these guys could both yield massive value if Jacobs gets shut down at any point in the fantasy playoffs.
MORE WORTHWHILE RB ADDS: Tyler Allgeier, Falcons (41%); Alexander Mattison, Vikings (34%); DeeJay Dallas (26%), Travis Homer (5%), and Tony Jones Jr. (3%), Seahawks; Jaylen Warren, Steelers (18%); Jordan Mason, 49ers (13%); Mike Boone, Broncos (4%); Joshua Kelley, Chargers (3%)
WEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 15 Waiver Wire Watchlist: WR
Nico Collins, Texans vs. Chiefs (31 percent rostered)
Talent has never been an issue for Collins, but it's the damn QB feeding him targets that typically stands in the way of his fantasy success. Nevertheless, a Week 15 tilt with the Chiefs should make for plenty of passing volume. Not only will Kansas City beat the brakes off Houston's abysmal defense, but the Chiefs are also pretty bad at defending the pass themselves. Collins, who saw 36 targets in Weeks 10-13, is dealing with a foot injury, but assuming he's healthy, he's worth grabbing as insurance in case any of your top wideouts go down with an injury this weekend.
Trent Sherfield, Dolphins (1%)
Sherfield is more of a stash than a stream, as he's a home-run hitter who explodes here and there but could be a league-winner if either Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle got injured. He's also practiced and taken reps with every Miami QB, so he has unique chemistry with whoever lines up under center for the 'Phins. I'd much rather stash a guy like Sherfield, who has hit 14.5 PPR points in two of the past three weeks, than a pipe dream like Odell Beckham Jr. (31%).
MORE SOLID WEEK 15 WR STREAMS: Corey Davis (18%) and Elijah Moore (28%), Jets vs. Lions; Jarvis Landry, Saints vs. Falcons (19%); Parris Campbell (37%) and Alec Pierce (14%), Colts at Vikings; Isaiah McKenzie, Bills vs. Dolphins (39%); Terrace Marshall, Panthers vs. Steelers (6%); Romeo Doubs, Packers vs. Rams (17%), DeAndre Carter, Chargers vs. Titans (26%); Rashid Shaheed, Saints vs. Falcons (1%)
MORE SAVVY WR STASHES: Devin Duvernay, Ravens (50%); Chase Claypool, Bears (50%); Jameson Williams, Lions (39%); Mack Hollins, Raiders (29%); DJ Chark, Lions (27%); Jahan Dotson, Commanders (15%); Demarcus Robinson, Ravens (13%)
WEEK 14 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Week 15 Waiver Wire Watchlist: TE
Hunter Henry, Patriots at Raiders, (43 percent rostered)
Henry has always had good chemistry with Pats QB Mac Jones, as evidenced by his 15-point PPR performance on Turkey Day against Minnesota. (Henry had a second TD in that game that was robbed from him by a wild pack of zebras, but I digress.) The Raiders have surrendered the sixth-most FPPG (regardless of format) to tight ends this season, so Henry's floor and ceiling are higher than usual.
Chig Okonkwo, Titans at Chargers (3%)
Okonkwo's not a start yet, but he's absolutely a stash-and-see. He hauled in five targets for 68 yards in Week 13, seemingly replacing injured rookie wideout Treylon Burks as Ryan Tannehill's preferred deep threat. If Chig goes off this weekend against Jacksonville, you'll be ahead of the pack and ready to stream him against the Chargers, who serve up the 11th-most FPPG to TEs this season.
MORE POTENTIAL WEEK 15 STREAMERS WITH FAVORABLE MATCHUPS: Tyler Conklin, Jets vs. Lions (28%); Juwan Johnson, Saints vs. Falcons (21%); Robert Tonyan, Packers vs. Rams (32%); Logan Thomas, Commanders vs. Giants (7%); Jonnu Smith, Patriots at Raiders (1%)
WEEK 14 DFS: Best stacks | Best values
Week 15 Defense Streamers and Sleepers
Green Bay Packers vs. Rams (40 percent rostered)
The Rams' dumpster fire of a season at least ensures we always have a go-to team to stream defenses against. Without Matthew Stafford (neck) and likely without Cooper Kupp (ankle), L.A. continues to be a top-three team in points allowed to D/STs, so take advantage with a solid Green Bay squad.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Panthers (41%)
You had me at Sam Darnold. The Steelers aren't great like they once were on defense, but they are certainly serviceable now that T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward are reunited and tag-teaming QBs. Sorry, Sammy — you may want to schedule an ice bath after Week 15.
Denver Broncos vs. Cardinals (45%)
The lone bright spot for the Broncos this season has been their defense, and a home tilt against an oft-erratic Cardinals offense could spell fantasy success. Arizona entered Week 14 allowing the 12th-most FPPG to D/STs, and Kyler Murray will likely be even more giving in the Rockies in December.
Washington Commanders vs. Giants (37%)
The Commanders have been low-key killing it defensively ever since Taylor Heinicke reinvigorated this franchise. Against a sack-prone and turnover-prone Giants offense with a poor passer like Daniel Jones, fantasy points could come in bunches in Week 15.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Colts (42%)
The Vikings defense has its issues, I get it, but for fantasy, there does exist some appeal. Matt Ryan sees ghosts on the field, so he's good for a few sacks and an interception or two on the regular. Entering Week 14, no team was allowing more FPPG to D/STs than Indy, so there are far worse defenses to stream than Minnesota at home.
Arizona Cardinals at Broncos (15%)
The Cardinals could benefit greatly from the awful antics of DangeRuss Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett, who seem allergic to the end zone and can't scheme themselves out of constant pocket pressure. Denver will score some points in Week 15, but it will also give some back to Arizona's aggressive, playmaking D/ST.
Carolina Panthers vs. Steelers (5%)
When in doubt, grab a decent defense at home against a rookie QB. Kenny Pickett continues to experience growing pains, and he has still yet to log two passing TDs in a game. Pittsburgh entered Week 14 allowing the ninth-most FPPG to D/STs, so even Carolina can take advantage.
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Patriots (36%)
The Patriots have trouble with the blitz and often resort to short dinks and dunks because they don't fully trust Mac Jones. At the same time, Mac Jones rightfully doesn't trust Matt Patricia — a defensive coach — calling his freakin' plays. That's shown by the fact New England entered Week 14 allowing the eighth-most FPPG to D/STs. Eat up against your former squad, Chandler Jones.
Atlanta Falcons at Saints (6%)
Bottom of the barrel, but not completely void of value or appeal. Atlanta has improved mightily defensively, and the Saints have not improved whatsoever on offense. Red Rifle is more liable to shoot his eye out than he is to engage in an actual scoring shootout in Week 15, so the Falcons have a decent floor/ceiling combo against a Saints' squad that entered Week 14 allowing the fifth-most FPPG to D/STs.
