We've made it to the final week of the fantasy football regular season, so if you're on the playoff bubble, there's no reason to hold back your FAAB bids. As much as you want to save some of your budget for the postseason, it won't do you any good if you're in the consolation bracket. (Seriously, don't pick up players if you're in the consolation bracket.) Unfortunately, the top Week 14 waiver wire pickups aren't the best crop, but Zonovan Knight, Cam Akers, DeeJay Dallas, James Cook, Tyler Huntley, Nico Collins, and Greg Dulcich, among other potential free-agent adds, could all make noise in the fantasy postseason.
As we'll do every week this season with the help of our friends at Fantasy Alarm, let's break down the top pickups and project how much of your FAAB budget you should bid on them.
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Week 14 Fantasy FAAB Advice: Waiver wire QB pickups, streamers
By Ray Kuhn
Tyler Huntley (BAL). While Huntley is very clearly not the same player as Lamar Jackson (knee), he is a highly capable replacement from a fantasy perspective. At this point, it appears that Jackson will be sidelined for Week 14, at the very least, and at this point, we are essentially in the fantasy 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. Projected FAAB Bid: 10-12% of total budget
Kenny Pickett (PIT). If you are forced to play the wire this week and Huntley is not available, Pickett looks to be 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. At the very least, he should provide a solid floor in a good matchup against Baltimore. Proj. FAAB Bid: 3-4%
Baker Mayfield (Free Agent). With Jimmy Garoppolo (foot) now out for the season, the recently waived Mayfield could very well be calling San Francisco home soon. Mayfield, while talented, 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 an eye on. San Francisco did bring in Josh Johnson on Sunday, and he also bears watching here. Proj. FAAB Bid: 2-3%
Brock Purdy (SF). 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 lurk in the background. Proj. FAAB Bid: 2-3%
WEEK 14 FANTASY: Top waiver pickups
Week 14 Fantasy FAAB Advice: Waiver wire RB pickups, streamers
Cam Akers (LAR). 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 when Akers carried the ball 17 times for 60 yards and two touchdowns in what was his best game of the season. It's a quick turnaround to a favorable matchup against the Raiders on Thursday, and it's clear that the Rams have to get creative on offense. Expect more of Akers and the ground game. Projected FAAB Bid: 10-15% of total budget
Zonovan Knight (NYJ). With Michael Carter still sidelined with an ankle injury and James Robinson taking a backseat, the Jets’ backfield once again belonged to Knight. That meant 90 rushing yards on 15 carries and five catches for another 28 yards last week. At this point, Knight appears to be the leading back for the Jets, and his performance has backed that up. Proj. FAAB Bid: 10-12%
James Cook (BUF). The Bills did not draft Cook for him to sit on the sidelines, and last 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. Proj. FAAB Bid: 7-10%
DeeJay Dallas (SEA). 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. The issue with Dallas is that he also has an ankle issue, although it did not completely shut him down 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. More names to keep an eye on are Tony Jones Jr., who spelled Dallas at times last week, and Travis Homer, who was inactive due to a knee injury. Proj. FAAB Bid: 5-7%
Jordan Mason (SF). With Elijah Mitchell (knee) out, Mason took on a larger role this week and finished with 51 yards on eight carries. It's abundantly clear that the San Francisco backfield belongs to Christian McCaffrey, but right now, Mason is the handcuff. If you are in a jam, he has some low-end flex value. 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. Proj. FAAB Bid: 2-3%
WEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 14 Fantasy FAAB Advice: Waiver wire WR pickups, streamers
Nico Collins (HOU). 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 total over that stretch with a high of 49 yards. Kyle Allen will continue looking Collins’ way, and that volume is worth pursuing. Proj. FAAB Bid: 5-7% of total budget
DJ Chark (DET). The main thing here for Chark is his health, and that finally appears to be in order as he found his groove against the Jaguars last week. It was a strong week all around for the Lions offense, and that success should continue. 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 in a favorable matchup against Minnesota. Proj. FAAB Bid: 3-5%
Isaiah Hodgins (NYG). 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. Hodgins has been making his presence felt as of late, though. He had his best game of the season on Sunday with five receptions (six targets) for 44 yards and a touchdown. While New York is careful not to ask too much of Daniel Jones, it is going to have to move the ball through the air at some point, and that means Hodgins will continue to have a role. Proj. FAAB Bid: 3-4%
Corey Davis (NYJ). The Jets are rolling with Mike White under center, and the signal-caller will be 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 New York will likely be busy through the air once again to keep up with the Bills. Proj. FAAB Bid: 2-3%
MORE POTENTIAL WR PICKUPS (2-3% bids): Mack Hollins (LV); Jameson Williams (DET); Donovan Peoples-Jones (CLE); Jahan Dotson (WAS); Trent Sherfield (MIA); Demarcus Robinson (BAL); Devin Duvernay (BAL).
WEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 14 Fantasy FAAB Advice: Waiver wire TE pickups, streamers
Greg Dulcich (DEN). 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. He caught six-of-eight targets for 85 yards, and that volume puts him back on the TE1 radar. Projected FAAB Bid: 3-5% of total budget
Cade Otton (TB). 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. When Cameron Brate is out, Otton has emerged as a steady contributor for the Buccaneers, and that led to six receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. You could do worse if you're scrambling at TE in PPR leagues. Proj. FAAB Bid: 2-3%
Week 14 Fantasy FAAB Advice: Waiver wire Defense pickups, streamers
As we always caution, you shouldn't spend more than one percent of your FAAB budget on a D/ST. Here are this week's potential streaming pickups:
- Arizona Cardinals (vs. Patriots)
- Las Vegas Raiders (@ Rams)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Ravens)
- Tennessee Titans (vs. Jaguars)
