It's win-or-go-home time, and your road to success in the first round of the fantasy football playoffs starts with looking through the top Week 15 waiver wire pickups and finding the right guys for your team. All that matters is surviving and advancing, so you can pretty much throw out the projected FAAB bids below. If you need a running back, then bid what you have to in order to get Pierre Strong Jr., Kevin Harris, Travis Homer, or Rex Burkhead. You don't want to spend as much on a pass-catcher like Chris Moore or Chig Okonkwo, but you can certainly splurge on them, too. Sure, you'll want to leave something in your budget if you advance to the next round, but you have to get there first.
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.
DOMINATE YOUR LEAGUE: Get the Fantasy Alarm NFL Season Pass!
Week 15 Fantasy FAAB Advice: Waiver wire QB pickups, streamers
Brock Purdy (SF). Purdy used Week 14 as strictly an opening act before taking down Tom Brady without much of an issue in Week 15. He threw for two touchdowns for the second straight week while also being efficient, completing 16-of-21 passes for 185 yards. At this point, there's no reason for the 49ers not to ride with Purdy for the remainder of the season, as he's taking advantage of the plethora of offensive weapons at his disposal. We do have to keep an eye out for Purdy’s injured oblique, but at this point, he should be good to go for Thursday. If not, then Josh Johnson will emerge on our radar. Projected FAAB Bid: 4-5% of total budget
Desmond Ridder (ATL). The rookie is slated to make his first career start this week. While Ridder has yet to take the field in a regular season game, he did look good in the preseason and has also earned his share of praise. Ultimately, it remains to be seen how that will translate into a professional game, and that is especially true when taking into account the lack of weapons Atlanta has on offense. The fact that Ridder can make things happen on the ground does work to his advantage here, but I would proceed with caution unless you are in a league that requires or allows you to start two quarterbacks. Proj. FAAB Bid: 2-3%
Baker Mayfield (LAR). At this time last week, it remained to be seen where Mayfield end up, but he found himself in Los Angeles. Talk about making a first impression! Mayfield led his brand-new team on a 98-yard, game-winning drive on Thursday, and then he had 11 days to introduce himself to the organization. Mayfield will be starting the remainder of the season for the Rams after throwing for 230 yards and a touchdown in his L.A. debut. Weapons are lacking for Mayfield, but the change of scenery could work for him, as the last four weeks of the season also serve as an audition for 2023. Proj. FAAB Bid: 2-3%
Colt McCoy (ARI). McCoy did not do too much on Monday night, but thanks to Kyler Murray’s likely season-ending knee injury, he should start the rest of the year. The good news is that with the playoffs upon us, there is less competition on the waiver wire, but depending on the depth of your league, McCoy cannot be ignored. He completed 27-of-40 passes for 246 yards against New England, and while he might not jump off the page at you, he does have experience. Proj. FAAB Bid: 1-2%
WEEK 15 FANTASY: Top waiver pickups
Week 15 Fantasy FAAB Advice: Waiver wire RB pickups, streamers
Travis Homer (SEA). With both Kenneth Walker III (ankle) and DeeJay Dallas (ankle) sidelined on Sunday, Homer was in position to take advantage of the available reps. This continues to be a situation to monitor, as the Seahawks have a quick turnaround to Thursday’s game and the initial injury report of the week listed Walker as "limited" and Dallas as a "DNP." Homer struggled to make an impact against Carolina, but it was also a game in which the Seahawks were trailing from the start and never really able to get going offensively. He was limited to 26 yards on nine carries while adding two catches for eight yards. This is not a situation in which to invest heavily, but Homer is worth a look in deep leagues if he finds himself atop the depth chart once again. With only five snaps last week, we should also note that Tony Jones Jr. does not appear to be a threat. Projected FAAB Bid: 5-7% of total budget
Gus Edwards (BAL). While the return of JK Dobbins certainly made an impact on Baltimore’s backfield, Edwards still had a large role on Sunday. It also stands to reason that the Ravens will be once again relying heavily on their running backs this week with injuries to both Lamar Jackson (knee) and Tyler Huntley (concussion). With 13 carries for 66 yards, Edwards was not minimized, and this should continue to be a two-headed approach to a busy backfield. Proj. FAAB Bid: 5-7%
Rex Burkhead and Dare Ogunbwale (HOU). Burkhead did not make an impact in Sunday’s game, but it is worth noting that he was the running back who took the field when Dameon Pierce exited with an ankle injury. Pierce is expected to miss Week 15, so Burkhead could see an increased role. Dare Ogunbowale, who actually played more snaps than Burkhead last week, is also a name to be aware of, as it's just as likely he's heavily involved. Proj. FAAB Bid: 3-5% for Burkhead, 2-3% for Ogunbowale
Kevin Harris (NE). With Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) and Damien Harris (thigh) both hurting, Harris popped up on our radars on Monday night. He finished with eight carries for 26 yards and a touchdown while splitting time with Pierre Strong Jr. Obviously, there's a lot to sort out in this backfield before Sunday's game in Vegas, but until we know more, consider Harris a worthwhile stash. Proj. FAAB Bid: 2-3%
Pierre Strong Jr. (NE). Take everything we said above, and now apply it here to Strong. The one difference is that Strong had a role, albeit minimal, in the passing game on Monday, catching both of his targets for 20 yards. Strong also looked more explosive, gaining 70 yards and a touchdown on five carries. He gets the edge here simply because he was involved in the passing game, and he could still have a role alongside Damien Harris if he returns while Stevenson is out. Proj. FAAB Bid: 5-7%
WEEK 15 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 15 Fantasy FAAB Advice: Waiver wire WR pickups, streamers
Jauan Jennings (SF). Based on what we saw this past week, Jennings did not distinguish himself, but with Deebo Samuel (ankle) likely out for the foreseeable future, Jennings steps into the starting lineup. He was only on the field for 34 percent of San Francisco’s offensive snaps against Tampa Bay, but game flow was also not in the favor of receivers, as the 49ers jumped ahead and never looked back. After catching one pass for five yards on Sunday, Jennings has 308 receiving yards and a touchdown this year on 27 receptions, but his role should increase this week. Projected FAAB Bid: 4-6% of total budget
Chris Moore (HOU). We don't want to overreact, as the return of Brandon Cooks (calf) and/or Nico Collins (foot) pushes Moore back in the Houston receiver tree, but he certainly played well last Sunday. Moore hauled in 10-of-11 targets 124 yards and remains someone to watch closely, as the Texans are going to be busy through the air this week as they try to keep up with Kansas City. Proj. FAAB Bid: 5-7%
Ben Skowronek (LAR). Baker Mayfield throwing to Skowronek is not where the Rams thought their offense would be in December, but the duo did show chemistry this past Thursday in the quarterback’s debut. Skowronek caught seven-of-eight targets for 89 yards, and that type of volume will certainly draw our attention moving forward given the lack of other options in the Rams’ receiving game. Proj. FAAB Bid: 2-3%
MORE POTENTIAL WR PICKUPS (2-3% bids): Jameson Williams, Lions; Richie James Jr., Giants; Terrace Marshall, Panthers.
WEEK 15 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 15 Fantasy FAAB Advice: Waiver wire TE pickups, streamers
Chig Okonkwo (TEN). If you have not been paying attention to Okonkwo, then now is the time to start doing so. After being targeted five times in both Week 12 and 13, Tennessee looked Okonkwo’s way six times in Week 14. It resulted in five receptions for 45 yards, but this time he also found the end zone for the second time this season. Okonkwo has been making big plays all year, and his role has been picking up steam as of late. Most important, he has proven to be up to the task. Projected FAAB Bid: 5-7% of total budget
Trey McBride (ARI). Even with the injury to Zach Ertz (knee), it has been a slow go of it for McBride, but that does not mean we should forget about him either as the Cardinals look to ease him in over the last few weeks of the season. It's also possible that Colt McCoy looks to his tight end a little more now that he is under center. That was true on Monday, as McBride was targeted a career-high six times and caught three passes for 28 yards. Proj. FAAB Bid: 1-2%
Week 15 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:
- Green Bay Packers (vs. Rams)
- Denver Broncos (vs. Cardinals)
- Cleveland Browns (@ Ravens)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (@ Panthers)
- Arizona Cardinals (@ Broncos)
- Washington Commanders (vs. Giants)
- Minnesota Vikings (@ Colts)
- Atlanta Falcons (@ Saints)
- Las Vegas Raiders (vs. Patriots)
