Targeting weekly waiver picks is a completely subjective business,
but this column hopes to point out some obvious and not-so-obvious
selections to help your team from week to week while you strive
to collect fantasy wins, reach your league playoffs and win the
elusive title that your friends say is out of your grasp. While
I’m a big proponent of making trades to bolster your roster,
the waiver wire can be an almost limitless resource when it comes
to discovering fantasy value in strange places. Each week, I’ll
highlight some of the popular (and not-so-popular) players who can
help your squad and may still be available in your league.
Kirk Cousins,
MIN – I’ll update again after Monday night’s contest with Seattle,
but the Week 14 matchup with Detroit looks like a good one, and
Cousins is just 55-70 percent owned in fantasy leagues. If Carson
Wentz (81 percent owned in ESPN leagues) is unavailable, Cousins
might be the best free agent QB to add for Week 14.
UPDATE: Cousins completed 22-of-38
passes for 276-2-1 in the Vikings' 37-30, Week 13 loss to the
Seahawks. If he can get Thielen back, he could dominate the Lions.
Jacoby Brissett,
IND – Nick Foles couldn’t do much against the Bucs, but they still
have an awful pass defense. If the Colts can get some offensive
players back in Week 14, that only helps Brissett’s cause. Stay
tuned.
UPDATE: Hilton is still very questionable for Week 14, which
reduces my interest in Brissett a bit.
Andy Dalton,
CIN – Dalton got the start to inject some new life in the Cincinnati
offense, and it worked. The veteran signal caller completed 22
of 37 passes for 243-1-0 in Sunday's 22-6 win over the Jets. The
Bengals now travel to Cleveland which presents a much tougher
matchup, but a Week 16 game against the Dolphins is looming, so
he could have some value in two-QB leagues then.
UPDATE: John Ross was just activated from IR, which helps Dalton
too.
Jared Goff, LAR – Goff blew up for 424-2-0 against the
Cards and had over 300 passing yards at halftime. It’ll
be a difficult test against the Seahawks at home next week, but
if he can keep up this momentum, he’s worth considering,
especially with many of the top QBs in tougher matchups.
Mitchell Trubisky, CHI – Trubisky completed 29 of 38 passes
for 338 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in the
Bears’ 24-20 win over the Lions on Thanksgiving. It was
his first 300-yard passing game this season and his best fantasy
performance by far. Dallas probably won’t let him have as
much success in Week 14.
Running Backs
Raheem Mostert,
SF – We listed him in our RBs to consider for Week 13 and he finished
with 19 carries for 146 yards a TD, adding 2-8-0 receiving. Mostert
is just 14 percent owned in ESPN leagues but has taken advantage
of Matt Breida's (ankle) continued absence, serving as the more
effective back in a committee alongside Tevin Coleman He’ll try
to follow up his first career 100-yard rushing performance. against
the Saints in Week 14.
Peyton Barber,
TB – Barber ruined many DFS lineups on Sunday by taking the reins
from an ineffective Ronald Jones and rushing for 44 yards and
two scores in the Bucs win over the Jags. He’s available in about
50-65 percent of fantasy leagues but isn’t guaranteed these results
in a matchup with the Colts in Week 14.
UPDATE: RoJo was benched for missing a pass protection, which
is a dubious factor for both backs. Barber is still a possible
DFS and deep league play.
Darwin Thompson,
KC – It’s pretty slim pickings on the waiver wire for RBs at this
point in the season, but Thompson flashed some upside after Darrel
Williams went down with a hamstring injury, rushing 11 times for
44 yards and a TD in the Chiefs’ 40-9, Week 13 win over the Raiders.
The Chiefs backfield has some question marks heading into Week
14, but Thompson and LeSean McCoy might be the two backs shouldering
most of the load if the D-Will Twins aren’t playing.
UPDATE: Damien Williams now has a shot to play this week, which
hurts Darwin’s value.
Rashaad Penny,
SEA – UPDATE: Penny had another big day, rushing for 74 yards
and one touchdown on MNF, and he appears to be in a timeshare
with Chris Carson. The Seahawks were rotating the two backs pretty
evenly in their run-first offense with a lot of success, so they
both have value in this scenario, especially with a Week 14 road
date with the Rams before great spots in Weeks 15 and 16 against
the Panthers and Cardinals.
Benny Snell,
PIT – Snell rushed 16 times for 63 yards and a TD in Pittsburgh’s
Week 13 win over the Browns, despite Jaylen Samuels getting the
start. Snell’s skill set and traditional running style has carved
out a role in this offense and he could return RB3 value against
the Cardinals in Week 14 if James Conner (shoulder) isn't cleared
to play.
UPDATE: Connor is still questionable, so Snell is in play for
now.
Derrius Guice, WAS – This is what we’ve been waiting
for from Guice, who rushed just 10 times but amassed 129 yards
and two TDs in the Redskins’ Week 13 win over the Panthers.
The Panthers suspect run defense allowed him to create some big
plays, and he’s clearly the most capable back in the committee.
Guice will be a solid flex play in Green Bay next week with some
upside because of his goal line role.
Wide Receivers / Tight Ends
Alshon Jeffery,
PHI – He’s 80 percent owned in ESPN leagues, so it’s possible
he wasn’t rostered in your league for Week 13, when he went off
for 9-137-1 on 16 targets. He’s the top add if available and faces
the Giants in Week 14.
Zach Pascal,
IND – Pascal (25 percent owned in ESPN leagues) caught 7-109-0
on 10 targets in Week 13 and is back on my radar for Week 14 in
a favorable matchup against the Bucs – especially if T.Y. Hilton
can’t play. Chester Rogers also went down with a knee injury and
will miss the rest of 2019.
UPDATE: Pascal could get 10 or more looks again on Sunday with
so many Colts WRs out of commission.
TE Mike Gesicki, MIA – I’ve talked about him before
but’s time to add the guy. He’s scored in back-to-back
weeks after posting 5-79-1 on seven targets in Week 13, and he’s
just 10-20 percent owned.
Allen Lazard,
GB – Lazard (2-5 percent owned) caught 3-103-1 on Sunday and looks
comfortable working with Aaron Rodgers. He’s a passable WR4 moving
forward.
UPDATE: Lazard is likely a boom-or-bust play so I might restrict
my use to deeper leagues, especially with so many other viable
options on the Packers.
Breshad Perriman, TB – The other WR on Tampa Bay, Perriman
caught five of six targets for 87 yards in the Bucs’' 28-11
win over the Jaguars on Sunday. He’s a longshot play but
has been more involved in the offense since Week 8.
Will Fuller, HOU – It looked like we might have vintage
Fuller back after he caught 7-of-11 targets for 140 yards in the
Texans' Week 12 win over the Colts, but he sputtered on Sunday
night with just one catch on two targets for 8 yards in Week 13
against the Patriots. The home matchup with Denver in Week 14
is a better one.
A.J. Brown, TEN – Brown followed up a scintillating, career-best
performance in Week 12 (4-135-1 on five targets) with a relatively
quiet outing in Indy as the Titans cruised to victory, hauling
in 3-45-0 on four targets. He’s a boom-or-bust WR3 every
week, but the matchup with Oakland in Week 14 is a good one.
James Washington,
PIT – This is more like it! Washington hauled in all four of his
targets for 111 yards and a TD in Pittsburgh’s Week 13 comeback
win over the Browns – making his first career 100-yard game and
third TD in his last four contests. He could have another big
day against the Cards in Week 14 if JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee)
isn’t ready to return.
UPDATE: JuJu still has the Q, so Washington is worth adding in
all formats.
Robby Anderson, NYJ – Now we’re rolling. Anderson
caught 7-101-0 on 10 targets in the Jets’ Week 13 loss to
the Bengals and has another favorable matchup vs. the Dolphins
in Week 14.
TE Jack Doyle, IND – Doyle was an obvious add after Eric
Ebron went on IR, but he really delivered on Sunday with six catches
for 73 yards and a TD on 11 targets in the loss to Tennessee.
Fire him up as a TE1 against the Bucs in Week 14.
Anthony Miller, CHI – Miller is still just 10 percent owned
in ESPN leagues, so I’m going to take some credit for including
him in this column after his big day on Thanksgiving, when he
saw a whopping 13 targets and finished with 9-140-0 in the win
over the Lions. He’s probably not a great play in Week 14
facing the Cowboys.