The fantasy football playoffs are upon us. At this point, every move you make must be targeted toward improving your chances of winning your next matchup. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top Week 15 waiver wire targets and pickups that fantasy managers should consider adding to their rosters.
As always, all players are rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues.
I eliminated FAAB recommendations last year, as there are too many variables to account for. Instead, I replaced them with my opinion on how aggressive fantasy managers should pursue the player on a scale of 1-10.
JJ McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Rostered: 30%
This feels wrong. But hear me out. JJ McCarthy changed something this week. He stopped hyper-focusing on doing everything right and just played football. It worked. McCarthy only threw for 163 yards, but he threw three touchdowns and added 19 yards on the ground. For as much as McCarthy has struggled this season, he has now three games with 19+ fantasy points.
Hopefully, you don’t need McCarthy. But if you do, the Vikings get the Cowboys, Giants, and Lions during the fantasy playoffs. Those are three of the best possible matchups for quarterbacks. He will be a viable streamer.
Aggressiveness Rating: 2.0
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Cleveland Browns
Rostered: 8%
It’s safe to say Shedeur Sanders will be the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback for the rest of the season. They may have lost to the Tennessee Titans, but Sanders threw for 364 yards and three touchdowns and added a fourth on the ground. He made enough impressive plays to earn a rest of season audition.
Sanders posted 34.4 fantasy points. He was the overall QB2 on the week. And the Browns don’t have an overly challenging remaining schedule. They get the Bears, Bills, and Steelers. Those are two favorable pass defenses sandwiching a game in which they should see negative game script. It would be very risky to start him in fantasy, but he’s proven he has upside.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0
Jaylen Wright, RB, Miami Dolphins
Rostered: 2%
For the entire season, Ollie Gordon II was the clear handcuff to De’Von Achane. For the first time all season, Achane missed significant time in a game. It wasn’t Gordon at all.
Jaylen Wright was the clear lead back, and it wasn’t close. He outcarried Gordon 24-5 and outgained him on the ground 107-17. All three of the Dolphins’ backs rushed for a touchdown.
It’s worth noting that, after the game, head coach Mike McDaniel said Achane could’ve gone back “in an emergency.” While that does suggest Achane isn’t completely healthy, if he could’ve played at all, it stands to reason he will probably be okay for Week 15.
Even so, we now know that Wright is the Achane handcuff you want. He also proved that he has fantasy upside in the right game script. As a result, Wright needs to be rostered everywhere going forward.
Aggressiveness Rating: 7.0
Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Rostered: 32%
For most of the season, Blake Corum was worth rostering as Kyren Williams’ handcuff. Now, Corum just needs to be rostered.
This is not your classic Rams offense that has a workhorse. Williams and Corum alternate drives and are essentially in an even timeshare. Especially in favorable matchups with positive game script, both of them can get there.
Against the Cardinals, Corum ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns, posting a season high 26.1 fantasy points.
The next two matchups aren’t great against the Lions and Seahawks, but if you can make it to Week 17, Corum is very viable against the Falcons.
Aggressiveness Rating: 6.0
Chimere Dike, WR, Tennessee Titans
Rostered: 15%
It’s been very difficult to get a read on the Titans’ offense. After not scoring more than 24 points all season, they suddenly break out for 31 points against one of the best defenses in football.
Chimere Dike only caught five passes for 24 yards, but he saw eight targets and scored. Two weeks ago, he posted 21.4 fantasy points. Of course, in between those two games was his negative 0.1-point effort against the Jaguars. Clearly, Dike is volatile. But he has upside, and that could be useful for desperate fantasy managers.
Aggressiveness Rating: 2.0
Luther Burden III, WR, Chicago Bears
Rostered: 17%
It’s very surprising to see Luther Burden III available in so many leagues in light of Rome Odunze’s foot injury. The issue with Burden was never talent. He just couldn’t get on the field or see enough volume playing behind Odunze and DJ Moore.
Well, Moore has been uninvolved most of the season, and Odunze is hurt. Burden is essentially the WR1 now. The rookie caught four of six targets for 67 yards against a very good Packers defense.
The remaining schedule isn’t great. Chicago gets the Browns, Packers again, and then the 49ers. But if the Titans can light up Cleveland, the Bears can find ways to move the ball against anyone.
Burden could break out any week. He’s now got a solid floor, at least as long as Odunze is out. He needs to be added.
Aggressiveness Rating: 5.0
Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers
Rostered: 41%
Jayden Reed returned from a lengthy absence this week and was involved right out of the gate. Reed caught all four of his targets for 31 yards and added 22 yards on two rushes.
Although Reed will remain a gadget player and only play in three-receiver sets, he has splash play upside. The Packers look for ways to get him the ball. There’s always a chance he can break off a big play.
You will never feel confident starting Reed. But if you need a splash, you can do worse than the Packers WR2.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.5
Ryan Flournoy, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Rostered: 1%
Whenever a wide receiver posts big fantasy numbers and sees heavy volume, he must be brought up as a potential waiver wire add. On Thursday night, Ryan Flournoy recorded 26.5 fantasy points. And he didn’t do it on flukey volume. Flournoy saw 13 targets, catching nine for 115 yards and a touchdown.
Of course, we must acknowledge the reason Flournoy was able to earn as many targets as he did. CeeDee Lamb missed half of the game with a concussion. The Detroit Lions made it a point to bracket George Pickens, resulting in Dak Prescott looking Flournoy’s way a lot.
We should get some sort of update on Lamb before waiver claims are due. Flournoy’s value is directly tied to how likely it is that Lamb misses a game.
Regardless, Lamb is not likely to miss more than a game. That makes Flournoy a one-week rental, at best. Thus, how aggressive you should be in pursuing him depends on how badly you need a wide receiver for Week 15.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0 (if Lamb is fine) or 6.0 (if Lamb is trending bad)
Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears
Rostered: 40%
A late touchdown salvaged his fantasy day, but Colston Loveland remains talented enough to be worth adding. The Bears’ rookie tight end caught four passes for 29 yards and the aforementioned score. It was the second time in three weeks he hit 12+ fantasy points.
Loveland is still splitting more snaps with Cole Kmet than we’d like. Even so, he’s now become integrated into the offense. Even his down games are still in the 6-8 point range, which isn’t completely worthless. If you need a tight end, you are unlikely to find more upside than Loveland.
Aggressiveness Rating: 4.5
Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Cleveland Browns
Rostered: 39%
Your overall TE1 for Week 14 belongs to a member of the Cleveland Browns. Harold Fannin Jr. had the best game of his young career, catching eight of 11 targets for 114 yards and a touchdown. Unsurprisingly, all of those numbers were season highs.
Who knows what the future holds for the Browns’ offense? This was easily their best offensive showing of the season.
Can Shedeur Sanders keep this up? We will find out. What we do know is the Browns have favorable matchups for tight ends in their last three of the fantasy season. David Njoku left the game with an injury. Fannin is a weekly TE1.
Aggressiveness Rating: 6.5
