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Say goodbye to the fantasy regular season and hello to the playoffs! Bye weeks are over, but like war, injuries never end. For that reason, we still need to take a hard look at the fantasy football waiver wire until the final bell rings on this season to stay ahead of the game and fill in any lineup gaps with the best possible options.
At running back this week, we're going to do things a little differently. In terms of waiver wire must-adds, it's Rashaad Penny or bust. You don't want to rely on a streamer at RB during the playoffs but you could still be active in preparing for disaster. For that reason, I will list my top insurance policies (formerly known as handcuffs) that are under 40% rostered in the order of priority. For the record, I'm not adding Craig Reynolds anywhere and recommend you do the same.
All rostered percentages are taken from Yahoo and players are listed in descending order, not in order of priority. Only players who are rostered in approximately 40% or fewer leagues are considered.
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Running Backs - Waiver Wire Options to Pickup
Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks - 19% owned
For one glorious week in a matchup with the Houston Texans, the Seahawks had a running game and its name was Penny. The former first-round pick has played in 32 of a possible 60 games in his four-year career and had only shown flashes of talent so far. He came into Week 14 averaging 2.9 yards per carry on 27 attempts this season. All that went out the window when he shredded the Texans for 137 rushing yards and two touchdowns. With every other Seattle RB injured other than the struggling Alex Collins, Penny may have seized this backfield. That said, he won't face a bottom-three run defense every week and, in fact, gets a road contest with the L.A. Rams in Week 15. Expectations should be tempered greatly but Penny is still someone to add if possible due to his expected volume and upside. Better matchups are coming with Chicago in Week 16 and Detroit in Week 17.
Top RB Stashes and Insurance Policies
Ronald Jones II, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 21% rostered
Leonard Fournette is dominating the touches and leading fantasy teams to victory each week so Jones has become a non-factor. He would instantly become an RB2 if Fournette were to go down, especially with Giovani Bernard suffering a seemingly serious injury in Week 14.
Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals - 7% rostered
Around midseason, it seemed as if Perine would cut into Joe Mixon's workload when he saw 11 rush attempts in consecutive games. He then carried zero times the following week and has been barely used since. Joe Mixon's recent injury history and the team's willingness to use Perine suggest he is a strong stash.
Nyheim Hines, Indianapolis Colts - 49% rostered
God forbid anything should happen to Jonathan Taylor at this point, but if it does, Hines becomes a top-20 RB. Marlon Mack would get in the mix on early downs but Hines is the pass-catching back and has been used in the red zone in the past as well.
D'Ernest Johnson, Cleveland Browns - 13% rostered
It doesn't sound as if Kareem Hunt's ankle injury is serious but you never know with these things. Both Nick Chubb and Hunt have had their share of injuries the last two seasons and Johnson has already shown what he can do with enough carries as he did in Week 7 and 10 when he was the starter.
Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears - 26% rostered
Justin Fields has infused some life into the Bears and at least made them competitive in their last few losses but it's come at the expense of the running backs. David Montgomery ran for 42 yards on 10 carries because Justin Fields took nine carries for himself, gaining 74 yards. That makes Khalil Herbert less appealing as a backup but he still makes the list because the Bears are primarily using one RB to carry the load.
Devontae Booker, New York Giants - 24% rostered
If Saquon Barkley is barely playable these days, how appealing can Booker be? He averaged more yards per carry on his eight attempts in Week 14, is a solid pass-catcher, and has been effective in bursts this year. Booker could at least enter the streaming conversation in upcoming NFC East showdowns if Barkley were to suffer a setback.
Latavius Murray, Baltimore Ravens - 15% rostered
At one point, he was the RB1 in Baltimore but Devonta Freeman has run away with the job. Murray saw just one carry in Week 14 and isn't much of a receiver these days. He'll have TD upside if Freeman were to go down but still wouldn't be more than an RB3 for fantasy.
Peyton Barber, Las Vegas Raiders - 2% rostered
Kenyan Drake is out for the season, so Barber is the backup to Josh Jacobs. All the turmoil that this Raiders squad has faced this year seems to be catching up to them after an embarrassing blowout loss to KC so having a piece of this offense isn't a high priority anymore.
Jaret Patterson, Washington Football Team - 1% rostered
Antonio Gibson looks to be as healthy as he has all season so the concern level around him has dropped quite a bit. Patterson did run in a touchdown in Week 14 after Gibson was pulled for fumbling but his only path to relevance would be an injury to Gibson.
Justin Jackson, Los Angeles Chargers - 2% rostered
Jackson would move up this list if the injury to Austin Ekeler proves enough to hold him out or limit him the rest of the season. The problem is that Jackson wouldn't become a bell cow in L.A. as the team would employ a committee approach including Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree III, and others to replace Ekeler. Jackson is simply the speediest and most experienced of the bunch.
Wide Receivers - Waiver Wire Options to Pickup
K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings - 39% rostered
His rostered rate is likely far higher in competitive leagues but he might still be floating around out there somewhere. He was an obvious streamer in Week 14 because Adam Thielen was ruled out and Osborn predictably took advantage. He caught a long touchdown in the fourth quarter and wound up with 83 yards on three receptions, falling not far behind Justin Jefferson in PPR scoring and barely surpassing him in standard. Thielen's status for Week 15 is TBD but high-ankle sprains don't lend themselves to a quick turnaround so he could miss another contest.
Jamison Crowder, New York Jets - 38% rostered
With Corey Davis and Elijah Moore both on IR and no running game to speak of, Crowder should have had a huge game facing a funnel defense like New Orleans. Instead, he caught three balls for 19 yards while Braxton Berrios led the team in receiving. Crowder can not be considered reliable but we've seen him produce at times this season. The last time the Jets faced the Dolphins in Week 11, Crowder caught six passes for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens - 36% rostered
Lamar Jackson leaving the game with an ankle injury should have killed the Baltimore receivers' fantasy value, except it didn't. Bateman finished with 103 yards on seven receptions in Week 15 and all of it came from the arm of Tyler Huntley. That means that even if Lamar Jackson is ruled out next week due to his ankle injury, Bateman is still playable.
Robby Anderson, Carolina Panthers - 35% rostered
Those who drafted Anderson expecting a dependable WR3 have to laugh (or cry) at the fact he had his best game of the year when nobody was playing him. In Week 14, Anderson actually out-targeted D.J. Moore with a season-high of 12 and matched him with 84 yards, including a touchdown. That scoring play came when P.J. Walker was at quarterback as did the majority of his yardage, so one has to wonder if Cam Newton will keep holding Anderson back. As it stands, Anderson isn't someone you can trust in Week 15 vs Buffalo, but keep an eye on his target share to see if getting him more involved was something schemed up during the bye week under a new OC.
Kendrick Bourne, New England Patriots - 31% rostered
The Pats' gameplan to literally not throw the ball at all against Buffalo worked like a charm. It may not be repeatable when they face Indianapolis in Week 15, so expect something closer to the 24.8 pass attempts per game they had been averaging in the previous four games. That puts Bourne in the Flex discussion as the big-play threat against a defense that is bottom-10 in terms of fantasy points per game allowed to wideouts.
Jalen Guyton, Los Angeles Chargers - 15% rostered
A midweek COVID diagnosis left Keenan Allen sidelined and put Guyton into a bigger role, leading to three catches for 87 yards and a touchdown against the Giants. But the week before, with Allen on the field, Guyton did better with four catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. His target share isn't high so it's hard to say his role is increasing, just his productivity. As the deep threat for Justin Herbert, he has weekly boom potential but could also leave fantasy managers high and dry. There could be a lot of passing in Week 15 when they face division rivals Kansas City, so consider Guyton a high-upside Flex if you need one.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions - 12% rostered
For a second straight game, St. Brown saw 12 targets and has established himself as the alpha in this passing attack. Despite a tough matchup with Denver, he produced eight receptions for 73 yards. He could see similar usage if the Lions happen to face a deficit to Arizona next week.
Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers - 4% rostered
Just when you think you can trust MVS, back comes Allen Lazard to ruin things. Lazard had his best game of 2021 on Sunday night against Chicago with six receptions, 75 yards, and a TD. The matchup next week with Baltimore should be even better as they've become a true funnel defense thanks to a ton of injuries in the secondary. There isn't a safe floor here but Lazard could post another strong game in the absence of Randall Cobb.
Gabriel Davis, Buffalo Bills - 3% rostered
We've seen Davis catch a touchdown or have a nice game here and there but didn't bother mentioning him. This time, it's different because Emmanuel Sanders suffered a knee injury and could open the door for more targets to Davis going forward. The next two matchups aren't particularly great on paper but the Bills get Atlanta in Week 17 and, for those who play until the bitter end, they face the Jets in Week 18.
Nico Collins, Houston Texans - 1% rostered
It took a while but the rookie finally became a focal point of the passing game in Week 15. He set new career-highs with 10 targets, five receptions, and 69 yards. The Texans appear ready to wave the white flag on the season and see what their young players can do, so expect Collins to get several more targets in a plus matchup with Jacksonville.
Adam Humphries, Washington Football Team - 0% rostered
Monitor the practice reports to see if Terry McLaurin (concussion protocol) is set to play in Week 15. If not, Humphries will see an uptick in targets and has the best chance to succeed as a slot receiver who can avoid Darius "Big Play" Slay.
Braxton Berrios, New York Jets - 0% rostered
If nothing else, the Jets keep us on our toes every single week. It was Berrios who took advantage of the numerous injuries at receiver by leading the team with six catches and 52 yards on 10 targets. It's tough to trust anyone on this team, especially come playoff time, but the volume could still be there with no semblance of a running game.
Others to consider: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tennessee Titans (29% rostered); Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (27% rostered); Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns (9% rostered); Josh Reynolds, Detroit Lions (8% rostered); Cam Sims, Washington Football Team (0% rostered)
Tight Ends - Waiver Wire Options to Pickup
Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns - 41% rostered
With David Njoku on the COVID/IR list and Odell Beckham playing in L.A., Hooper tied his season-high with seven targets and caught a season-high five passes. The yardage wasn't great (30) but he reached the end zone and outperformed most TE streamers on the week. If Njoku is still out in Week 15, Hooper should be strongly considered against a Raiders defense that allows even more fantasy points to tight ends than the Ravens, ranking third-worst in that category.
Ricky Seals-Jones, Washington Football Team - 20% rostered
It was a hideous offensive day for Washington in a home loss to Dallas and nobody was immune. RSJ came away with just one reception for eight yards and disappointed those who picked him up for this matchup. The quarterback situation in Washington is in question with Taylor Heinicke struggling early and getting injured late but Seals-Jones could still thrive in Week 15. Terry McLaurin is a candidate to miss the game if he doesn't clear concussion protocol, which would open up more targets for everyone else. The matchup couldn't be better, as Philadelphia allows the most fantasy points to tight ends this season.
Brevin Jordan, Houston Texans - 0% rostered
The talented rookie out of Miami has been getting his shot to prove himself along with QB Davis Mills and the two seem to have found a connection. Jordan only registered 26 yards on four receptions but scored for the second straight game and now has three touchdowns in the past six games. Houston draws a favorable matchup with Jacksonville so Jordan becomes a viable streamer.
Others to consider: Gerald Everett, Seattle Seahawks (31% rostered); Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears (27% rostered)
Quarterbacks - Waiver Wire Options to Pickup
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins - 31% rostered
A home game against the Jets is always a smash spot. It's even better when it comes for a quarterback who has completed 80% of his passes with a 5-1 TD-INT rate in his previous three starts since returning from injury. You may not get a huge passing volume but if Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed don't clear COVID protocols in time, it might be higher than expected.
Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers - 30% rostered
The Niners had their full complement of weapons at receiver and tight end in Week 14 and it showed. George Kittle came away with 151 yards and Brandon Aiyuk scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime as the Niners keep surging toward a wild card berth with four wins in their last five games. Garoppolo threw for 296 yards and two touchdowns without turning the ball over on the road against a solid Cincinnati defense. Now, he returns home to face Atlanta and could be a top-15 fantasy QB.
Others to consider: Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers (22% rostered); Davis Mills, Houston Texans (2% rostered)
Team Defense (D/ST) - Waiver Wire Options to Pickup
Miami Dolphins Defense - 46% rostered
Easily the top choice if available, the Dolphins had the final bye week of the NFL season to prepare for... the Jets. Over their past five games, Miami hasn't allowed more than 17 points in a game with an average of 11 points per game over that span along with 3.8 sacks per game. That high of 17 points did come in the first matchup with the Jets but that was with gunslinger and Super Bowl champ Joe Flacco at the helm. It's a safe bet to roll with Miami DST.
Houston Texans Defense - 5% rostered
With all the bye weeks now over, there should be no need for a desperation play at team defense. If things have gone south and you're left with scraps, then relying on Houston to stymie the Jacksonville offense is the best bet. In Week 1, the Jags put up 21 points but also turned it over three times. Expect the opposite as the Jags' game plan has been to play mistake-free and hope the defense holds up as it did in their upset victory over Buffalo. Trevor Lawrence is coming off a four-INT game and the Jags have officially become a dumpster fire. In leagues where points allowed are weighed more, Houston has a solid floor.
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