RADIO
What’s up everyone! Welcome back for your Week 15 fantasy football waiver wire WR options. This week we have a number of options that have emerged, several of whom are likely available in your league and could help out your WR situation.
Below you will find some deeper waiver wire grabs heading into Week 14. Check out my entries from Week 14 as well. If players like Steve Smith Sr. or Cole Beasley are still out there, PICK THEM UP FIRST. These are deeper options who will likely be available in many leagues. If you are forced to pick between two players, find me on twitter @Ben_Ruppert_21, and I will be more than happy to help you out!
Now, let’s get rolling.
Editor's Note: Once you're done here, be sure to read about even more Week 15 waiver wire recommendations, for all fantasy-relevant positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS
Week 15 Waiver Wire - Wide Receivers (WR)
The Shallow End (Under 50% Owned)
Pierre Garcon, WR, WAS- 46% Owned on Fleaflicker
On Sunday, Pierre Garcon brought what he’s been bringing all season— consistency. He caught five passes for 59 yards with his third touchdown, and is now averaging five receptions for 59 yards on the year. The touchdowns have been lacking, but he does have two over his past four games. Since DeSean Jackson’s return, Garcon is second on the team in targets with 20, one fewer than Jamison Crowder’s 21. This Redskins team has plenty of options in the passing game, but Garcon continues to be a big part of the offense. Since their Week 9 bye, he has posted double-digit points in PPR formats in four of five games played.
Next up for the Redskins are the Panthers, who have given up the fourth-most receptions and yards receiving to opposing wideouts this season. Their run defense, for the most part, has held its own, meaning Washington will need to throw as usual to put up points. They just allowed a big day to Dontrelle Inman, but Michael Crabtree and Tyler Lockett have also done well against this secondary recently. If you’ve made it this far and are worried about a disappointing stud, Garcon is a great plug-and-play since he won’t kill you and has a good chance at a solid performance. He will be a WR3 with WR2 upside against the Panthers.
Tyler Boyd, WR, CIN- 40% Owned on Fleaflicker
A very efficient day for Andy Dalton meant quick work was made of the Browns on Sunday. Dalton completed 20-of-28 passes (71%) for 180 yards and two scores. Both of those touchdowns went to TE Tyler Eifert, but Tyler Boyd led the team in receiving. He caught all six of his targets for 49 yards, while also rushing twice for 40 yards. It was Boyd’s first rushing attempts since Week 8, and he was able to set a new season high with his 39-yard run on the fourth play of the game. Boyd will be dominated in the red zone by Eifert and Brandon LaFell, but will pile up the catches on shorter routes, making him a big PPR asset.
In Week 5, the Bengals will take on the Steelers, who did a good job of limiting the Bills' receiving corps last week. However, Boyd had one of his better games against them earlier in the season, with six receptions for 78 yards. Though the Steelers have done well against smaller receivers recently (T.Y. Hilton, Cole Beasley), without Giovani Bernard, Boyd is the primary target on short routes and should be able to find room while the defense focuses on stopping Eifert and Jeremy Hill. Boyd will be a viable flex option again this week, and possibly for the rest of the season— unless A.J. Green returns before the season ends.
Taylor Gabriel, WR, ATL- 40% Owned on Fleaflicker
With Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu both out of the game, Taylor Gabriel and the rest of the WR corps were forced to take on a heavier load than usual. Even without Jones, the Falcons stomped the Rams 42-14 thanks to big contributions from the wide receivers. Taylor Gabriel kept up his excellent play, scoring yet another long touchdown; his 64-yard TD reception put the Falcons up 28-0 early in the second half. He ended the day catching 3-of-6 targets for a season-high 84 yards and a TD. That gives him six total touchdowns over his past six games, scoring from all over the field with and without the presence of Julio Jones.
This offense knows just how to use Gabriel, who has become a huge asset to the Falcons over the second half of the year. Jones and Sanu will likely be back next week, but that shouldn’t hurt Gabriel's production. Next week Atlanta hosts the 49ers, who have given up the second most fantasy points and most receiving touchdowns to opposing wideouts this season. If Gabriel snuck through your waivers last week, he is still worth an add this week, even with the return of other receivers.
Cameron Meredith, WR, CHI- 22% Owned on Fleaflicker
Over the past three weeks, Matt Barkley hasn’t looked out of place as the Bears' starting QB. The team is 1-2 over those games with 21 PPG, up from the 16 they had averaged all season to that point. Barkley’s competence helps the receivers stay relevant. Cameron Meredith has seen his receptions and yardage grow each week with the new QB. Last week's game against the Lions was his best since Week 6— he caught six of his team-leading eight targets for 72 yards, inducing a 31-yard TD reception in the third quarter. In Barkley’s three starts, only Josh Bellamy has more targets than Meredith (22 to 21).
Alshon Jeffery returns from his suspension this week, pushing Meredith down to the team's No. 2 WR. However, with Green Bay coming to town next week it may not matter. Barkley will need to pass early and often to keep up with his division rivals, and if Jeffery isn’t ready to go 100% right off the bat, opportunities will still be there for Meredith to produce. Green Bay has given up the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing receivers this season, and the second-most touchdowns, behind only San Francisco. Available in 75 percent of leagues right now, Meredith can be had for little and makes for a decent flex play in Week 15.
Adam Thielen, WR, MIN- 22% Owned on Fleaflicker
Even with Stefon Diggs in the lineup, Adam Thielen has been able to make big plays happen on the field. Two weeks ago with Diggs healthy, Thielen caught 7-of-9 targets for 86 yards. Last week he caught 4-of-5 targets for 101 yards, which led the team by a healthy margin. No one predicted Thielen would be a big part of this offense in 2016, but here we are towards the end of the year talking about him potentially being a key piece for your fantasy run. He is third on the team in targets this season, but is second in yards and touchdowns.
Next week, Minnesota gets a favorable matchup with the Colts, with both teams fighting for their playoff lives. The Colts looked good last week against DeAndre Hopkins (though that was mostly Brock Osweiler’s fault), but before that were hit hard by Robby Anderson, Antonio Brown and Rishard Matthews in consecutive weeks. Over the past four weeks, Thielen is averaging six receptions for 76 yards per game. He has a high floor next week, but a low ceiling given his lack of usage in the red zone. He makes for a fine flex play if you’re in a tight spot, and is widely available in Fleaflicker leagues.
More Options: Mohamed Sanu, ATL (50% Owned), Anquan Boldin, DET (48%), Chris Hogan, NE (38%), Brandon LaFell, CIN (38%), Malcolm Mitchell, NE (36%), Terrance Williams, DAL (33%), Ty Montgomery, GB (30%), Kenny Stills, MIA (29%), Ted Ginn, CAR (28%), Dontrelle Inman, SD (21%), Marqise Lee, JAX (19%)
The Deep End (Under 15% Owned)
J.J. Nelson, WR, ARI- 13% Owned on Fleaflicker
Nelson has cooled off considerably since his small stretch of productive games in the middle of the season. However, he now has scored a touchdown in back-to-back games. After scoring on an 84-yard reception in Week 13, Nelson came back this week with two scoring plays. In the first quarter he used his speed on an end-around, breaking off a 56-yard TD run. Then in the fourth quarter, he caught an eight-yard pass from Carson Palmer for a score. He has three touches in the last two games, and all have gone for touchdowns. While that production is obviously not sustainable long-term, his matchup with the Saints next week gives him another chance to break one loose against a beatable secondary.
Robby Anderson, WR, NYJ- 4% Owned on Fleaflicker
Bryce Petty looked competent in his first start since Week 10, completing 66% of his passes for 257 yards in the victory over San Francisco. Anderson was the leading receiver on the day for New York, catching 6-of-11 targets for 99 yards— all team-high totals. He also ran the ball twice for 12 yards. This is the second game in a row in which he has performed well with Petty under center; last week Petty came in for Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Anderson ended the day with four receptions for 61 yards and a TD. He has out-performed Quincy Enunwa in three of the past four weeks.
Josh Bellamy, WR, CHI- 1% Owned on Fleaflicker
While the return of Alshon Jeffery will impact Bellamy’s production, his connection with Matt Barkley may keep him relevant. He leads the team in targets in Barkley’s starts, and has at least three receptions for 40 yards in each of the past three weeks. As the third WR now in the Bears' offense, Bellamy is a desperation play in deeper leagues. If you are forced to roll the dice with someone, at 1% owned Bellamy offers a higher upside than many players of similar ownership. Green Bay coming to town should give all of these Chicago receivers a chance to shine.
More Options: Eli Rogers, PIT (15% Owned), Cordarrelle Patterson, MIN (13%), Jermaine Kearse, SEA (9%), Chris Conley, KC (8%), Brandon Coleman, NO (6%), Quinton Patton, SF (5%), Russell Shepard, TB (3%), Paul Turner, PHI (2%), Cobi Hamilton, PIT (1%), Tanner McEvoy, SEA (0%)
That’s all for this week folks, hope you get everyone you claim! For all your WR waiver wire questions, read these articles each week and get at me on twitter @Ben_Ruppert_21. I am more than happy to lend a hand to hungry fantasy owners!
