Here’s a look at our waiver wire rankings, along with feedback from our experts, Dan Harris, Joe Pisapia, Kyle Yates, and Pat Fitzmaurice.
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Week 14 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Rankings
Q1. Who is your top waiver wire option of the week, and why?
If you need a running back for one week only, it’s JaMycal Hasty, given that Elijah Mitchell is dealing with a concussion and Jeff Wilson‘s knee flaring up. But otherwise, it’s K.J. Osborn. Adam Thielen is going to miss time with his high ankle sprain, and that opens the door for Osborn, who saw seven targets and caught a touchdown pass in Sunday’s loss to the Lions. Osborn has seen at least six targets in five games this year, and in four of those five, he’s had at least 76 yards receiving or a touchdown. The Vikings will draw the Steelers, who allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, this week, and it’s a Thursday game, so Pittsburgh’s defense will likely be worn out after a hard-fought game with the Ravens. Osborn will be a viable start this week and for as long as Thielen is out, which could be several weeks.
– Dan Harris (@danharris80)
Taysom Hill is so productive as a runner that he can still be an above-average fantasy quarterback even though he’s a terrible passer. And we’re talking seriously terrible — like Tim Tebow-level bad. But, wow, can this dude run, and we saw that in Week 13, when he rushed 11 times for 101 yards against Dallas. Hill’s passing numbers were hideous in that game (19 for 41, 264 yards, 2 TDs, 4 INTs), but even Hill might be able to look like a credible passer this week against the Jets welcome-mat pass defense.
– Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)
With DeVante Parker back on the field, Tua Tagovailoa had a deep threat again in Week 13. Parker caught all 5 of his targets Sunday for 65 yards. Despite the bye for the Dolphins in Week 14, Parker is the most attractive waiver wire add for teams that have already locked up a playoff spot, because he’s a viable flex play and has produced in the past.
– Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)
Over the past three weeks, Russell Gage has seen 27 targets and has 241 yards to show for it. He’s become an incredibly reliable receiving threat for the Falcons over the middle of the field and he’s producing for fantasy football. With 32 Half PPR points in the past two games alone, Gage is not only worth picking up for a solid FAB amount, but he’s moving up into must-start territory. With the Falcons needing to throw the ball a ton due to the state of their team, Gage should continue to soak up targets moving forward and he deserves to be picked up if he’s still available in your league.
Q2. Which high-end waiver wire option for Week 14 was the most difficult to rank?
Russell Gage had 11 catches for 130 yards against the Buccaneers in Week 13, and that came on the heels of a 6-62-1 performance against the Jaguars in Week 12. Gage has also been completely shut out in two of his last six games. He’s not an especially good receiver, but Gage’s role as the Falcons’ de facto No. 1 receiver is worth something. I’m just not sure exactly what it’s worth when it comes with the danger of trap-door games where Gage goes scoreless.
– Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)
Kenneth Gainwell finished as an RB1 this week with Gardner Minshew at QB. However, the Eagles are on a bye in Week 14 and we don’t know if Minshew will be back under center when the team returns to action. So many questions, with no answers. Still, I’d bid on the talent if he’s floating out there.
– Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)
Rashaad Penny was active last week for the Seahawks and saw 10 carries to Adrian Peterson‘s 11, but he was the better RB on the field. While that’s not putting Penny into the territory of Barry Sanders or anything – he only averaged 3.5 YPC – he deserves to see the majority of the volume in this offense moving forward. He’s not a must-add option for Week 14, but for fantasy managers that are absolutely desperate, Penny should be considered due to the matchup this week against the Houston Texans. If the Seahawks give Penny the majority of the work, he could be a decent fill-in option for next week. But he won’t be anything more than a mid-range RB3 in rankings if that’s the case.
Rashaad Penny. Fantasy managers have been waiting for years to see what Penny could do as the starting running back for Seattle, and we got a glimpse of it against the 49ers. 10 carries for 35 yards wasn’t impressive, but he added 27 yards receiving, and clearly played better than Adrian Peterson, despite the latter’s touchdown. With a matchup against Houston on tap, Penny could be someone who fantasy managers could potentially use in a pinch, and perhaps land themselves a flex play for the remainder of the season. Or, Peterson could still factor in and Alex Collins could be active, and Penny could be worthless from a fantasy standpoint. I moved him up and down my rankings significantly during my initial run.
– Dan Harris (@danharris80)
Q3. For managers renting a D/ST in Week 14, what readily available option (under 40%) should they target?
There are actually several good options this week for streaming D/STs, but the Chargers D/ST gets the nod for me as the main option to go after. With Daniel Jones described as week-to-week and unlikely to play any time soon, plus Mike Glennon being added to the injury report with a concussion, the Chargers could get to take on an underwhelming group of receiving options with Jake Fromm at QB. While I liked Fromm coming out of Georgia a couple of years ago, he’s not going to be a standout option this week with just being added to the team a week ago. Even if Glennon suits up, the Chargers are still going to be a fine plug-and-play option.
This is a fantastic week for D/STs, with several options capable of putting up huge fantasy points. But if we’re talking under 40%, the Packers are my favorite choice. We just saw Andy Dalton throw four interceptions, and the Green Bay Packers D/ST has put up double-digit fantasy points in two of its last three games. Coming off a bye, at home, and in a primetime game, this should be a monster effort from the Packers, and it should translate into a ton of fantasy points.
– Dan Harris (@danharris80)
It’s a great week for streaming defenses. The Titans, Broncos, Saints, Packers, and Panthers are all fine options because of soft Week 14 matchups. I’m partial to the Tennessee Titans D/ST because you can use them this week against the Jaguars, in Week 15 against rapidly deteriorating Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers, and maybe even in Week 16 against the 49ers.
– Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)
The Green Bay Packers D/ST have been a consistent defense all season despite losing their best corner Jaire Alexander early in the season. There are some better matchups on paper, but I will favor the performance of the Packers unit. Their playoff schedule isn’t bad either (@BAL, CLE, MIN) with 2 out of 3 home games.
– Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)
Notable Week 14 Waiver Wire FAB Recommendations (in %)
Q4. Which Week 14 waiver wire option carries the biggest risk of being a waste of FAB dollars?
Amon-Ra St. Brown exploded Sunday for 10 receptions on 12 targets for 86 yards and a TD, his highest WR finish of the season. We've all seen flashes of St. Brown but never a performance like this. He could easily have turned a corner ready to be a playoff difference-maker. He could just as easily fall back to the WR 50 range.
- Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)
At this point of the season, all WW options have a risk of being a waste of FAB dollars, quite frankly. One or two players could be a valuable spot fill-in option, but otherwise it's wise to not spend up. As long as you're keeping that in mind when setting your FAB bids this week, there isn't a specific player that jumps out as being a huge risk.
Russell Gage. Gage has been great of late for the most part, but he's also notoriously inconsistent, and the Atlanta offense does not inspire confidence. Three of his next four matchups (Panthers, 49ers, and Bills) rank in the top 10 in fewest fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. Fantasy managers would probably want to start Gage, but it would be hard to feel comfortable doing so, and he's got the potential to let managers down.
- Dan Harris (@danharris80)
I suppose it's Tevin Coleman. If you're eager to acquire him, that probably means you need him for Week 14, and Coleman could easily come up empty against a tough New Orleans run defense.
- Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)
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