Import your team to My Playbook for instant Waiver Wire advice

Week 15 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Rankings

Q1. Who is your top waiver wire option of the week, and why?

If you or your playoff opponent are in any remote need of a running back, then Rashaad Penny should be the top choice. Penny was dominant against the Texans, with 137 yards and two touchdowns. Perhaps equally as important, he dominated the touches and snaps, greatly surpassing those marks combined by Alex Collins and DeeJay Dallas. Seattle has been desperate for a reliable running back since losing Chris Carson, and there’s little doubt that Penny is their best bet given his pedigree and overall talent. It’s not the best schedule, particularly with the Rams on tap, but that’s not all that concerning. Add the talent and the role. Worry about the matchup later.
– Dan Harris (@danharris80)

Rashaad Penny isn’t just a slam dunk; he’s a Darryl Dawkins backboard-shattering, game-delaying slam dunk. (Look him up, kids.) He’s now the undisputed lead back for Seattle at a time of year when undisputed lead backs are rarely available on waivers. And, wow, he’s looked terrific the last two weeks. This is the Rashaad Penny we’ve been waiting to see since he was drafted in 2018. If you’ve been sitting on a stack of FAB money, it’s time to shove all the chips into the middle.
– Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)

It has to be Rashaad Penny after his huge workload and performance this Sunday. I know he gets the Rams this week, but with running back an endangered species at this point in the season, I would empty the tank for Penny.
– Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)

DeVante Parker is the top WW add of the week for me due to the high floor that he brings when he’s in the starting lineup. However, not only is he going to provide a high floor this week, but he has incredible upside due to the matchup against the Jets. Not only does Parker get a solid matchup in Week 15, though, but he also gets the New Orleans Saints in Week 16 and then the Tennessee Titans in championship week. These are about as favorable of matchups as they come in fantasy football right now, and Parker should be considered a locked-in starting option for each of those three matchups. He’s the clear top option to scoop up this week if he’s available in your league.
– Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)

Q2. Which high-end waiver wire option for Week 15 was the most difficult to rank?

Both Jordan Howard and Boston Scott. I have very little feel for how the Eagles plan to deploy their running backs, and each of value depends highly on the health of the others, for starter. I can’t say for certain whether Howard or Miles Sanders will be back this week or whether Kenneth Gainwell earned a bigger role with his performance in Week 13. With a soft schedule, someone in that backfield will have value, so both Scott and Howard should be rostered. I just don’t know which one, or whether either one, will be given the opportunity.
– Dan Harris (@danharris80)

Boston Scott, because we don’t know much about the injury status of Eagles RBs Miles Sanders (ankle) and Jordan Howard (knee). If both are out for Week 15, Scott could be immensely valuable. If both play, Scott is merely a committee back. I ranked Scott fifth overall in the waiver rankings but would have had him second behind only Rashaad Penny if we knew Sanders and Howard would miss Week 15.
– Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)

Robby Anderson had his best week of the 2021 season after seeing 12 targets, catching 7 with a TD for 84 yards. Now what? Was that just a matchup the Panthers exploited? Is this the influence of a new OC? Can we trust Cam Newton? In the words of Clark Griswold, “Where’s the Tylenol?”.
– Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)

The majority of the RBs were extremely difficult to rank because essentially all of them depend on what else happens in their respective backfields. Plenty of players above them on depth charts are either awaiting injury news or are dealing with COVID, so there isn’t one clear option. However, the player I’ll point out that was the most difficult to rank is Jordan Howard. Miles Sanders was reportedly set to miss two weeks after suffering an ankle injury in Week 13, but there hasn’t been any confirmation or update on that at the time of writing. If Sanders misses, with Howard slated to come back into the lineup in Week 15, Howard jumps into the low-end RB2 conversation for fantasy purposes due to the volume he’ll see. With that being said, we have no clue right now whether or not that volume is guaranteed. He could be a top-5 pickup on the week or outside the top-30.
– Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)

Q3. For managers renting a D/ST in Week 15, what readily available option (under 40%) should they target?

The Miami Dolphins D/ST comes in just over the rostered percentage we’re looking at, so I’ll go with the Cleveland D/ST. They’ve put up at least eight fantasy points in four of their last five games, and the Raiders just allowed the Kansas City D/ST to put up 24 fantasy points. With a stagnant offense and Derek Carr taking multiple sacks in five straight games, Las Vegas is a good matchup for a team with a good pass rush like Cleveland to exploit.
– Dan Harris (@danharris80)

The Miami Dolphins D/ST have held their last four opponents to a combined 46 points and get a delicious Week 15 matchup against the Jets. Spend an extra FAB dollar on Miami if you need to stream a defense for Week 15.
– Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)

The Browns versus the Las Vegas Raiders stick out as an obvious choice, but I favor the Miami Dolphins D/ST versus the Jets. Miami’s D has picked things up in the last few weeks, is coming off of a bye, and I feel better about any defense versus a rookie QB rather than a veteran (even a struggling veteran).
– Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)

There aren’t any clear and obvious answers here for streaming DSTs under 40% rostered in Week 15, but one option that should be able to rack up the sack totals yet again is Cincinnati Bengals D/ST. The Bengals’ defense now has nine sacks over the past two weeks, and they take on the Broncos offense that is struggling to move the ball much through the air. They should be able to get home enough to finish as a top-15 option in Week 15.
– Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)

Notable Week 15 Waiver Wire FAB Recommendations (in %)

Q4. Which Week 15 waiver wire option carries the biggest risk of being a waste of FAB dollars?

K.J. Osborn. Osborn's value depends entirely on the health of Adam Thielen, and as of now, there's no word on whether Thielen will be able to return from his ankle sprain by Week 15. If he can, then Osborn won't be startable. But because of his potential, as shown this week, he needs to be a priority add in case Thielen isn't yet ready.
- Dan Harris (@danharris80)

Let's go with Lions' mystery man Craig Reynolds. The 25-year-old former UDFA from Kutztown University came out of the ether to play 29 snaps and post 11-83-0 rushing and 2-16-0 receiving vs. the Broncos on Sunday. If the Lions opt to shut down D'Andre Swift with a shoulder injury -- and it would probably be reckless for them not to -- Reynolds could play significant snaps over the rest of the season in an extended audition for a 2022 roster spot. But it's also possible that the Lions simply let Jamaal Williams be a workhorse when he comes off the COVID-19 list, and Reynolds disappears back into the fog.
- Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)

Tyler Huntley got a lot out of Rashod Bateman, who posted his best fantasy line of the season, hauling in 7 grabs on 8 targets for 103 yards. With Lamar Jackson's status up in the air right now and the middling performances, Bateman was having with Jackson under center, spending FAB on Bateman could be a complete waste. It could also be a nice gamble with upside.
- Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)

People will see what Rashod Bateman did this past week and completely buy back in, but it's important to exercise caution. Bateman's talent has never been in question, and he's shown that he can be a dominant receiver previously this season. Still, Baltimore inexplicably went away from him, and he surrendered playing time to guys like Sammy Watkins and Devin Duvernay. Watkins may miss next week with the injury he sustained during Week 14, but that's not a guarantee. In the fantasy playoffs, you need players that you can trust, and we cannot trust Bateman in our starting lineups due to the coaching staff. He's worth picking up and playing as a FLEX option in deeper formats, but we shouldn't view him as a locked-in WR2 now.
- Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio