Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Roschon Johnson, Noah Brown, Jameis Winston, Cade Otton (Week 14)

The week is nearly wrapped up, and of course there were another round of injuries and surprising performances. As a result, fantasy managers will be on the lookout for wavier wire additions and replacement options for those injured over the weekend or just to bolster their lineup moving forward. Here are a few players to consider adding via the waiver wire this week. And also be sure to check out our full waiver wire article for the week.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets

Roschon Johnson (RB – CHI): 21% rostered

• Next Opponents: DET, @CLE, ARI
• True value: $14
• Desperate need: $23
• Budget-minded: $9

Analysis: The other rookie RB from the University of Texas looked strong in primetime in Week 12. The Bears made a concerted effort to get Johnson touches on the ground and through the air in that game, and he finished with 10-35-0 rushing and 5-40-0 receiving. A post-bye rookie bump could be in order for Johnson, a perfect complement to Justin Fields in the RPO game.

Noah Brown (WR – HOU): 40% rostered

• Next Opponents: @NYJ, @TEN, CLE
• True value: $4
• Desperate need: $6
• Budget-minded: $2

Analysis: Brown finally returned to the Texans’ lineup in Week 13 after dealing with a knee injury for the previous two weeks. He was immediately reinstalled as a full-time starter, as Robert Woods and John Metchie split snaps. With the unfortunate season-ending injury to Tank Dell, Brown should be Nico Collins‘ running mate for the rest of the season. In Weeks 8-10, Brown had a 17.1% target share, a 23.4% air-yard share, 4.55 yards per route run and a 16.7% first-read share (per Fantasy Points Data), as he averaged 127.3 receiving yards per game over that stretch. Any receiver tied to C.J. Stroud warrants flex consideration, but Brown could develop into a weekly WR3 with his standing in the target tree now elevated.

Jameis Winston (QB – NO): 1% rostered

• Next Opponents: CAR, NYG, @LAR
• True value: $2
• Desperate need: $5
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Derek Carr was playing like hot garbage, with Saints fans raining boos down on him before he was obliterated by a free rusher. Carr entered concussion protocol and also had sore ribs and a creaky throwing shoulder. Enter Winston, who has been a QB1 in fantasy before. I’ve long contended that Winston is a better QB than Carr, so we’ll see what he can do to keep the Saints alive in the playoff race.

Cade Otton (TE – TB): 49% rostered

• Next Opponents: @ATL, @GB, JAX
• True value: $2
• Desperate need: $4
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Otton has been a familiar name in this article. When the matchup has been right, he has popped off as a TE1 this season, with four TE1 outings (TE11, TE12, TE3, TE12). The last time he played against the Falcons, he did exactly that, with five receptions and 43 receiving yards to finish as the TE12 for the week. Atlanta and Jacksonville have allowed the fourth-most and 12th-most fantasy points per game to tight ends, respectively.

Successful In-Season Fantasy Football Management

Once your fantasy football team is drafted, the work is not over. Successful in-season management is crucial to a winning fantasy football season. Here are some tips to help you manage your team effectively throughout the season:

Stay up to date on player news
Keep track of player injuries, suspensions, and other news that may impact their performance. This will help you make informed decisions about which players to start each week.

Monitor the waiver wire
Keep an eye on the waiver wire and be ready to pick up players who may be undervalued or overlooked by other teams. This can provide valuable depth to your roster. Use our waiver wire assistant to view optimal lineups, waiver and trade suggestions, and league analysis.

Analyze matchups
Analyze the upcoming matchups for your players and opponents to determine which players to start in your lineup each week. Look for favorable matchups and take into account the strength of the opposing team’s defense.

Stay active in trades
Be open to trading players with other teams if it will benefit your team. Analyze the potential impact of a trade before making a decision and negotiate with other teams to find a mutually beneficial agreement.

Be prepared for bye weeks
Plan ahead for bye weeks by having backup players ready to fill in for your starters. Avoid having too many players with the same bye week, which can leave your team short-handed.

Don’t overreact to one bad week
Avoid overreacting to one bad week of performance by a player. Take a long-term view of their performance and evaluate their potential moving forward.

Continuously evaluate your roster
Continuously evaluate your roster throughout the season and make adjustments as needed. Be willing to drop underperforming players or make changes to your lineup if necessary.