Bjorn Yang-Vaernet examines which players on the waiver wire are worth prioritizing for Week 15 and highlights others to stash preemptively.
The regular season is finally over and now the money-making portion of the fantasy football season finally begins. Each waiver wire decision becomes more and more important because one bad pickup to put in the starting lineup could mean the end of the season. I recommend focusing on players with upside on the waiver wire as most of the money in fantasy football leagues is at the top. Picking up and starting a player who has a difficult path to multiple TDs or more than 100 yards will not put a team in the best position to advance to the next round/win. With that in mind, the players worth prioritizing are below.
The waiver wire is one of the most important pieces of season-long draft leagues. It is the easiest way to acquire new players and every year there are gems to be found. The goal of this article will not only be to highlight which weekly breakout players to prioritize but find others to preemptively pick up before the breakout happens.
This article will be published once on Mondays with a quick run through my favorite pickups and again on Tuesdays with more charts and data points added in.
This article will only reference players that are less than 50% owned in ESPN leagues. The players are categorized by position group and within each group is the order of how I would prioritize them. In lieu of free agent acquisition budget percentages, which are highly dependent on the makeup of each league, I have highlighted which players I would prioritize on the week.
Quarterback
Jared Goff (Available in 56% of Leagues)
The Lions and Jared Goff have been rolling as of late. During the last two weeks, Goff has averaged more than 330 pass yards and has thrown two or more TDs in each game. The two biggest changes in these games were the quality of opponent (Entering Week 14, the Jacksonville and Minnesota defenses both ranked within the top-five of most passing yards per game allowed) and the return of D.J. Chark to full health. While Week 15 is a tough matchup on the road against the Jets, Goff has great matchups in Week 16 (at Carolina) and Week 17 (vs Chicago). Goff is a great QB to stash if not rostering an elite rushing QB as he could put up a strong score in the high-leverage weeks.
Tyler Huntley (Available in 72% of Leagues)
Tyler Huntley started Week 14 against the Steelers but left the game in the third quarter with a concussion. Prior to his departure, Huntley was being used exactly how he was expected to be — 12 pass attempts and nine rush attempts. This level of rushing gives him a high floor, with a potentially high ceiling if the passing game comes together. If Huntley is able to clear the concussion protocol in time for Week 15 against the Browns, he is a QB I am comfortable streaming.
Running Back
Jerick McKinnon (Available in 66% of Leagues)
Jerick McKinnon has been able to hold on to more of his backfield role than I initially expected when Isiah Pacheco seemed to be taking over the early-down work in Kansas City. In Week 14, despite holding a three-possession lead over the Broncos, McKinnon still played on 57% of snaps. McKinnon also had more high-value opportunities (nine targets and one carry inside the 10-yard line) to Pacheco (all his rush attempts were between the 20-yard lines). McKinnon’s usage is playable in a pinch and he has immense upside if Pacheco were to miss time.
Pierre Strong (Available in 100% of Leagues)
After Rhamondre Stevenson was ruled out with an ankle injury at halftime, Pierre Strong received the majority of the RB opportunities. In the second half, Strong had seven opportunities to three for Kevin Harris. Notable, Strong also got the goal line carry and converted it for a TD. This backfield is in a state of uncertainty as Stevenson’s injury might not be very serious and Damien Harris could return soon, but Strong seems like a good player to keep in mind. If Strong retains this role in future games, a big if, he could be a key player in fantasy playoffs. According to the Strength of Schedule Streaming App, New England has the second-easiest schedule for RBs during the next three weeks.
