This is the final week before the fantasy football playoffs, and you have to make it count. We weren’t as lucky with avoiding injuries as we were last week, seeing Rhamondre Stevenson, Jonathan Taylor, Marquise Brown, Puka Nacua, and several others go down early in their games. There are only two teams on bye this week, but you still have to keep playing the wire, even if you’re just playing defense.

I said this last week, but let me reiterate. Even if you don’t need someone, this may be the time to try and block your competition because, let me tell you, nothing is worse than being beaten by a player you could have had on your own roster. Don’t just look at who you need; look at what everyone needs. As always, I’ve done the digging so you don’t have to, and there are plenty of viable options still available out on waivers for your Week 14 matchups. Let’s not waste anymore time. It’s the final week of the regular season, people!

 

Waiver Wire Quarterbacks

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (Available in 41% of ESPN leagues, 36% of Yahoo leagues, and 37% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 5-8%

This one is more of an honorable mention, as his rostership is a little higher than I like to include, but Jordan Love has to be discussed. He showed up in the article last week, and I mentioned that this game against the Chiefs would be pivotal in showing just who he was as a quarterback. He passed with flying colors! 267 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions is a beautiful thing to see, and his schedule the remainder of the regular season is *chef’s kiss.* He gets the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, and Minnesota Vikings the remainder of the year, and, although I hate throwing this term around, he could quite literally be a league winner if you’re able to grab him off of waivers this week.

Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts (Available in 89% of ESPN leagues, 77% of Yahoo leagues, and 73% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 4-6%

The magic of Minshew isn’t depleted yet, as he somehow continues to get the job done. It was a close one against the Tennessee Titans this week, but they pulled out the win, with Minshew finishing with 312 yards and two touchdowns. Like the Packers, the Colts also have a pretty favorable schedule down the stretch, facing the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, and Las Vegas Raiders, and with running back Jonathan Taylor out for a while, expect Minshew’s volume to stay high. He doesn’t have a super high ceiling, but if you’re replacing Sam Howell or Kyler Murray this week, he’s one of the more reliable available on waivers. 

Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints (Available in 99% of ESPN leagues, 99% of Yahoo leagues, and 98% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 1-3%

Jameis Winston comes in as the last quarterback on this list because we don’t exactly know whether or not Derek Carr is going to play. However, having two concussions in the span of just three weeks is not a great sign, nor is the third shoulder injury, so if I were a betting woman, I would count on Winston starting. In relief of Carr in Week 13, he only threw for 41 yards, but we know from his past that he’s not afraid to air it out. If Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are both healthy going into Week 14, Winston will have plenty of downfield options, and if you’re in a deep league, he may be one of the only options remaining.

Waiver Wire Running Backs

Ezekiel Elliott, New England Patriots (Available in 66% of  ESPN leagues, 60% of Yahoo leagues, and 54% of Sleeper leagues))

FAAB Bid: 25-30%

Ezekiel Elliott got a mention in last week’s waiver article as someone you need to pick up in case something happens to Rhamondre Stevenson, and lo and behold, something happened early. Stevenson may miss several weeks with an ankle injury, and while we’re waiting on him to return, this is Elliott’s backfield. Yes, it may be hard to invest in any pieces of the Patriots offense at this point in the game, but we take what we’re given, and right now, the person with the clearest path to fantasy production and volume is Zeke. He’s only averaging 3.83 yards per carry this year, but he has been rotated in and out as a pass-catching back, so that should pad his fantasy value a little.

Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (Available in 68% of Yahoo leagues, 64% of Yahoo leagues, and 55% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 15-20%

Although we got good news today that Derrick Henry is not, in fact, in concussion protocol, we still need to take a look at Tyjae Spears this week on waivers. He’s efficient when he gets the ball, averaging 4.98 yards per carry on the year, and he has seen a decent amount of the snaps out of the backfield throughout the year. He also has a little receiving upside, seeing 46 targets through 12 games, so that alone gives him a better floor than many of the options you’ll find at this time of year. Plus, he’s a great handcuff option in case something actually does happen to Henry.

Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles (Available in 86% of ESPN leagues, 73% of Yahoo leagues, and 72% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 15-20%

What did we say last week? Gainwell has a favorable schedule and is one of the best handcuff options available? Well, unfortunately, that time came a little sooner than we expected, as D’Andre Swift suffered an injury late in the fourth quarter and did not reenter the game. If he’s dealing with a more serious injury, expect Gainwell to have a huge role going into Week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys. Although he only carried the ball twice, he saw five targets and finished with 47 yards against a tough San Francisco defense. The schedule gets a lot easier in the upcoming weeks, so if Swift misses extended time, you definitely want Gainwell on your rosters.

DeeJay Dallas, Seattle Seahawks (Available in 99% of ESPN leagues, 99% of Yahoo leagues, and 100% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 10-12%

I don’t really like recommending this one, but with injuries to Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, we have to talk about DeeJay Dallas. There’s not really much depth in that Seattle backfield if both of the starting backs are slated to miss more time, and Dallas has been fine when he’s seen the field. He’s not a high upside guy by any means, especially for Week 14 against the San Francisco 49ers, but he may be someone to look at if you’re desperate.

Waiver Wire Wide Receivers

Noah Brown, Houston Texans (Available in 65% of ESPN leagues, 60% of Yahoo leagues, and 51% of Sleeper leagues) 

FAAB Bid: 25-30%

The unfortunate injury to rookie Tank Dell skyrockets Noah Brown to the top of the waiver wire list for Week 14. He’s done well even when splitting time, but in Week 13, Brown saw a team-high 55 snaps, hinting at the fact that the role is his. Nico Collins will, of course, remain the number one wide receiver, but if Dalton Schultz remains sidelined, there are even more targets to go around.  

Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers (Available in 61% of ESPN leagues, 46% of Yahoo leagues, and 40% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 25-30%

Christian Watson shined on Sunday Night Football against the Chiefs in Week 13, but he pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury and didn’t return. We have yet to hear the extent of the injury, but if he misses time, Doubs is immediately elevated into the lead role. He played 52 of the 64 offensive snaps against the Chiefs, finishing second in targets with five, and with tight end Luke Musgrave already likely out for the year, there will be plenty of targets to go around. If you’re in deeper leagues, look to add Jayden Reed and even Dontayvion Wicks, but look for Doubs first. And, as we mentioned, that schedule is super nice going down the stretch.

Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns (Available in 66% of ESPN leagues, 57% of Yahoo leagues, and 51% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 20-25%

We don’t know how long Joe Flacco is going to be in at quarterback for the Browns, but as long as he is, Elijah Moore may just be a must-start. The two played together during their time with the New York Jets, and that connection was clearly on display against the Los Angeles Rams. Moore finished with a team-leading 11 targets, and if fellow wide receiver Amari Cooper is going to miss time, it makes him that much more intriguing. The Browns don’t have quite an easy schedule, but in Week 17, Moore does get a revenge game against the Jets where he will likely work out of the slot away from Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed.

Jonathan Mingo, Carolina Panthers (Available in 88% of ESPN leagues, 93% of Yahoo leagues, and 83% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 10-15%

While it very well could have been a return to the Adam Thielen Show, it seems that the new coaching regime in Carolina has turned their focus to seeing what they have in Jonathan Mingo. He played a team high 69 snaps and earned ten targets, finishing with six receptions and 69 yards, and that makes it back-to-back weeks where he’s flashed his potential. Of course, there are still concerns about the Panthers offense as a whole, but if you’re looking in a deep league, he could offer some upside as they let him show off what he’s made of to assess for next season.

Waiver Wire Tight Ends

Brevin Jordan, Houston Texans (Available in 98% of ESPN leagues, 85% of Yahoo leagues, and 86% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 5-7%

We don’t yet know how long Dalton Schultz will be out or if he’ll even miss this week at all, but what we do know is that in his absence, Brevin Jordan thrived. He played 51 of the team’s 68 snaps, ran 27 of the 35 routes, and finished with three catches and 64 yards. It may not seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things, but for a tight end, especially a readily available one, we’ll take it! The Texans do have a tougher schedule coming up, so you should temper your expectations with regards to his ceiling, but there are worse options.

Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens (Available in 77% of ESPN leagues, 65% of Yahoo leagues, and 57% of Sleeper leagues) 

FAAB Bid: 5-7%

Hopefully you had Likely stored away on your bench, but in case you didn’t due to the bye week, he’s still available in most leagues. We liked what we saw out of him in Week 12, running 30 routes and seeing five targets, so that can put his usage concerns somewhat to bed. The Ravens face the Los Angeles Rams who have given up the second-most fantasy point to the tight end position. This could finally be this year’s breakout game.

Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers (Available in 98% of ESPN leagues, 94% of Yahoo leagues, and 90% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 5-7%

I don’t want to say that Kraft is a one-for-one replacement for Luke Musgrave, but you have to have liked what you saw from him on Sunday Night Football. He ran 30 of the team’s 39 routes and saw five targets, and with Christian Watson potentially sidelined, there may be some more targets to go around. We already mentioned the favorable schedule for the Packers, so we won’t spend too much time on it, but just know that it’s good. If you’re struggling in deeper leagues, he may just be the answer.