Week 15 is here, and the fantasy football stakes couldn’t be higher–it’s playoff time. With playoffs set to begin, smart and savvy waiver wire moves are your ticket to glory. Don’t miss your chance to dominate the waiver wire to ensure a deep playoff run.
Let’s dive in.
Others to Consider: Bryce Young, Jeremy McNichols, Jerome Ford, Kenneth Gainwell, Elijah Moore, Tre Tucker, Daniel Bellinger, Will Dissly, Juwan Johnson, Noah Gray
Note: Roster % based on Yahoo!
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 15 WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS
10.) Isaiah Davis, RB New York Jets (11%)
With Breece Hall out this week, it was a tag-team effort between Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. Between the two rookies, Davis got the more valuable touches on third downs, goal line, and short yardage situations, even converting one of those into a score. The injury to Hall should be short-term, but Davis here is a deeper league option for the off chance that Hall misses more time than expected or if Davis simply earned more touches with his play regardless of who is available.
9.) Grant Calcaterra, TE Philadelphia Eagles (4%)
With Dallas Goedert on injured reserve, tight end Grant Calcaterra filled in and scored his first touchdown of the season against the Panthers. The Eagles offense has been very condensed regarding fantasy production, usually just the same three guys scoring 90% of the points each week. Calcaterra was a factor in the red zone, and at the tight end position, you’re really looking for those touchdown grabs to save your week unless you already have a top-tier option, in which case you wouldn’t need a tight end from this article anyways.
8.) Jameis Winston, QB Cleveland Browns (34%)
Despite going through a gauntlet of Steelers-Broncos-Steelers in a three-game stretch, QB Jameis Winston is averaging 23.9 fantasy points in that span while continuing to be a fantasy and social media darling. The Browns offense has skewed very pass heavy as the run game has given them next to nothing to work with as of late. Winston will have the Chiefs next week and then a juicy matchup with the Bengals in Week 16, which owners should definitely target in need at the QB position.
7.) Tim Patrick, WR Detroit Lions (1%)
The Lions look like they might have found another piece to their already humming offense in the form of Tim Patrick. Patrick caught 6 balls for 43 yards and two scores, marking the first time he hit double digits all season. The Lions have a brutal schedule coming up (for receivers) with the Bills, Bears and Niners on deck which might make things more difficult, along with the fact that this offense is so loaded there are a handful of more talented guys ahead of him ready for touches.
6.) Ray-Ray McCloud, WR Atlanta Falcons (18%)
A sneaky name in the Atlanta offense, receiver Ray-Ray McCloud is an explosive weapon that the Falcons are starting to get more and more involved in their offense. McCloud caught eight passes for 98 yards on 11 targets. His top-end speed makes him a dangerous weapon as he racks up the YAC and further engrains himself into Atlanta’s passing attack. Sure, Drake London and Darnell Mooney have the top two slots right now, but McCloud has seemingly made Kyle Pitts irrelevant and is right on Mooney’s heels any given night. He also has a favorable schedule moving forward.
5.) Jalen McMillan, WR Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5%)
It was a career day for Bucs rookie receiver Jalen McMillan this week as he posted a 4-59-2 line on 7 targets. The Bucs went more pass heavy this week and threw the ball downfield which was great for McMillan currently operating as the WR2 for this team. The injury to Bucky Irving likely opened up more targets for the receivers this week, but Baker Mayfield has been playing well and leading this offense down the stretch. Fighting for a playoff spot, McMillan has more opportunities for big performances like this.
4.) Patrick Taylor Jr, RB San Francisco 49ers (4%)
Last week, our Waiver Wire darling was Isaac Guerendo, who brought us plenty of riches with a 15-78-2 day. He left the game with a foot sprain, which could put his availability in jeopardy heading into the fantasy playoffs. Backup Patrick Taylor Jr had limited work this week but did find the end zone in his seven touches. Should Guerendo miss time, that would mean Taylor is likely next in line among a long list of 49ers backs to assume lead role carries. At this point, keep riding the train of this role getting fed valuable carries in a solid offense. Guerendo has a quick turnaround with Thursday night football so keep tabs on his availability throughout the week.
3.) Tank Bigsby, RB Jacksonville Jaguars (46%)
For a backfield that has had so many ups and downs, injuries, and whatnot, the Jaguars finally gave us a game with two healthy RBs to get a good measuring stick of where we stand this late into the season. It seems clear that Tank Bigsby is the lead back for Jacksonville, while Etienne has been downgraded to the change of pace option and receiving weapon. The split this week was near even, but Bigsby punching in a score while handling more early down and short yardage situations proves he has the edge in the Jaguars’ rotation at the moment.
2.) Christian Watson, WR Green Bay Packers (51%)
He has a wide range of outcomes when it comes to his fantasy performances, but Christian Watson is morphing into the deep threat the Packers offense expected him to be early on. He broke 100 yards this past week, and has good matchups these next few weeks as the Packers fight for playoff positioning. Josh Jacobs has been a magnet to the end zone, with the thinking that some touchdown regression should be coming and tilting more in favor of Green Bay’s passing game over the next few days.
1.) Sincere McCormick, RB Las Vegas Raiders (15%)
With both Raiders RBs Alexander Mattison and Zamir White still sidelined, Sincere McCormick led the way and dominated Raiders’ touches in Week 14. If you had told me that in one of the season’s last Waiver articles, a creature named Sincere McCormick would be at the top, I’d call you crazy or some weird time traveler.
Regardless, McCormick played 41 of 67 snaps, dominating the early downs, short yardage, and goal-line scenarios. The team lost starting QB Aidan O’Connell to a knee injury, so Desmond Ridder will finish off the season. Not too often will you find a lead RB available on Waivers this late in the year, so if you missed out on Guerendo last week, give McCormick a try.
