Injuries happen in football, but when they happen in the first round of the fantasy playoffs, that’s double the pain if you own that player. Fortunately for Carson Wentz owners, he threw four touchdowns before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. Josh McCown owners weren’t so lucky as he struggled to get anything going against the Broncos and finished with negative points before breaking his non-throwing hand. In any case, if you’re moving on to the second round of the fantasy playoffs, relief for your injury woes is right there on waivers.

Each week, we sort through fantasy performances and identify which players could provide value the rest of the season. Obviously, each league is different so we target players that should be more readily-available with less than 50% ownership based on Yahoo! and ESPN leagues. So if you’re wondering where Aaron Rodgers or Josh Doctson would be ranked among waiver pickups, you won’t find them listed below. But if Aaron Rodgers is named the starter in Week 15, you better believe he’s the top pickup, and in conjunction, Jordy Nelson would be an immediate add as well if he were dropped. Take a look below as our featured experts have ranked the top available options and are telling us which defenses are worth streaming for your important week ahead.

The secret to winning college bowl pick’ems

Featured Experts:
Mike Tagliere – FantasyPros
Jason Willan – Gridiron Experts
Bobby Sylvester – FantasyPros
Dan Harris – FantasyPros
Mauricio Gutierrez – Estadio Fantasy

*Ownership % derived from a consensus of Yahoo & ESPN leagues

On a mobile device? Click here for rankings table

Q1. Give us your thoughts on a waiver wire target (or two) you especially like as a pickup.

“There isn’t a ton of stand-alone value on the wire at this point in the season, but if you’re a Carson Wentz owner in search of a replacement QB, Jimmy Garoppolo is coming off a career-high 334 yards passing and gets another favorable matchup this week against Tennessee. Just know that he faces Jacksonville in Week 16, so Garoppolo is likely nothing more than a one-week rental. Rod Smith could also have one-week appeal, after a breakout performance on Sunday and a date with Oakland before Ezekiel Elliott returns in Week 16. One of the better rest-of-season option on the wire this week is Dede Westbrook, who has increased his yardage total in each of the last four weeks after making his NFL debut less than a month ago. He has 27 targets over the last three games, leading the Jaguars in that category twice, and posted a 5/81/1 line on Sunday.”
– Jason Willan (Gridiron Experts)

“There are actually a few decent options even this late in the season at this point, but the best pickup, for me, is Dede Westbrook. Marqise Lee is still the top dog in the Jacksonville receiving group, but Westbrook now has at least eight targets and five receptions in each of his last three games, and finally scored his first touchdown against Seattle on Sunday. With a fantastic matchup against the Texans on tap for Week 15 and a decent matchup against the 49ers set for Week 16, Westbrook is one of the few guys remaining on the waiver wire who could be a difference-maker for fantasy teams. If I lost Carson Wentz or (potentially) Josh McCown, I also wouldn’t hesitate to grab Jimmy Garoppolo and start him against the Titans next week.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)

“This is scary times for those of you who just lost Carson Wentz for the remainder of the season, so knowing that, I’ll give two solutions. If Blake Bortles isn’t available (my first option), you may want to take a look at Joe Flacco, who has now thrown 269 yards and two touchdowns in each of his last two games. Remember that he asked for the offense to be opened up right after Week 12, so maybe they listened. It also helps that he’s going to play against Cleveland (who just allowed Brett Hundley to throw for three touchdowns) and the Colts (who have lost more than half their starters in the secondary). It may not sound great, but he should come with a solid floor.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)

“There is not a standout player like we have seen in previous weeks, but Dede Westbrook and Eric Ebron are my top pickups this week. It is to the point in the season where you need to spend your FAAB to secure your guys, and when your desired players ought to be streamers with quality matchups and guaranteed volume. That is what we have with Westbrook, who goes up against the dreadful Texans secondary and he has now seen 32 targets in his first four career games. Ebron, meanwhile, just posted 94 yards on 10 receptions against the toughest defense in the NFL against tight ends, so he is a terrific option if you need a tight end.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

“Dede Westbrook shares finally paid off. He has the potential to become that one player that boosts your team to the championship week. Since being activated in Week 11, he leads the Jaguars receivers in targets (33), receptions (20) and yards (235). He scored his first NFL TD last week against a diminished Seattle defense. Look for him to excel in Week 15 against the Texans, the eighth worst team at allowing points to WRs.”
– Mauricio Gutierrez (Estadio Fantasy)

Q2. For owners renting a D/ST in Week 13, what readily available option (under 40%) should they target and why?

“It’s going to be hard to find someone who doesn’t say the Saints this week, as they’ll most likely be playing at home against the Bryce Petty-led Jets offense, who also happen to have their No. 1 wide receiver running on a bad hamstring. The Saints defense has been one to play all season, and now with a healthy Marshon Lattimore to completely remove Robby Anderson from the game – it’s lights out.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)

“If the answer to this isn’t the Saints, then the whole world has gone crazy. Josh McCown will likely lobby to try to play through a broken left hand, but chances are we’ll see either Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg under center on Sunday. Nothing about either Petty or Hackenberg has suggested that either is an NFL-caliber quarterback, and the Saints will be both rested and playing at home. In what now amounts to a critical game for New Orleans, and coming off a devastating loss, expect the defense to be angry and to have a field day on Sunday.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)

“The New Orleans Saints D/ST haven’t scored more than 10 fantasy points in five straight weeks, but besides that, they managed to finish among the best twelve D/ST in Week 14 in a difficult game at Atlanta. This week they would receive a McCown-less Jets. The Saints, especially with a healthy Marshon Lattimore, can cause Bryce Petty to make many mistakes.”
– Mauricio Gutierrez (Estadio Fantasy)

“I like New Orleans and Buffalo as solid streaming options in Week 15, with the Saints hosting the Jets and the Bills at home against the Dolphins. Josh McCown and the Jets have had their moments this year, but with McCown’s injury and Bryce Petty stepping in, perhaps the team we thought New York would be is finally going to show up. The Saints have been a top-10 fantasy defense most of the year and will have had 10 days to prepare for this game. With the exception of a bad three-week stretch in November, Buffalo has also been a decent fantasy defense in 2017. The Bills get a mistake-prone Dolphins team that will be coming off a Monday night game, and there’s a chance of more snow in Buffalo next weekend.”
– Jason Willan (Gridiron Experts)

“Tennessee’s defense is playing spectacular football the past three weeks with 20 sacks in that time. No, that is not a typo. They also haven’t given up 20 points in that time, and while Jimmy G has certainly improved San Francisco’s offense, they are still a bottom half unit. The Titans should get multiple sacks and are about as safe as it comes this week and I’d actually spend more FAAB to acquire them than even my top-ranked skill player of the week.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

Thank you to the experts for naming their top waiver targets. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter if you’re not already doing so and check out our latest podcast below for more great advice.

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