We’re into fantasy semifinals territory – and with a spot in your league championship up for grabs, it’s as important as ever to utilize the waiver wire in preparation for injuries, benchings and unexpected postponements. Need a hand in making your waiver wire selections? No problem. We’ve got you covered!
Here are Dan Harris, Mike Tagliere, and Kyle Yates with their waiver wire rankings for Week 15:
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Q1. Who is your top waiver wire option of the week, and why?
It’s Jalen Hurts for me. While it’s odd to have a quarterback here, we’re now in the fantasy playoffs and streaming matchups matters. The Saints weren’t a team who was allowing many rushing yards to quarterbacks coming into last week (they’d allowed a league-low 68 of them), so to see Hurts rush for over 100 yards was a surprise. He now gets to go against a Cardinals team who’s allowed the fifth-most rushing yards (316) to quarterbacks this season.
– Mike Tagliere (@MikeTagliereNFL)
In another week waiver-wire week, Jalen Hurts is my top pickup for a few reasons. The first is that if you are streaming quarterbacks and are still in contention, he’ll be a viable option for you next week against Arizona. Hurts ran 18 times for 106 runs, but the vast majority of those were designed, not scrambles, and Hurts looked poised and confident. If he can perform this well against a tough Saints defense, he should do even better against Arizona. But even if you don’t need a quarterback, you should pick Hurts up if anyone else remaining in the playoffs might. Hurts’s rushing ability is a bit of a cheat code, so if he adds another passing touchdown or two, he has the legitimate potential to be a top-5 option in any given week. Whether it’s for your roster or to block someone else, Hurts is the priority pickup.
– Dan Harris (@danharris80)
In Week 15, it’s difficult to lock onto one player and say that they’re a clear must-add option. However, James Washington has now moved above Chase Claypool on this depth chart. While we can spend time discussing how or why that happened, the coaching staff and Big Ben apparently seem to trust Washington and he’s coming through for fantasy football the past two weeks. He’s not someone who is going to be a top-36 WR in my rankings for Week 15, but if you’re in need of a FLEX play that carries a ton of upside, Washington should be added.
– Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)
Q2. Which notable waiver wire option for Week 15 was the most difficult to rank?
It’s probably Jeff Wilson because I almost put him at No. 1 because of his role in the offense the last two weeks, but then I realized we’re still talking about a Kyle Shanahan running back. However, I’m drawn right back in when I see the Cowboys on their schedule in Week 15, a team that bleeds production to running backs.
– Mike Tagliere (@MikeTagliereNFL)
Lynn Bowden. Bowden was heavily involved against the Chiefs, and played the vast majority of his snaps out of the slot. He had seven catches on nine targets, catching seven of them for 82 yards numbers which, if he could repeat, would make him a must-start option against the Patriots. But his value likely depends on the availability (or lack thereof) of DeVante Parker, Jakeem Grant, and Mike Gesicki, so determining exactly where to slot him into the waiver wire rankings was difficult. He’s someone to add, without question, but his value is still up in the air.
– Dan Harris (@danharris80)
Am I allowed to say all of them? At this point of the season, you’re simply looking for players that you might be able to plug in if you’re in a pinch. Tyron Johnson ended up very high in my rankings due to his increased role in Mike Williams’ absence, but he’s not someone that I’m going to be able to trust in the matchup that could send me to my fantasy football championship.
– Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)
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Q3. For managers streaming a D/ST in Week 15, what readily available option (under 40%) should they target?
There aren’t many widely available “obvious” plays this week, so you have to let me explain this one. The Washington Football Team isn’t a bad streaming option. Prior to playing the Jets last week, the Seahawks had allowed opposing DSTs the 17th-most fantasy points. A large part of that is because they’d allowed Russell Wilson to be sacked 40 times, which was the third-highest number in the NFL. That pressure has led to Wilson throwing 11 interceptions. This pressure plays into what Washington really does well, as they’ve generated a sack on 8.3 percent of dropbacks, which ranks third in the league.
– Mike Tagliere (@MikeTagliereNFL)
Kudos to fantasy managers for stashing the Browns D/ST in advance of their matchup with the Giants and Jets. It’s hardly a good week for streaming D/STs, but the best option looks like the Titans against the Lions. Detroit hasn’t allowed a ton of fantasy points to opposing D/STs lately, but with Matthew Stafford potentially out for this game, the Titans should be able to force Chase Daniel into making mistakes. Even if Stafford plays, he’s likely to be limited, so sacks and turnovers should be there even for a Titans defense that doesn’t often put up many fantasy points.
– Dan Harris (@danharris80)
Dallas is the best option available on waiver wires right now, in my opinion, due to their matchup against San Francisco. However, I would be very hesitant to plug Dallas into my starting lineup in a crucial matchup. This is only as a desperation play.
– Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)
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