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Last-Minute Waiver Wire Pickups & Injury Replacement Options: Week 14 (2022)

Last-Minute Waiver Wire Pickups & Injury Replacement Options: Week 14 (2022)

Fantasy football can be an extremely fun game to play. It can also be highly frustrating at times. Nothing is more annoying than needing to make a last-minute waiver-wire move because someone in your starting lineup is out for the week.

Sadly, there isn’t much you can do about it. However, I’m going to try and help.

Every week I will have six players you can grab off the waiver wire at the last minute and throw into your lineup. Some will succeed, while others will fail. Unfortunately, that’s how the game of fantasy football is played.

All the players in this article are rostered in under 35% of ESPN leagues.

Fantas Football Start-Sit Assistant

Ryan Tannehill (QB – TEN) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (13.3% Rostered)

While he hasn’t been the most explosive fantasy quarterback this season, Tannehill has been a solid bye-week replacement guy. The veteran quarterback has averaged 14.7 fantasy points per game this season when facing anyone besides the Buffalo Bills. Furthermore, the former first-round pick has scored 18.8 or more fantasy points in nearly half the games this season. More importantly, he has played well since returning from an ankle injury. Over the past four weeks, Tannehill has averaged 255 passing yards and 16 fantasy points per game. Meanwhile, the matchup this week is appealing.

Not only did the Jaguars get embarrassed last week by the Detroit Lions, but they also surrendered 21.5 fantasy points and two passing touchdowns to Jared Goff. The AFC South team has given up 19 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this season, the seventh-most in the NFL. Furthermore, Jacksonville has surrendered over 330 passing yards and two touchdowns in two of the past three games. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have allowed quarterbacks to average 23.4 fantasy points per game over their past seven contests, giving up 21 or more fantasy points in over 70% of those matchups. Fantasy players who need a bye-week replacement for Justin Fields should target Tannehill on the waiver wire.

Kenneth Gainwell (RB – PHI) vs. New York Giants (8.8% Rostered)

This late in the year, it’s hard to find running backs on the waiver wire. Yet, Gainwell is a solid dart throw this week. The second-year player is the RB52 for the year, averaging 4.9 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. However, he has earned more work lately. Over the past two weeks, Gainwell has averaged 5.5 rushing attempts, two receptions, 49.5 scrimmage yards, and nine fantasy points per game while playing 32.6% of the snaps. Furthermore, he has been the RB31 over the past two weeks. More importantly, his matchup this week is solid against the Giants.

New York has struggled to stop opposing running games this season. They have surrendered 1,422 rushing yards to running backs in 2022, the fifth-most in the NFL. The Giants have allowed running backs to total 90 or more rushing yards in all but one game this year. Furthermore, opposing running backs have rushed for at least 135 yards in three straight matchups against New York. Miles Sanders and Jalen Hurts will have no trouble running up and down on the Giants. Hopefully, Gainwell sees enough volume to score double-digit fantasy points.

Joshua Kelley (RB – LAC) vs. Miami Dolphins (3.9% Rostered)

Austin Ekeler has been one of the best running backs this season, averaging 18.8 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. Unfortunately, the running back behind him on the depth chart has been a revolving door. However, the best of the bunch has been Kelley. The former UCLA Bruin has missed four games this year with a knee injury. Yet, he’s played well when on the field. Over his last three healthy games (playing more than 5% of the snaps), Kelley has averaged 44 scrimmage yards and 7.1 fantasy points per game. Furthermore, he averaged 5.7 scrimmage yards per touch during that span. More importantly, he had seven rushing attempts last week, his second-highest total this season.

Sunday night Kelley faces a Miami defense that got destroyed last week on the ground. In their Week 13 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, the Dolphins surrendered 117 rushing yards and 38.4 fantasy points to their running backs. They also allowed the San Francisco running backs to average 4.5 yards per rushing attempt. More importantly, Miami has surrendered four touchdowns to the position over the past four weeks. Ekeler will be the focal point of the running game. Yet, Kelley should see enough volume to warrant consideration as a desperate RB2.

DJ Chark (WR – DET) vs. Minnesota Vikings (21.9% Rostered)

Everyone was excited to see the rookie Jameson Williams make his NFL debut last week. However, the former Alabama star played only eight snaps and saw one target. Instead, Chark was the one to put on a show. The veteran receiver caught five of his six targets for 98 receiving yards and scored 12.3 half-point PPR fantasy points. Furthermore, the former LSU star has played well when on the field this year. Chark has averaged six targets per game this season, seeing four or more in all but one contest. More importantly, he has scored 8.5 or more fantasy points in half the games this year, including two straight.

Unfortunately, Chark has missed six games this year with an ankle injury. However, he had three receptions for 46 receiving yards, scoring 6.1 fantasy points in the Week 3 matchup against the Vikings earlier this season. More importantly, Minnesota has given up 32.2 fantasy points per game to wide receivers this year, the third-most in the NFL. Furthermore, they have surrendered 231.4 receiving yards and 36.8 fantasy points per game to wide receivers over their past seven contests. While Williams should have more snaps this week, don’t expect the rookie to supplant Chark as the team’s No. 2 wide receiver in Week 14.

Demarcus Robinson (WR – BAL) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (8.7% Rostered)

Many might be scared away from starting any Baltimore pass catchers this week, with Lamar Jackson unlikely to play. However, Tyler Huntley played well, filling in for Jackson last year and last week against the Denver Broncos. More importantly, Robinson had a solid fantasy performance despite facing an elite Denver secondary. The veteran receiver caught seven of his eight targets for 41 receiving yards and scored 7.6 half-point PPR fantasy points. Furthermore, he has averaged 5.7 receptions on seven targets for 62 receiving yards and nine fantasy points per game over the past three weeks.

More importantly, the Pittsburgh defense hasn’t been the elite unit it once was this season. The Steelers have surrendered 32.9 fantasy points per game to wide receivers this year, the second-most in the NFL. Furthermore, they have given up 15 receiving touchdowns to receivers in 2022, the third-most in the league. While the Pittsburgh defense has played better since the return of T.J. Watt, they have also faced several poor passing attacks. Robinson won’t have a top-20 performance this week. However, he is a solid bye-week replacement for fantasy players without Chris Olave or Terry McLaurin.

Chigoziem Okonkwo (TE – TEN) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (2.1% Rostered)

Dynasty fantasy football players will love seeing Okonkwo’s name in this week’s article. The rookie tight end was a favorite sleeper candidate of the dynasty community. More importantly, he has started to shine lately. Over the past five weeks, the former Maryland star has averaged 44.6 receiving yards and 5.5 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. Furthermore, Okonkwo has done that despite having only one reception in 60% of those contests. Meanwhile, the rookie had a career-high four receptions for 68 receiving yards last week while leading all tight ends in snaps played for the first time this year.

Meanwhile, he has an excellent matchup against the Jaguars this week. Jacksonville has given up 9.9 fantasy points per game to tight ends this year, slightly above the league average. However, they have gotten destroyed by the position lately. Over the past five games, the Jaguars have surrendered 13.7 fantasy points per game to tight ends, giving up 10.7 or more fantasy points in 60% of the contests. Furthermore, the Titans won’t have Treylon Burks this week because of a concussion, opening up more targets for other receivers. Fantasy players in desperate need of a tight end should expect another solid performance from Okonkwo on Sunday.


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If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant, which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.

Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.

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