Fantasy Football Week 14 Waiver Targets: Playoff Edition

Welcome to the playoffs!!! If you happened to be one of the fortunate managers in fantasy football that have made their way into the postseason, everything gets real from here on out. Normally hitting the waiver wire at this point of the year isn’t something that should be relied upon outside of blocking your opponents; there still are good matchups that can be had to help your team get to the championship game. For the most part, we will always recommend staying the course with the players that got you here, as over thinking each situation could lead to a giant mistake you wish you could take back. With that said, we still have found quite a few players that should be snagged off the wire. Happy shopping and good luck the rest of the way.   

 

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Quarterbacks:

Lamar Jackson (BAL) (46%)

The Ravens rookie dynamo continues to get victories for his club, but is still lacking that overall killer instinct for fantasy football. Always having the ability to take off and run, the prospects for Lamar to find the endzone with his legs is a distinct possibility. Having a good matchup against the Chiefs this week, Jackson could be asked to run more frequently in hopes to control the clock limiting the amount of opportunity Patrick Mahomes and that offense will have. It’s clear from last week the top quarterbacks could fall victim to underachieving, so if you like this matchup better, Lamar could be your guy.      

Case Keenum (DEN) (20%)

Never a sound bet to over produce on any given week, the poor man’s Alex Smith (Case Keenum) has a very good matchup against the 49ers who gave up points in bunches to Russell Wilson last week. While we fully understand that Keenum isn’t Wilson, and playing Case in a fantasy playoff game isn’t something we can normally endorse, but if you are in a deep league or stuck at the position, Case may be worth a flyer. The matchup is solid from statistical perspectives to at least recommend giving this play a hard once over. 22 fantasy points could be the ceiling with a floor of 15 for Case this week.  

On the Radar:

Josh Allen (BUF) (5%)

Eli Manning (NYG) (22%)

Running Backs:

Jaylen Samuels (PIT) (12%)

If you thought you were stuck trying to find a better matchup for running back this week, look no further than the Steelers Jaylen Samuels. With news reports coming in already ruling out James Conner for week 14 with an ankle injury, Samuels instantly becomes a hot commodity. Having a glorious matchup against the Raiders to kick off the playoffs should have you licking your chops at the possibilities of fantasy success. Coach Tomlin has already indicated a RBBC approach will be taken, but like any club moving the ball efficiently, they will undoubtedly ride the hot hand. Jaylen has the ability to do everything the offense requires including catching passes out of the backfield. Top waiver claim here is a no brainer.  

Justin Jackson (LAC) (24%)

If you lose out on Jaylen Samuels, don’t fret, the Chargers Justin Jackson should be your second choice also possessing a fantastic matchup against the Bengals in week 14. Coach Lynn stayed the course with Austin Ekeler to start the game realizing his up the middle run attempts weren’t generating much of anything positive. As the second half wore on, it was clear that Jackson was the back to utilize watching him steal the show placing his Chargers in the best position to win the contest. It’s our contention that Jackson has earned the starting role with Ekeler going back to his change of pace position leaving Justin a great pickup and play this week.     

Jeff Wilson Jr. (SF) (5%)

The 49ers must have some curse upon their franchise as it appears no one can stay healthy at the running back position for the entire season. Matt Breida has been dealing with injuries for most of 2018 which has finally caught up with him leaving the door open for Jeff Wilson Jr to take the reins. Wilson looked rather impressive last week verse the Seahawks whose run defense is no slouch. Facing off against the Broncos defense that still can turn up the heat on any offense, it’s clear their weakness is defending the run. Wilson should be leaned upon heavily in this contest trying to keep Denver off balance. Without Chris Harris on the field (leg injury), Denver could be susceptible to giving up chunk yards in play action. Wilson should be your third waiver priority for the week.      

Kenneth Dixon (BAL) (11%)

If you have zero luck on the wire securing the top three backs for the week, the Ravens Kenneth Dixon will be your consolation. Coming back from injury last week, Dixon saw a mere 8 carries in his first action since week 1. While Gus Edwards looks to have the lead role at the running back position, Dixon could place claim to stealing more carries to create a viable RBBC. Having a fantastic matchup verse the Chiefs, Dixon will be used to create the time of possession formula to keep the Ravens offense on the field. Matchups are key in winning fantasy championships and Dixon could definitely help your team.  

On the Radar:

Nyheim Hines (IND) (26%)

Darren Sproles (PHI) (5%)

John Kelly (LAR) (1%)

Charcandrick West (KC) (1%)

LeGarrette Blount (42%)

Giovani Bernard (CIN) (24%)

Wide Receivers:

Courtland Sutton (DEN) (49%)

The Broncos rookie Courtland Sutton appears to finally be taking on the number one receiver role showing his best performance of the season last week on the Bengals. The Broncos have a great remaining slate of games seeing the 49ers this week followed by the Browns and the Raiders to close out the fantasy season. Still available in 51% of leagues, you may be lucky enough to snag him off the wire placing him as a weekly flex starter for the remainder of the campaign. Seeing his target share increase to the most he’s seen this season, leaves us to believe the trust in the young man in mounting.      

Adam Humphries (TB) (51%) / Chris Godwin (TB) (46%)

Without Desean Jackson in the lineup and Jameis Winston showing better play these last few weeks, Adam Humphries and Chris Godwin have again found themselves to be fantasy relevant. Humphries may have the higher ceiling in PPR formats seeing a multitude of target share come his way. Godwin on the other hand has big play potential and touchdown upside whenever he’s thrown the ball. With that said Adam has found the endzone 5 times in the last 5 weeks and should again see good fortune against the Saints defense that struggles to defend the pass. Both players have very strong upside going into week 14, so pick your poison off the wire.   

Dante Pettis (SF) (6%)

Like any talented rookie receiver that isn’t a sure fire elite player coming out of the NFL draft, it takes time to assimilate to the league and find your footing. The last 6 weeks of the NFL season usually tell a grand story for those high preforming players potential outlook for the following season. Pettis has seen a whopping 20 targets over the last 3 games and there is no indication that Coach Shanahan will lighten the load. Scoring 3 touchdowns in the last 2 games leaves great optimism that Dante will continue to be used heavily in this offense. With Chris Harris out for the season, Denver could struggle to stop the 49er receiver for the entire day.      

Curtis Samuel (CAR) (18%)

Going back to last season, we at ADF sang the praises of the Panthers Curtis Samuel as we absolutely love his skillset. Curtis is a player that reminds us of Percy Harvin with solid running ability and potential to make a huge difference every time he touches the ball. Much like Harvin, injures have been Samuel’s undoing in his short career, but it finally appears he is turning the corner. Curtis has scored a healthy 64.24 fantasy points over the last 5 games and is becoming steady in the Panther offensive scheme. Carolina is in must win situations now and without Greg Olsen moving forward, Samuel could continue to prove his worth.  

On the Radar:

Zay Jones (BUF) (2%)

Randall Cobb (GB) (34%)

Mohamed Sanu (ATL) (47%)

Tre’Quan Smith (NO) (42%)

Michael Gallup (DAL) (6%)

Cody Core (CIN) (0%)

Tight-Ends:

Ian Thomas (CAR) (1%)

Tight-end continues to be the worst position off the wire as production has been extremely difficult garner. Seeing Greg Olsen once again injuring his foot, Ian Thomas will again get his opportunity to prove he can take over. When Thomas played in relief of Olsen earlier this season, he wasn’t a huge part of the offense and may not be again. His upside will be in the redzone with potential for touchdowns, but outside that could be difficult to trust.  

Matt LaCosse (DEN) (15%)

Even though LaCosse didn’t muster a single point last week verse the Bengals, he should see more targets this week as the Broncos face off against the 49ers. Like most tight-ends of the non-elite category, touchdowns will normally dictate their outcome. Denver will continue to use the ground game to set up the play action leaving LaCosse a possibility to can chunk yards. If you’re stuck like most at tight-end, Matt could be the guy this week.

On the Radar:

Gerald Everett (LAR) (33%)

Jonnu Smith (TEN) (22%)

CJ Uzomah (CIN) (26%)

Jordan Thomas (HOU) 2%)

Mark Andrews (BAL) (2%)

Adam Shaheen (CHI) (0%)

Best Week 14 Defensive Streams:

Tennessee Titans (48%) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Dallas Cowboys (27%) vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Buffalo Bills (30%) vs. NY Jets

Detroit Lions (7%) @ Arizona Cardinals

Washington Redskins (38%) vs. NY Giants

New Orleans Saints (47%) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers