Waiver Wire Week 14

QB

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Ryan Fitzpatrick (18%)

If he is still the starter by then, he should be the most added streamer. He gets the 49ers who have been one of the best defenses to target for streaming quarterbacks. Guys like Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Tannehill, and even Drew Stanton have had productive weeks against them.

Joe Flacco (23%)

He’s coming off his best game of the season, throwing for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns as the Ravens strayed away from running the ball against Miami. They will probably have a more balanced offense against New England, but the Pats have still been a safe play for fantasy quarterbacks this season.

Alex Smith (27%)

With the emergence of Tyreek Hill, Smith will have a couple of trustworthy receiving options to target as he gets a favorable matchup on Thursday night against the Raiders. As always, he has a high floor with a low ceiling, and we like how protective he is with the ball.

RB

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Kenneth Dixon (46%)

The rookie only had six rushing attempts due to the fact that he is in a timeshare with Terrance West and the Ravens abandoned the run game against the Dolphins. However, it wasn’t about the quantity of Dixon’s rushing attempts, but rather what he was able to do with them. He tallied 56 rushing yards, which made for a whopping 9.3 yards per carry. With the Ravens fighting for a playoff spot, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they gave Dixon a heavier workload since he is the more talented RB between he and West.

Rex Burkhead (5%)

While he hasn’t done much with the opportunity, Burkhead is still getting plenty of snaps as Cincinnati refuses to give Jeremy Hill a heavy workload. Last week he saw 51% of team snaps compared to Hill’s 49%. This week that number went down a bit to 42% while Hill had 58%. It’s close to an even time share and this upcoming game against the Browns could very well end up putting him in next weeks waiver wire piece as well. He is the receiving back, so this is a better pick for PPR leagues.

Adrian Peterson (47%)

It’s not clear if A.D. will actually make a comeback this season – and with the Vikings slipping out of playoff contention, the chances of it happening are slowly diminishing. The veteran badly wants to return, and if he actually does, there is a chance he plays in what would be most fantasy leagues final matchup – week 16 against the Packers. If you have a roster spot to stash Peterson, it couldn’t hurt to hold onto him until we get some confirmation on the situation.

WR

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Malcolm Mitchell (29%) and Chris Hogan (15%)

The Patriots went with a three wide-receiver set due to Rob Gronkowski being placed on IR. While Julian Edelman is benefiting the most from his absence, both Mitchell and Hogan have simultaneously become relevant for fantasy. Mitchell is the more appealing option, as he saw 10 targets from Tom Brady this past week. Hogan only saw five, but he did haul in a touchdown pass. With Danny Amendola likely out for the season as well, both of these receivers will either flip flop from week-to-week or one of them will rise up to be the clear cut number two option. As of now, Mitchell has the lead.

Brandon LaFell (17%)

With A.J. Green out, Andy Dalton has targeted LaFell more than any other wide receiver on the roster, so it’s somewhat surprising to see Tyler Boyd (53%) owned in a lot more leagues. We like touchdowns in fantasy, and LaFell is the red zone target outside of Tyler Eifert. With LaFell hauling in more passes and seeing more red zone looks, he is clearly the best wide receiver to own. Boyd is still a good option for PPR leagues, but the ownership percentages should be reversed between the two receivers at this point.

Dontrelle Inman (20%)

With Tyrell Williams playing through an injury, Inman will likely be the wide receiver Philip Rivers leans on the most. Inman tied Williams for the most snaps among WRs, and caught a touchdown pass for a second straight week. He has favorable matchups the rest of the way as the Chargers take on Carolina, Oakland, and Cleveland in the next three weeks.

TE

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Ladarius Green (23%)

Green had a coming out party against the Giants, racking up six catches on a team high 11 targets for 110 yards and a touchdown. Green was mentioned as a waiver add last week for a number of reasons. He could very well end up being the third best fantasy option on a high powered Steelers offense. He is an athletic tight end, which is what we like for fantasy purposes. Speaking of tight ends, the position has been a hot mess as a whole this season. Green has the potential to be the best tight end to own for the remainder of the season with Gronk out.

Vernon Davis (37%)

Gronkowski isn’t the only talented tight end missing action. Jordan Reed, who like Gronk, is the biggest offensive threat in his team’s offense, could miss another week due to a shoulder injury. Davis has caught five passes in the Redskins last two games, making him a pretty safe play if Reed is indeed out.

Dennis Pitta (33%)

Ladarius Green wasn’t the only AFC North tight end who had a big day. Pitta, who was held without a touchdown through every game thus far, managed to hit pay dirt not once, but twice in week 13. Believe it or not, Pitta leads the Ravens in receptions. It’s surprising given how unproductive he has been. Both of Pitta’s touchdowns came inside the 20 yard line, so if Flacco is going to be looking to him more in the red zone, he could finally be of value for fantasy.

DEF

Cincinnati Bengals (31%) at Cleveland Browns

Atlanta Falcons (15%) at Los Angelas Rams

New York Jets (29%) at San Francisco 49ers