Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 15

Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups

The first week of the playoffs is in the books! Hopefully, you made it past the first round so it is crucial that you be smart on the waivers to ensure a semi-final victory.

Last week’s article that featured some nice plays with Trey Burton, Mike Wallace, and Giovani Bernard. Unfortunately, those who picked up Josh McCown got negative points to go along with his broken hand. Well, that was last week, and it is time to move on. Week 15 is here and you need to be ready!

Key Tips:

• Just win baby. In all seriousness, though be smart and trust your team. Play your studs and only play the risky guys if you need that high upside play.

The waiver wire pickups for Week 15!

Week 15 Waiver Wire Quarterbacks

Blake Bortles

Quarterback | JAX

• ESPN: Less than 20% owned
• Yahoo: Less than 35% owned

The Jacksonville quarterback has been hot over the past three weeks. Averaging over 22 fantasy points per game over that time frame, Bortles is a must-add for any quarterback-needy teams. His next two games are versus the Texans at home and 49ers on the road. Two easy matchups that Bortles should be able to be productive in. The Texans on the road this season have allowed an average of 2.2 passing touchdowns per game.

Nick Foles

Quarterback | PHI

• ESPN: Less than .1% owned
• Yahoo: Less than .1% owned

Carson Wentz is done for the year, so Nick Foles will be thrust into the starting role. Luckily for him, it is versus the Giants in Week 15. Over the past six weeks, the Giants have allowed over 20 fantasy points per game to the quarterback position. With the rest of the Eagles’ weapons still surrounding him, Foles can be a nice start if you are desperate for the position.

Jimmy Garropolo (Buyer Beware)

Quarterback | SF

• ESPN: Less than 23% owned
• Yahoo: Less than 20% owned

Jimmy G, has continued to improve as a fantasy quarterback over the past two weeks. He threw for over 330 yards and one touchdown last week, and if not for an interception he would have finished as a top-12 option on the week. In Week 15, Garropolo has the Tennesse Titans who have been good against QBs when playing on the road. Surprisingly they have actually allowed the second-fewest passing yards this season per game on the road. It is not a terrible matchup, but it may not be as enticing as you think.

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Week 15 Waiver Wire Running Backs

Rod Smith

Running Back | DAL

• ESPN: Less than 27% owned
• Yahoo: Less than 13% owned

Smith has now scored in three consecutive games and is being used as the primary pass-catching running back for the Dallas Cowboys. In Week 15, the Cowboys will be taking on the Oakland Raiders who have allowed on the season, the sixth most receptions and third most receiving touchdowns to the running back position.

Mike Davis

Running Back | SEA

• ESPN: Less than 25% owned
• Yahoo: Less than 38% owned

Still owned in many leagues across the board, Mike Davis followed up his Week 13 performance with an equally impressive Week 14 game. He had 15 rushes for 66 yards. Over the past two games, he has 31 carries. No Seattle running back has had that many carries over a two-game span, since back in Weeks 2-3 with Chris Carson. Davis will most likely see double-digit carries again, and against the Rams poor run defense, is a great play as a low RB2, FLEX consideration.

Marlon Mack

Running Back | IND

• ESPN: Less than 18% owned
• Yahoo: Less than 21% owned

On Sunday, Frank Gore rushed for a career-high 36 rushing attempts. Playing on a short-week with their Week 15 matchup against the Denver Broncos it is hard to not see Mack getting more involved. The matchup is also great, as the Broncos have struggled versus the run as of late.

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Week 15 Waiver Wire Wide Receivers

Mike Wallace

Wide Receiver |BAL

• ESPN: Less than 37% owned
• Yahoo: Less than 40% owned

Mike Wallace has been a force on the Ravens offense over the past five weeks. He has averaged 12.82 fantasy points over that time span. A player that is always a threat to score on a big play, it is hard to not like him against the Cleveland Browns in Week 15, who have allowed more than an average of over 24.5 fantasy points to the WR over the past three weeks.  Still available in a lot of leagues, Wallace is a perfect pickup for anybody aiming for a high upside play, that still has shown a moderate floor.

Dede Westbrook

Wide Receiver | JAX

• ESPN: Less than 16% owned
• Yahoo: Less than 30%owned

Westbrook has seen 33 targets over his last four games and has seen an increased role each consecutive week. With the rest of the schedule including the Texans and 49ers on the slate, Westbrook will be useful. Combine his big-play ability with the fact that Texans have allowed over 272 passing yards on average on the road this season make Westbrook a high upside WR3 for Week 15. Wide receiver Keelan Cole who is owned in less than 1% of leagues is also a nice target in deeper formats.

Week 15 Waiver Wire Tight Ends

Ricky Seals-Jones

Tight End | ARI

• ESPN: Less than 20% owned
• Yahoo: Less than 43% owned

Seals-Jones put up a dud last week going with just one catch for 20 yards. However, in Week 15, he gets the Washington Redskins who rank second worst on the year versus the TE. The Redskins defense is a vulnerable to the TE right now, and with Seals-Jones getting work in the passing game, I like his odds in the barren wasteland we call the tight end position.

Trey Burton

Tight End | PHI

• ESPN: Less than 12% owned
• Yahoo: Less than 8% owned

Zach Ertz could still be dealing with a concussion, so this could open up more opportunities for Burton. His next two games are against the Giants/Raiders respectively who are two of the worst teams versus the TE. Burton caught five passed for 71 yards and two touchdowns last week, so if Ertz misses, Burton is locked in as a TE1.

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Week 15 Waiver Wire Defenses/Special Teams

 

 

Thanks for reading!