Joe Serpico shares his top fantasy football waiver-wire pickups heading into Week 15.
Week 14 was a reminder why I’m an advocate for adding handcuff running backs at this time of the season. Rather than rostering a fifth and sixth receiver, add backup running backs in the event of an injury to the player ahead of them on the depth chart. It was Ezekiel Elliott whose value skyrocketed last week with an injury to Rhamondre Stevenson, and Elliott responded by leading the position in scoring in Week 14. We could see similar scenarios in the coming weeks. Players who should be on your radar are Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason, Chase Brown, Tyjae Spears, Kenneth Gainwell, Jamaal Williams and D’Ernest Johnson.
Joe Flacco, QB, Cleveland Browns: I never thought I would be writing about Flacco in 2023, but Justin Herbert are C.J. Stroud are latest quarterbacks to be snakebitten by injury and the Browns are the ideal team for Flacco to lead. He has a terrific defense, a strong running game to lean on and a tight end he favors. Sound familiar? The Browns take on the lowly Bears defense this week, making the Super Bowl MVP a solid option for Week 15.
Jake Browning, QB, Cincinnati Bengals: Many felt the Bengals were doomed when Joe Burrow was placed on injured reserve, but Browning has improved each week and Cincinnati is still in the playoff race. Browning is getting the ball to his playmakers in space, and he absolutely needs to be added in 2QB and Superflex leagues. It’s almost as if I was right when I said the Bengals’ offense still looks the same with its passing attack.
Ty Chandler, RB, Minnesota Vikings: We’ve seen Chandler get more playing time as of late, and with Alexander Mattison picking up an ankle injury this week, Chandler could be the lottery ticket to lead you to a fantasy championship. The severity of Mattison’s injury is unknown, but Chandler handled more than 80 percent of the snaps once his teammate went down. That kind of usage puts him in RB2 territory, regardless of who is under center for Minnesota in the coming weeks. Chandler is my top priority add this week.
Zamir White, RB, Las Vegas Raiders: Josh Jacobs suffered a knee injury against the Vikings on Sunday, and the Raiders have a quick turnaround with a game on Thursday. White is next in line at running back, but the Raiders’ offense as a whole has been dreadful which makes it hard to trust White in these crucial weeks. The Chargers, who are susceptible on the ground, are up next for the Raiders. That makes White a fringe FLEX option on a short week.
Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals: Brown is going to be a topic of discussion for many in the fantasy football community this week, but let’s pump the brakes on his potential moving forward. He played a total of 19 snaps all season before Sunday, and other than the 54-yard touchdown reception, it was a lackluster performance. The above names should be on your radar first, but if you’re a Joe Mixon owner, he’s a must add.
Zay Jones, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: Jones has battled his share of injuries this season, but he has seen his numbers increase since Christian Kirk’s season-ending injury. Jones was held to five receptions for 29 yards in Week 14, but he garnered a whopping 14 targets and now has 22 looks in the last two weeks. If you need to start a receiver in a pinch this week, Jones should get enough targets to produce solid fantasy numbers.
Cade Otton, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: If you’re streaming tight ends at this stage of the season, Otton has great matchups the rest of the way. The Bucs have the Packers, Jaguars and Saints coming up. All struggle to defend tight ends. If you lost Mark Andrews a few weeks ago, Otton has top-10 potential each game.
Indianapolis Colts D/ST: It’s crunch time and if you still have any FAAB money, this is the point of the season to spend it on whatever advantage you can afford. The next three opponents for Indy are the Steelers, Falcons and Las Vegas, three of the worst offenses the NFL has to offer.