Fantasy Football Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickup Advice

Is your fantasy team in need of new blood? Each week I’ll bring to you the best pickups to make ahead of the waiver deadline. All the players I list will be rostered in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the roster percentages coming from Yahoo.com.

Quarterbacks

Will Levis, Titans (19% Rostered): It is playoff time, or close to it in all leagues, so we must pare down the guys we’re willing to add and start. Levis is a very risky play, but with byes all done, there aren’t likely to be many teams in contention without this position settled. But, if there are, Levis has shown flashes of blowup potential. He threw four touchdown passes in his first NFL action, and on Monday night he threw for 327 yards and a touchdown vs. a Miami team that was expected to blow Tennessee out. He has Houston, Seattle and Houston on the schedule the rest of the way, so combining his ceiling with an easy schedule, and he becomes a viable option.

Joe Flacco, Browns (7% Rostered): Flacco has been incredibly capable as the Browns starter, and he’s been named the starter the rest of the way. He has thrown for 250+ yards in both of his starts, and thrown for 2+ TDs in both games as well. He has Chicago and Houston for his next two games, before he becomes unplayable in Week 17 vs. the Jets. Until then, it’s gross, but he’s hot.

Running Backs

Ty Chandler, Vikings (22% Rostered): Chandler is probably the add of the week with Alexander Mattison looking likely to miss time. He’s the rare RB add this late in the season who is guaranteed work, even though the Minnesota offense has now completely cratered. Chandler hasn’t shown a complete, three-down back skillset even when given increased opportunity, so limit your expectations, but he has proven breakaway speed. The big play potential is there, and with their QB situation an utter disaster, the Vikings will lean heavily on the running game.

Tyjae Spears, Titans (45% Rostered): Spears had his best game of the year vs. Miami, and it wasn’t even in a negative game script. The Titans impressively weaved both Derrick Henry and Spears into the action, compensating for their lack of receiving firepower by deploying Spears as a primary pass-catcher, and having him on the field with Henry. Tennessee couldn’t run much in this one, but Spears caught a season-high six passes for 89 yards and chipped in 29 on the ground to crack 100 scrimmage yards for the first time in his career. Spears needs to be universally rostered, and Henry managers in particular need to insure their big back. If he had this job to himself, he’d be a league-winner.

Rico Dowdle, Cowboys (10% Rostered): Dowdle is still a clear second fiddle, but he’s good, and he’s playing more. He’s still not playing enough – or getting enough valuable opportunity – to be a real standalone threat, but Tony Pollard managers need to get him on their team ASAP. Like Spears, if Dowdle had a lead role he’d be really impactful.

Chase Brown, Bengals (7% Rostered): Brown is FAST! Is he playing enough to trust as a FLEX? Nope, Joe Mixon is still great and dominating snap share. But in the last two games, Brown has leapt up to 15% of snaps, and then 30% last week, while going for 61 and 105 yards from scrimmage, respectively, in those two games. When he is on the field, Cincinnati is making it a point to feed him the ball, and he housed a long pass last week, Brown is the clear next man up if Mixon went down, and we’re teetering close to a De’Von Achane-esque situation where if he keeps breaking huge plays, it’ll be impossible to not feature him more.

Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles (30% Rostered): Gainwell continues to be on the field more than anyone besides the Eagles coaches would like. He’s not doing much of anything with those snaps, but he’s detracting from D’Andre Swift. Regardless, it just means that if Swift got hurt, Gainwell is the clear next man up, and he’d become an RB2 in that scenario.

Ameer Abdullah, Raiders (0% Rostered): Josh Jacobs suffered an ankle injury on Sunday, and with the Raiders next game on Thursday, he’s probably not going to suit up. Neither Abdullah nor Zamir White got much action in Jacobs’ absence, and it’s impossible to say how Las Vegas will split RB work without Jacobs, who has monopolized that role for years. White has never proven a thing in the NFL, so he can’t be started. Abdullah flirted with relevance in his first three seasons, plus he has some pass-catching chops. He’s my preferred add on this team, but it’s a putrid offense with a mediocre rookie QB. Playing Abdullah is pure, unadulterated desperation.

Wide Receivers

Odell Beckham Jr., Ravens (42% Rostered): Beckham has now scored in three of his last five games, and drew a season-high 10 targets in their win over the Rams on Sunday. This is not the Odell Beckham of old, but he’s looked legitimately good for a while now, and he’s benefitting from elite QB play. OBJ remains a beast in contested catch scenarios, and without Mark Andrews, he’s trusted to make plays in the end zone. I can officially say I’d be comfortable playing him, although he is still not ideal from a half-PPR or full-PPR perspective.

Noah Brown, Texans (48% Rostered): Brown’s volcanic eruptions in Weeks 9 and 10 feel like a whole season ago. He got hurt, missed a game, and has now goosed in two straight weeks. He’s back to being a lottery ticket, especially if C.J. Stroud can’t play this week, but Brown is set to be a focal point with Tank Dell out, and Nico Collins also injured now. Playing Brown is super risky, but some leagues are deep and don’t leave managers with great choices. At least we know the upside is massive.

Jonathan Mingo, Panthers (17% Rostered): Mingo is mired in the second-worst offense in football, but 19 targets in his last two games can’t be ignored. They haven’t translated into big production, but he’s gotten to 60 yards in two of his last three games. He seems to offer a higher floor than Noah Brown, so depending on your needs in deep leagues, he may be a better fit.

Tight Ends

Logan Thomas, Commanders (43% Rostered): Thomas vacillates between super involved and barely involved in the Commanders offense, but his Week 15 matchup with the Rams is a friendly one. The Rams allow the fourth-most (62.2) yards per game to the position, and Sam Howell leads the league in pass attempts (509). Worth a shot if you need help.

Cade Otton, Buccaneers (38% Rostered): Otton’s floor is very low; he has six games this season with two or fewer receptions. But he also has four touchdowns on the year, including one last week, and a very nice rest of season slate: at Green Bay, vs. Jacksonville, vs. New Orleans.

Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans (34% Rostered): Okonkwo has struggled all season in a low-volume offense, but he has seen 5+ targets in three straight games and gone over 45 yards in all three games. That’s nothing special, but it seems as if he’s finally establishing a floor, and we’ve already seen him use his athleticism in the past to bust big plays. He has solid matchups moving forward, and could potentially be helpful.

Possibly Available

Matthew Stafford, Rams (57% Rostered)

Tyler Allgeier, Falcons (50% Rostered)

Antonio Gibson, Commanders (54% Rostered)

Drop Candidates – HODL or Say Goodbye?  

Jared Goff, QB, Lions (92% Rostered): Say Goodbye. Slumping, three good defenses left on the slate, with Weeks 16 and 17 on the road.

Khalil Herbert, RB, Bears (56% Rostered): Say Goodbye. Too many RBs to compete with, and Justin Fields is the top rusher.

Adam Thielen, WR, Panthers (88% Rostered): HODL. It’s been bad, but he’s still the primary target, and still can get open in the end zone.

Terry McLaurin, WR, Commanders (90% Rostered): HODL. It’s tough, and the matchups aren’t good, but he’s just so damn talented he can’t be left on waivers.