With Week 14 fantasy football waiver wires on the immediate horizon, it’s time for another edition of “Waiver Wire Targets.” For many of you, playoff seeding — or even a spot in the playoffs — is on the line. Which mostly un-rostered players should be added off the waiver wire ahead of Week 14?
Fantasy Football Week 14 Waiver Wire Targets | QB, RB
If you need fantasy help at QB or RB, here are a couple of options available in most leagues. Roster share is based on Fleaflicker fantasy league data.
Taysom Hill, QB, New Orleans Saints (73% available)
I highlighted Taysom Hill last week when he was available in 76% of leagues. One QB6 performance later, he remains unrostered in 73% of leagues. Assuredly, he’ll be one of the hottest QB waiver adds this week.
Jameis Winston’s season-ending injury and Trevor Siemian’s inability to generate offense opened the door for Hill to claim the starting role. Now the question is, can he keep it? Two factors might impede him.
First, before his Week 13 return, he had been sidelined with a plantar fascia injury. Then last Thursday, he was nearly knocked out of the game with a “mallet finger” injury — a less disruptive version of Russell Wilson’s injury earlier in the year. While Hill kept playing, it’s a situation we will need to monitor. Because as good as Hill is on the ground, he has to be able to throw the ball to keep defenses honest.
And that brings up the second factor: can he keep rushing to QB1 stardom? His Week 14 opponent, the Jets, are giving up the most fantasy points in the league to opposing running backs. As a gadget QB who looks even more comfortable in a running back role, Hill should be a great option this weekend. So if you need a stopgap QB, Hill is your guy. Heading into the fantasy playoffs against the Bucs, Dolphins, and Panthers, you might need to pick up another QB off waivers.
JaMycal Hasty, RB, San Francisco 49ers (86% available)
Why did I repeatedly and publicly warn readers not to overpay for Raheem Mostert (RB28 ADP) this summer? Because the Niners are consistently stacked with NFL-ready running backs. Last year, this team had four RBs capable of starting on many NFL squads. This year, they’ve had Mostert, current household name Elijah Mitchell, rookie Trey Sermon, Jeff Wilson, and JaMycal Hasty (among others).
Injuries and talent have kept this carousel rotating. While Mitchell earned the bell-cow role, he’s currently in the concussion protocol ahead of Sunday’s game against the Bengals. Meanwhile, head coach Kyle Shanahan shared that Wilson’s surgically repaired knee — which kept him on the injured reserve until Week 9 — “flared up” this past Sunday, making him deeply questionable for Week 14. Also, Sermon is on IR with an ankle injury, and a Week 13 neck injury could end sixth-stringer (yes, sixth-stringer) Trenton Cannon’s season.
So, where does this leave us? With one healthy Niner running back, as it was always destined to be. Although Hasty is not a sure bet to start this weekend, he should be atop all fantasy managers’ radars, particularly those seeking a 10+ point RB option. Realistically, Hasty could split touches, making him an RB3/4. Optimally for savvy managers, he could be an RB2 bell cow. Either way, he needs to be rostered.
Fantasy Football Week 14 Waiver Wire Targets | WR, TE
If you need fantasy help at WR or TE, here are a couple of options available in most leagues. Roster share is based on Fleaflicker fantasy league data.
K.J. Osborn, WR, San Francisco 49ers (77% available)
Somewhere between pre-hype and post-hype, there is K.J. Osborn. On the one hand, in light of Adam Thielen’s ankle injury, the second-year receiver is a must-add in nearly every league. The Vikings have operated a top-heavy offensive scheme for years, generally featuring a bell-cow RB, two highly-targeted wideouts, and a complementary tight end (more on the tight end below).
If Thielen sits Thursday, Osborn is well-positioned to assume a larger role. Earlier this year, he acknowledged having earned Kirk Cousins’ trust, and that’s translated into one of the best seasons for a No. 3 Vikings receiver in years. His 35-412-3 line has placed him squarely on deep-league streaming maps as a WR5. His 4-47-1 line this past Sunday shows what he can do when taking over for Thielen.
That said, we should have clear expectations. Yes, add him. But … his ceiling might not be higher than a WR3. Justin Jefferson should continue to dominate receiver targets. A former fifth-rounder, Osborn did not profile as a great athlete out of college.
On the plus side, he has 138 yards after the catch — or 33% of his total receiving yardage, which is 1-2% higher than Jefferson’s and Thielen’s. But without Thielen on the field, can Osborn elevate his game against what might be stiffer defensive coverage? Osborn is a must-add, as well as a cautious streamer.
Tyler Conklin, TE, Minnesota Vikings (57% available)
Last week, I pushed one of my favorite under-the-radar fantasy tight ends. His name is Tyler Conklin, as you might have guessed by the sub-header above. Last week, he was available in 57% of leagues. This week he’s available in 55%. What?! Why are fantasy managers dropping him? Is Jacksonville’s James O’Shaughnessy that compelling?
Look, here’s the reality: if Thielen is out on Thursday, most people believe the biggest winner will be Osborn and perhaps Jefferson. I get that. But the biggest jump from unstartability to startability probably lies with Conklin, a fringe TE1/2 primed for a more sizable role. His 73.4% catch rate remains very impressive and places him No. 2 among all top-16 fantasy tight ends. Additionally, all 4 of his touchdowns have come in the red zone.
Thielen has 10 scores. If he’s sidelined, replacing those touchdowns won’t be easy. Conklin is a screaming buy with top-six upside. Consider how many supposedly top-six TEs flop every week. Now consider how Conklin is positioned to build off his impressive 7 targets from Week 13. He’s the best under-rostered TE in fantasy.