The fantasy football season is nearing the playoffs. Fantasy managers are now adjusting and tweaking their rosters based on what we’ve seen through the league’s first 13 weeks to prepare for a championship run.
Working the waiver wire is the best way to improve your team for the stretch run and find a weekly advantage. To aid in that, here are some of the top Week 14 waiver wire claims fantasy football managers should consider.
Top Waiver Wire Pickups in Week 14
Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions (29.6% rostered)
The Detroit Lions have just been a fun team this year, and one of those reasons is the play of Jared Goff. In a high-scoring game against the Jaguars, Goff completed 31-of-41 passing attempts for 340 yards with two touchdowns as the QB4 overall.
Goff sits seventh in the NFL in passing with over 3,000 yards while also ranking 10th with 19 touchdown passes. Additionally, all four of his starting wide receivers are healthy for the first time all season. The Lions have a favorable schedule, including a game next week against the Minnesota Vikings, who have allowed the fifth-most points to quarterbacks.
And if your fantasy team is going downhill already, jump on over to Underdog Fantasy and dive into their weekly Best Ball tournaments and take a shot with Jared Goff as your QB for a shot at thousands in prizes in Week 14. Sign up today and Underdog will match your initial deposit up to $100.
Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens (0.3% rostered)
Lamar Jackson is expected to miss this week’s game due to a knee sprain, according to head coach John Harbaugh, who describes the injury as “week to week.” In his place, Tyler Huntley took over as a starting quarterback and gained 187 yards in the air while rushing ten times on the ground, including one for the Ravens’ game-winning touchdown.
We saw something similar toward the end of last year when Huntley started five games for the Ravens last year. During that stretch, Baltimore actually increased their passing attempts, with all five of those starts coming with 30 or more passing attempts in each game. It is worth noting the lack of a rushing game likely aided in this choice of scheme.
MORE: Fantasy Impact of Lamar Jackson’s Injury
Given his skill set, the Ravens can use a similar offensive scheme without needing to change anything drastically. Assuming he starts, Huntley will be a popular waiver wire addition against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the potential for more value if Jackson misses multiple games.
Mike White, QB, New York Jets (13.8% rostered)
If not for a dropped Braxton Berrios touchdown, they would be naming streets after Mike White at this point. After a 300-yard debut against the Bears, White threw for 369 yards on 31-of- 57 passing with a touchdown and two interceptions.
White has 684 passing yards and three touchdowns in his two starts, and if you’re a manager who lost Lamar Jackson or Garoppolo, there is certainly value to be had with White as a QB2 for Week 14.
Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers (0.0% rostered)
I don’t know what San Francisco did to anger the football gods, but their injury luck in recent years has been absolutely awful. Unfortunately, it happened again on Sunday as Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a broken foot and will miss the remainder of the season. With Trey Lance (ACL) already on the IR, this means Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, is the starting quarterback. At least for now.
He stepped in a big way on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. The former Iowa State QB completed 25 of his 37 passes for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception to finish as the QB16.
Aside from his fourth down interception, Purdy looked reasonably comfortable in the pocket. In 1QB leagues, I wouldn’t worry about this, but if you are in a 2QB or Superflex league, Purdy is an interesting sleeper to consider with a matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14.
Zonovan Knight, RB, New York Jets (39.3% rostered)
After 103 total yards and 17 touches in his first game, Zonovan Knight rushed for 90 yards on 15 carries on Sunday and caught all five targets for an additional 38 yards against the Vikings in Week 13. With 118 scrimmage yards and 20 touches, Knight proved that last week was no coincidence.
MORE: Week 14 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Recommendations
Although Ty Johnson remained the third down back and handled a few early snaps, Knight, at the moment, is the running back to roster on the Jets outside of Michael Carter. If Carter is inactive again, Knight will be in flex territory in a difficult matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills (0.3% rostered)
After laying a near goose egg in Week 12, James Cook was far busier than anyone expected in Week 13. Cook rushed 14 times for 64 yards and caught all six of his targets for 41 yards in the day with 105 total yards.
The concern is a potential repeat of Cook being schemed out of the offense. That was the case in Week 12, where Cook only had two carries and five targets after an 11-carry game in Week 11. The matchup against the Jets isn’t the best, but even if you want to take the wait-and-see approach on Cook, he’s a sleeper that needs to be rostered due to his upside for the fantasy football playoffs.
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs (64.8% rostered)
We know what Isiah Pacheco is at this point. He is a volume-based lower-end RB2/high-end RB3 that needs a TD to hit his ceiling. That’s not a bad thing. Sunday marked his fourth game in a row with 14 or more carries as he rushed for 66 yards and a score against the Bengals.
Oddly enough, Jerick McKinnon saw 100% of the goal line opportunities (six). If those go to Pacheco, his floor and ceiling both rise, especially with one of, if not the best, schedules for an RB with games against the Broncos (twice), Texans (Week 15), and Seattle in Week 16. Pacheco is a must-add off the Week 14 waiver wire if he is out there.
Travis Homer, RB, Seattle Seahawks (0.2% rostered)
It’s the next man up in Seattle all over again. On Sunday, Kenneth Walker III injured his ankle in the second quarter and did not return to action. In his place, DeeJay Dallas initially took over the early down role. Unfortunately, he also had to leave due to an ankle injury. Unlike Walker, he managed to return but did not play much and was hampered by his injury.
MORE: Week 14 Fantasy Football Sleepers
Travis Homer missed this game due to an illness, but at this point is the healthiest running back in this offense. There’s absolutely no certainty about what will happen this early in the week. Still, if you want to take a shot in the dark, as the potential No. 1 running back against a soft Panthers rush defense, Homer is an intriguing name to consider for Week 14 waiver wire.
Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals (61.7% rostered)
Joe Mixon was unable to clear the concussion protocol and missed his second-straight game. Samaje Perine looked fantastic in his place, rushing for 106 yards on 21 carries while adding 49 more yards on six receptions.
The Bengals have a sensational matchup against the Browns next week, but it’s a toss-up if Mixon will be back. I’d be careful blowing the bank on him if you are using FAAB, as it could be for nothing, but Perine would be an RB2 in Week 14 if Mixon cannot suit up.
Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams (53.2% rostered)
Cam Akers is back? Is that how this works? Look, I have no idea if this is stable, but the trends suggest Akers is back in the team’s good graces. On Sunday, he rushed a team-high 17 times for 60 yards and scored two touchdowns to finish with 19.0 PPR.
Kyren Williams kept his role as the primary passing back, but that has never been Akers’s game, so we should not consider this a loss. There is every chance he turns into a pumpkin and disappears, but if you are looking for some depth toward the fantasy playoffs, Akers is worth a look after sitting on the waiver wire.
Darius Slayton, New York Giants (33.4% rostered)
Plain and simple, Darius Slayton needs to be rostered in every fantasy league. Slayton caught six passes for 90 yards on Sunday against the Commanders, which gives him five in a row with 60 yards or more.
He is averaging seven targets a game since the Giants’ Week 9 bye and is the WR20 in PPR overall while averaging 14.1 PPR (23rd). He now has double-digit fantasy points in six of his last eight games, and his playing time has hit a season-high. The upcoming schedule is rough (PHI and WAS), but finding a No. 1 receiver this time of year is rare. Given the recent form of Daniel Jones and this offense, Slayton needs to be picked up off the waiver wire.
Michael Gallup, WR, Dallas Cowboys (44.1% rostered)
While Michael Gallup had just 23 yards on four receptions, he tied CeeDee Lamb for the team lead in targets (seven) and scored two touchdowns in the blowout victory. That’s now back-to-back solid outings from Gallup after an 11.3-point outing in Week 12.
Dallas is on fire offensively. In fact, they have more touchdowns in their last four games (15) than the Denver Broncos do all year (14). There is the mystery surrounding where Odell Beckham Jr. will land, and if it was with Dallas, it would, of course, impact Gallup. But I wouldn’t let that deter you from adding Gallup, who is starting to hit his stride.
Corey Davis, WR, New York Jets (11.3% rostered)
I promise I didn’t intend for this to be all about the Jets. It’s just the way things happen. Corey Davis caught five of his ten targets for 85 yards against the Vikings in Week 13, which was his highest target volume since Week 1 and the most receptions he has had since Week 4.
Despite the hope that Elijah Moore would see an uptick in production, Davis is the only other pass catcher I would want for fantasy outside of Garrett Wilson. The rest can be dropped. Similar to White and Knight, I don’t love him for this week against the Bills, but I think it’s a name to keep in mind with the playoffs approaching.
D.J. Chark, Detroit Lions (18.9% rostered)
After missing six games, it took a few for D.J. Chark to get back into rhythm, but he did just that against the Jaguars on Sunday, catching five of his six targets for 98 yards against his former team.
Although all eyes were on the return of Williams, Chark was the No. 2 behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, and for the first time, the Lions had their whole WR corps on the field together. They’re on fire as of late, with four wins in their last five games, and are even favored against the Vikings, who have allowed the second-most points to WRs over the previous four games (41.23 PPR).
Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans (21.1% rostered)
Nico Collins led the Texans in targets on Sunday while catching three of his ten looks for 35 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the Browns.
He’s become the No. 1 option for the Houston Texans since the trade deadline fiasco, which clearly left Brandin Cooks disgruntled that he was not moved. In fairness to Cooks, he did miss this game with a calf injury, but the trends were already moving in this direction.
Three of the Texans’ next four opponents are also in the bottom ten in points allowed. Although neither Davis Mills nor Kyle Allen enables Collins to hit his ceiling, it’s rare this time of year to find a team’s No. 1 option available off the waiver wire this time of the year.
Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions (30.3% rostered)
Nothing that happened on Sunday surprised me. The minute the Lions announced Jameson Williams would be making his return, the majority of reactions said they were plugging him into their lineups automatically. I was against that. The Lions had been very clear all year they were going to take it easy with Williams’ return, and this year, when someone has made a return from injury, they have aired on the side of caution.
That was precisely the case on Sunday, as Williams played on only eight snaps against the Jaguars. Two of those snaps even came at the end of the game when the team was kneeling out the clock. The Lions are simply protecting their investment. And with the upside of Williams, who could blame them? If you’re a fantasy manager with some dead weight on your roster or an open spot, consider Williams due to the upside that he possesses.
However, I would also take a wait-and-see approach. Wait until we see his snap count hit a stable threshold before risking your fantasy football playoffs on a gut feeling.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Cleveland Browns (44.0% rostered)
After compiling double-digit fantasy points in six of his last eight games, Donovan Peoples-Jones had another solid outing against Houston despite the passing game being a bit out of sync with the return of Deshaun Watson.
Peoples-Jones caught three of his four targets for 44 yards but saved his day with a 76-yard return for a touchdown. I still love the outlook for Peoples-Jones to thrive as the No.2 and the field stretcher in this offense.
Greg Dulcich, TE, Denver Broncos (38.5% rostered)
The only pass catcher you can really trust or start right now for the Broncos is Greg Dulcich. Dulcich caught six passes for 85 yards while leading the Broncos in receiving against the Ravens on Sunday, and since he made his debut in Week 6, his 319 yards are fifth-most amongst tight ends. That’s both a credit to him and an indictment of the position as a whole.
MORE: Week 14 Fantasy TE Streamers and Rankings
He is also just the third tight end to record multiple 80-yard games since Week 6, joining Travis Kelce and George Kittle. His rest-of-season schedule is okay, but nothing great outside a smash spot against the Cardinals in Week 15. Dulcich will be hit or miss at times, but so is everyone else.
Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans (0.2% rostered)
Tight end is so hit-and-miss for fantasy football. It’s primarily that way for rookies, where more time than not, I look at whoever is the most athletic person and hope that shines eventually. That happened on Sunday as Chigoziem Okonkwo led the Titans pass-catchers on Sunday, hauling in four of his five targets for 68 yards against the Eagles.
With Treylon Burks leaving the game due to a concussion, Okonkwo showed some flash, but more importantly, his athleticism. Not only does Okonkwo lead the league in yards per route run by a tight end at 2.75, but his 10.4 yards after the catch per reception are also by far the highest for any tight end with ten or more targets this year.
I would still leave him in sneaky TE2 territory right now, but until we find out more about Burks, Okonkwo could become their next Jonnu Smith.
Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars (35.0% rostered)
I mentioned Evan Engram last week as one of my potential streamers due to the juicy matchup, and he delivered on Sunday, catching five passes for 30 yards and the Jaguars’ only touchdown against the Lions.
Sunday was Engram’s fifth game as a top-12 tight end. While his numbers haven’t always been great, volume and pace have certainly helped, as Engram now sits third in routes run. The upcoming schedule is demanding against Tennessee, Dallas, and the Jets, but if you’re looking for a waiver wire option in Week 14, Engram fits the bill.
Daniel Bellinger, TE, New York Giants (2.0% rostered)
Making his return after a gruesome eye injury that required surgery, Daniel Bellinger was busier than ever. Bellinger was on the field for all but two plays on Sunday, which was his highest snap share all season. Unfortunately, the fantasy production didn’t necessarily match, as he caught all four of his targets but for only 24 yards.
The big thing here is consistency. Bellinger was trending towards weekly high-end TE2 status before his injury. With the Giants’ offense consisting of inconsistent pass-coaching options outside of Darius Slayton, there’s certainly reason to believe Bellinger’s utilization will continue. He’ll come in as a mid-TE2 against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14 to snag off the waiver wire.