Week 14 wasn’t as bad as Week 13 from an injury standpoint, but fantasy managers still have to deal with losses to guys like Deebo Samuel and maybe Tee Higgins. How much of a priority does this make someone like DJ Chark for fantasy football managers to add off the waiver wire ahead of Week 15?
DJ Chark Has Reclaimed the WR2 Job From Josh Reynolds
Chark spent much of the season either injured or insignificant. He was supposed to be the team’s primary stretch Z, but the universe had other plans. After a lengthy stint on IR, Chark looks fully healthy and possibly poised to be a difference-maker down the stretch.
Amon-Ra St. Brown is the clear WR1 on this team. No one will argue that. But Chark was on the field for just one fewer snap against the Vikings, and the two ran the same number of routes.
Chark was second behind St. Brown in targets with seven. He caught six of them for 94 yards and a touchdown. It marked his second consecutive game with over 90 receiving yards and his second touchdown in the past three weeks. I was looking for his yardage projection on Underdog Fantasy to recommend the higher, but just never saw it.
MORE: Full Week 15 Fantasy Waiver Wire Targets
The Lions have won five of their last six games. They probably should’ve won all six. This is a team that looked dead after Week 8 and is now suddenly in the thick of the playoff hunt. It doesn’t have much to do with their defense. This offense is humming right now with Jared Goff playing as well as he has since his 2018 Super Bowl run.
The only bad news is the Lions’ next two games are on the road, and Goff has been significantly worse on the road than at home. Even so, Chark has been too good over these past two weeks to ignore.
The Jets are a tough Week 15 matchup, but if you make it to Week 16 (or are already there), the Lions close out the fantasy season against the Panthers and Bears.
How Aggressively Should Fantasy Managers Pursue Chark Off the Waiver Wire?
It’s playoff time. There are three weeks left. Most of you probably have very little FAAB remaining. There’s no point in saving your budget if there’s a player you need.
It’s also time to start thinking about what your opponent needs. The goal is simply to get to the next week. If that means picking up a productive fantasy player you may not need in order to prevent your opponent from being able to use him, that’s part of the strategy.
For me, Chark qualifies as one of those guys. I’d be willing to spend 15-20% of my FAAB on him. If you play in a league that still uses the continual rolling list waiver priority system, use your highest priority if you need to.