The fantasy football regular season is officially over and now it is do or die as the fantasy playoffs begin this week. Fantasy managers are now adjusting and tweaking their rosters based on what we’ve seen through the league’s first 14 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 15 waiver wire claims fantasy football managers should consider.
Top Waiver Wire Pickups in Week 15
Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions (44.9% rostered)
Jard Goff being on the waiver wire list is becoming evergreen content. He was at it again on Sunday against the Vikings, completing 27-of-39 passes for 330 yards with three touchdowns.
Since Week 12, Goff is fourth in passing yards (910), tied for second in touchdowns (seven), has zero interceptions, and despite having just nine rushing yards, he is the QB8 in scoring at 21.8 PPR. Goff is the quintessential streamer or matchup-based quarterback for fantasy.
Where the Vikings were one of the worst teams against the pass, the Jets are a tougher matchup for Goff. Since Week 10, they are fifth in past DVOA. But I’m still going to bet on Goff and this offense. At this point, I would consider him a high-end QB2 for the remainder of the season, with matchups against the Jets, Panthers, and Bears for the fantasy playoffs.
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Russell Wilson, QB, Denver Broncos (42.1% rostered)
I wasn’t sure we would see this data, but I’ll list Russell Wilson as a Week 15 waiver wire option for those who really need help this week. Before Week 14, the last time Wilson finished higher than the QB20 was back in Week 6. Still, on Sunday, Wilson had his best game yet as a Bronco, completing 23-of-36 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns with an interception and tacking on an additional 57 rushing yards against the Chiefs.
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It was the first time he recorded multiple passing touchdowns while also setting a season-high in rushing yards. Be sure to monitor Wilson’s status for Week 15, as he left the game with a concussion. Still, assuming he suits up, I’d favor Wilson to have another decent outing against the Arizona Cardinals.
Zonovan Knight, RB, New York Jets (58% rostered)
At this point, consider Zonovan Knight the RB1 in New York. While Michael Carter did return and actually led Knight in overall plays 37 to 35, it was because Knight didn’t see time on third downs or in the two-minute drill.
Despite this, Knight rushed 17 times for 71 yards with a touchdown despite a negative game script and running into the teeth of the Bills’ defense. He now has outings of 13.3 PPR, 16.8 PPR, and 15.7 PPR in his three games and will be a starting RB for the fantasy playoff with matchups against the Lions, Jaguars, and Seahawks. With 298 scrimmage yards through his first three NFL games, Knight needs to be picked up off the Week 15 waiver wire.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers (19% rostered)
Although D’Onta Foreman saw 50% more carries than Hubbard (21 to 14), Hubbard was far more efficient (5.3 ypc) and matched him with 71 rushing yards and additionally found the end zone. Hubbard also caught all three of his targets for 25 yards to lead all offensive players on the Panthers with 18.9 PPR points in their 30-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
While we shouldn’t expect Hubbard to start out-carrying foreman suddenly, he’s going to have flex appeal heading into the fantasy football playoffs, and it could start this week in a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, followed by a game against the Detroit Lions in Week 16.
Jerick McKinnon, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (34.6% rostered)
Week 14 was Jerick McKinnon’s best day of the year. Although he only had 22 yards on six carries, McKinnon caught seven of his nine targets for a team-high 112 yards and two touchdowns against the Broncos, finishing as the RB1 on the week with 32.4 PPR points.
McKinnon has been the Chiefs’ third-down back all season and saw a ton of action when the Broncos were mounting their comeback, which makes sense as McKinnon typically plays more in closer games. With that said, McKinnon led Pacheco 25-24 on early downs and total plays at 39 to 29. Pacheco is still the RB1 on this roster, but in what should be a blowout against the Texans, McKinnon will have some sleeper appeal in deeper formats in Week 15.
Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore Ravens (36.8% rostered)
Gus Edwards carried the ball 13 times for 66 yards in a 16-14 win over the Steelers in Week 14 while taking a backseat to J.K. Dobbins, who returned after his stint on the IR following mid-season arthroscopic knee surgery.
With Lamar Jackson looking at a Christmas Eve return (hopefully) and Tyler Huntley (concussion) questionable for Week 15, watch for the Ravens to go very run-heavy this week against the Browns with UDFA QB Anthony Brown under center. On Sunday, the Ravens attempted just 17 passes, and Cleveland is the most susceptible as a defense to running backs.
Edwards needs to be rostered not only if Dobbins has another setback but because even if both backs are fully healthy, Edwards will always have a role in this offense which will leave him as a flex option for fantasy.
J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens (60.7% rostered)
There is no reason why Dobbins is not rostered in over 90% of leagues. In his first game back since Week 6, Dobbins rushed 15 times for 120 yards with a touchdown against the Steelers. He is their prized rusher and will be the focal point of their offense whenever he is healthy.
His burst was there with a 44-yard run, and he averaged a whopping 8.0 ypc. Efficiency has been a calling card of his game since he led the NFL in yards per carry as a rookie at 6.0 in 2020. If he is available in your league, he is the must-add player in Week 15 off the waiver wire.
DJ Chark, WR, Detroit Lions (22.9% rostered)
With six receptions on seven targets for 94 yards, DJ Chark has now recorded 90+ receiving yards in back-to-back games. Not only that, his touchdown on Sunday gave him two in his last three games, and his 21 PPR points have Chark sitting as the WR8 on the week in PPR scoring.
Chark looks fully recovered from an ankle injury that sidelined him for several weeks in the middle of the season. Since returning, he owns a 34.3% air-yard share. Jameson Williams has started to see some more snaps, yet that came at Josh Reynolds’s expense instead of Chark’s. Next week’s matchup against the Jets won’t be the easiest, but Chark will be in flex territory, likely for the remainder of the season.
Donovan People-Jones, Cleveland Browns (44.3% rostered)
And there it is. That is the performance I have been saying was coming from Donovan People-Jones now that Deshaun Walton is under center. For the first time in his career, People-Jones played on 100% of the snaps. He also had a 100% route participation while leading the Browns with 13 targets, catching eight passes for 114 yards.
Watson attempted five deep targets of 20 yards or more, and every one of them went toward People-Jones, which was the most any receiver has had in a single game for the Browns this year. He won’t have the easiest matchup next week, but if you need a low-end WR3, People-Jones will be in that range in Week 15 fantasy football WR rankings.
Elijah Moore, WR, New York Jets (32.9% rostered)
Welcome back, Elijah Moore. Sunday against the Bills was unquestionably Moore’s best day this year. He set career highs in both targets (ten) and reception (six) while recording 60 receiving yards as he took over as the No. 2 following the loss of Corey Davis (concussion).
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It’s been a roller coaster year for Moore. In the four games since his benching, Moore has caught 12-of-22 targets for 148 yards and a touchdown. That might not sound like much, yet between Weeks 1 through 6, he only had 16 receptions on 30 targets for 203 yards and no scores. We need to make sure Mike White is playing this week, but if Davis cannot suit up, Moore will be in the low-end WR3/flex range against the Detroit Lions.
Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants (42.9% rostered)
It was always going to be a long day for Darius Slayton against the Eagles’ passing defense, but Slayton has recorded 40 yards or more in seven straight games, and since Week 5, he is 13th in receiving yards with 597 as the only viable passing target for Daniel Jones currently.
He’ll face off against Washington in Week 15 for the second time these teams have met in the last three games. Back in Week 13, Slayton recorded 90 yards and 15.0 PPR on six-of-eight receiving. Even if you do not want to start him, Slatyon needs to be picked up off the Week 15 waiver wire just as a depth piece for your playoffs.
Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans (4.3% rostered)
It’s been several years since the Titans had a fantasy-relevant tight end. After they let Jonnu Smith go walk in free agency, it’s been a position to avoid. That is until now, as rookie Chigoziem Okonkwo out of Maryland looks like the next Smith or Delanie Walker for the Titans.
After recording 68 yards on four-of-five receiving against the Philadelphia Eagles (TE8), Okonkwo caught all six of his targets against the Jaguars for 45 yards and scored his first touchdown since Week 4. His 19 PPR points have him sitting as the TE3 with Monday Night Football still to play.
While I am sure he could remain a highly volatile option, it’s hard not to look at him as a high-end TE2 to add this point. If Derwin James cannot play next week (quad), Okonkwo is absolutely in consideration for fantasy, especially if Treylon Burks misses this week again. He would also be a starter again in Week 16 against the Houston Texans, assuming Okonkwo has another positive outing.
Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars (45.5% rostered)
There are managers who are going to miss out on their fantasy football playoffs because they either didn’t start Evan Engram or played against him. That sums up the 2022 season.
Engram had a career day against the Titans and one of the best games for a tight end, in general, this season. Engram caught 11 of his 15 targets for 162 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday to finish with a staggering 39.2 PPR. I had a feeling Engram was a sneaky starter last week, but no one saw this coming.
His 405 routes are the third-most by a tight end this season, and thanks to his massive day, Engram is top-six in targets, receptions, and yards. That’s both a credit to him and further highlights how brutal the position has been this year. After scoring one touchdown in the first 12 weeks, Engram has three in his last two games.
He’ll likely take a step back in the next two games against the Cowboys (No. 7 in DVOA vs. TEs) and the Jets (No. 9) but then gets the Texans for the fantasy championship. His route volume alone and the pace of Jacksonville give Engram a higher floor than most other fringe tight ends.