The 2023 fantasy football playoffs are upon us. The NFL landscape continues to shift, and fantasy managers should always be looking to improve their rosters. Let’s take a look at the top Week 15 waiver wire targets and pickups that fantasy managers should consider for their rosters.
Top Waiver Wire Pickups in Week 15 | Quarterbacks
Note: As always, all players are rostered in 50% or less of Yahoo leagues.
Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals (27% Rostered)
So…I guess Jake Browning is good. He’s now scored 26 and 24 fantasy points in his last two starts. With so many quarterbacks hurt, there’s a legitimate chance fantasy managers with playoff teams need a quarterback.
MORE: Fantasy QB Streamers and Rankings Week 15
Browning gets the Vikings in the first round of the playoffs. He’s more than proven himself as a viable fantasy starter. Pick him up if you need a QB.
FAAB Recommendation: 10-15%
Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns (6% Rostered)
Is Joe Flacco elite? The age-old question continues. While I can’t answer that for you, I can tell you that Flacco has now posted consecutive 17+ point performances.
I don’t really see how the Browns go back to Dorian Thompson-Robinson next week. Flacco clearly gives them the best chance to win. With matchups against the Bears and Texans left, Flacco could be legitimately startable over the next two weeks.
FAAB Recommendation: 2-5%
Top Waiver Wire Pickups in Week 15 | Running Backs
The Week 15 waiver wire is surprisingly strong for this late in the season. There are a number of backup running backs potentially replacing injured starters that are worth pushing all your chips in the middle on.
Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings (22% Rostered)
Alexander Mattison left the game in the first half with an ankle injury and did not return. In his place, Ty Chandler operated as the lead back. He didn’t do much with his touches, but lead backs are lead backs.
We’ve seen Chandler be explosive before. Perhaps in a better game environment, he could produce RB2 numbers. Either way, he needs to be added in the event Mattison misses a game or two.
FAAB Recommendation: All of it
Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals (6% Rostered)
This week’s top waiver wire pickup at the running back position is the Bengals’ new RB2. Chase Brown has been shot out of a cannon in the past two weeks. He carried the ball nine times for 61 yards last week and totaled 115 yards and a touchdown this week.
While still reliant on splash plays, Brown is seeing enough work to have RB3 value alongside Joe Mixon. Plus, he has clear RB1 upside if Mixon were to go down. He is worth everything you have.
FAAB Recommendation: All of it
Jerick McKinnon, Kansas City Chiefs (41% Rostered)
True to his word, Andy Reid did utilize Clyde Edwards-Helaire as the lead back. However, Jerick McKinnon remains the passing down back. That includes just about every third down.
McKinnon only touched the ball seven times but punched in a short touchdown. He was on the field much more than he had been when Isiah Pacheco was healthy.
We don’t know how long Pacheco is out, but as long as he is, McKinnon will have value. He is worth picking up.
FAAB Recommendation: 10-20%
Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders (2% Rostered)
Having a replacement-level RB1 on the Raiders isn’t the most exciting thing. But Zamir White is poised to be the lead back if Josh Jacobs has to miss any time.
Jacobs hurt his knee in the fourth quarter and did not return. Ameer Abdullah still played primarily on passing downs, but White was the lead runner. He would be a desperation RB3/Flex play if Jacobs can’t go.
FAAB Recommendation: 10-20%
D’Onta Foreman, Chicago Bears (38% Rostered)
Many fantasy managers dropped D’Onta Foreman after he got hurt, and Roschon Johnson played over 70% of the snaps last week. It looks as if Foreman is still the lead back for the Bears.
Foreman started against the Lions and totaled 72 yards on 13 touches. He was basically a touchdown away from being an RB1. Starting running backs in the NFL need to be rostered, and Foreman is one of them.
FAAB Recommendation: 10-20%
Top Waiver Wire Pickups in Week 15 | Wide Receivers
We don’t have a clear priority add on the Week 15 waiver wire at wide receiver, but Odell Beckham Jr., Zay Jones, and Curtis Samuel are interesting options.
Odell Beckham Jr., Baltimore Ravens (40% Rostered)
It was a bit surprising to see Odell Beckham Jr. available in so many leagues. He’s posted double-digit fantasy points in four of his last five games. On the heels of an impressive 4-97-1 outing and a whopping 10 targets, Beckham sure looks like the Ravens’ WR2.
The Ravens get the Jaguars and 49ers over the next two weeks, two favorable matchups for wide receivers. Beckham is a priority pickup for fantasy managers in need of a WR3.
FAAB Recommendation: 15-20%
Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars (29% Rostered)
It was another uneventful outing for Zay Jones, with just five catches for 29 yards. However, Jones saw 14 targets. With Christian Kirk done for the season, the Jaguars have to utilize Jones more.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
The Jaguars will have better matchups than the Browns going forward. Trevor Lawrence looked healthy. Jones has serious upside, given his usage. Pick him up.
FAAB Recommendation: 15-20%
Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders (35% Rostered)
Oftentimes, fantasy managers overlook players that are on bye. Curtis Samuel was a recommended pickup last week, and nothing has changed. He’s posted 4-65 and 9-100 lines in his last two games. He is a startable WR3/4. Add him if he’s out there.
FAAB Recommendation: 5-10%
Top Waiver Wire Pickups in Week 15 | Tight Ends
Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens (55% Rostered)
This is cheating a bit because Isaiah Likely is over the rostership threshold, but there just aren’t any tight ends worth picking up.
Likely caught five of seven targets for 83 yards and a touchdown in Week 14. He is a featured part of the Ravens passing attack and should be rostered in far more leagues. If he’s still out there in your league, pick him up immediately.
FAAB Recommendation: Whatever it takes
Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers (10% Rostered)
This article was published before Monday Night Football. So, it does not include Tucker Kraft’s stats. Regardless, he’s played over 90% of the snaps since taking over as the Packers’ TE1 following Luke Musgrave’s injury.
Kraft hasn’t done a ton, with games of 9.5 and 6.7 fantasy points. But he’s on the field and running a bunch of routes. That’s good enough for a TE streaming option.
FAAB Recommendation: 0-5%
The tight end position is not in a good spot this season, but there are a couple of pickups with decent upside.
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