Fantasy Football: Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups
By Brett Clancy
As the fantasy playoffs begin to ramp up, several real life NFL teams are watching their playoff chances fade. Following a crushing loss to the Raiders even winning out may no longer be enough to get the 49ers (7-6) in the playoffs. In the AFC Dolphins (7-6) and Chiefs (7-6) find themselves behind the 8-ball in the Wild Card race following losses to the Ravens and Cardinals respectively. And a one point loss to the Colts at home has the Cleveland Browns (7-6) ready to turn the team over to rookie QB Johnny Manziel (18.9% on NFL)(10.3% on ESPN). I recommended picking up Manziel last week when it looked like he might get the start against the Colts, which never ended up happening. The Bengals defense held the Texans and Buccaneers to under 200 yards passing before being gashed this past week by the Steelers to the tune of 350 yards and 3 TDs, allowing another 185 yards to LeVeon Bell on the ground. It’s safe to say Manziel will likely fall somewhere in the middle, and it’s his mobility that makes him an interesting fantasy play. The Bengals have been vulnerable to the run, and I’d expect a big game from Isaiah Crowell, which could limit Manziel’s pass attempts and hinge his value you on whether or not he can pick up chunk yardage with his legs rather than his arm. If Manziel can work up some quick chemistry with his receivers (specifically Josh Gordon) it could be a huge game, if not Manziel could be in for a rough night.
If you’re new to the column the parentheticals ()() to the right of a players name indicates their ownership percentage in NFL.com and ESPN fantasy fooball leagues respectively. Generally I like to keep my list to players owned in fewer than 30% of leagues, but their are always exceptions. Every league is different, so there may be better players available in your leagues that aren’t out there in most other leagues. If you want my take on a player not listed below, or think I forgot someone leave a comment in the box below the article and I’ll respond. The players listed are grouped by position, but not placed in any particular order. Without further ado let’s get into week 15’s waiver wire pick ups:
Kerwynn Williams, RB, Cardinals: (0.0% on NFL)(0.0% on ESPN) Promoted from the practice squad following the release of veteran Michael Bush, Williams lead the Cardinals rushing attack, amassing 100 yards on 19 carries. With the news that Ellington will miss the rest of the season with a sports hernia, Williams looks like the guy to grab for Ellington’s owners. Be warned though St. Louis, Seattle and San Francisco are the last three games on the schedule, but with Stanton still at the helm of a struggling passing game it’s in the Cardinals best interest to continue to establish the run.
Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers: (16.2% on NFL)(47.4% on ESPN) If DeAngelo Williams is able to return from the finger injury that kept him out the past couple weeks the Panthers backfield could go back to being a fantasy no man’s land. But, considering how well Stewart is playing (over 100 total yards in each of the past two weeks) the Panthers could go with the hot hand against Buccaneers defense that can be beat on the ground as Carolina looks to stay ahead in the NFC South.
Latavius Murray, RB, Raiders: (15.5% on NFL)(31.2% on ESPN) Going in to Arrowhead to take on the Chiefs is no easy task, but Murray broke the 100 yard mark on just a handful of touches the last time these two teams met, and he ran well last week against a tough 49ers run defense. Despite their record the Raiders aren’t rolling over and Murray is still campaigning for the lead back role in 2015.
Charles Sims, RB, Buccaneers: (1.2% on NFL)(11.7% on ESPN) He hasn’t gotten double digit touches since the Redskins game, and he hasn’t run particularly well, but it’s week 15 and the Buccaneers have favorable running back matchups the rest of the way. If they commit to Sims he’s still got a shot at a break out. For now though, the Buccaneers seem more interested in seeing if Doug Martin (69.9% on NFL)(38.4% on ESPN) is worth a roster spot in 2015, or if they can salvage some trade value for their former first rounder.
Charles Johnson, WR, Vikings: (0.8% on NFL)(9.7% on ESPN) He officially eclipsed Cordarrelle Patterson on the depth chart and was able to gash the Jets secondary to the tune of just over 100 yards and a TD. The final two games on the Dolphins schedule are quite as promising from a matchup perspective (@Detroit and @Miami) but he’s emerging as a popular target for Teddy Bridgewater.
Nate Washington, WR, Titans: (0.7% on NFL)(3.0% on ESPN) He had an underwhelming performance against the Giants, but with Jets and Jaguars up next on the schedule, Washington could put up some big numbers, especially if Jake Locker winds up under center in week 15.
Marqise Lee, WR, Jaguars: (1.1% on NFL)(2.0% on ESPN) I held off on Lee in favor of teammate Cecil Shorts in last week’s column, but despite leading the team in targets Short had only 3 receiving yards. Lee on the other hand now has 11 catches for 142 yards over the past 2 weeks and the Jaguars take on a Baltimore secondary.
Jared Cook, TE, Rams: (5.5% on NFL)(41.3% on ESPN) If you happen to be streaming TE’s, or just don’t like your starter’s matchup and have a roster spot to spare for the week, consider Cook. He’s coming of a 2 TD effort against the Redskins, and in week 15 the Rams will play the Cardinals who struggle against TE’s, and Cook in particular, who had 84 yards and a TD last time these two teams met.
Mychal Rivera, TE, Raiders: (8.0% on NFL)(20.3% on ESPN) held to just 8 yards last time the Raiders and Chiefs met, I’m feeling optimistic about Rivera’s chances to improve upon that number in this week’s rematch. Rivera caught all 7 of the passes thrown his way last week and if Latavius Murray can find some success on the ground it should soften the coverage over the middle just enough for Rivera to do some damage.
Streaming QB of the Week:
Kyle Orton, QB, Bills: (1.5% on NFL)(9.3% on ESPN) The fact that he’s coming off a 57 attempt outing in Denver concerns me, but Green Bay will be coming off a short week and it seems likely that the Bills could once again find themselves playing catch-up. I also like Blake Bortles (2.7% on NFL)(2.5% on ESPN) to have a nice outing against a Ravens defense that is in the top 10 of most points allowed to opposing QBs. And if the Buccaneers end up turning back to Mike Glennon (0.3% on NFL)(0.4% on ESPN) this week against the Panthers I think he could put up some nice fantasy numbers as well, despite Drew Brees troubles this past week.
Streaming Defense of the Week:
Ravens D/ST: (40.3% on NFL)(42.3% on ESPN) I know I said I like Bortles, and I do, but streaming defenses are tough to come by these days and the Ravens have been very good at getting after the QB with at least 4 sacks in 3 of their last 4 games and Bortles has thrown an INT in all but one game. If you want something a little riskier, or the Ravens aren’t available, take a look at the Jets D/ST (3.0% on NFL)(3.4% on ESPN) The Jets defense hasn’t been great but they have at least 2 sacks and a turnover in the past two games, both of which were lost by 6 points or fewer, and get a nice matchup against the banged up Tennessee Titans and Jake Locker has thrown multiple INTs in 3 of the 6 games he’s appeared in this season. Conversely the Titans D/ST (1.7% on NFL)(4.3% on ESPN) will be up against a Geno Smith lead Jets offense that looks like it could be without Percy Harvin, and has scored a touchdown in two straight weeks.