NFL Week 14 Waiver Wire Pickups: More Bye Weeks Upon Us as Fantasy Playoffs Near
With six teams on bye (Ravens, Commanders, Texans, Colts, Broncos, Patriots) and the fantasy playoffs just one week away, nailing the Week 14 waiver wire is crucial – and there’s a potential home run pickup waiting to be made.
In order to assist you in looking ahead and planning for crunch time, we’ve packed this weekly feature with Week 14 and Week 15 quarterbacks and defenses to consider, along with the return of our backup running back rankings for bench stashes.
As always, you’ll find several top waiver options in this weekly feature, along with FAAB suggestions. Generally, players listed here will be available in at least 50% of Sleeper leagues.
Top Waiver Wire Additions After Week 13
RB Isaac Guerendo, San Francisco 49ers
In perhaps the nuttiest possible outcome for Guerendo’s fantasy stock, both Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason are heading to IR and will miss the remainder of the fantasy season. Guerendo now finds himself atop the 49ers depth chart, on a team that consistently gets the most out of its backs for fantasy purposes. The next three games are particularly enticing for Guerendo, as the Bears, Rams and Dolphins are all above-average fantasy matchups.
The speedy rookie is only 5% rostered on Sleeper, and this is a slam dunk, empty-the-FAAB-type opportunity – and yes, that also includes your No. 1 waiver priority. Guerendo immediately slots into the top-15 fantasy conversation at running back and should receive 15-20 touches a game.
WR Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns
Moore is averaging over 62 yards and 13 fantasy points per game in five starts with Jameis Winston at QB, despite just 21 yards in the Week 12 Thursday night snow game. Cedric Tillman could return in Week 14 (concussion), but Moore is still the high-volume slot option for the NFL’s top passing attack over the past six weeks. He’s 23% rostered on Sleeper and worth a 15-20% FAAB bid if you’re in need of WR help. Think of Moore as a volatile fantasy WR3 type.
Deeper League Additions
RB Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers
Vidal only carried four times in Week 13, but he did total 20 yards, for a robust five yards per carry. With Ladd McConkey’s status (knee) in serious doubt for Week 14, Justin Herbert may need to involve Vidal more in the passing game. The Chargers face a stingy Chiefs defense before a friendlier Week 15 matchup vs. Tampa Bay.
WR Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers
Thielen caught eight of 10 targets for 99 yards and a score in Week 13, and Bryce Young is playing the best football of his career. Unfortunately, Week 14 against the Eagles is a really tough spot for the slot receiver.
WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tennessee Titans
He’s scored eight touchdowns over his past eight games, and while that streak almost certainly won’t continue, he did record a season-high eight targets in Week 13. Another point in Westbrook-Ikhine’s favor is the Titans’ soft remaining schedule.
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, New Orleans Saints
The veteran deep threat was written up last week given the plus matchup against a Rams team getting burned by outside receivers. He’s now recorded a touchdown in three straight games, and with Taysom Hill’s ACL injury, further opportunity should open up for him. Week 14 against a Giants defense ravaged by injuries is another great spot for MVS.
TE Noah Gray, Kansas City Chiefs
The multi-touchdown run ended at two games, but Gray now has at least four receptions and 58 yards in back-to-back games. If Travis Kelce were to go down, Gray would slot in as a top-eight option at the position.
TE Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
With Hill’s torn ACL, the already-thin Saints pass-catching group is verging on practice squad levels. Johnson is coming off a season-high seven targets in Week 13, and he could score like Cade Otton Lite for fantasy football down the stretch.
TE Will Dissly, Los Angeles Chargers
Like Johnson, Dissly could benefit from injuries, with McConkey’s knee threatening his Week 14 availability. The veteran has at least four receptions in six of the past eight games and should offer a decent floor if McConkey misses time.
Streamer SZN: QBs and D/STs for Weeks 14 and 15
With the final week of the regular season for most leagues upon us and the playoffs to quickly follow, it’s worthwhile to look ahead and plan for both. If you’re in need of a fill-in, take stock and play the matchup game with QBs and defense/special teams units that can help – especially with mass byes in Week 14.
Week 14 QBs
Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
Levis has now gone over 16 fantasy points in his past four starts, and the Jaguars are a very favorable matchup for fantasy QBs. Levis is a fringe fantasy QB1 in Week 14 with six teams on bye, and he’s actually viable for the rest of the season. Weeks 15-17, Levis has top-12 fantasy matchups against the Bengals, Colts and Jaguars (again).
Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Wilson just threw for 414 yards and three TDs against the Bengals in Week 13, and he now gets a tired Browns defense that just played on Monday night. Wilson does not have the multi-week streaming viability of Levis, though, as he faces the Eagles in Week 15.
Jameis Winston, Cleveland Browns
The matchups are unappetizing the next two weeks (Steelers and Chiefs), but Winston is coming off a 497-yard, four-touchdown (and three-interception) effort on Monday night against a sturdy Broncos defense. Overall, he’s averaging a league-leading 336 passing yards and nearly 23 fantasy points per game in his five starts this season. For those open to increased risk, bump the volatile Winston to the top of these QB options.
Cooper Rush, Dallas Cowboys
The Bengals defense just allowed 414 passing yards and three TDs to the Steelers, and they’ve featured a secondary to target all year. Rush also has great matchups against the Panthers and Buccaneers in Weeks 15 and 16.
Aidan O’Connell, Las Vegas Raiders
O’Connell actually looked good in a difficult Week 13 divisional game against Kansas City, throwing for 340 yards and two TDs. The next three weeks, he gets the Buccaneers, Falcons and Jaguars, three plus matchups for fantasy QBs.
Week 14 Defenses
Titans D/ST
The Titans defense has over–performed all year, and it’s likely they’ll get Mac Jones under center for a reeling Jaguars team next.
Saints D/ST
The Cowboys D/ST just had 17 fantasy points against the Giants on Thanksgiving. The Saints are not a particularly talented unit, but this is an A+ matchup.
Jaguars D/ST
While Levis is a viable fantasy option at quarterback, his turnover-prone nature is also a net positive for fantasy D/STs. The Chargers (eight points), Vikings (11), Texans (19) and Commanders (seven) have all put up solid weeks against Levis during this recent four-game stretch.
Week 15 QBs
Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Maye is the preferred Week 15 fantasy option over all the Week 14 streamers with favorable Week 15 opponents. The rookie topped 20 fantasy points against the Colts in Week 13, and Maye’s rushing upside will once again be on display after the Week 14 bye.
Week 15 Defenses
Ravens D/ST
The Ravens may get dropped during their Week 14 bye, and they have a dream matchup against the Giants in Week 15.
Jets D/ST
This unit has underwhelmed throughout 2024, but it does face a Jaguars team that may need to start Jones at QB for multiple weeks, if not the rest of the season.
Cardinals D/ST
Even with Maye’s viability, the Patriots offense has been the third-lowest scoring unit on the season. Arizona’s defense has upside here with its playoff hopes trending toward the danger zone after consecutive losses.
Bengals D/ST
Everything mentioned for the Jaguars D/ST as a Week 14 streamer applies here, as Cincinnati faces the turnover and sack-prone Will Levis.
Handcuff Watch: Top Backup RBs to Target
With the fantasy playoffs a week away, contending teams should stockpile one-injury-away backup running backs on their bench. The 11 names below are roughly listed in order of preference, and all have immediate fantasy RB1 potential if the starters ahead of them were to suffer an injury – just like Guerendo does this week and for the foreseeable future.
- Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks
- Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams
- Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons
- Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans
- Braelon Allen, New York Jets
- Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills
- Cam Akers, Minnesota Vikings
- Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins
- Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles
- Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals
- Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears
Line Up Your Targets
Make sure to act quickly to secure your waiver wire targets, with most leagues running waivers on Tuesday nights. For more in-depth stats and to view all the trending players in real time, check out the Sleeper app.
Working the waiver wire to your favor is a critical part of fantasy football success, and we’ll be with you every week to help you chase down those playoff berths and fantasy championships.