If you made it this far, you probably did not do it with the team that you drafted. Your in-season roster management is what got you here. When you made those moves during the season, you were probably looking at your team with a long term goal in mind. Now that you are in the playoffs, your only goal should be to win the current week. In order to do this, you might need to drop some guys that you have been relying on all season in order to add a player with a better matchup. For instance, Josh Allen faces one of the most difficult playoff schedules while Ryan Tannehill has one of the easiest schedules. Here are some of my favorite “add” candidates on the waiver wire for Week 15.
To be considered as a possible “add,” they need to be owned in less than 60 percent of ESPN leagues. The drops on this list are by no means must-drop, but rather they are droppable.
CLICK HERE for Week 15 Fantasy Rankings!
QB/RB Adds
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans (40.1%)
If you have been reading this article for a few weeks, this is not the first time you have seen Ryan Tannehill. There are not many QBs who have been hotter over the past two months and it doesn’t look like he will slow down for the rest of the season. Tannehill just torched the Raiders, with 391 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Titans face Houston, New Orleans and Houston over the next three weeks; these are great playoff matchups.
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, San Francisco 49ers (58.1%)
With home field advantage in their hands, the 49ers are likely to continue to play with a must-win attitude over the next few weeks. Over the next two weeks, the 49ers face the Falcons and the Rams, who have been fairly successful against fantasy RBs. In order to find success, the 49ers will need to rely more heavily on Garoppolo, who is coming off one of the best games of his career so far.
DeAndre Washington, RB, Oakland Raiders (9.5%)
If you are a Josh Jacobs owner or are facing the Josh Jacobs owner, you need to make sure that you have DeAndre Washington on your team. After Jacobs was a late scratch from the Raiders Week 14 matchup, Washington rushed for over 50 yards with a touchdown and added an additional 43 in the receiving game. Washington has had over 40 receiving yards in back-to-back games and should be involved in the passing game whether Jacobs is in or out. If Jacobs is in, Washington should not be started. But if Jacobs is out, Washington needs to be started and should be in a good position to succeed against the Jaguars.
Adrian Peterson, RB, Washington Redskins (44.1%)
Derrius Guice was injured in Week 14 and has already been ruled out for Week 15. This leaves Peterson alone with the majority of the running game. Peterson has rushed for at least 75 yards and a touchdown in back-to-back games. The Eagles are one of the best run defenses in the league, so it is hard to expect much from Peterson in Week 15.
Raheem Mostert, RB, San Francisco 49ers (23.7%)
With four active and healthy RB on the 49ers roster, it might not be worth the risk of starting any of them. But if you find yourself in a very difficult matchup and are relying on big plays and touchdowns, Mostert might be the best option for you. Mostert has had a touchdown in three straight games and has been involved in the pass and run game.
Patrick Laird, RB, Miami Dolphins (10.8%)
With Kalen Ballage on the IR, Patrick Laird is the primary ball carrier in Miami. In addition to his projected use in the running game, Laird has also been heavily used in the passing game over the past few weeks. With the Dolphins likely to be trailing in most games, this involvement in the passing game is important for his fantasy production.
Pass Catcher Adds
Robby Anderson, WR, New York Jets (53.2%)
Over the past three weeks, Robby Anderson has 303 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 26 targets. This has happened in games against the Raiders, Bengals and Dolphins, however. The Jets play the Ravens and the Steelers over the next two weeks, so the yardage is likely to come down. Anderson’s usage has been very impressive over the past few weeks, so Anderson could still be safe, but his upside is very limited.
Zach Pascal, WR, Indianapolis Colts (30.7%)
With T.Y. Hilton uncertain for the remainder of the year, Pascal should be owned, if you are a playoff team. Without Hilton in the lineup over the past two weeks, Pascal has had 10 and nine targets, respectively. Over that span, he has 183 receiving yards and a touchdown. The Colts play the Saints and Panthers over the next two weeks; both favorable WR matchups.
Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers (47.4%)
Deebo Samuel has been phenomenal over the past five weeks. In four of his past five games, he has had at least 100 receiving yards or a touchdown. In the only game he did not have a touchdown or 100 yards, he had 76 receiving yards on eight targets. With a Week 15 matchup against the Falcons, Samuels should continue to succeed.
A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans (31.3%)
As the Titans continue to improve, so does their standout rookie WR A.J. Brown. As the Titans continue their push to make the playoffs, Brown should continue to be a big part of the offense. Over the past three weeks, Brown has two games with at least 130 receiving yards and three total touchdowns. Brown not only is a safe play based on his recent usage, but he is also a high upside play with his play-breaking ability.
Cole Beasley, WR, Buffalo Bills (31.2.7%)
Unlike most of the pass catchers on this list, Cole Beasley has limited upside over the next few weeks due to his difficult matchups. If you have a very good team and are looking for a low ceiling but somewhat safe play, Beasley is not a bad option. He has had a touchdown in three straight games for the second time this season. He has also had at least seven targets in each of his last three games.
Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants (32.6%)
Darius Slayton is one of the Giants’ favorite receiving targets no matter who is under center. Slayton has had at least seven receptions in each of his last four games. Through the first half alone, Slayton caught five of his six targets for 154 yards and two touchdowns. The Giants face the Dolphins and Redskins over the next two weeks, so Slayton needs to be started.
Ian Thomas, TE, Carolina Panthers (0.6%)
With Greg Olsen still not cleared from the concussion protocol, Ian Thomas could be the Panthers starting TE another week. In Week 14 without Olsen in the lineup, Thomas caught five of his 10 targets for 57 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers face the Seahawks in Week 15 and whoever the tight end for the Panthers is should succeed.
O.J. Howard, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (39.4%)
After having limited involvement over the past few weeks, O.J. Howard has had two games with at least five targets in a row. In those two games, he has had 61 and 73 receiving yards. Howard has one red zone target over the past two weeks, but he has not found his way into the end zone. With the Buccaneers likely losing Mike Evans for the season, there are a lot of targets to go around and Howard should be one of the primary recipients.
Handcuffs
San Francisco 49ers: Jeff Wilson (1.2%)
Minnesota Vikings: Alexander Mattison (35.2%)
New Orleans Saints: Latavius Murray (68.8%)
Dallas Cowboys: Tony Pollard (11.7%)
Jacksonville Jaguars: Ryquell Armstead (1.9%)
Baltimore Ravens: Gus Edwards (5.2%)
Green Bay Packers: Jamaal Williams (65.7%)
New York Giants: Wayne Gallman (5.3%)
Tennessee Titans: Dion Lewis (9.9%)
Cincinnati Bengals: Giovani Bernard (9.5%)
New York Jets: Bilal Powell (18.7%), Ty Montgomery (3.9%)
Los Angeles Rams: Malcolm Brown (6.0%)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Peyton Barber (36.7%)
Buffalo Bills: Frank Gore (29.1%)
Pittsburgh Steelers: Benny Snell (40.5%)
Drops
QB: Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford
RB: Rasaad Penny, Darrell Henderson
WR: Calvin Ridley, Brandin Cooks, A.J. Green
TE: Vance McDonald, Delanie Walker
More Articles
XFL Uniforms for All 8 Teams Released
Ravens Become Betting Favorites to Win Super Bowl
Why Are the Brooklyn Nets Struggling?
Tyler Herro Rising in NBA Rookie of the Year Odds
