If you’re reading this, chances are you need to find replacements for injuries or players on bye (IND, MIA, NE, PHI). There have been plenty of injuries in 13 weeks of action, with top-tier fantasy players out for extended periods of time or were unable to suit up Sunday morning, leaving you scrambling for a plug-in starter. This is why you will need to work the fantasy football waiver wire to grab high-upside players to help fill these empty spots and reduce the Sunday morning pre-kickoff panic.
It is time to drop those later-round flyers you’ve been stashing for weeks and start considering other options that have carved out more significant roles as you attempt a late playoff push. If you need that immediate upgrade now, here are some Week 14 fantasy football waiver wire pickups that could help move your team in the right direction.
Players must be owned in less than 60 percent of ESPN leagues to be included in the Week 14 fantasy football waiver wire pickups column. All ownerships for waiver wire players will be provided and will reflect that of Monday evening.
QB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Taylor Heinicke, Washington Football Team (29.5%)
Taylor Heinicke has made this list multiple times this season, originally for his dual-threat ability but he posts solid enough fantasy points each week to be considered at this point in the season. Most fantasy managers have quarterback options locked in at this point in Week 14, but with four teams on a bye, Heinicke could see his ownership jump up a little bit because they face two division rivals in Dallas and Philadelphia in the next two games. He’s surely had some bumps in the road and has only five multiple-touchdown games this season, but he has posted double-digit fantasy points in six straight contests.
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints (35.8%)
Taysom Hill picked up an injury last game on his throwing hand, which could not bode well for his value moving forward, but it seems he isn’t going to have surgery and will play through it for the remainder of the season. Despite throwing a miserable four interceptions against Dallas last week, he still posted 20.66 fantasy points, mainly because of his dual-threat ability. He carried the ball 11 times for just over 100 yards and faces NYJ, TB and MIA — three defenses that have struggled against opposing quarterbacks nearly all season long.
RB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers (55.8%)
With Christain McCaffrey out for the season now, Chuba Hubbard will certainly be the top fantasy football waiver wire add this week. When CMC was out earlier in the season, Hubbard filled in nicely surrounded by a very mediocre offense, posting four double-digit performances in six games. There are five games remaining this season and it won’t be necessarily easy for Hubbard to get it going, with TB, BUF and NO as featured opponents, but he offers some upside in the passing game as well.
Dontrell Hilliard, Tennessee Titans (35.9%)
This Tennessee backfield situation is hard to gauge at this point, as both Dontrell Hilliard and D’onta Foreman surpassed 100 yards rushing last game. But, realistically, Hilliard is the better fantasy option. In the game prior to his fantasy rushing explosion of 131 yards and a touchdown, Hilliard caught eight of 10 targets for 47 yards. It’s clear Foreman will likely split the workload 50/50 for the rest of the season, but looking at the bigger picture and more valuable fantasy option, Hilliard is the answer for his all-down and receiving back capabilities.
WR Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons (25.2%)
Russell Gage is certainly proving his worth to his team, with Calvin Ridley sitting out for the rest of the season, posting back-to-back impressive fantasy performances. He’s been targeted at least seven times in three straight games and has surpassed double-digit points in two of those three games. He had a monster week against the Bucs, catching 11-of-12 targets for 130 yards but failed to find the end zone. Gage could be a serious option heading into the fantasy football playoffs just for his volume and the fact that Atlanta always has to throw the ball. He has plenty of momentum heading into the NFC South clash against the Panthers.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Green Bay Packers (9.1%)
After sitting out for multiple weeks with injury, Marquez Valdes-Scantling has seen consistent targets in the Packers offense. It’s tough to own Packers wide receivers outside of Davante Adams, obviously, because it’s different each week, but Valdes-Scantling has been targeted quite a bit the last two games, with 10 in Week 11 and nine in Week 12. The Packers are coming off a bye and are looking to secure the top seed and will bring the heat to the Bears this week. They have some weaker and banged up secondaries coming up too, in Baltimore and Cleveland, so Valdes-Scantling should continue his little streak of sheer volume.
TE Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Tyler Conklin, Minnesota Vikings (34.2%)
Tight end options are very slim at this point of the season, but Tyler Conklin should be a sneaky play for this week if Adam Thielen is forced to miss time. Conklin was targeted nine times last week, mainly because Thielen left the game early and Kirk Cousins had to spread the ball out to other weapons. He’s only posted five double-digit performances all season, but if you’re in need of a plug-in due to four teams on a bye, he could be a very solid play for his volume and dependency in the scheme.
Ricky Seals-Jones, Washington Football Team (6.3%)
With the news of Logan Thomas possibly missing more time, Ricky Seals-Jones’ opportunity is back. He’s been dealing with a hip injury the last few weeks since Thomas returned to the lineup, so it’d be smart to monitor his situation throughout the week to see if he’ll be able to suit up, but he filled in quite nicely earlier. Washington clearly prioritizes the tight end position in the passing game, and whoever is out there will see solid targets and hopefully red zone targets, which could turn into easy fantasy points.
