As we enter Week 14, all bye weeks are accounted for and the first rounds of the fantasy playoffs in fantasy leagues begin. I’ve said it every week thus far: active fantasy managers win their leagues. If you’ve been active on the waiver wire in your leagues and following along each week, chances are you’re walking into this first round with some confidence.
Here are top waiver wire pickups for Week 14 that are worth considering as the fantasy playoffs begin. Players are chosen based on their remaining matchups and current team situations such as elevated roles due to injuries or coaching changes.
Since it’s the playoffs, you can drop those players you’ve been stashing all season that aren’t producing and pick up some high-upside players with favorable playoff schedules. Some suggestions are included at the end.
Players must be owned in less than 60 percent of ESPN leagues to be included in the fantasy football Week 14 waiver wire pickups column. All ownerships for waiver wire players will be provided and will reflect that of Monday evening.
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Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups
Mitch Trubisky, Chicago Bears (20.7%)
Remaining Schedule: HOU, MIN, JAX
There’s plenty of quarterback options on the waiver wire to stream and/or start, but Mitch Trubisky’s playoff schedule is hard to pass up. We all know how sporadic Trubisky can get with the football, but he could exploit these poor pass defenses for a hefty return of fantasy points. Houston allows 19.1 fantasy points per game (FPPG) to opposing quarterbacks, while Minnesota and Jacksonville allow more than 17 FPPG. All three defenses struggle getting to the quarterback this season, which should allow Trubisky to make his reads to make the right throw. The possibility of starting Trubisky in your championship game against the Jaguars seems very 2020-esque.
Matthew Stafford, Lions (53.3%)
Remaining Schedule: GB, TEN, TB
Matthews Stafford is coming off a tremendous, comeback victory over the tough Chicago Bears defense, in which he passed for 402 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He is expected to get weapons Kenny Golladay and D’Andre Swift back soon, and the next two weeks especially should be solid fantasy outings for Stafford. These two games feature teams that should put up points, but they also have suspect defenses. He is a solid waiver wire pickup.
Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups
James White, New England Patriots (56.6%)
Remaining Schedule: LAR, MIA, BUF
The Patriots backfield is still crowded even with Rex Burkhead out for the season but, as for the pass-catching back role, it’s James White. It’s hard to gauge the Patriots’ offensive efficiency this season, due to so much up-and-down play, but for a safe option for the playoffs, White isn’t bad. He has some tough matchups coming up for the run game, but he is Cam Newton’s security blanket on third-down plays. The Rams and Dolphins both allow less than 17 FPPG to opposing running backs this season, while Buffalo allows nearly 20 FPPG. Two divisional games are coming up in a division that the Patriots have owned for nearly a decade, so they won’t play them soft.
Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams (35.8%)
Remaining Schedule: NE, NYJ, SEA
The Rams backfield is another questionable one for fantasy, due to the amount of mouths to feed. However, Cam Akers has been the featured back the past two games. He had 21 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown with one catch for 22 yards against Arizona in Week 13. Akers also has some favorable matchups coming up. All three defenses allow more than 17 FPPG to opposing running backs this season, leaving the door wide open for Akers to breakout late in his rookie season. The Patriots and Seahawks have both allowed more than nine touchdowns on the ground this season as well.
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Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups
Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans (54.4%)
Remaining Schedule: JAX, DET, GB
The fact that Davis is still under 60 percent ownership is concerning, considering that he’s posted double-digit fantasy points in every game but one, which was versus Chicago. The Titans have to fight for top of the AFC South, so they won’t approach these games lightly, especially after losing to the Browns last week. Davis saw 12 targets and caught 11 of them for 182 yards and a touchdown, for the best game of his career. Jacksonville and Detroit both struggle against the pass, allowing more than 26 FPPG to opposing wide receivers this season. Green Bay is slightly better against the pass, but that game could be high-scoring. Davis is the WR2 on his team, putting up WR1 fantasy points; grab him while you still can.
Keke Coutee, Houston Texans (12.4%)
Remaining Schedule: CHI, IND, CIN
These upcoming matchups are concerning, but in an offense led by Deshaun Watson, it’s not as scary as you think. With Will Fuller out for the rest of the season due to suspension, that leaves Brandin Cooks and Keke Coutee as the two main receiving options. Cooks is the WR1 and should draw the best opposing corner, which leaves the door wide open for Coutee to be fantasy relevant. Both Chicago and Indianapolis have been strong against the pass, allowing under 21 FPPG to opposing wide receivers, but Coutee should still be a solid fantasy option with volume if you’re hurting at the wide receiver position.
Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups
Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys (30.5%)
Remaining Schedule: CIN, SF, PHI
The tight end position has been inconsistent this season, to say the least, which is why tight ends with volume are the safest options moving into the playoffs. Schultz has seen at least four targets in each game he’s played in and, even with quarterback issues, has stayed consistent. Dallas prioritizes the tight end usage in their offense. Cincinnati allows 10.5 FPPG to opposing tight ends this season while Philadelphia allows 8.6 FPPG. You may want to stay away from Schultz against the 49ers, the second-best defense this season against opposing tight ends. Volume is hard to come by this season with low-owned players, so starting Schultz in a prime matchup against the Bengals poor defense could push you into the second round.
Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team (24.9%)
Remaining Schedule: SF, SEA, CAR
Another tight end that has plenty of volume in their offense is Logan Thomas. He has also been targeted at least four times in every game this season and seems to be their go-to red zone target, outside of running it with Antonio Gibson. Thomas has a tough matchup this week against the 49ers, but both Seattle and Carolina allow more than 7.5 FPPG to opposing tight ends thus far. Washington is in a tight race in the NFC East, and their defense has been elite lately, so don’t count out their fantasy players. They can stay in games and compete, and that starts with utilizing Thomas on offense.
Drop Candidates
QB: Drew Lock, Alex Smith, Andy Dalton
RB: Malcolm Brown, Jerrick McKinnon, Duke Johnson
WR: Jakobi Meyers, K.J. Hamler, Keelan Cole Sr.
TE: Jordan Akins, Jimmy Graham
