Waiver Wire Pickups Week 15

Waiver Wire Pickups Week 15

As the playoffs officially begin for all fantasy football leagues, never could getting the right guy off the waiver wire be more important. Last week we made some great calls including: Nick Foles who had the 2nd most points of any quarterback for the week, Montell Owens who finished 11th for the week in fantasy points for running backs, Kai Forbath with a 5th place finish in kicker scoring, and the Cleveland Defense, who finished 2nd only to the impressive 41 point outing by the Seahawks against the Cardinals. Now more than ever you need players you can trust, but if injuries or lack of depth forces you to use a waiver wire player, we are here to help you pick the right guy.

Quarterback

Nick Foles – 8% owned – What a successful week for rookie quarterback Nick Foles. He finally lived up to his full potential as an NFL quarterback and not only did he score some decent fantasy points along the way, but his play helped the Eagles get a much needed win against a decent Tampa Bay team. Foles has had two weeks in a row where he looked very comfortable making the calls and running the show for Philadelphia. There are too many questions in the organization to project anything for Foles next year.  Whether the chance comes in Philadelphia or on one of the many other teams with starting quarterback situations, Foles is making it pretty clear that he deserves a season-long starter shot. With some decent match-ups for the rest of the season, Foles could be an option if guys like RG3 or Jay Cutler can’t be counted on this week. The Eagles face the Bengals in a Thursday Night game in week 15 and the Redskins in week 16.

Kirk Cousins – 1% owned – After RG3 went down with a knee sprain, fellow rookie backup quarterback Kirk Cousins came in and led the Redskins to victory. Cousins value this week will mainly benefit RG3 owners, but while it may be considered unethical, other owners might be targeting him if they are playing against an RG3 owner. I’ve heard of much more unethical moves and it’s the playoffs. Some leagues are for money and others the pride means more than the cash, so make sure your grab Cousins this week. And whether you start him for a wounded RG3 (who I fully expect to make some effort to be on the field) or you bench him so that another owner will not have him, you will sleep better at night by getting him off the waiver wire.

Running Back

David Wilson - 30% owned – The game that Giants fans have been waiting for all year finally came for rookie running back David Wilson. After fumbling in his first game in the NFL,Wilson has seen limited action and has had little to no fantasy value this season. But Wilson’s break-out day was sure to come sooner than later. Finishing with 327 all purpose yards, including a 97 yard touchdown return for a TD and 13 carries for 100 yards and two rushing TD’s, Wilson was a fantasy monster. He briefly took over the full load while Ahmad Bradshaw left the game with a knee injury, but unfortunately for Wilson’s fantasy owners Bradshaw returned a little later. While his value is linked solely to Bradshaw’s health, he proved that in limited touches he can still produce monster games.

Montell Owens – 23% owned – With the Jaguars in no rush to get Maurice Jones Drew back on the field, Montell Owens will continues to flourish as a fantasy starter. Owens had 14 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown as well as a catch for 11 yards. If he can do all that on only 14 touches, just imagine if the Jags gave him a full work load. The Jaguars face Miami next week so look for his touches to be about the same, with a little less production. But in the all-important week 16, he faces the Patriots. So for the rest of this season Owens has a semi-bright fantasy future.

Bilal Powell – 9% owned – Every week it seems that Bilal Powell continues to split touches with Shonn Greene. Going forward, Powell is a decent flex play as he continues to get 15-20 touches a game. The Jets might just be giving him some game experience as their post season hopes are hanging on by a thread. Powell is taking advantage of his reps and has now scored four touchdowns in the last four games. Next week the Jets face the Titans, so with a good match-up Powell will have some decent RB2 potential. And in week 16 Powell and the Jets face the San Diego Chargers.

Wide Receiver

Brandon Gibson – 13 % owned – Gibson continues to be a big-play wide receiver for the Rams.  He had 100 yards and a touchdown on 6 catches in the Rams comeback win over the Bills. After two bad weeks in a row, Gibson has been likely dropped by many fantasy teams but his potential is still there. The Rams have a very favorable schedule to finish the season as they face the Vikings in week 15 and the Bucs in week 16.

Jason Avant – 3% owned – Avant seems to be the main Eagles receiver benefiting from DeSean Jackson heading to the IR. It is also probably a big boost that rookie quarterback Nick Foles has taken over the starting job. Avant had 12 targets of which he caught seven balls for 133 yards. That being said, the match-up against the Bucs was very ideal. The Eagles face the Bengals and the Redskins to finish the season. So look for Avant to have decent production as the Eagles plan to see what they have in Foles.

Rod Streater – 2% owned – Streater caught 4 passes on a team-leading seven targets for 100 yards against a very strong Denver Broncos passing defense. In back to back games, Streater has produced double digit fantasy points. As long as Streater continues to be the leader in targets and receptions, for the best garbage-time quarterback in the league, he is easily a flex play. Going forward, the match-ups for Streater are very favorable as the Raiders face the Chiefs in week 15 and the Panthers in week 16.

Tight End

Martellus Bennett – 57% owned – With the lack of production from tight ends this fantasy season, Martellus Bennett is quietly moving into the  top 10 (currently 11th) in fantasy production. He has been a favorite redzone target of Eli Manning and has caught five touchdowns on the year. With the Giants recent history of getting hot and making a playoff run, Bennett will see more chances to make plays. The Giants face the Falcons next week and the Ravens in week 17.

Tony Scheffler – 2% owned – Brandon Pettigrew left the game against the Packers on Sunday night with an ankle injury. In his absence Tony Scheffler was given an opportunity to be the Lions second-best receiveing option. Tony had 10 targets but only caught three for 20 yards and a touchdown, but more importantly Scheffler continues to see redzone looks. The Lions are in desperate need of a secondary receiving threat and if Pettigrew can’t go Scheffler seems to be their next best option. The final match ups look good for whoever starts at tight end for the Lions as they face the Cardinals next week and the Falcons in week 16.

Clay Harbor – 0% owned – Heading into this week, Harbor could be a very good play. Brent Celek has been ruled out with a concussion and after coming into the game for the injured Celek, Harbor had six catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles game is on Thursday night so if you want/need Harbor, you will have to get him and put him in your lineup quickly.

Kicker

Shayne Graham – 47% owned – After a brutal Monday Night Football embarrassment (not a game) the Texans will face a hot Colts team that is finding ways to win games every week. This game could be high-scoring or a field goal fest and both fair well for Houston Texans kicker Shayne Graham.

Defense/Special Teams

Detroit – 34% owned – After a brutal thrashing by the Seahawks defense, the Cardinals opened up a can of quit. It’s safe to say they did not even want to be on the field yet alone finish the season having to face the Lions, Bears, and the 49ers. The Lions sub par defense has been getting better in the past few weeks and facing the Arizona Cardinals will sure help.

Twitter: @Gridironexperts
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gridiron-Experts/265450496744