You can hear the bells ring. It is time to crown a king. This long you have survived. For the playoffs have arrived.
Following a one-week hiatus from the wire, I’m back to give you my tips for the playoff waiver wire! As usual, the waiver wire is usually weak at this point in the season, but I’m doing my best to give you the boost you might need to advance past round one. Here is the Week 15 Waiver Wire:
*Owned % are in terms of the Yahoo platform at the time of writing
Week 15 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets
Cole Beasley, BUF- WR (66%)
Despite not officially being ruled out, all signs point to Bills wideout Emmanuel Sanders not playing in Week 15’s matchup against the Panthers. Cole Beasley, being the lone player on this week’s list above 50% owned, could even be start-worthy in some flex situations. Beasley really took advantage of Sanders’ absence, logging 11 targets, catching 9 of them for 64 yards. If Sanders were to miss more than just this week, Beasley is a priority pickup.
Justin Jackson, LAC- RB (2%)
Austin Ekeler is not certain to be ruled out for Thursday’s game, although Ekeler owners who lack RB depth should definitely pick up Justin Jackson in case the worst happens, as this is not the time to take risks. Justin Jackson leads Chargers backups in rush attempts and targets, and it’s not unreasonable to expect more of the same if Ekeler sits out Thursday against the Chiefs.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET- WR (12%)
Has the time finally come? Has Amon-Ra St. Brown finally broke out? Many fantasy owners have been drooling for this moment to come, and here it has. With two consecutive weeks of 12 targets, Amon-Ra could be a valuable playoff dark horse with matchups against Atlanta and Seattle coming up. Amon-Ra is worth the bench spot for sure in case he is for real.
Rashaad Penny, SEA- RB (21%)
It’s looking like Rashaad Penny has taken full RB1 duties in Seattle, and those mourning the loss of Chris Carson should strive to take advantage of Penny. Penny, who racked up 137 yards and 2 touchdowns on Sunday can begin to be trusted as a low-end RB2, and should therefore be picked up to fix some last-minute running back holes before the playoffs.
Justin Fields, CHI- QB (19%)
In his return to the field after a two-week hiatus, rookie QB Justin Fields had a mediocre performance against the tough Packers D. In Week 15, Fields has a mouth-watering matchup against the Vikings, who have struggled greatly against quarterbacks this season. Fields is likely your best bet on the wire for QB streamers this week. Expect low-end QB 1 numbers.
K.J. Osborn, MIN- WR (38%)
Adam Thielen has missed almost 2 full weeks due to injury, and K.J. Osborn has stepped up greatly to fill that gap. Osborn has proven the last couple of weeks that he has what it takes to be a good backup receiver in real life, which could have immense fantasy value in next year’s draft assuming Thielen’s performance continues to decline due to his age. Osborn should be picked up and possibly started too if Thielen were to miss another game.
Austin Hooper, CLE- TE (41%)
Tight ends David Njoku and Harrison Bryant both missed Sunday’s game against their rivals in the Ravens, which paved the way for Austin Hooper to absorb their targets and have a solid outing. Hooper had 7 targets and a touchdown, which is enough to make him a low-end TE1 in Week 15 if Njoku and Bryant remain on the sidelines.
A.J. Green, ARI- WR (40%)
Deandre Hopkins has been one of the biggest question marks in the NFL the past few weeks, and A.J. Green had the better performance in Week 14. Green converted his 10 targets into 7 catches for over a hundred yards, making him worth a look for playoff rosters. With a WR’s heaven matchup coming up against Detroit, Green could have another great game.