Pigskin Papers: 2023 Waiver Wire Week 15
Flacco: From the Couch to Fantasy Lineups
(Published December 11, 2023)
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Welcome to the Waiver Wire, Week 15. If you’re still reading, you’ve made the playoffs in your fantasy league. Congrats! Now it’s time to put the hammer down.
Another week, another slew of injuries. Such is life in the NFL this season. Injuries to Justin Herbert, C.J. Stroud, Josh Jacobs, Alexander Mattison, Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson, Nico Collins, and others could once again send fantasy managers scrambling. The Waiver Wire can’t replace elite stars, but it can help. So let’s take a look at what’s available this week.
WEEK 15 BYES: None. The Byes are over.
The Process: Each week, I try to identify the top Waiver Wire targets and evaluate the short and long term prospects of those players. I also do my best to reveal which players who are coming off a big week are fool’s gold. Finally, I endeavor to find streamers who might help you in a pinch. Note that this advice is primarily intended for Season-Long leagues, and NOT Dynasty leagues.
Some of the players I’ll talk about won’t be available in your league. As a general rule, I list players who are available in more than 50% of leagues. But what does that even mean? A 10 team league with 6 bench spots will have a much larger free agent pool than a 14 team league with 8 bench spots. Most leagues fall somewhere in between. This isn’t “one size fits all.”
Matt Stafford is Getting Hot at the Right Time
Week 15 Waiver Wire:
QB:
Matthew Stafford continues his second-half resurgence. He’s scored between 23 and 25 fantasy points in each of his last 3 games, and that includes games against the Ravens and Browns, who are both among the stingiest defenses for opposing QBs. The Rams’ offense is clicking right now, and Stafford is a QB 1. Even better, he’ll face the Commanders this week. They’ve allowed the second most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to opposing QBs, and the most passing TDs (30) on the season.
If Stafford isn’t available, Joe Flacco and Jake Browning are the top names that might be. I’m listing them together because they’ve both started 2 games, and they’ve both looked very good while putting up some really nice fantasy numbers in the process. They also both have good weapons to work with. Over the last 2 weeks, Browning has put up 50 fantasy points while Flacco has amassed 38. Can either or both sustain this? Maybe. The schedule for CLE over the next 3 weeks (the fantasy playoffs) is CHI, @HOU, NYJ. For CIN, it’s MIN, @PIT, @KC. Overall I’d give the slight edge to Flacco here because he’s a veteran, but I think you could go either way.
If you miss on the 2 players listed above, there’s always Gardner Minshew and Baker Mayfield, who are both in the QB 15-20 range on a points per game basis. Mayfield is having the slightly better fantasy season. Both have pretty decent playoff schedules.
Drew Lock filled in for Geno Smith (groin) this week and wasn’t terrible. And that was at the 49ers. This week, the Seahawks host the Eagles, who’ve been shredded repeatedly over the past 5-6 weeks ad have allowed the most FPPG to QBs. It’s unclear how badly Geno is hurt, so if you’re in need (or you’re relying on Geno in a Superflex) and have the space, consider adding Lock as a streamer.
I know Bailey Zappe and Zach Wilson both just had exceptional games, but I wouldn’t go there unless I was truly desperate for a QB2 in a Superflex. For example, I’d rather pick up Will Levis than either of them.
I'm also not going to recommend Nick Mullens, with your season on the line. But if you want to roll the dice on him, go for it.
Ty Chandler Gets His Chance
RB: I’m going to assume that Zeke Elliott and D’Onta Foreman aren’t available in the vast majority of leagues. They’d be the top 2 choices if they’re out there for you. The best of the rest:
Ty Chandler has been a consistent entry in this column for the last month, and hopefully you gobbled him up. Alexander Mattison injured his ankle in Mineesota’s 3-0 victory over the Raiders, and Chandler is the next man up. It’s unclear how bad this sprain is, but Chandler was already getting some of the work with Mattison healthy. He’s a priority add for the playoffs if available.
While Chandler might not be available in your league, Zamir White, the primary backup to the other RB who got injured in the same game (Josh Jacobs) should be. Jacobs injured his knee late in the game on Sunday and didn’t return, and while the severity of the injury is unclear, what is known is that the Raiders play on Thursday so it would be a very quick turnaround. White won’t step into an every-down role, but would certainly have some volume appeal.
CEH and Jerk McKinnon are both worth considering for a waiver claim, given the uncertainty over how much time Isiah Pacheco is going to miss. Check for the latest information before using a claim on either of these backs.
Chase Brown has been a very good performer the past 2 weeks, and that’s gone a little under the radar with Jake Browning stealing the spotlight. Brown has 20 total touches for 166 yards and a TD over the past 2 games. Mixon is still the lead dog, but Brown is rotating in and showing well, and he would obviously step into a major role if anything happened to Mixon. With the Bengals offense trending up, Brown is a nice bench add for your playoff run.
Don’t forget about Antonio Gibson. Brian Robinson hurt his hamstring in Week 13 and while he had the Bye week to recover, he might not be ready for Week 15 (vs. Rams). He’s worth considering if you need depth.
As always, I’m going to give you some backup RBs who are worth adding, as they’d have major value if given an opportunity. For me, having these guys on your bench is more valuable than having a few WR4s and 5s. The Zeke Elliott story this past week is good evidence of why this is true. So: R. Dowdle, T. Spears, K. Gainwell, C. Edmonds, P. Taylor, and M. Carter are backups to consider as stashes.
OBJ With Another One-Handed Grab
WR: It’s slim pickings at WR this week. Here are the best available:
Odell Beckham, Jr. Don’t look now but with Mark Andrews out of the lineup, OBJ is emerging as a viable target for Lamar in Baltimore. The volume is low (no more than 4 catches in any of his last 4 games), but over those 4 games he does have 2 games with 90+ receiving yards, and 2 TDs. The veteran is a WR3/Flex play with upside.
Noah Brown. He’s a lot more attractive if C.J. Stroud doesn’t miss time. But with Tank Dell already gone for the season, Dalton Schultz still ailing and Nico Collins now injured, both he and Robert Woods could be in for a big bump in targets, and now that they’re past the Jets the schedule is pretty favorable.
Here are several receivers that are worth considering as depth adds to your bench: Z. Jones, J. Hyatt, P. Washington (2 TDs in the 2 games where he has replaced Christian Kirk), J. Mingo, D. Wicks, JuJu, and J. Hyatt.
TE: Let’s assume Isaiah Likely isn’t available. Most of what’s available is just depth, but here are some options to consider if you’re in need. I like them in this order: T. Hudson, H. Henry, C. Otton, C. Okonkwo, and T. Kraft.
PK Streamers, Week 15: J. Myers (vs. PHI), D. Carlson (vs. LAC), and M. Gay (vs. PIT).
D/ST Streamers, Week 15: ATL (@CAR) and LAR (vs. WAS). Both have excellent playoff schedules; also LV (vs. LAC), MIA (vs. NYJ) and TEN (vs. HOU).
Good luck with your wavier claims!
DH
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