Pigskin Papers: 2022 Waiver Wire Week 14
It’s Deja Vu All Over Again with Tyler Huntley
(Published December 5, 2022)
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Welcome to the Week 14 Waiver Wire. As further proof that the NFL doesn’t care at all about fantasy football, 6 teams are on bye in Week 14, which for most season-long fantasy leagues is the final week of the regular season before the playoffs start. On top of that, Week 13 was a bad one for injuries, with several big-name players going down. This is a must-win week for many of you, and unfortunately there are lots of obstacles in the way. I’ll try to help out with some sound waiver wire advice.
***SEE THE WEEK 13 NFL Takeaways and Stats of the Week column HERE: https://www.thepigskinpapers.com/posts-1/pigskin-papers-take-2-2022-week-13 .
WEEK 14 BYES: ATL, CHI, GB, IND, NO, WAS
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 identify which players who are coming off a big week are fool’s gold. And finally, as we’ve moved through the bye weeks I’ve spent a little time on streamers at each position 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.”
Fire Up Goff vs the Vikings
Week 14 Waiver Wire
QB:
Tyler Huntley is extremely likely to start in Week 14 against the Steelers, and might start a few games beyond that. This is a repeat of 2021, when Lamar Jackson got hurt in Week 14. He didn't play again after that, although he was listed as questionable for several weeks. Huntley was the QB13 over the 5 games he played, with his rushing ability providing the bulk of his fantasy production. That rushing ability, and Huntley’s experience from 2021, make him an attractive add and especially if you just lost Lamar or Jimmy G this past week. The Ravens’ offense has been bad of late, and the entire offense suffers from an overall lack of speed and explosiveness. They simply don’t have enough playmakers. So temper expectations a bit, but Huntley is still worth adding if you’re hurting at QB.
I recommended Jared Goff as a streamer last week and he didn’t disappoint. He put up 25 points and is the QB4 for the week, pending the Monday Night game. Home Goff is a different animal than road Goff - home Goff averages more than 20 fantasy points per game (FPPG). Well, Goff is home again this week, facing a Vikings’ defense that’s allowed the most passing yards on the season. I like Goff (a lot) as a streamer once again this week.
Mike White was likely scooped up in a lot of leagues last week, but if he’s out there, I’ll recommend him again. You won’t want to start him this week at Buffalo, but his schedule for the fantasy playoffs is pretty sweet: vs. DET, vs. JAC, and @SEA. He had 2 costly picks against the Vikings this past week, but he’s thrown for almost 700 yards in his 2 starts, against bad defenses. He could be a nice QB2 for the playoffs in Superflex leagues.
I don’t know what to expect from new 49ers starter Brock Purdy. He was Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL draft (the last player taken). Normally I’d just say pass, but he looked pretty good on Sunday in relief of Jimmy G, and I can’t get the image of Nick Mullens out of my head. This is a fantasy-friendly offense with a lot of elite weapons. I think stashing Purdy is smart if you’ve got the space. Their schedule for the fantasy playoffs is a good one for a QB (@SEA, vs. WAS, @LV).
If you’re truly stuck this week and need a streamer (and you can’t get Huntley or Goff), you can consider Mac Jones @ARI, or Ryan Tannehill vs. JAC (although I like him a lot less if Treylon Burks misses the game). These are desperation plays. If you’re one step past desperate, Sam Darnold has a pretty good matchup @SEA.
James is Starting to Cook
RB:
James Cook is a priority add for me this week. Remember when he fumbled on the first touch of his career, in the very first game of this NFL season (Bills @Rams)? Well, he’s slowly worked his way into a larger role and in Week 13 he had season highs in carries (14), catches (6), touches (20), and total yards (105). It’s still a share with Singletary and to a lesser extent Hines, and Josh Allen is their best rusher in the red zone, but given how this offense can score, Cook is a very nice piece to have.
Bam Knight made the list last week and I’ll list him again, although it’s unclear when Michael Carter will be back, and how the work might be divided once he returns. Knight was the workhorse each of the last 2 weeks, and the coaching staff clearly likes what they’ve seen from him. Not only has he gotten 29 carries in the 2 games, but he’s also caught 8 passes. That’s just shy of 20 touches per game, which is a solid workload. The Bills are a tough matchup this week, but the schedule is favorable for the fantasy playoffs (see above).
This name is hard, and I mean really hard, for me to type. Cam Akers. I’ll type it again, just to see if my fingers start to burn. Cam Akers. If you’re desperate, or maybe even if you’re not, he’s getting the work. I don’t expect many productive days ahead like the one he had this week, but starting RBs are hard to find in December.
Dotson is Back, and Producing
WR:
Jahan Dotson may have been dropped in some leagues, due to injuries sidelining him for much of the middle of the season. He’s back and is worth an add for depth, and potentially to flex, if he’s available.
D.J. Chark had his first impactful game of the season this past week, coming up just short of 100 yards on 5 catches (6 targets). It’s hard to know how Jameson Williams will fit into the rotation, but Chark is a field stretcher and is worth a stash.
Trent Sherfield has been off the radar for most of the season, but with Jaylen Waddle banged up and questionable for this week, Sheffield is intriguing. he scored on a 75 yard catch-and-run on the Dolphins’ first play this past week, but didn’t have another catch. He’s a speculative add, at best.
Darius Slayton is the Giants’ WR1 - not a glamorous position, but he’s been fairly productive. He’s seen an average of 8 targets over his last 3 games, and has at least 58 yards receiving in 6 straight. If you’re stuck, Slayton has a decent floor.
A few leftovers that I’ve mentioned multiple times - all are good depth adds who can flex in a pinch: Zay Jones, Mack Hollins, Nico Collins, and DPJ.
TE:
Greg Dulcich got off to a hot start once his season started, disappeared for a few weeks, and then reemerged this past week with 6 catches for 85 yards on 8 targets. It was clearly a priority to get him more involved, as the first 3 targets from Russ went his way. With Courtland Sutton likely to miss some time, the volume will hopefully continue. Still, it’s a little hard to trust, and this is an offense that scores the fewest TDs in the league, so the upside is capped.
Noah Fant and Foster Moreau are decent adds, at a weak position.
PK Streamers, Week 14:
Jason Meyers (vs. CAR), Nick Folk (@ARI), Mike Badgley (vs. Min), Greg Joseph (@DET)
D/ST Streamers, Week 14:
KC (@DEN), TEN (vs. JAC), PIT (vs. BAL), CIN (vs. CLE)
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