The rookie of the year candidate is still owned in less than a third of Yahoo leagues despite outscoring Eli Manning over the past five weeks. Wilson travels to Buffalo in Week 15 to face a Bills defense allowing the ninth-most fantasy points to QBs.Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues.Wesseling's Waiver Wired column
Coach Jeff Fisher says Danny Amendola (heel) has a “much better chance” to play this week indoors versus the Vikings. In which case, Bradford would have all of his weapons back against a defense allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to QBs.Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.Wesseling's Waiver Wired column
Should Robert Griffin III (knee) fail to suit up in Week 15, the rookie QB on the other sideline would be a better fantasy play than his own backup. With Josh Gordon emerging as a more consistent go-to receiver, Weeden is worth a look against a Redskins defense allowing the third-most fantasy points to QBs.Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.Wesseling's Waiver Wired column
Don’t go overboard on Foles’ impressive 381-yard breakout game. The Eagles were forced to air it out against the league’s worst pass defense when the Bucs’ front seven shut down Bryce Brown by controlling the trenches. Look for Philly to go back to the run against a Bengals defense that is better exploited on the ground than through the air. Foles does have an attractive matchup versus the Redskins in Week 16.Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.Wesseling's Waiver Wired column
Signals are mixed on Cousins’ chances of starting for Robert Griffin III (knee) this week. Cousins made a pair of impressive plays to send the game to overtime last week, but he’s going to be an underwhelming fantasy option on the road against a surging Browns defense if he’s under center on Sunday. Cleveland is allowing just 13 points per over the past three weeks.Recommendation: Worth a look in two-quarterback leagues.Wesseling's Waiver Wired column
Owned in less than a third of Yahoo leagues, Wilson is the top waiver wire target this week with Ahmad Bradshaw undergoing a battery of tests on his knee. In a dominant performance versus the Saints, Wilson became the first player in NFL history with 200 kickoff return yards and 100 rushing yards in the same game. He also joined Maurice Jones-Drew as the only players since 1950 with two rushing touchdowns and a kickoff return score in a single game. If Bradshaw sits out, Wilson is a top-10 fantasy option against a Falcons defense allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing backs. If Bradshaw plays, Wilson still has boom-or-bust potential as a low-end RB2/flex.Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.
Averaging an impressive 5.4 YPC to Mikel Leshoure’s 3.7, Bell has carved out an even timeshare going forward. As the passing-down specialist, Bell actually has more value than Leshoure against a Cardinals defense allowing an average of 164 rushing yards allowed over the past eight games. Bell is a top-30 fantasy option for Week 15.Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues.
Your wild-card contending Jets have two backs in fantasy’s top 20 over the past five weeks, with Powell placing 15th. Only Marshawn Lynch and Stevan Ridley have more rushing scores than Powell’s four since taking over as the goal-line back five weeks ago. A flex option in a timeshare with Shonn Greene, Powell has plus matchups against the Titans and Bills in two of the final three games.Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.
Quizz is still unowned in roughly half of Yahoo leagues even though he’s essentially replaced an ineffective Michael Turner as the primary back over the past month. Rodgers has played more snaps than Turner in four consecutive games, and that trend isn’t going away. Quizz is a mere flex option in a trio of tough matchups versus the Giants, Lions, and Bucs to close out the season.Recommendation: Worth a look in PPR leagues.
Jacksonville has yet to address the Week 15 status of Maurice Jones-Drew (foot) and Rashad Jennings (concussion). Jennings never came close to playing last week, so Owens could get a second straight start in a tough matchup versus a Dolphins defense allowing the 24th-most fantasy points to opposing backs.Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues.
Owned in just a quarter of Yahoo leagues, Green is locked in as the lead back for the final three weeks. After flirting with 3.0 YPC for the majority of the season, Green has averaged 4.57 on his last 46 carries. He’s merely a flex option at Chicago in Week 15 but could garner RB2 value against a Titans defense allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing backs in Week 16. Those in the deepest leagues can give DuJuan Harris a look after the change-of-pace back impressed versus the Lions last week.Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues.
A healthy scratch for the first 12 games of the season, James is now Frank Gore’s handcuff after Brandon Jacobs’ three-game suspension. The rookie second-rounder rushed eight times for 30 yards and added a 15-yard reception versus the Dolphins in his debut. He has RB2 potential if Gore goes down with an injury.Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues.
Robert Turbin (pictured), Bernard Pierce, Mike Goodson, Evan Royster, Toby Gerhart, Montario Hardesty, Lamar Miller, Justin Forsett Get your handcuffs if you don’t have them already. … Coach Joe Philbin won’t go with a youth movement with the playoffs out of the picture, but that has a way of changing the season finale. It will be interesting to see if the Dolphins hint at an increased role for Miller in Week 17. … The Texans could be in a similar scenario with Forsett if they are locked into a playoff bye.
Britt is owned in roughly half of Yahoo leagues, as many owners have shut it down for the season. If he’s available in your league, he needs to be rostered on the heels of a 143-yard breakout game at Indy. I wouldn’t want to trust Britt as a WR3 option against Antonio Cromartie and the Jets this week, but he’s going to be a must-start for championship week at Green Bay if he posts a second straight strong performance.Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.
Harris has bypassed Kevin Ogletree as Dallas’ third receiver, holding a 36-13 snap edge in Week 14. If Dez Bryant (finger) shuts it down for the season, Harris would likely play in all three-wide sets and most two-wide formations opposite Miles Austin. He has a decent matchup against an Ike Taylor-less Steelers pass defense that struggled to contain Danario Alexander last week. The schedule gets better from there, with the Saints and Redskins on the docket in the final two games.Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues.
The Lions forfeited a mid-round draft pick in the trade for Mike Thomas, only to sit him on the bench behind a practice-squad call-up in the first game without Ryan Broyles. Durham played 78-of-84 snaps in a mistake-filled game. He should continue to see plenty of targets as the starter opposite Calvin Johnson. He should have WR4 value on volume alone, though the schedule is unforgiving over the final three weeks.Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.
With Champ Bailey tying up Denarius Moore, Streater led the Raiders in receiving for a second straight game last week -- averaging 98 yards and 3.5 catches. Streater’s inconsistent targets suggest he has a better chance to bust than boom against this Chiefs this week, so don’t put too much stock in his recent box scores.Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.
Don’t go overboard on Gibson’s first career 100-yard game. He was held without a catch the week before and managed just nine yards in Week 12. With Danny Amendola (heel) tentatively expected to return versus the Vikings on Sunday, Gibson is only an option in the deepest of leagues.Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.
If you’re going to add an Eagles receiver, make it Cooper rather than Jason Avant. Cooper has drawn an average of seven targets as the starter opposite Jeremy Maclin the past two weeks, and is a favorite target of Nick Foles in the red zone. Offering no playmaking ability after the catch, Avant is notorious for following up the rare 100-yard outburst with an air ball. In four career 100-yard performances, Avant has averaged 20 yards the following week. His Week 14 outburst was the result of picking on the league’s worst pass defense.Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.
Don’t get your hopes up. The 2011 first-rounder is 91st in fantasy points this season, failing to top 40 yards since early October. Baldwin will see increased targets with Dwayne Bowe out of the lineup, but whatever fantasy potential he may have is mitigated by the presence of Brady Quinn at quarterback.Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.
Andrew Hawkins (pictured), Marvin Jones, Kevin Ogletree, Jordan Shipley, Louis Murphy, Michael Spurlock, Alshon Jeffery, Joseph Morgan Hawkins and Jones are splitting production behind A.J. Green. … Ogletree should see increased snaps if Dez Bryant shuts it down, but he’s been bypassed by Dwayne Harris of late. … Shipley and Spurlock are only worth a look in deeper PPR formats. … Jeffery, Murphy, and Morgan are inconsistent deep threats.
Let’s try this again. In last week’s rankings notes, we pointed out that Denver’s only defensive weakness has been giving up big games to tight ends. They proceeded to shut down Brandon Myers, who bizarrely spent more time blocking after a monster Week 14 performance. The Ravens will reportedly revert to their early-season no-huddle offense with Jim Caldwell taking over as the play-caller. It should be a boon to Pitta’s fantasy value, as he was a sure-fire TE1 in that offense for the first month of the season.Recommendation: Worth a look as a spot start.
With Titus Young and Ryan Broyles out, Scheffler took over slot duties last week. His 62 snaps and 10 targets were season-highs. With Brandon Pettigrew’s (ankle) status in question for Week 15, Scheffler stands a good chance of seeing double-digit targets again at Arizona. Recommendation: Worth a look in 12-team leagues.
With Brent Celek sidelined by a concussion, Harbor posted a career-best 6/52/1 stat line against the Bucs in Week 14. Celek has already been ruled out for Thursday night, leaving Harbor as a passable fantasy play against a Bengals defense allowing the ninth-most points to tight ends. If Celek sits out again the following week, Harbor would have another plus matchup against the Redskins.Recommendation: Worth a look as a spot start.
Watson is nobody's idea of a reliable fantasy tight end, but he’s topped 40 yards in three of the past four games as a borderline TE1. The only reason he’s listed here is because he faces the Redskins defense -- the most generous in the league to fantasy tight ends -- in Week 15.Recommendation: Worth a look in deeper leagues.
Anthony McCoy, Rob Housler (pictured), Taylor Thompson Make McCoy prove his 105-yard outburst wasn’t a fluke. His previous career-high was 44 yards. … Housler is averaging a surprising nine targets over the past four games. If the Cardinals get capable QB play this week, he could be a boom-or-bust option versus the Bears in Week 16. … A freakishly athletic converted defensive end, Thompson should see an uptick in snaps with Jared Cook’s season over.
The Cardinals’ quarterbacks are so bad that Brian Hoyer, just claimed off waivers Monday, could start before the season’s end. In many leagues, Arizona coughed up 40+ fantasy points to the Seahawks in Week 14. Recommendation: Should be owned as a matchup play.
Cincinnati’s defense is allowing just 12 points per over the past five games, owning the trenches. Don’t put too much stock in Nick Foles’ big game against Tampa Bay’s league-worst pass defense. This is still a quality matchup for the Bengals.Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues.
Chad Henne is averaging under 200 yards with three interceptions in two games since his mini-renaissance in Weeks 11-12. If Cecil Shorts (concussion) sits out again, the Jags will struggle to move the ball in Miami.Recommendation: Worth a look as a matchup play.
The Browns are now 5-3 with CB Joe Haden in the lineup, allowing just 13 points per over the past three weeks. If Robert Griffin III (knee) ends up sitting out, you could do worse than a surging home defense against rookie backup Kirk Cousins.Recommendation: Worth a look if RGIII sits out.