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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Kevin Hickey

Fantasy football waiver wire: Week 14 free-agent forecast

The final week of byes are here, and fantasy football managers will be scrambling to fill their lineups as they make a push for the playoffs.

Teams on a bye in Week 14 include the Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and Washington Commanders.

We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in ESPN leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on Twitter (@KevinHickey11). Your questions, comments, and roasts are always welcome!

We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Priority Free Agents

(Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

1. RB Zonovan Knight, New York Jets

How long this will last remains to be seen, but Knight has brought some explosiveness to the Jets backfield. The rookie took 15 carries for 90 rushing yards while adding five receptions for 28 receiving yards, posting his second consecutive double-digit outing in PPR formats. He will likely cede work to Michael Carter whenever he returns, but there’s a chance Knight has worked himself into a much bigger role.

Availability: 61%
FAAB: 30%


2. RB James Cook, Buffalo Bills

Maybe this was a one-off or maybe Cook is beginning to take over the backfield from Devin Singletary. At this point, managers may want to try to capture that upside after Cook posted season-highs with 14 carries for 64 rushing yards and six receptions for 41 receiving yards. We shouldn’t expect Cook to do this every week, especially with how little the Bills feel they need to lean on the run game. But he should be rostered.

FAAB: 20%
Availability: 75%


3. RB DeeJay Dallas, Seattle Seahawks

I would be hesitant to go all in on a Seahawks running back if Ken Walker misses time. The role will be valuable, but it’s likely the Seahawks will use a committee approach. Dallas led the way after Walker’s ankle injury and even though he played through an injury of his own, it’s likely he would get the first crack at leading the backfield. Tony Jones Jr. is another flier to take a look at if Walker does wind up missing time.

FAAB: 15%
Availability: 99%


4. WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns

In Deshaun Watson’s first game back from suspension, the passing offense for the Browns left much to be desired. Peoples-Jones saw only three targets but caught all three of them for 44 yards. Given what we know about Watson’s play on the field, it’s likely the passing game will get more efficient. Peoples-Jones has been a solid contributor for the majority of the season, but he has more upside if he and Watson can click down the stretch.

FAAB: 15%
Availability: 56%


5. WR Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions

Though he’s probably more of a stash candidate right now, you’re likely going to have to use a priority spot on Williams. The explosive rookie made his season debut but played just eight snaps. That was somewhat expected, and the Lions could keep easing him in. They also could try to get him more involved in order to add an explosive element to the offense. He shouldn’t be started until we see his role expand, but he should certainly be rostered.

FAAB: 10%
Availability: 70%


6. TE Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos

It’s likely going to be pretty hit or miss for the remainder of the season when it comes to trusting the rookie tight end. But the position is so scarce that it’s worth taking a shot on the upside. The Broncos offense continues to be in flux, but Dulcich led the way with six receptions for 85 yards on eight targets. Courtland Sutton is dealing with a hamstring injury and if that proves to be lengthy, the rookie tight end could see more consistent usage.

FAAB: 10%
Availability: 62%

Grab-n-Stash

Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

QB Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson left early on in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Broncos, and Huntley came in to replace him. With similar skill sets, Huntley has the Konami code aspect to his game that could help fantasy managers. He’s a risky play, but Jackson managers may not have much of a choice if the latter is out. Fortunately, he gets a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

FAAB: 10%
Availability: 99%


WR Corey Davis, New York Jets

In his second game back from injury, Davis posted five receptions on 10 targets for 85 yards. He’s still clearly the No. 2 behind rookie Garrett Wilson, which gives him some flex upside moving forward. The Bills in Week 14 aren’t a great matchup, but then Davis gets the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks during the fantasy playoffs.

FAAB: 10%
Availability: 89%


WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans

It would take a lot of intestinal fortitude to have the confidence to play Collins, but the usage at least has been there. He’s seen no fewer than seven targets in each of his last four games, and it isn’t clear how long Brandin Cooks will be out with the calf injury. If Collins is the only option in the room, there is some flex value.

FAAB: 5%
Availability: 79%


WR Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders

Rookies typically have a better chance to breakout during the second half of their first seasons. Dotson flashed earlier in the season before a nagging hamstring injury kept him off the field for roughly a month. Then, his role was essentially gone. He bounced back for five receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown on a season-high nine targets in Week 13, though. So this may be a situation worth monitoring.

FAAB: 3%
Availability: 73%

Streamers of the Week

Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

QB Jared Goff, Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings: We’re going to go back to Goff, who posted 340 yards and two touchdowns in Week 13. The Vikings have allowed a top-15 finish in five of their last six weeks.

Availability: 70%


QB Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: It’s not pretty, but Tannehill draws the Jaguars, who have allowed a top-15 finish in six of their last seven games.

Availability: 91%


TE Hunter Henry, New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals: Henry hasn’t been much for fantasy with just two double-digit finishes this season. But the Cardinals are terrible against tight ends, allowing 18.8 PPR points per game.

Availability: 74%


TE Foster Moreau, Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Rams: Moreau hasn’t done all that much with his opportunities, but he’s relatively involved and the Rams have allowed the most PPR points per game to the position over the last five weeks.

Availability: 51%


Las Vegas Raiders D/ST at Los Angeles Rams: The Raiders defense hasn’t been great, but they’ve been serviceable in recent games. The Rams are allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses.

Availability: 93%


Kansas City Chiefs D/ST at Denver Broncos: The matchup doesn’t get much better than the Broncos, and the Chiefs have been good enough to have confidence in even on the road.

Availability: 57%


PK Cade York, Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals are allowing the most fantasy points per game to kickers, and the Browns will have to keep up in this one.

Availability: 85%


PK Michael Badgely, Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings: This game is inside and could be high-scoring. The Vikings also are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to kickers.

Availability: 96%

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