The bye weeks are over, trade deadlines have passed and the fantasy football playoffs are commencing for the majority of leagues.
The waiver wire will be the sole avenue for making transactions moving forward as most leagues wrap up their 2022 campaign during the next three weeks.
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
1. RB J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens
It’s likely that Dobbins isn’t available in most leagues, but he still falls under the threshold for targets so we’d be remiss to not at least mention him. If he’s available, it’s best to jump on him with top priority and the majority of your FAAB.
FAAB: 90%
Availability: 39%
2. RB Zonovan Knight, New York Jets
Michael Carter made his return to the field, playing two more snaps and running 11 more routes than Knight. However, the rookie maintained the majority share of the early-down work, seeing 17 carries to Carter’s five. He’s a solid flex option with some enticing matchups in Weeks 16 and 17.
FAAB: 50%
Availability: 42%
3. RB Jerick McKinnon, Kansas City Chiefs
Scoring three total touchdowns will certainly boost a player’s fantasy stock. We shouldn’t expect McKinnon to do this every week, but he does have four total touchdowns over the last two games. Being attached to the Chiefs offense is what makes him attractive along with the fact that Kansas City isn’t afraid to get him super involved in the passing game, which is evident from his seven receptions Sunday.
FAAB: 30%
Availability: 65%
4. WR Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars
Though he’s been inconsistent, Jones popped off again in Week 14 by torching the Tennessee Titans for eight receptions on 12 targets for 77 yards and a touchdown. Over his last three games, he’s seen at least 12 targets in a game twice. The matchup coming up against the Dallas Cowboys isn’t favorable, but there should be a lot of scoring to make Jones a flex play moving forward.
FAAB: 20%
Availability: 40%
5. WR Treylon Burks, Tennessee Titans
Burks may be on waivers after missing Week 14 due to a concussion he sustained in Week 13. Though his health and practice status must be monitored, Burks should still be rostered. He flashed immense upside before suffering the concussion, and there’s a chance he returns this week from the league’s protocol in what should be a high-scoring matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
FAAB: 20%
Availability: 52%
6. WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns
In his second game with Deshaun Watson under center, Peoples-Jones posted season-highs with 12 targets, eight receptions and 114 yards. He didn’t find the end zone, but he’s going to be a major part of a passing game that should find some new life with Watson having returned from his suspension. With matchups against the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints coming up, Peoples-Jones is a high-upside flex play.
FAAB: 20%
Availability: 56%
7. WR Elijah Moore, New York Jets
We shouldn’t go crazy trying to get Moore on our fantasy rosters, but he finally showed some life in Week 14. Even though quarterback Mike White went down with a rib injury, Joe Flacco breathed some life into Moore’s season. The second-year wideout posted six receptions for 60 yards on 10 targets, with the receptions and yards being season-high marks. Maybe Moore is more of a stash right now, but he’s a flex option in Week 15 taking on the Detroit Lions.
FAAB: 10%
Availability: 67%
8. TE Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
Engram has been pretty hit or miss for fantasy, and it’s likely going to stay that way. However, he’s been extremely involved in recent games, posting top-five finishes in each of his last two weeks. That includes a ridiculous TE1 finish in Week 14 when he recorded 11 receptions on 15 targets for 162 yards and two touchdowns. He also has at least a 16% target share in six of his last eight games. Engram will likely continue to be boom/bust, but it’s hard to find that kind of upside at the tight end position.
FAAB: 10%
Availability: 55%
9. RB Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
Though D’Onta Foreman is still the leader in the backfield, Hubbard has been seeing a lot of work over the last two games. He now has exactly 17 opportunities in each of his last two games and posted 14 carries for 74 rushing yards and a touchdown in the 30-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15. Hubbard won’t be much more than an RB3/flex play unless Foreman gets hurt, but getting those kind of touches can be valuable at this point in the season.
FAAB: 10%
Availability: 81%
Grab-n-Stash
WR Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions
At this point in the season, stashing won’t serve the same value, but there are still some players worth holding on to. Williams gave us a glimpse of what could be to come as his first NFL catch went for a 41-yard touchdown. It was his only catch of the day, and he saw just two targets. Williams may not get a whole lot of run for the rest of the season or the Lions may want to get their first-round pick on the field more.
FAAB: 5%
Availability: 73%
RB Matt Breida, New York Giants
Saquon Barkley popped up on the injury report late in Week 14 due to a neck injury. He played despite being a game-time decision and then was taken out when the Giants were getting blown out. If the Giants feel Barkley needs more rest for his neck, Breida could step into a starting role. An uninspiring one, but a starter’s role, nonetheless.
FAAB: 3%
Availability: 95%
WR Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders
The rookie wideout posted five receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown on nine targets before the bye week hit. Now, Dotson will take on the New York Giants again, the team he posted that line against. The rookie saw more run as an involved wide receiver, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if that continued down the stretch.
FAAB: 5%
Availability: 74%
WR Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams
The offense should get a boost with Baker Mayfield under center even if it’s a small one. Jefferson has a touchdown reception in three of his last five games and could be a favorite target of Mayfield’s.
FAAB: 5%
Availability: 75%
WR D.J. Chark, Detroit Lions
With 98 and 94 yards in his last two games, respectively, Chark has entered the WR3/flex conversation. The Lions offense is still finding ways to be explosive through the air, and Chark has at least a 14% target share in each of his last three games. He would be an option for a manager who needs immediate production whereas the aforementioned Williams has the higher upside.
FAAB: 5%
Availability: 77%
Streamers of the Week
QB Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts at Minnesota Vikings: Assuming Ryan is the starter coming out of the bye week, he takes on a Vikings defense that has allowed eight finishes of QB13 or better over their last nine games. It might be ugly, but it could work for fantasy.
Availability: 94%
QB Taylor Heinicke, Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants: The last time Heinicke played against the Giants in Week 13, he posted 17.6 fantasy points. He had a bye week and now faces the same defense for the second game in a row.
Availability: 85%
TE Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans at Los Angeles Chargers: Okonkwo has at least five targets in each of his last three games and enters Monday night as the TE3 for Week 14. The Chargers should force the Titans to pass more.
Availability: 96%
TE Tyler Conklin, New York Jets vs. Detroit Lions: Conklin has 15 targets over his last two games, and the Lions have allowed the fourth-most PPR points per game to tight ends this season.
Availability: 60%
Kansas City Chiefs D/ST at Houston Texans: Though the Texans showed some life in Week 14, the Chiefs are still a strong play, especially if both starting wide receivers are out again.
Availability: 40%
Arizona Cardinals D/ST at Denver Broncos: The Cardinals don’t have an exciting defense, but the Broncos allowed the highest-scoring fantasy defense in Week 14 and have allowed the eight-most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses.
Availability: 65%
PK Michael Badgley, Detroit Lions at New York Jets: Badgley has double-digit fantasy points in each of his last two games and is connected to an explosive offense.
Availability: 92%
PK Cameron Dicker, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Tennessee Titans: We’ll stay with Dicker, who’s connected to a strong Chargers offense. He’s had multiple field-goal attempts in each of his last two games.
Availability: 86%
