NFL Waiver Wire: Week 15 Deep Dive

The last week of most fantasy regular seasons was marred by injuries. That sets up a lot of work to do on the waiver wire, both for rosters left in ruins and those seeking new ways to fill bench spots. But bye weeks are over, so hopefully most of these additions aren't necessary.

As a reminder, the standard waiver wire article has already covered plenty of names who won't appear below.

Quarterback

Zach Wilson at MIA (four percent ESPN, 10 percent FFPC)

Forget the rumors of Wilson not wanting to return under center to lead the Jets' offense as he put on a clinic in arguably his best NFL performance against Houston. His career has been defined by inconsistency, so there's no guarantee he can repeat his heroics again this weekend. But for those who lost Justin Herbert (finger), Wilson could be the best option.

Drew Lock vs. PHI (two percent ESPN, one percent FFPC)

Lock might have produced the second-most surprising performance from a QB in Week 14, and it came against a stout 49ers defense. All the same drawbacks apply as discussed above with Wilson, meaning Lock is hard to trust. A matchup against the Eagles is a favorable spot, so watch the practice report to see if Geno Smith (groin) is able to return.  

Tommy DeVito at NO (four percent ESPN, 11 percent FFPC)

There's still a strong chance DeVito's story doesn't end well, but he's on quite a run having topped 15 fantasy points in three of his last five games - though this could be the beginning of the downfall as he'll get a tough road matchup against the Saints.

Mitch Trubisky at IND (one percent ESPN, five percent FFPC)

Trubisky didn't look great versus the Patriots, yet still posted 23.5 fantasy points. His aggressive nature could lead to more scoring, even if it comes with additional mistakes.

Easton Stick at LV (zero percent ESPN, zero percent FFPC)

Stick is a direct replacement for Herbert in superflex or two-QB leagues. He looked overwhelmed in Sunday's loss at Denver and will be in a tough spot in a short week, but we can at least presume he'll hold the starting job moving forward.

Davis Mills at TEN (zero percent ESPN, one percent FFPC)

C.J. Stroud is in concussion protocol, so Mills could get the start Sunday. The positives end there.  

Running Back

Rico Dowdle at BUF (eight percent ESPN, 58 percent FFPC)

Dowdle matched his season high with 22 offensive snaps against the Eagles, and it wasn't all in garbage time as he found the end zone in the second quarter in relief of Tony Pollard. His role has fluctuated, so what we saw Sunday night won't necessarily carry over at Buffalo. Even given that, we know Dowdle will get some work and represents a decent bet for those in need of viable options.   

Isaiah Spiller at LV (zero percent ESPN, 12 percent FFPC)

Spiller jumped ahead of Joshua Kelley on the RB depth chart to back up Austin Ekeler. The Chargers' offense is on a sharp decline after Herbert's exit, so Spiller isn't as intriguing as he would have been a week ago.

Kene Nwangwu at CIN (one percent ESPN, one percent FFPC)

Alexander Mattison (ankle) looks likely to miss Saturday's contest, which sets up Ty Chandler to work as the lead and Nwangwu as his backup. Chandler hasn't been convincing in that role when given a chance so far, so Nwangwu could receive a decent amount of work.

Pierre Strong vs. CHI (zero percent ESPN, 49 percent FFPC)

Jerome Ford has suffered a hand injury of some kind, the severity of which is currently unknown. Kareem Hunt is already rostered in a high rate of leagues, yet Strong is more available. In a similar scenario earlier this year, he received eight-to-10 touches and that could happen again against a suddenly difficult opponent.

Chris Rodriguez at LAR (zero percent ESPN, 14 percent FFPC)

Rodriguez is in a similar position to Strong in that there's an ambiguous injury to a player ahead of him on the depth chart. Brian Robinson suffered a hamstring injury prior to Washington's bye and it's unclear whether he'll be available against the Rams. Rodriguez immediately filled in for Robinson with seven carries in Week 13.

Wide Receiver

Demarcus Robinson vs. WSH (zero percent ESPN, one percent FFPC)

Robinson has been playing ahead of Tutu Atwell (concussion) for the last few weeks, and the Rams are suddenly one of the league's hottest offenses. He's caught a TD in each of the last two outings and saw 10 targets against Baltimore. Robinson's track record of disappearing just as quickly as he appears, so understand the risk associated with adding and starting him.

Joshua Palmer at LV (21 percent ESPN, 78 percent FFPC)

Palmer was activated from injured reserve on Tuesday, returning to the field for the first time since Week 8. Like Spiller, that would be more appealing if Herbert were still under center - though Palmer should immediately step into the WR2 role behind Keenan Allen.

Wan'Dale Robinson at NO (three percent ESPN, 59 percent FFPC)

As long as DeVito is slinging the ball effectively, Robinson could emerge as a beneficiary. He stepped up as the top target against the Packers by recording two of his longest catches of the season and could be in line to close out strong.  

Parker Washington vs. BAL (two percent ESPN, 20 percent FFPC)

Washington has experienced mixed results since stepping into Christian Kirk's role, but the end result is that he's heavily involved and has registered two touchdowns in as many games. He's also been on the field for nearly 60 percent of the team's offensive snaps during that stretch.

Cedrick Wilson vs. NYJ (zero percent ESPN, one percent FFPC)

Wilson will see an increased role if Tyreek Hill (ankle) is out. Hill is considered day-to-day, so there's no need to prioritize Wilson early in the week.

Tight End

Tucker Kraft vs. TB (two percent ESPN, 30 percent FFPC)

Kraft should be more rostered at this point as he's emerged the last two weeks to record a combined 10 targets. He's turned that into seven catches for 101 yards and is a reliable pass catcher for the Packers.

Tanner Hudson vs. MIN (five percent ESPN, 31 percent FFPC)

Hudson is another player who's emerged out of a bad circumstance having truly and consistently produced with Jake Browning under center. He's now posted at least four catches from five of his last six games and caught a TD in the other.