NFL Waiver Wire: Week 15 Deep Dive

Congratulations to everyone reading this article, which likely means your teams are in the playoffs. This column will hopefully be less relevant at this point with no remaining bye weeks. For those still on the hunt, we have you covered. As a note, we'll drop the FFPC roster rates because the waiver wire is closed in all of their redraft formats. 

As a final reminder, we'll avoid any players mentioned in the traditional waiver column. 

Quarterbacks

Bryce Young – 4% ESPN

Young has shown a baseline level of competence leading Carolina's offense the last few weeks that was lacking earlier this season and during his rookie campaign. It's still important to put his performance into perspective as he's only averaged 6.3 yards per attempt while totaling eight touchdowns and five turnovers. A matchup against Dallas should help, but ideally Young isn't being inserted into fantasy lineups.

Mason Rudolph – 0% ESPN

We haven't learned much about Will Levis's shoulder injury since he aggravated the issue on the last play of the first half of Week 14's loss. Rudolph would step in to start if needed, and he averaged 6.5 yards per attempt with five total TDs (four picks) in three earlier starts. The Titans draw the Bengals in Week 15, which is a very favorable matchup.

Desmond Ridder – 0% ESPN

Ridder looks to be in line to start Monday against the Falcons. His only fantasy appeal comes from his legs as he managed five rushing scores and roughly 14 rushing yards per game as the Falcons' starter in 2023.

Jake Haener – 0% ESPN

The Saints replaced Derek Carr (head/hand) with Haener in Week 14, suggesting he's overtaken Spencer Rattler for the backup job. Carr won't go on IR, yet almost certainly won't start to allow Haener to take on the Commanders.

Michael Penix Jr. – 1% ESPN

The chatter surrounding Penix taking over for Cousins is getting louder. The Falcons and coach Raheem Morris have deflected that talk for now, but at some point the team may need to turn to the rookie.

Running Backs

Blake Corum - 15% ESPN

Corum's raw touches have increased of late with eight carries in back-to-back weeks representing season-highs. It's important to note Kyren Williams saw 29 carries in the Rams' shootout win over the Bills, so this isn't a case of Corum taking over the backfield or even being in a split. At least he holds a role in the offense, something that can't be said for much of the campaign.

Kimani Vidal – 14% ESPN

Vidal represents a more exciting option. He was on the field for 53 percent of the Chargers' offensive snaps during Week 14 with eight rushing attempts compared to 10 for Gus Edwards. Edwards is likely to maintain the top spot, though it wouldn't be a surprise to see the backfield progressively shift in Vidal's favor as long as J.K. Dobbins (knee) is sidelined.

Kendre Miller – 6% ESPN

It was no secret that Dennis Allen wasn't a fan of Miller. It appears coach Darren Rizzi may have different feelings as Miller was activated from IR ahead of Week 14 and immediately earned 10 rushing attempts. This is Alvin Kamara's backfield, but it appears Miller will mix in down the stretch.

Israel Abanikanda – 2% ESPN 
Ke'Shawn Vaughn – 0% ESPN

I'd avoid starting any 49ers' back in Week 15 if possible, though it'll be important to watch the news surrounding Isaac Guerendo (foot) and the backfield split in his presumed absence. Patrick Taylor would presumably be in the best position to take over, but we shouldn't rule out potential roles for Abanikanda or Vaughn.

Wide Receivers

Mike Williams – 21% ESPN

George Pickens (hamstring) is all but ruled out for Week 15, and his status is already in doubt for the following contest. Williams' snap count curiously didn't rise at all against the Browns in the absence of Pickens, but it's important to remember the context of that matchup. Pickens picked up the injury Friday and was still expected to suit up before inactives were released. The Steelers now have a week to work Williams into the gameplan, so he presumably should hold a larger role.

Hollywood Brown – 22% ESPN

The latest reports surrounding Brown (shoulder) suggest he could be back for Week 16. He's a stash for leagues with an IR spot, though it realistically could be a longshot for him to make a meaningful fantasy contribution.

Brandin Cooks – 18% ESPN  

The Cowboys have avoided an injury designation for CeeDee Lamb and his ongoing shoulder issue, yet it appears it's bothering him. He produced a statistically decent effort on Monday night, but he's only seen six and seven targets in each of the last two. The Cowboys aren't playoff-bound, so it wouldn't be a surprise if Lamb was shut down at some point. If so, Cooks would stand to benefit.

Joshua Palmer – 12% ESPN

Ladd McConkey (knee) doesn't appear to be dealing with a long-term knee injury as he was able to turn in limited practices all week before being inactive last week against Kansas City. If things change and it appears he's trending toward another absence, Palmer would be the player to add as he commanded nine targets to lead the team in Week 14 while registering six receptions for 78 yards.

Sterling Shepard – 9% ESPN

Shepard is far from a thrilling option, yet he offers a consistent role in the Tampa Bay offense with at least six targets across three straight games. He's a decent FLEX option in deeper leagues and should be good for around 10 PPR points.

Tutu Atwell – 3% ESPN

Atwell (shoulder) hasn't practiced the first two days of this week, which seems to put his status for Thursday in doubt. He displayed flashes of productivity when the Rams' wide receiver corps were shorthanded earlier in the season, and should have the opportunity to step up again in a pivotal divisional matchup.

Tim Patrick – 1% ESPN

The Lions have been looking for a reliable short-area target to complement Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Patrick seems to be fitting that well. Forget the fluky two-TD performance against the Packers and instead focus on the fact he's got at least four targets from three of Detroit's last four games. Patrick is more of a deep-league consideration, but there are worse options given his role in one of the more explosive offenses.

Josh Reynolds – 1% ESPN

The Jaguars are very shorthanded at wideout with Brian Thomas really the only reliable pass-catching option. Reynolds recently joined the team and was inactive for Week 14, though he's projected to make his team debut Sunday against the Jets. This is pure speculation, but there are targets to be had in Jacksonville.

Tight Ends

Noah Gray – 12% ESPN

Gray is the tight end version of what we said about Shepard in the wide receiver section. Don't expect an exciting stat line, but he's seen at least four targets over four straight games and exactly four catches in each. In deeper formats, a reliable seven PPR points at TE isn't terrible.

Grant Calcaterra – 2% ESPN

The Eagles' passing game has been a trending topic around the league all week, and this feels like a squeaky wheel game for A.J. Brown. Calcaterra should still enter the streaming conversation after playing 91 percent of offensive snaps and snagging his first career TD.  

Ja'Tavion Sanders – 1% ESPN

Sanders showed some fantasy momentum before suffering a neck injury in Week 12. He was eased back into his return last Sunday, but the hope would be he ramps up in future appearances.

Tyler Higbee – 0% ESPN

Higbee is expected to be activated from IR prior to Thursday's game against the 49ers. He presumably won't be at a full snap count right away, though he could get back up to speed to help for fantasy semifinals/finals.