It's fantasy playoffs szn! Congratulations to those of you who advanced to Round 1, kudos to the fortunate few who earned a bye and good luck to anyone whose fate will be decided by Monday night’s game. The waiver wire can look pretty lean at this time of year, but then again, so can fantasy rosters. Just remember that, heading into Monday Night Football, Week 14's No. 1 fantasy tight end and defense are both rostered in less than 60 percent of NFL.com leagues. Help is out there, friends.
With that in mind, here are my suggestions for Week 15, starting with my top 15 players to prioritize on the waiver wire, regardless of position.
The only rule here: Players must be rostered in less than 60 percent of NFL.com leagues to be eligible for the list.
| Waiver Wire Priority Rankings | Next Opponent |
|---|---|
| 1) RB Kyle Monangai, Bears | vs. Browns |
| 2) WR Christian Watson, Packers | at Broncos |
| 3) RB Blake Corum, Rams | vs. Lions |
| 4) TE Harold Fannin Jr., Browns | at Bears |
| 5) QB Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars | vs. Jets |
| 6) QB Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals | at Texans |
| 7) RB Chris Rodriguez Jr., Commanders | at Giants |
| 8) RB Devin Neal, Saints | vs. Panthers |
| 9) RB Devin Singletary, Giants | vs. Commanders |
| 10) RB Chuba Hubbard, Panthers | at Saints |
| 11) WR Jayden Higgins, Texans | vs. Cardinals |
| 12) WR Chris Godwin, Buccaneers | vs. Falcons |
| 13) WR Alec Pierce, Colts | at Seahawks |
| 14) TE Isaiah Likely, Ravens | at Bengals |
| 15) WR Luther Burden III, Bears | vs. Browns |
And now, here are my top five waiver priorities by position:
QUARTERBACKS
ROSTERED: 43%
ROSTERED: 37%
ROSTERED: 8%
ROSTERED: 1%
ROSTERED: 8%
Takeaways:
- As I've written before in this space, relying on Trevor Lawrence feels like a gamble. His turnover issues in the very recent past are not forgotten. There's a reason he's still available in a majority of NFL.com fantasy leagues. Let's not forget this is the waiver wire article, though. He's averaged a starter-worthy 20.5 fantasy PPG in the last two weeks and next has a favorable home draw against a Jets defense that didn't have any answers versus the Dolphins on Sunday. Jacksonville might pound the ball on the ground, like Miami did in its Week 14 stomping of New York, but another 20-point game should be well within reach for Lawrence.
- Bryce Young's ups and downs are mind-boggling. He's gone from scoring less than two fantasy points one week to racking up 30-plus the next. Wacky stuff. He's in the middle of what qualifies as a heater for him, scoring 22-plus points in two of his last three games, which at least makes me wonder if he's figured some things out. Now, he comes off a bye to face a Saints defense that has played better of late and held Young to 1.56 points in Week 10. There are no guarantees -- as evidenced by Bryce's initial strugglefest vs. New Orleans -- but the upside is there if you are willing to roll the dice.
- If Marcus Mariota starts in Week 15, he's one of the best streaming options available. The question is whether the Commanders will sit Jayden Daniels, who exited Sunday's game with his left elbow injury for precautionary reasons, per head coach Dan Quinn. If Daniels gets the start, Mariota should be left on waivers -- and then I'd be deciding between J.J. McCarthy, Shedeur Sanders and C.J. Stroud for the final spot in my top five at QB.
RUNNING BACKS
ROSTERED: 55%
ROSTERED: 10%
ROSTERED: 27%
ROSTERED: 43%
ROSTERED: 10%
Takeaways:
- Ben Johnson continues to ride with a split backfield. D’Andre Swift had the edge over Kyle Monangai in snaps against the Packers (57% to 41%), but Monangai has led the Bears in carries for three straight games. The rookie is averaging 12.6 fantasy PPG in the last eight contests, and I wouldn't shy away from firing him up as a flex against a Browns defense that was uncharacteristically gashed by the ground game on Sunday.
- Blake Corum has scored 14-plus fantasy points in consecutive games, going off for a career-high 26.1 against the Cardinals on Sunday. Also, he's led the Rams in rushing in each of the last two weeks. He had more red-zone carries than Rams RB1 Kyren Williams on Sunday (3 to 2). My colleague Adam Rank tried to tell you. Los Angeles has a much tougher matchup this week against the Lions, but Corum is an essential handcuff for anyone rostering Williams, as well as a flex option in deeper leagues.
- I'm not including Jaylen Wright since it seems like about De’Von Achane's chances of playing in Week 15 despite leaving Sunday's game with an injury to his ribs. If the story changes and it looks like Achane might need more time to recover, Wright would be one of the top waiver adds of the week.
WIDE RECEIVERS
ROSTERED: 52%
ROSTERED: 8%
ROSTERED: 56%
ROSTERED: 51%
ROSTERED: 4%
Takeaways:
- If you haven't picked up Christian Watson yet, you might have missed your chance. He's scored 18-plus points in three of the last four weeks, averaging 18.4 over that span (thanks to five TD catches). The fourth-year veteran has posted 80-plus receiving yards in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. Of course, now he runs into a very tough matchup, with a trip to Denver in the first week of the fantasy playoffs. If you're inclined to ride the hot hand, Watson is sizzling. I might recommend tempering expectations just a bit, though. The Broncos have allowed just five TD catches to wide receivers all season.
- Chris Godwin has posted back-to-back 10-point games and will next face a Falcons defense that seems to be in a downward spiral. Keep an eye on Mike Evans' status, as he appears to be nearing a return, but there should still be significant opportunities for Godwin -- who was targeted eight times on Sunday -- to shine, even if his running mate is back.
- Ryan Flournoy is not listed here, but he's a recommended pickup if CeeDee Lamb misses Week 15's game against the Vikings. Lamb exited early in the second half of Week 14 with a concussion, and Flournoy was the beneficiary, leading the team with nine targets after halftime. He finished with a career-high nine-catches for 115 yards and a TD on a team-high 13 targets. That's a lot of trust from Dak Prescott.
TIGHT ENDS
ROSTERED: 57%
ROSTERED: 4%
ROSTERED: 44%
ROSTERED: 37%
ROSTERED: 28%
Takeaways:
- Harold Fannin Jr. has been a regular in this space, and this might be your last chance to pick him up -- if he's even still available in your league. The move to Shedeur Sanders at quarterback has been very good for Fannin, who leads all fantasy tight ends with 25.4 fantasy points in Week 14. Trey McBride is the only tight end with more catches and receiving yards than Cleveland's rookie since Sanders took over as QB1 in Week 12.
- Even with a highly scrutinized ruling keeping him from notching a second TD on Sunday, Isaiah Likely has scored 12.5 points in back-to-back games. Now he gets another dream matchup against the Bengals defense, which allows the most fantasy PPG to tight ends. The opportunities should be there, as long as he holds onto the ball.
DEFENSES
ROSTERED: 55%
ROSTERED: 37%
ROSTERED: 44%
ROSTERED: 3%
ROSTERED: 2%
Takeaways:
- I know the Eagles defense has its share of problems, but a Week 15 matchup against the Raiders -- featuring the league's most inept offense -- still is decidedly in Philly's favor. The unit might even stack some strong performances, with the Commanders, who were shut out by the Vikings on Sunday, set to host the Eagles in Week 16.
- My Commanders defense YOLO recommendation from last week blew up in my face. So, hey, why not take another huge risk with the Giants D this time around? The G-Men were not getting many stops prior to their Week 14 bye, but they do have matchups with the Commanders, Vikings and Raiders in the fantasy playoffs. Washington and Minnesota have been all-or-nothing in the last couple weeks, while Las Vegas continues to steadily be nothing. I wish the Giants were showing more life themselves, but I can't quit the matchup upside.











