Here it is. Week 13 of the NFL season is over. The final week of the fantasy football regular season is upon us. This is what you studied all offseason for. This is the moment your fantasy football season has culminated to. Hopefully you’ve secured your spot in the playoffs by this point, but whether you have or have not, the job is not finished. There are still games to be played. Here are five players to consider adding to your team who could pay off huge.
Fantasy football waiver-wire pickups for Week 14:
Houston Texans WR Noah Brown (Rostered in 40% of Yahoo leagues)
I understand the skepticism of picking up somebody who just put up zero points. My counterargument would be that Brown was not only coming off a knee injury, but Brown’s value also comes entirely off of injuries to receivers ahead of him, and Tank Dell just fractured his leg.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
When either Robert Woods or Nico Collins was injured earlier this year, Brown put up monster numbers, recording 16 receptions, 382 yards, and a touchdown in three games. It is hard to replicate that kind of production, but the upside is evident if Brown gets the same usage he had during Weeks 7-9. There is massive upside as the Texans continue to push for a playoff spot.
This team loves to pass. While they do have tough matchups in Weeks 14 and 16 against the Jets and Browns respectively, they also have two matchups against the Tennessee Titans, who have surrendered 20 or more PPR points to opposing receivers in every single game this season.
Cleveland Browns WR Elijah Moore (Rostered in 43% of Yahoo leagues)
The Browns’ top receiver Amari Cooper went down during today’s game against Los Angeles with a concussion. Odds are that Cooper will be in concussion protocol for the Browns’ Week 14 matchup against Jacksonville.
In Cooper’s absence, Moore received practically every look that quarterback Joe Flacco threw. He had 12 targets. TWELVE! That did only result in four receptions, but as I’ve said time and time again, VOLUME. IS. KING!
Moore has now received at least seven targets in each of his last four games. Keep an eye on Cooper’s availability, because if Cooper is out against Jacksonville, Moore will be the top option against a Jaguars’ defense that has allowed at least one receiving touchdown from opposing wide receivers in every single game this season. They’ve surrendered at least twenty PPR points to receivers in all but one game this season as well. It’s a dream matchup and potentially a dream situation.
Green Bay Packers WR Jayden Reed (Rostered in 57% of Yahoo leagues)
Normally, when I write these pieces, I try to aim for players who are owned in 50% of leagues or fewer. Every now and again though, there is a player that comes along who should be owned in 80% of leagues, but isn’t even close. Jayden Reed is one of those players.
Ahead of Sunday Night Football, Reed has been the must-have player in the Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver room. He has scored a touchdown in three straight games. He has at least 15 PPR points in his last three as well. He has double digit PPR points in five of his last six. He has received at least five targets in three straight. No matter how you try to slice it, Reed has been used a lot and is being used in creative ways designed to get him open. You don’t leave a player like that on the waiver wire.
There is a chance that Reed does not have a good game tonight against KC. That does not diminish what Reed has been able to do though. Kansas City is one of the best defenses in the NFL and has been a nuisance against opposing running backs. The Packers next three games are against the Giants, Buccaneers, and Panthers, three great matchups. Reed is a must-snag in any league where he’s available.
Green Bay Packers TE Tucker Kraft (Rostered in 6% of Yahoo leagues)
The tight end position is tough to nail down in fantasy, but Kraft could be a suitable option with Packers’ starter Luke Musgrave on IR. Musgrave was never an elite option at tight end, but he did post six games with at least seven PPR points. That’s a serviceable output for the tight end spot of your lineup.
Kraft may not be as talented, but he’s in line to pick up all the work that Musgrave left on the table. Plus, like I said with Reed, he’s about to face three abysmal defenses in the Giants, Bucs, and Panthers. If you need a tight end with upside, Kraft is the way to go.
Minnesota Vikings RB Ty Chandler (Rostered in 22% of Yahoo leagues)
The Minnesota Vikings were on bye this week, and that could be good for your chances of landing Chandler. People have already seemed to forget what Chandler was able to accomplish with a decent snap share in Weeks 10-12.
Chandler saw at least 30% of the offensive snaps in each of those games. He scored 10.5 PPR points, 15 PPR points, and…2.1 points. Yeah, that game against Chicago was not good, but that entire Minnesota offense struggled to get going in that one. I’m willing to look past that game because of the explosiveness he displayed in the previous two weeks. Furthermore, the return of Justin Jefferson in Week 14 could do wonders for the Vikings’ offense as a whole. At the very least, it should prevent their opponents from loading the box as often as they have.