Week 14 of the 2018 NFL season is in the books, and that means it’s time to look at waiver wire pickups and free agent adds. The percentages next to a player’s name explain what percentage of an FAAB budget should go toward that player on a waiver claim in a 12-team PPR format.
Quarterback
Josh Allen (BUF, 0-1%)
Somehow, Josh Allen just broke Michael Vick’s record for most rushing yards in a three-game stretch by a quarterback. Allen has ran for at least 99 yards in three consecutive weeks, including two games over 100 yards. As we talked about with Lamar Jackson, quarterbacks that run are extremely valuable in standard fantasy leagues, so Allen is worth an add for quarterback-desperate teams. Still, his floor is nonexistent, as he is inefficient as a passer and has only managed to have such great rushing success due to extreme efficiency (335 yards on only 31 carries over the last three weeks). Consider Allen a high-upside QB2 moving forward.
Running Backs
Justin Jackson (LAC, 10-12%)
We won’t know if rookie runner Justin Jackson is fantasy-viable until right before the Chargers’ Thursday Night game against the Chiefs, as his projected output depends upon the health of Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler. If Jackson is the starter for Los Angeles, he is a borderline must-play given his productivity over the last few weeks and the workload we can project him to get as the starting running back.
Elijah McGuire (NYJ, 2-4%)
Isaiah Crowell was spotted wearing a walking boot on Tuesday, so second-year running back Elijah McGuire could start on Sunday if Crowell can’t go. McGuire’s fantasy viability depends wholly on Crowell’s health.
Wide Receivers
Dante Pettis (SF, 6-8%)
Pierre Garcon is out for the season with a knee injury, meaning Dante Pettis will operate as the No. 2 wideout in the San Francisco offense. Pettis has seen at least six targets in each of the last four weeks, appealing volume for a cheap waiver wire add. Still, the Nick Mullens-led 49ers offense isn’t the most lucrative for fantasy, so Pettis is probably not a startable option unless your team is suffering from significant injuries.
Curtis Samuel (CAR, 6-8%)
Curtis Samuel has seen nineteen targets over the last two weeks, and it looks as though he and D.J. Moore are the future of the wide receiver position for the Panthers, as Devin Funchess has taken a backseat. However, Christian McCaffrey and Moore are entrenched as the top two targets in that passing attack, so Samuel’s value on a week-to-week basis likely depends on game script.
Tight Ends
Ian Thomas (CAR, 0-1%)
Panthers rookie tight end Ian Thomas has seen 16 targets over the last two games due to Greg Olsen’s season-ending injury, and that kind of volume puts him on the fantasy radar. Still, he had the opportunity to produce earlier this season when Olsen missed time and failed to do so, so it makes sense to proceed with caution with the former Hoosier. Christian McCaffrey and the trio of young wide receivers in Carolina makes Thomas the fourth or fifth option in the passing game, but he’s worth monitoring based on his volume the last two weeks.
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