The Wire - Week 15
By Levi Ellis
Congratulations! If you’re reading this article then you must have won your opening week playoff game or had a first round bye. Either way you’re moving on to round 2 and your chances of bringing home the championship are increasing each week. So we’re going to do the same thing this week that we do every week at dynastprosfootball.com and that is to give you the best waiver wire pickups of the week and the confidence to drop those guys that just aren’t performing for you.
Quarterbacks
Tier 1 Quarterbacks
Jalen Hurts - 17/30 167 yards, 1 td, 18 carries, 106 yards - What an impressive win by the Eagles this week. The Saints have not allowed a hundred yard rusher for over 50 games and this week they allowed two, Hurts and Sanders. If the Saints couldn’t slow down Hurts then there’s no reason to think the Cardinals can this week either. Hurts has high upside potential so he’s worth an add and a start this week. 50% of your remaining faab.
Mitch Trubisky - 24/33 267 yards, 3 tds, 4 carries, 23 yards - Trubisky played great last week and there’s no reason to think he can’t do it again this week against the Vikings defense. 30% of your remaining faab.
Tier 2 Quarterbacks
Drew Lock - 21/27 280 yards, 4 tds, 6 carries, 4 yards - It’s hard to trust Lock but you have to take notice after a four touchdown game. Minimum bid only.
Best of the Rest (Tier 3)
Gardner Minshew - 18/31 178 yards, 1 td, 2 carries, 22 yards - I don’t really want to play him against the Ravens this week but if you need a QB Minshew does have weapons and he can produce fantasy points. Minimum bid only.
Running Backs
Tier 1 Running Backs
##Cam Akers## Priority Pickup - 29 carries, 171 yards, 3 targets, 2 catches, 23 yards - Yes you read that correctly, 29 carries for Cam. This is exactly why I had Cam as my #3 rookie RB this season and I still may have been too low. If he’s available in your league then Christmas came early this year. 100% of your remaining faab.
Tier 2 Running Backs
Lynn Bowden - 1 carry, 2 yards, 9 targets, 7 catches, 82 yards, 0/1 passing - Bowden has exciting offensive potential and it seems like the Dolphins are realizing that too after last week's nine targets. Bowden is a better dynasty stash than redraft dart throw but the Dolphins need weapons right now so Bowden is worth consideration. Minimum bid only.
Wide Receivers
Tier 1 Wide Receivers
Tim Patrick - 5 targets, 3 catches, 36 yards, 1 td - I’ve been saying this for weeks, Tim Patrick is a must own. He continues to look like the best WR in Denver and he’s a touchdown scoring machine. 50% of your remaining faab.
Nelson Agholor - 9 targets, 5 catches, 100 yards, 1 td - If Agholor is still available in your league then it makes sense how you’re one of the remaining teams left but if you want to stay in the playoffs then you better consider picking him up. 40% of your remaining faab.
Tier 2 Wide Receivers
Keke Coutee - 2 targets, 3 catches, 24 yards, 1 td - Watson has to throw the ball to someone and Coutee potentially has the most talent of the available WRs outside of Cooks. 35% of your remaining faab.
KJ Hamler - 3 targets, 2 catches, 86 yards, 2 tds - I love Hamler’s ceiling but his floor is in the ground. If you need high upside go get this guy. 30% of your remaining faab.
Keelan Cole - 12 targets, 7 catches, 67 yards, 1 td - I expect Cole to have a resurgence if Minshew is the starter again. Cole continues to produce when given the opportunity this year. 30% of your remaining faab.
Laviska Shenault - 11 targets, 6 catches, 49 yards, 1 carry, 2 yards - I keep waiting for Shenault to have a huge game. He continues to have good games but he needs to have that big game. It’s hard to pass up eleven targets though. 25% of your remaining faab.
Russell Gage - 7 targets, 5 catches, 82 yards, 1/1 passing, 39 yards, 1 td - Gage has been really good at times this year and the Falcons play from behind a lot. 25% of your remaining faab.
Chad Hansen - 7 targets, 7 catches, 56 yards - Like Coutee, Hansen is a benefactor of the Texans thin depth at WR. With that being said he has been incredible the last two weeks and is worth an add. 20% of your remaining faab.
Best of the Rest (Tier 3 Wide Receivers)
Tyron Johnson - 7 targets, 6 catches, 55 yards, 1 td - If Mike Williams misses time then Tyron Johnson is a deep league flyer. Minimum bid only.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling - 6 targets, 6 catches, 85 yards, 1 td - I’m only mentioning him because I believe in being thorough. He’s not a guy I trust so take this with a grain of salt. Minimum bid only.
Tight Ends
Tier 1 Tight Ends
##Robert Tonyan## Priority Pickup - 5 targets, 5 catches, 36 yards, 1 td - If he’s there don’t waste anymore time and get that bid in now. He’s scored a touchdown four straight weeks and has nine on the year. The list of pass catchers with nine touchdowns or more this year is very short. 100% of your remaining faab.
Logan Thomas - 7 targets, 6 catches, 43 yards - I can’t believe this guy isn’t owned in some leagues. Take advantage of this and make a waiver claim even if you don’t need him just to keep your opponent from using him against you. Thomas has 76 targets on the season and Washington needs weapons. 50% of your remaining faab.
Mike Gesicki - 6 targets, 5 catches, 65 yards, 2 tds - We may finally be seeing Gesicki’s emergence into a top fantasy TE. If he’s available and if he’s healthy (got banged up late) then he is a high upside tight end. 50% of your remaining faab.
Tier 2 Tight Ends
Eric Ebron - Ebron’s game wasn’t over at the time this article was written but he continues to get volume and volume is king in fantasy football. 30% of your remaining faab.
Irv Smith - 4 targets, 4 catches, 63 yards, 1 td - I believe Irv has a huge long term upside but for now he’s a spot starter but well below the other guys ahead of him on this list. 20% of your remaining faab.
Cole Kmet - 7 targets, 4 catches, 41 yards - Kmet has been more involved in the offense the last three weeks and the Vikings are on tap now. 10% of your remaining faab.
Best of the Rest (Tier 3 Tight Ends)
Will Dissly - 2 targets, 2 catches, 23 yards, 1 td - Dissly is a forgotten player at the tight end position but you need to keep him in mind. I think he’s getting closer to being back to the player he was at the beginning of last year (prior to injury) and you will want that guy on your team. Minimum bid only.
Dead to Me (redraft leagues only)
Carson Wentz - Two words, Jalen Hurts
Daniel Jones - Rough game last week
Cam Newton - I guess Superman can lose his powers
Sam Darnold - You don’t really own him do you
Todd Gurley - It’s time
Phillip Lindsay - His talent exceeds his production
Leonard Fournette - He was a healthy scratch last week, enough said
Malcolm Brown/Darrell Henderson - Let’s do a simple equation: Akers > Brown + Henderson
Alexander Mattison - Cook handles all the carries and Mattison is still recovering from injury
Giovani Bernard - I don’t care if Mixon is still out
James White - I don’t want to own any Patriots offensive player
Sammy Watkins - At best he’s the third wheel and they play the Saints this week
Jakobi Meyers - Have you seen Cam throw the ball
Jerry Jeudy - I hate doing this but Tim Patrick is the Broncos WR to own
Josh Reynolds - Nope, not going to do it
Darius Slayton - Too boom or bust for me in the playoffs
Sterling Shepard - I’m not trusting any Giants WR for the playoffs
Evan Engram - Make that any Giants pass catcher
Austin Hooper - Health too big of a concern
Hayden Hurst - The forgotten man
Higbee/Everett - You’re better than this
Check me out on Twitter @justanoguysff
