Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 17 free-agent forecast

Scouring what’s left on the wire for Week 17 waiver winners.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated. FAAB $ amounts are based on a $100 budget.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Bye weeks: none

Fantasy football waiver wire targets

Priority free agents

1) RB Derrick Gore, Kansas City Chiefs: The shoulder/collarbone injury suffered by Clyde Edwards-Helaire in Week 16 could cost him time. If so, Gore will see a large role in the backfield split with Darrel Williams. The latter is universally owned, which makes Gore a natural pivot if you’ve made it to the championship week with a decimated backfield. He posted games of 16.9 and 13.4 PPR points, respectively, in Weeks 14 and 16. The Chiefs didn’t send a play his direction in Week 15. Sunday, Gore rushed 12 times and caught all three targets, generating 104 yards of offense vs. Pittsburgh. In the three contests in which he has touched the ball at least 10 times, Gore has managed to get into double-digit PPR land. In Week 17, KC heads to Cincy, which is a neutral matchup for RBs on the year and offers a hint of upside for a cheap TD. The regular-season finale has the Denver Broncos hosting the Chiefs, but that one is a decidedly poor matchup for the 27-year-old.

Availability: 98%
FAAB
: $38-40

2) RB Boston Scott, Philadelphia Eagles: Running back Miles Sanders suffered a fractured hand bone in in Week 16 and left the stadium in a soft cast. Monday we learned he will not play at Washington in Week 17. RB Jordan Howard left in Week 16 with a stinger. He’s day to day.  Rookie back Kenneth Gainwell has fallen out of favor, seeing only a pair of targets in the past two weeks. That leave’s the versatile Scott to see the primary share of touches. Dallas closes out the year for the Eagles, and while it’s hardly a running back-friendly opponent, there’s hope for some aerial returns in that one.

Availability: 81%
FAAB
: $32-34

3) RB Dare Ogunbowale, Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars lost running back James Robinson for the remainder of the year after he partially tore his left Achilles tendon Sunday. Ogunbowale rushed 17 times for 57 yards and a score vs. the New York Jets last weekend, and he snared half of his four targets for 15 yards. He’ll be the next man up without Robinson and Carlos Hyde. Jacksonville heads to New England this week, and while the Patriots have given up a few big games to the position, O-Gun is just a shot in the dark for a TD plunge. New England has allowed enough work to backs through the air to consider him a low-end play in PPR. The Jaguars face Indianapolis in Week 18 for gamers who’ll play out the remainder of the season.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $30-32

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One-week plays

WR Isaiah McKenzie, Buffalo Bills vs. Atlanta Falcons: With Gabriel Davis and Cole Beasley on the COVID-19 list, McKenzie erupted vs. the New England Patriots in Week 16 to the tune of 11-125-1 on 12 targets. We know the Bills love throwing to the slot, and McKenzie can play both inside and out. We also know Davis will miss Week 17, but Beasley has a chance to return based on the timing of his positive test results. Even if he does, McKenzie’s flexibility and big-play nature will put him on the radar vs. a Falcons team that has given up 208 grabs to WRs in 2021, which is the sixth most. Toss in a defense that has surrendered 18 TDs to the position in 15 games, coupled with the constant doubles sent toward Stefon Diggs, and McKenzie has a legit chance of standing out once again.

Availability: 99%
FAAB: $14-15

TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers: A deep-league flier, Albert O is a low-volume TD gamble in Week 17. The Broncos face a Chargers defense tight ends have had their way with in 2021. In 15 games, LA has allowed a dozen touchdowns to the position at a rate of once every 6.67 catches, and no team has been worse in that regard. The Chargers have allowed only 11 fewer yards than Indy for the most in the league. Okwuegbunam’s odds improve if Teddy Bridgewater returns from a concussion, and something in the area of 5-40-1 would be his ceiling.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $1-2

PK Randy Bullock, Tennessee Titans vs. Miami Dolphins: The veteran has attempted seven field goals in the last three weeks, making six with two in each of those games. He hasn’t exactly been a wealth of fantasy points this year, so there’s considerable risk here. Entering Monday Night Football vs. the New Orleans Saints, Miami has allowed the eighth-most field goal tries in 2021, and from Weeks 11-15, the Dolphins yielded two-plus attempts in three of the five games. The two sides match up well with Tennessee’s offense showing signs of life last week as Miami’s defense has stiffened in the last two months after giving up ridiculous numbers to the position in the first half of the season.

Availability: 75%
FAAB: $1-2

Philadelphia Eagles D/ST at Washington Football Team: COVID-19 can flip the script in a hurry, and Washington has had its share of issues with it in recent weeks. A bigger issue has been quarterback play, especially Taylor Heinicke’s regression the last two games. He was absent vs. Philly in Week 15 but posted just 18 completions on 47 attempts (38.3 percent) vs. Dallas in consecutive appearances,. In those outings, he threw three picks vs. two TDs and amassed a measly 245 total passing yards. While Heinicke is not a lock to start, backup Kyle Allen isn’t a much better option. The Eagles have registered at least two sacks in three straight, averaging a takeaway per game in that time. This is a poor week for defensive matchups, and Philly is widely owned, but it doesn’t hurt to take a peek.

Availability: 29%
FAAB: $3-4

Eligible-to-return tracker

The following fantasy-relevant players are eligible to return from the Reserve/Injured list and could be on waivers, but inclusion below doesn’t guarantee coming back in the upcoming week. The date when the player was placed on IR is in parentheses.

  • TE Dan Arnold, Jacksonville Jaguars (11/30)

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 16 free-agent forecast

Week 16 waiver wire targets to help you advance to the championship round.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated. FAAB $ amounts are based on a $100 budget.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Bye weeks: none

Fantasy football waiver wire targets

Priority free agents

1) RB Ronald Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Leonard Fournette suffered an ankle injury and is expected to miss a game or two, which thrusts Jones into a prime situation. The Buccaneers are down Chris Godwin (knee) for the rest of the year, and Mike Evans (hamstring) is iffy this week. Who knows what to expect with Antonio Brown (ankle, suspension ending) … the overall matchup in Week 16 at Carolina isn’t ideal on paper, but Jones is a strong candidate for a TD, and he could even catch a few balls from the backfield with Giovani Bernard also out. The Week 17 trip to the New York Jets is about as tasty as they come, and the Bucs close with a home game vs. Carolina once again.

Availability: 65%
FAAB
: $42-45

2) RB Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Mixon (ankle) left last week with an injury, and while nothing is official yet, a FOX Sports medical correspondent suggests we’re talking about up to three weeks without the star back. Perine filled in admirably for him already this year by acting as a complementary option when Mixon wasn’t at full strength, posting 18.3 PPR points vs. Green Bay in Week 5 and 14.5 against Baltimore in Week 7. Cincinnati faces KC in Week 17. Cincinnati heads to Cleveland for the Week 18 finale.

Availability: 87%
FAAB
: $38-40

3) WR Gabriel Davis, Buffalo Bills: He appeared in this spot as a one-week play last week after showing up a few times prior to that throughout recent months, and Davis should be treated as a mainstay at this point. The Bills have Emmanuel Sanders (knee) battling an injury at 34 years old, and Cole Beasley has struggled to consistently matter in fantasy over the last two months. Single coverage opposite Stefon Diggs, combined with a penchant for finding paydirt, makes Davis a must-own commodity. Facing New England and Atlanta over the next two weeks makes him a borderline WR3.

Availability: 81%
FAAB
: $22-24

4) WR Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs will be without Chris Godwin (knee) the rest of the way. Mike Evans escaped a significant hamstring injury by the looks of things but still isn’t a lock for Week 16, and Antonio Brown (ankle, suspension) is available to return to the team as of Monday. Rob Gronkowski still exists, but Leonard Fournette is expected to miss some time, which opens up a bunch of targets. Johnson can play inside and outside, and he has Tom Brady’s trust. Tampa has a cake schedule the rest of the way, with a trip to the Carolina Panthers in Week 16, then a visit to the New York Jets, and followed by the home finale vs. Carolina once more. If Evans also is out, look to Scotty Miller as a worthwhile gamble from the wire.

Availability: 99%
FAAB: $13-14

5) RB Duke Johnson, Miami Dolphins: Even though Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed returned in time for Week 15 after being on the COVID list, both of them took a back seat to Johnson. It really could have boiled down to conditioning or their lack of practice time. The veteran journeyman has a hint of staying power after his 22-carry, 107-yard, two-TD performance. Miami is inconsistent about utilizing RBs in the passing game as most short-area work has gone to WR Jaylen Waddle and TE Mike Gesicki. Johnson seeing only one target in Week 15 is mildly concerning for the idea of his role over the rest of the year, and his body of work profiles as anything but the guy we saw run roughshod over the hapless New York Jets. Tread carefully here. The allure of a workhorse back this late in the season may be too great to prevent some owners from overspending, but there’s little confidence that we’ll see Johnson maintain a primary touch-share percentage, and the Dolphins face a brutal Week 16 opponent in New Orleans.

Availability: 98%
FAAB: $11-12

6) RB Craig Reynolds, Detroit Lions: Detroit has no incentive to rush back D’Andre Swift (shoulder), but he should be nearing the expected end of his prognosis. The Lions also have Jamaal Williams, who has missed two games with COVID-19, so there’s no telling if he’ll be 100 percent upon his return. He was activated Monday. At a minimum, it will be worth rostering Reynolds just to see if he has a role with Williams on the field and to potentially block any opponents. Detroit faces an extremely exploitable Atlanta in Week 16 and closes the fantasy season with another cupcake in Seattle.

Availability: 87%
FAAB
: $11-12

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One-week plays

RB Justin Jackson and Joshua Kelley, Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans: These two were included last week, and Jackson should be the top guy on the list, but Kelley is a decent consolation prize. Early reports said the Chargers would placed running back Austin Ekeler on the COVID-19 list Monday, but when the team landed six players on the reserve, Ekeler wasn’t among them. He still could be added at any time. While he still may play in Week 16, gamers cannot risk it. If Ekeler indeed goes on the list, add these two, particularly Jackson, like your fantasy season depends on utilizing them … because it just might.

Availability: 94% (Jackson) & 99% (Kelley)
FAAB
: $38-40 (Jackson) % $9-10 (Kelley)

WR Josh Reynolds, Detroit Lions: QB Jared Goff was placed on the COVID reserve list Monday, so it’s unclear if he will play. Presuming he is cleared in time, we’re optimistic about Reynolds’ worth to fantasy lineups.

It’s a little surprising Reynolds isn’t rostered in more leagues right now. He has at least 10.9 PPR points in three of the last four games, scoring twice along the way. As former Los Angeles Rams, he and Goff have an established chemistry, and it’s visible to the untrained eye. Furthermore, the scrappy group from Motown has a feeble defense, which results in more passing. It doesn’t hurt that the Lions face Atlanta in Week 16 — a defense tied for the seventh-most fantasy points per game allowed in PPR. The schedule gets risky beyond this upcoming contest as Detroit heads to Seattle before a Week 18 home stand against Green Bay.

Availability: 90%
FAAB: $4-5

RB Ameer Abdullah, Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Consider the former Viking and Lion as a desperation PPR play in the flex spot vs. a defense that has given up the fourth-most catches on the year. The position struggles to run against Tampa Bay, and it’s common for pass-catching backs to use this as an extension of the ground game. As a result, 11 RBs have at least four catches vs. the Bucs in 2021. Abdullah should become the 12th, regardless of the man at quarterback.

Availability: 92%
FAAB
: $3-4

QB Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals: The overall body of work by QBs vs. the Bengals isn’t the driving factor here as much as Lamar Jackson (ankle) managed to produce 25.7 fantasy points in the Week 7 meeting and threw only one TD pass in the process. Huntley is coming off a total of four scores to his credit vs. the Green Bay Packers and could once again draw the start if Jackson’s ankle isn’t ready. Think about Huntley as a No. 2 in superflex or a brazen flier in playoff leagues if you’re without Lamar or have a struggling star, such as Dak Prescott.

Availability: 96%
FAAB
: $1-2

TE C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens: Defending the position has been an issue for the Ravens all year, and this unit had no answer for Uzomah in Week 7’s meeting. He scored twice and posted 91 yards on just three grabs. He has done effectively nothing since, highlighting just how volatile he is as a fantasy play. Low-volume, TD-centric upside is the only reason to play him, but there’s hope if the Bengals need to throw more after RB Joe Mixon suffered an ankle injury in Week 15. Only three clubs have given up more TE touchdowns in 2021.

Availability: 84%
FAAB
: $1-2

PK Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens: He has staying power after posting 12 or more fantasy points in four of five games since the Week 10 bye. In Week 7, the rookie was good for 13 fantasy points against the Ravens, and this matchup once again profiles as a favorable day for the young kicker. Ten of the 21 total three-point attempts vs. Baltimore have come in the last five games.

Availability: 75%
FAAB: $1-2

PK Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions: Winter weather won’t be a factor here, and Koo has seen a little bit of an uptick in fantasy rewards over the last two games, averaging 10 points in those contests. He faces the friendliest unit for allowing field goal tries, and the Lions have yielded three-plus attempts in half of their 2021 outings.

Availability: 57%
FAAB: $0-1

Philadelphia Eagles D/ST vs. New York Giants: Regardless of how Philly performs Tuesday night vs. Washington, this defense is a strong contender off the wire vs. Mike Glennon/Jake Fromm. The Eagles should be able to harass this backfield all day long as the Giants have turned it over seven times on the last three games while allowing a pair of sacks in that span.

Availability: 51%
FAAB: $2-3

Eligible-to-return tracker

The following fantasy-relevant players are eligible to return from the Reserve/Injured list and could be on waivers, but inclusion below doesn’t guarantee coming back in the upcoming week. The date when the player was placed on IR is in parentheses.

  • TE Dan Arnold, Jacksonville Jaguars (11/30)

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 15 free-agent forecast

Addressing all of the pertinent waiver targets for Week 15 and beyond.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated. FAAB $ amounts are based on a $100 budget.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Bye weeks: none

Fantasy football waiver wire targets

Priority free agents

1) RB Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks: History says Penny’s impressive lack of durability will make gamers regret this one, but being the top back — clear and away — in any offense pushes a player into must-own territory. The Seahawks faced Houston, too, which further complicates evaluating this situation. Talent hasn’t been Penny’s problem, and the former first-rounder almost always had to share touches when he was healthy, so this really will be a four-game litmus test for his long-term viability in the NFL. He rushed 16 times for 137 yards and a pair of scores in Week 14, dominating the backfield touch split. In the final month of the season, Seattle heads to the Los Angeles Rams, comes home for Chicago, stays there for Detroit, and closes out with a Jan. 9 trip to Arizona. Penny could be a playoff rock star over three of those games, and the final one luckily is out of play in most fantasy formats.

Availability: 79%
FAAB
: Everything you have left

2) WR K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings: Last week, Osborn was promoted as the top-billed player to add in wake of Adam Thielen’s high-ankle sprain. The veteran receiver sat vs. Pittsburgh, and even if he has the mildest high-ankle sprain of all time, we should be talking multiple weeks, but no one is actually saying that. … If it were a sprain to the lower area of the ankle, this wouldn’t be an issue, but most players miss at least three weeks. The general prognosis for a world-class athlete typically is four to six weeks. And if he is rushed back, Thielen runs the risk of aggravating it. Minnesota closes out with @CHI, LAR, @GB and CHI. Osborn should be universally owned as long as there’s a hint of doubt surrounding Thielen’s availability and durability.

Availability: 62%
FAAB
: $18-20

3) WR Braxton Berrios, New York Jets: The former New England Patriots slot project has developed nicely with the Jets. Nearly every time he is given at least four touches, Berrios manages to do something of note. He has double-digit PPR production in all but one of such outings in the last two seasons, going 6-for-7 in this regard. WRs Corey Davis and Elijah Moore are on IR, and the Jets are lousy on defense, which promotes passing volume. The running game has been a joke since Michael Carter sprained his ankle, and he’s eligible to return soon, which should help prevent defenses from getting a little too greedy against the pass. Moreover, the Jets face Miami, Jacksonville and Tampa in the next three weeks. Lock him in for PPR WR3 production.

Availability: 99%
FAAB: $9-10

4) RB Justin Jackson and Josh Kelley, Los Angeles Chargers: It’s unclear how long, if at all, Austin Ekeler (ankle) will be out with a sprain, but it’s also equally murky as to which back is the best target as his replacement. Jackson is the official No. 2 on the depth chart, but he will undoubtedly share considerable touches with Kelley. The Chargers utilized the latter more by a single touch in Week 14, and the two backs produced nearly identical results. Closely monitor the situation and nab both, if possible, but not at the expense of a surer thing. This ultimately could prove to be a total blip on the radar and we see Ekeler back on the field in Week 15, but no one should take that for granted just yet.

Availability: 98% (Jackson), 99% (Kelley)
FAAB
: $20-22 (Jackson), $18-20 (Kelley)

5) WR Laquon Treadwell, Jacksonville Jaguars: This passing game is abysmal. No doubt about it. It also has created a valuable WR3 or flex from the guy manning the third spot. Prior to Treadwell’s three-game uptick in action, Jamal Agnew was relevant before getting hurt. All things Trevor Lawrence should leave you feeling uneasy right now, yet he has been proficient at involving intermediate targets each week. With Laviska Shenault quickly looking like the next Cordarrelle Patterson — not the one who has carried fantasy teams in 2021 — and Marvin Jones being mostly an afterthought, gamers can pivot to Treadwell as a PPR flex option. He has 10-plus points in consecutive weeks and more than nine in three straight. The upside for big plays is basically non-existent, so know what you’re getting here. Meetings ahead with HOU, NYJ, NE and IND are compelling.

Availability: 99%
FAAB: $4-5

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One-week plays

RB Duke Johnson, Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets: Miami’s top trio of running backs all are on the COVID-19 list, and two of them are highly iffy for Week 15 action. Johnson is on the practice squad, along with Gerrid Doaks, and the two could receive the call any moment for activation. The Jets have given up a rushing TD every 17.1 attempts in 2021, and the next worst team in this regard is at every 22.5 carries. The matchup is elite for pass-catching backs, so Johnson should feel right at home here. The situation has all of the makings for an early playoff stocking-stuffer.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $15-17

WR Gabriel Davis, Buffalo Bills vs. Carolina Panthers: Davis had been one of my favorite players to make the leap to weekly utility after a seven-TD rookie campaign, but the first six games of the season were a sobering reminder that Emmanuel Sanders still can get it done, and Cole Beasley wasn’t going anywhere. One more impactful aspect I hadn’t given much credence to before the season was the drastic improvement by Dawson Knox. This long, winding road has brought us to Davis rebounding over the last seven weeks to track closer to his rookie season’s performance marks. Sanders suffered a knee injury in Week 14 and didn’t return. In the event he cannot go vs. Carolina, there’s a fine opportunity to roll the dice on Davis as a flex play. He doesn’t need a ton of volume to matter, and Carolina has surrendered a TD per game to WRs, on average, this year, including four in the last month of play. Davis is good enough to exploit single coverage as the Panthers sell out to contain Stefon Diggs.

Availability: 97%
FAAB
: $4-5

RB D’Ernest Johnson, Cleveland Browns vs. Las Vegas Raiders: This one is solely dependent upon whether Kareem Hunt (ankle) misses time, which looks to be the case. Johnson hadn’t touched the ball too much in the weeks with Nick Chubb healthy and Hunt out, but this matchup is so tantalizing it’s worth a roll of the dice — if the rest of your lineup is strong enough to absorb a potential paper-weight performance. The Raiders have yielded 18 total touchdowns to the position, including 12 on the ground, and RBs have averaged 143.2 offensive yards per game. On the year, only five teams have permitted scores at a greater frequency. Playing Johnson this week likely relies on an injury forcing one’s hand, but at least the matchup metrics make the gamble a little easier to swallow.

Availability: 87%
FAAB
: $3-4

WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars: There’s a tremendous amount of risk here, and Collins is far from a sure thing to warrant a lineup spot, but we have a pretty good matchup ahead for a rookie coming off a career-high 10 targets that resulted in personal bests in receptions (5) and yardage (69). Despite being roughly 70 feet tall, Collins has yet to score a TD, and this is the week it may be in the cards. Five of the 11 total WR touchdowns vs. Jacksonville have come in the last four games, and all by different players.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $1-2

WR Cam Sims, Washington Football Team at Philadelphia Eagles: A few points … we don’t know if Taylor Heinicke’s knee is going to cost him time. Kyle Allen filled in admirably, but there’s a reason he’s the backup. We also don’t have any idea if Terry McLaurin will miss Week 15 with a concussion. Washington faces Philadelphia in the upcoming slate, and the matchup isn’t ideal, but Sims could be a useful flex play given the overall lack of weaponry in his passing game. Presuming he is the primary receiver, Sims is worth little more than a TD flier, so it’s tough to envision anyone being that desperate in the fantasy playoffs, but 2021 has taken stranger turns. He has basically no utility should Scary Terry overcome the concussion in time.

Availability: 99%
FAAB: $1-2

PK Chase McLaughlin, Cleveland Browns vs. Las Vegas Raiders: Just one team in the last six games have not kicked multiple field goals against Vegas, and three or more treys were attempted in four of those contests. Tack on 20 total extra point attempts in that time and we’re looking at one of the easiest matchups of the week for a Cleveland team that is just barely good enough to move the ball. This could be a field goal fest.

Availability: 94%
FAAB: $0-1

PK Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Football Team: Philly returns from its bye week rested and ready to go against a Washington unit that permitted the 12th-most fantasy points per game to kickers entering Week 14. In the past two weeks alone, the position has attempted and made all seven three-point tries, also adding a lone PAT. Elliott generated 14-plus fantasy points (distance-based scoring) in four of his last six showings and should be plenty available after being widely dropped over the bye.

Availability: 89%
FAAB: $0-1

Miami Dolphins D/ST vs. New York Jets: Miami’s defense really started to pick up the pace in the five games prior to going on bye in Week 14, logging 17-plus points in three of the contests. The five points scored against the Jets in Week 11 was the worst showing of that window, but Joe Flacco and not Zach Wilson was the starting quarterback for Gang Green in the contest. This meeting should go much differently. Miami was dropped in some 20 percent of leagues polled as owners looked for a bye-week replacement. With a matchup against New Orleans in Week 15 and then Tennessee’s hamstrung offense the following game, this is a defense for the remainder of the fantasy slate.

Availability: 52%
FAAB: $2-3

Grab & stash

RB Craig Reynolds, Detroit Lions: Surprisingly, Detroit turned to a total unknown in Reynolds rather than Jermar Jefferson in Week 14 as Jamaal Williams (COVID) and D’Andre Swift (shoulder) were out of commission vs. Denver. The unheralded Reynolds ran hard, going for 83 yards on 11 carries, adding 16 aerial gains on his two grabs, while sharing touches with Godwin Igwebuike. The third-year former undrafted free agent had two prior career touches. The Lions could get either Swift or Williams back in Week 15, rendering Reynolds useless, but the situation is worth monitoring. The upcoming tilt with Arizona doesn’t scream fantasy success, however, so despite the potential opportunity, he ultimately may end up being reserved for DFS action if nothing less.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $1-2

Atlanta Falcons D/ST: Coming off by far its best fantasy day of the year (13 points), Atlanta hosts the Detroit Lions in Week 16 and should be among the best streaming plays. For owners with room to look ahead and stash, the Falcons make for an intriguing risk-reward decision. If they don’t even look remotely competent vs. San Fran in Week 15, no sweat … drop and move along.

Availability: 74%
FAAB: $0-1

Eligible-to-return tracker

The following fantasy-relevant players are eligible to return from the Reserve/Injured list and could be on waivers, but inclusion below doesn’t guarantee coming back in the upcoming week. The date when the player was placed on IR is in parentheses.

  • RB Michael Carter, New York Jets (11/27)

Deep diving for running backs

If you’re in a competitive league, it is unlikely running backs are just chillin’ on the waiver wire. But that doesn’t mean gamers aren’t still in need of “break in case of emergency” running backs. These players could be available for a dumpster dive:

  • Jaret Patterson, Washington Football Team (Antonio Gibson insurance)
  • Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals (TD flier)
  • Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers (TD flier)

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 14 free-agent forecast

Gamers have a natural pivot after the Adam Thielen injury, and rentals galore highlight Week 14 waivers.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated. FAAB $ amounts are based on a $100 budget.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Bye weeks: Colts, Dolphins, Eagles, Patriots

Fantasy football waiver wire targets

Priority free agents

1) WR K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings: Wide receiver Adam Thielen suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 13 and is bound to miss time, at least the upcoming Thursday Night Football. Osborn will enjoy single coverage as the Pittsburgh Steelers will have their collective hands full with Justin Jefferson. Osborn started off hot, scoring twice in the first six games and topping 76 yards on five or more grabs in three of those outings. His production fell off in a run-heavy offense that found a role for TE Tyler Conklin. Osborn is a borderline must-play in PPR vs. a defense that has allowed 21 receivers to land four-plus passes in 2021. While the overall numbers aren’t gaudy, Pittsburgh has benefited from playing LV, CLE, CHI and DET — hardly passing juggernauts. High-ankle sprains tend to be four- to six-week injuries, although Thielen hasn’t been given that kind of prognosis as of writing this sentence … Minnesota closes out with PIT, @CHI, LAR, @GB, CHI.

Availability: 96%
FAAB
: $18-20

2) RB Dontrell Hilliard, Tennessee Titans: The Titans return from their bye week with a barren cupboard at the skill positions as WR A.J. Brown (chest) and WR Julio Jones (hamstring) are both on IR for at least another week, and RB Derrick Henry (foot) is poised to miss the rest of the regular season. In the passing game, Hilliard stands to benefit from the pair of injured star receivers, and he has seen ample action on the ground to warrant a fantasy start in most formats. There’s a chance he wasn’t claimed prior to the bye or was cast back to the wire out of desperation, and gamers need to take a peek. From Weeks 14-18, Hilliard faces three easily exploitable ground units and a San Fran defense that has struggled to keep RBs out of the end zone in recent weeks.

Availability: 60%
FAAB
: $23-25

3) TE Ricky Seals-Jones, Washington Football Team: Seals-Jones missed the past few games with a hip injury while tight end Logan Thomas finally returned from a severe hamstring strain. As Thomas was starting his upswing, it is feared he suffered a torn ACL and an MCL against Las Vegas, which will end his season. Seals-Jones filled in admirably when Thomas previously was unavailable, and the journeyman tight end is nearing a return after being a game-time decision in Week 13. Washington faces one of the softest schedules the rest of the way for TEs with a pair of battles each with Philly and Dallas, plus another divisional tilt against the New York Giants. Facing the Eagles twice alone makes him a worthwhile addition.

Availability: 95%
FAAB: $9-10

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One-week plays

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings: One-week rentals dominate waiver claims this time of the year, and if you’re desperate for a quarterback gamble, Big Ben is your man. His two best fantasy games have come in the last three weeks, and while his arm isn’t what it used to be, he can remain efficient in short-area passing to rack up a few touchdowns. Minnesota is an injured mess on defense, and while RB Najee Harris will get his on the ground, he’s also a huge factor in the aerial game. Roethlisberger has at least two TD passes in three of the last four contests, and Minnesota has given up three or more such plays in the last five games, including a 296-3-0 line to Jared Goff last week. Even Dallas backup Cooper Rush torched this defense in Week 8. In the five games leading up to Week 13, this defense ranked 31 percent better than average, a figure that will grow once Detroit’s stats are included into the mix.

Availability: 79%
FAAB
: $4-5

RB Adrian Peterson, Seattle Seahawks at Houston Texans: There could be some rest-of-season utility here with Peterson sticking around as a weapon around the stripe, but everything during his Tennessee stint lined up favorably, too, and still he was cut. Seattle afforded AD a touchdown in his team debut, but he ran for 16 yards on 11 carries, and he has now averaged 2.6 yards per carry over his last 38 totes. Not encouraging. But, if for only one week in time, Peterson should be quite capable of exploiting a Houston defense that gave up the seventh-most rushing yards per game and eighth-highest TD frequency to the position in the five contests leading up to Week 13. Should Peterson stick around, Seattle faces a few worthwhile matchups the rest of the way (@LAR, CHI, DET).

Availability: 79%
FAAB
: $3-4

WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears: The Pack return from a well-timed bye as Aaron Rodgers desperately needed to rest a broken toe. Valdes-Scantling has an intriguing gamble matchup ahead. While Chicago has fared okay vs. WRs in recent weeks, this was the third-worst unit at giving up big plays in the five games leading into Week 13. It also allowed receivers to turn the 10th-fewest catches into the 10th-most yards as a result. MVS offers nothing in fantasy without a trip into the end zone, but Chicago will have all it can do to prevent Davante Adams from wreaking havoc. Last year, in his lone meeting with the Bears, Valdes-Scantling caught two passes for 87 yards and a score — something in that vein is the target here … two or three catches, 60-90 yards and a TD vs. a unit that has allowed 14 WR scores in 12 outings.

Availability: 82%
FAAB
: $1-2

WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens: A groin injury hampered Peoples-Jones before Week 13’s bye, and the time off should help put him closer to full strength. Now, there’s legitimate quarterback concern with Baker Mayfield, but the goal here is to exploit a Baltimore secondary that has been ravaged by injuries. Once arguably the strongest aspect of this defense, the loss of two Pro Bowl cornerbacks this year leaves Anthony Averett as the top cover man, which is something akin to plugging a hole in the Hoover Dam with toilet paper. There’s serious risk in trusting anything Cleveland passing attack right now, but the upside is juicy.

Availability: 91%
FAAB
: $1-2

PK Brandon McManus, Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions: No team has allowed more field goal attempts than the Lions, and just eight rosters have yielded more extra points. McManus hasn’t exactly been an ideal fantasy play in 2021, but the hamstrung Denver offense has presented him with two-plus field goal attempts in seven games this year. There’s hope for a battle of ineptitude leading to a low-scoring, FG-laden type of game.

Availability: 74%
FAAB: $0-1

PK Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings: In the past five weeks, Boswell has missed two extra points, but gamers need to go back to Week 3 to find the last time he missed a three-pointer. The veteran booter has attempted a trio of field goals in three of the last five, and he has two-plus tries in four of those contests. Minnesota has yielded the fourth-most FGAs per game in 2021, and 10 times have permitted more TD-capping attempts. Ravaged by injuries, Minnesota is poised to give up a load of points to Boswell one way or another.

Availability: 41%
FAAB: $0-1

Tennessee Titans D/ST vs Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags have allowed only 22 sacks on the year, but this offense has turned it over 21 times in 12 games, including two of which that went the other direction. One kick return came against this group, too. Tennessee has been up and down in fantasy this year, but this defense returns from its bye week and will be asked to carry an infirmary of an offense if the Titans have any hope of holding onto their flimsy grasp on the No. 2 seed. The second-best defensive fantasy showing against Jacksonville in 2021 came from Tennessee in Week 5.

Availability: 78%
FAAB: $0-1

Los Angeles Chargers D/ST vs. New York Giants: Los Angeles saved its best defensive effort for Week 13, hounding Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow for six sacks. The four takeaways resulted in a score, and this high-powered offense was held to only 22 points. The Giants may once again be without Daniel Jones (neck), and even if he returns, we’re not talking about a substantial upgrade from Mike Glennon. In the past seven games, Giants quarterbacks have been sacked at least three timeson four occasions, and 10 of the 15 total takeaways have come in that window.

Availability: 74%
FAAB: $0-1

Seattle Seahawks D/ST at Houston Texans: Only four teams have yielded more sacks in 2021 than Houston, and whatever on Earth that quarterback showing was last week has to get Pete Carroll’s group excited. In the last five weeks, this offense has surrendered at least four sacks in four of the outings, and eight of the 21 turnovers on the year came in that period of time. Seattle has struggled to do much of anything on defense in 2021, so this one really could go either way, but Houston has been soooooo bad that it’s a worthwhile gamble.

Availability: 87%
FAAB: $0-1

Grab & stash

QB Gardner Minshew, Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles head into their bye week with Jalen Hurts (ankle) expected to regain his starting gig, according to head coach Nick Sirianni, once healthy. Minshew lit up the New York Jets in Week 13, so take it for what you will, but there’s an exploitable closing stretch on the slate to consider if Hurts doesn’t get healthy in time. The former Jaguar is best reserved for two-QB or superflex formats, however.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $0-1

RB Peyton Barber, Las Vegas Raiders: Running back Kenyan Drake was lost for the year with a broken ankle suffered in Week 13, and while he didn’t play much of a role in the last month, Josh Jacobs is an injury waiting to happen, and Barber belongs on all rosters as an insurance policy. There’s a chance he will be worked in slightly more — something like 5-8 touches per game — but shouldn’t be banked on as a playable commodity as long as Jacobs is healthy.

Availability: 76%
FAAB
: $1-2

RB Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles: Gainwell has more likely utility than the aforementioned Minshew, largely because Miles Sanders (ankle) has fought durability issues of late. The Eagles also have been without RB Jordan Howard the past few games, and while both backs could return from injury following the bye week, Gainwell belongs on radars in shallow leagues and rosters in more competitive formats.

Availability: 76%
FAAB
: $1-2

Eligible-to-return tracker

The following fantasy-relevant players are eligible to return from the Reserve/Injured list and could be on waivers, but inclusion below doesn’t guarantee coming back in the upcoming week. The date when the player was placed on IR is in parentheses.

  • WR Julio Jones, Tennessee Titans (11/13)

Deep diving for running backs

If you’re in a competitive league, it is unlikely running backs are just chillin’ on the waiver wire. But that doesn’t mean gamers aren’t still in need of “break in case of emergency” running backs. These players could be available for a dumpster dive:

  • Jaret Patterson, Washington Football Team (Antonio Gibson insurance)
  • Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals (TD flier)
  • Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers (TD flier)

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 13 free-agent forecast

Despite big-name injuries in Week 12, the wire’s talent pool is shallow this late in the year.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated. FAAB $ amounts are based on a $100 budget.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Bye weeks: Browns, Packers, Panthers, Titans

Fantasy football waiver wire targets

Priority free agents

1) RB Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings: Short and sweet … he’s owned in only half of casual formats polled and is on the wire in as little as 20 percent of more competitive settings. It’s worth a quick glance to be sure, but there’s a strong probability he is on the bench of someone’s team given Dalvin Cook’s increasingly fragile nature. Spend up — like all of it — if the dislocated shoulder prognosis for No. 33 is as bad as the scene of him being carted off appears.

Availability: 20-50%
FAAB: $32-35

2) RB Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers: Just as with Mattison, Hubbard is widely owned in deeper, more advanced formats. He is polling as available on nearly two-thirds of relaxed leagues and in those with 10 or fewer teams. Christian McCaffrey was wearing a boot after the game and will head into the bye week with a sprained ankle that could keep him sidelined beyond the hiatus. Early indications say it’s a low-ankle issue, which isn’t as severe. Roster the rookie through Carolina’s open date to err on the side of caution.

Availability: 24-63%
FAAB
: $25-28

3) RB Dontrell Hilliard, Tennessee Titans: The former Cleveland Brown change-of-pacer ripped of a 68-yard touchdown run vs. the New England Patriots in Week 12 and finished with 131 yards on a dozen totes. Unlike in Week 11 when he caught eight of 10 targets, Hillard landed only one pass for two yards in this one. The Titans go on vacation this week, so you’ll need to make room for him in that time, but Hilliard absolutely has utility if he’s seeing 12-14 utilizations of any fashion. Tennessee returns in Week 14 to face Jacksonville, followed by at Pittsburgh, vs. San Fran, home against Miami, and at Houston.

Availability: 71%
FAAB
: $23-25

4) RB Matt Breida, Buffalo Bills: Zack Moss was a healthy scratch in Week 12, and Breida scored for the third time in as many weeks, topping 13 PPR points along the way on the strength of a receiving score. The upcoming matchup features a Monday Night Football battle against the New England Patriots to determine which team is in the AFC East driver’s seat as the playoff push intensifies. Breida’s matchup comes on the heels of New England getting filleted by Tennessee’s “impressive” duo of D’Onta Foreman and Dontrell Hilliard. Prior to this game, it was among the softest defenses for running backs to exploit via the aerial game, and Breida could have some utility in that regard. The rest of December isn’t particularly appealing (@TB, CAR, NE), so he’s more of a deep-league target with limited matchup utility.

Availability: 77%
FAAB
: $12-14

5) WR Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers: Be prepared to pounce on Jennings if the MRI on Deebo Samuel’s groin injury comes back with a dim outlook Monday. He was all smiles on the sideline after the injury, so it really could prove to be minor. Jennings caught two of three targets for 24 yards and a score in Week 12 but will be tough to play in due to volatility. At least the upcoming slate of games is exploitable (@SEA, @CIN, ATL, @TEN).

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $5-6

6) PK Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals: “Money Mac,” as his teammates have nicknamed him, is on the rise in fantasy after nailing all four of his field goals in Week 11 and both of his tries in Week 12. He has attempted at least three field goals in five of the last six games and four-plus in a quartet of those contests. This upcoming week, he faces the Los Angeles Chargers, a special teams unit that has given up huge numbers to the position of late. Since Week 4, with the exception of this past weekend vs. Denver, LA has allowed at least two field goal attempts (all made) in five of six outings. While Denver didn’t attempt a three-pointer in Week 12, Brandon McManus still booted all four extra points — the second straight game in which the Bolts have permitted four XPAs. Should the rookie keep his strong play going in Week 13, he has value the rest of the way.

Availability: 87%
FAAB
: $1-2

[lawrence-related id=462505]

One-week plays

WR Zay Jones, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Washington Football Team: Jones finished with 59 yards on five grabs in Week 12’s thrilling win over Dallas, seeing seven targets come his way. The Raiders have been desperate for a deep threat since Henry Ruggs was released, and the way DeSean Jackson opened up the field in Week 12 should continue, which gives Jones intermediate value against one of the worst defenses of the position. Four teams are on bye, and PPR gamers may need to fill some shoes with typically unusable options.

Availability: 87%
FAAB
: $0-1

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings: St. Brown’s role is scant, but he has quality hands and serves a purpose in an offense devoid of playmakers. He should see more looks if D’Andre Swift misses time with a shoulder sprain, and St. Brown’s best game as a pro came in Week 5 vs. the Vikings when he snagged seven of eight looks for 65 yards. He has yet to score as a pro, but something has to give sooner or later, and the Vikings have been susceptible to WRs for some time now. WR Josh Reynolds (3-70-1 in Week 12) could be a sound play, too, although he is far more likely to see tougher coverage than the rookie.

Availability: 95%
FAAB
: $1-2

TE Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans: The Week 13 opponent has been weak vs. tight ends all year, and Doyle is coming off a 20.1-pointer in PPR scoring. He has five-plus targets in three straight games and is starting to find a groove with Carson Wentz.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $0-1

TE C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Chargers: Purely a flier for a touchdown — and solely because of the matchup rather than what Uzomah himself has done of late — there’s utility here in deeper formats. Los Angeles yielded four total TDs to the position in Weeks 10 and 11 alone. The Broncos targeted its trio of TEs seven times in the Week 12 matchup for just 25 yards on five grabs, including a one-yard score by third-stringer Eric Saubert. Los Angeles is stronger vs. WRs than the backfield and tight ends, and Joe Mixon will give this group everything it can handle, which helps promote Uzomah as a sneaky play for a cheap six-pointer.

Availability: 98%
FAAB
: $0-1

PK Jason Sanders, Miami Dolphins vs. New York Giants: Entering Week 12, New York presented kickers with a matchup 21.8 percent better than league average, and the position has made eight of nine attempts from three-point land before Philadelphia was thoroughly shut down and didn’t even attempt a kick beyond Jake Elliott’s lone extra point. Miami’s offense is moving the ball better of late but still isn’t a juggernaut by any stretch, so there should be at least two tries afforded to Sanders.

Availability: 76%
FAAB: $0-1

PK Matt Prater, Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears: Prater is available on a bunch of wires after the bye week and some rather mediocre play prior to going on the break. Arizona has a strong chance of getting both Kyler Murray (ankle) and DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring) back in the mix, which stabilizes the offense to help make Prater a more reliable fantasy play.

Availability: 74%
FAAB: $0-1

Kansas City Chiefs D/ST vs. Denver Broncos: KC returns from its bye week rested and on a four-game heater. The Denver offense did just enough as the defense stymied the Chargers in Week 12. In Arrowhead, facing the roll coaster that has been Teddy Bridgewater this year, gamers should be excited to take a gamble on the Chiefs. Prior to facing LA, Denver allowed an average of three sacks in the trio of games leading up to smothering the Chargers. On the year, this matchup is 26.3 percent better than average.

Availability: 74%
FAAB: $0-1

Grab & stash

WR Will Fuller, Miami Dolphins: The veteran deep threat is nearing his return from IR and could serve as roster depth. Miami needs someone to catch passes other than Jaylen Waddle, which presents a modicum of potential for the former first-rounder.

Availability: 76%
FAAB
: $1-2

Keep your eye on ’em

RB Austin Walter, New York Jets: Nine carries for 38 yards and a touchdown isn’t all that noteworthy, but the Jets are in need of a spark while starting RB Michael Carter remains on IR for at least a few more games. Walter is more of a change-of-pace type and is likely to remain limited in touches compared to Tevin Coleman and possibly even Ty Johnson. The Jets face a Philly defense that is quite beatable on the ground, which could make Walter a one-week play in cavernous settings, but we’d rather sit this one out in most scenarios.

Availability: 99%

Eligible-to-return tracker

The following fantasy-relevant players are eligible to return from the Reserve/Injured list and could be on waivers, but inclusion below doesn’t guarantee coming back in the upcoming week. The date when the player was placed on IR is in parentheses.

  • WR Julio Jones, Tennessee Titans (11/13)
  • TE Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team (10/6)

Deep diving for running backs

If you’re in a competitive league, it is unlikely running backs are just chillin’ on the waiver wire. But that doesn’t mean gamers aren’t still in need of “break in case of emergency” running backs. These players could be available for a dumpster dive:

  • Phillip Lindsay, Miami Dolphins (12 carries in Week 12)
  • Jaret Patterson, Washington Football Team (Antonio Gibson insurance)
  • Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals (TD flier)
  • Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers (TD flier)

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 12 free-agent forecast

Another quiet week on the wire will lead to deeper dives.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated. FAAB $ amounts are based on a $100 budget.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Bye weeks: Cardinals, Chiefs

Fantasy football waiver wire targets

Priority free agents

1) RB DeeJay Dallas, Seattle Seahawks: Meh. Full-on, unequivocal meh. It’s a rough week for waiver recommendations … With Chris Carson (neck) opting for season-ending surgery, Dallas and Alex Collins primarily will be in the mix. Dallas has the most upside of them all, but Collins has been the backfield leader in touches. Dallas is a slightly burlier back and may be more valuable in the red zone, if his Week 11 4-25-1 line is of any prognosticative value. While six total utilizations is far from encouraging, Collins continues to see 10-plus plays come his way, although with unplayable results in four straight games. At some point, and likely soon, something has to give, which should break in Dallas’ favor.

Availability: 99%
FAAB: $10-12

2) RBs Tevin Coleman & Ty Johnson, New York Jets: RB Michael Carter exited Week 11 with an ankle injury and may need some time. We should get an update on his prognosis no later than Wednesday, but gamers need to prepare for the stretch run by adding depth, and Coleman is the target for non-PPR, whereas Johnson has more potential reception-rewarding setups. Neither player has much utility beyond being a bye week or injury fill-in, but this late in the year, a warm body with a role is worthy of attention in deeper formats. Ahead for the Jets: at Houston and vs. Philadelphia — a pair of susceptible defenses. If neither back steps up in that window, presuming Carter is out, boot them to the curb.

Availability: 97% (Coleman) & 80% (Johnson)
FAAB
: $11-12 (both)

3) WR Rashard Higgins, Cleveland Browns: Jarvis Landry (knee) and Donovan Peoples-Jones (groin) are ailing, which could leave Higgins as the chief WR target for Baker Mayfield. Now that might be akin to being a Toyota Corolla thrust midway into a Formula 1 race, but the opportunity deserves a look for those desperate to fill a need at the position. The severity of Landry’s knee injury isn’t yet known, although he retumed for the final drive. Yet, it’s fair to wonder since the vet just recently returned from missing several weeks with a sprained MCL. Higgins was targeted five times in Week 11, resulting in irrelevant stats, so recognize this one could prove to be a one-week rental vs. Baltimore as the Browns have a Week 13 bye.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $4-5

[lawrence-related id=462293]

One-week plays

Chicago Bears QB at Detroit Lions: Motown’s annual Turkey Day hosting brings Chicago to town for the second time in three years. It’s unclear if quarterback Justin Fields’ bruised ribs will keep him out on a short week. Typically, such an injury is all about pain management … can he withstand the torque required to throw a ball? How will it feel if he takes a shot? What about wearing a rib protector? You get the point … Andy Dalton came in cold Sunday and was as good as can be expected without WR Allen Robinson (hamstring) and facing Baltimore. Furthermore, head coach Matt Nagy refused to commit to a healthy version of Fields. Detroit hasn’t been atrocious vs. QBs, but they gave up an average 23.2 fantasy points to the position in the five weeks leading up to facing Cleveland. The Browns’ injury-decimated passing game can be ignored from this one … the decision to start either is best left for superflex formats, but owners of Patrick Mahomes or Kyler Murray could be in a tough spot with both on bye.

Availability: 68% (Fields), 99% (Dalton)
FAAB
: $2-3 (both)

RB Dontrell Hilliard, Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots: The Pats have been playing as well as anyone on defense of late, but one thing this defense struggles with — somewhat due to circumstances — is limiting pass-catching backs. Hilliard filled in for RB Jeremy McNichols (concussion) against Houston and caught eight of 10 targets for 47 yards. He added 35 yards on seven totes. The veteran third-downer faces a Patriots team that gave up the second-most receptions and aerial yardage per game to RBs in the five games leading up to this past week. The Titans have a Week 13 bye, which could lead to McNichols sitting again. In that event, and only in that event, Hilliard is a viable fantasy flex play in PPR settings.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $1-2

RB Rex Burkhead, Houston Texans vs New York Jets: The veteran Swiss Army knife rushed 18 times for an uninspiring 40 yards in Week 11. The volume of touches is the focus here. So is the matchup vs. New York, a defense that has allowed obscene numbers to RBs in 2021, especially the past six games. Nine backs in that time have scored in PPR double figures, and six of them were good for 19-plus points. Unreal. After the Jets is Indy, a much stiffer level of competition.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $5-6

WR Cedrick Wilson, Dallas Cowboys: Dallas definitely will be without Amari Cooper (COVID-19) in Week 12, and it looks like CeeDee Lamb (concussion) will join him, given the short week for this Thanksgiving Day game. Wilson and the largely already-owned Michael Gallup will be the top targets at the position in such a scenario. Las Vegas has given up considerable work to receivers of late, especially prior week to Week 11, a game in which Cincinnati rushed all over the Raiders. Opportunity for a low-investment TD from Wilson makes him a WR3 in most formats. In a pinch, WR Malik Turner, who scored twice in Week 10, could be a consolation prize.

Availability: 98%
FAAB
: $0-1

TE Ryan Griffin, New York Jets at Houston Texans: On the other side of the Burkhead matchup is the veteran tight end against a defense that has had few answers for the position in 2021. Six touchdowns conceded in the first nine games helped create the fourth-easiest opponent to exploit prior to Week 11. Griffin could have Joe Flacco looking his way once more as Zach Wilson (knee) appears to be at least a game away from being close. Griffin is just two games removed from a seven-target game that resulted in a 4-28-1 line — a good illustration of what we’re working with here. He has low-volume TD appeal, and that’s about it.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $0-1

PK Brandon McManus, Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers: In Week 11, Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell made all three of his field goals and went 4-for-4 on PATs. The prior five games saw at least two three-pointers attempted in four of those outings, and at least three extra points have been attempted in all but one of those same games. McManus returns from a bye week after attempting seven field goals in the two games leading up to the vacation.

Availability: 87%
FAAB: $0-1

Chicago Bears D/ST at Detroit Lions: Jared Goff … Tim Boyle (he played like one) … David Blough … Scott Mitchell … Rodney Peete … does it matter? Chicago has to finish the season without Khalil Mack (foot), yet this defense has scored 11 and nine fantasy points, respectively, against the Steelers and Ravens the past two games. The Bears will make the Lions look like turkeys and gobble up takeaways. After consecutive games without a sack, Chicago has 10 in the past two outings alone.

Availability: 82%
FAAB: $0-1

Houston Texans D/ST at New York Jets: Houston has allowed only 30 total points in the last two games, racking up six sacks, as many interceptions, and four fumble recoveries. Few teams have been as hot on defense in fantasy of late, which feels really weird to type. The Jets will start either Joe Flacco or Zach Wilson (knee) a week after losing the team’s best running back to injury … for how long is unknown, but it’s not a positive in any context. Houston, the Jets have a problem.

Availability: 99%
FAAB: $0-1

Grab & stash

RB Trey Sermon, San Francisco 49ers: With Elijah Mitchell missing Week 11 and Jeff Wilson Jr. averaging a paltry 2.7 YPC since returning from knee surgery, Sermon saw 10 carries while the Niners crushed Jacksonville. He didn’t do much with the action (32 yards), but Mitchell’s broken finger could continue to create more opportunities as JaMycal Hasty (ankle) also was inactive. Deebo Samuel was the team’s leading rusher in Week 11 as it turns out, making this situation even sketchier for recommending Sermon. It’s unclear if Mitchell will miss any more time, but Sermon could warrant a roster spot just in case. Next up is a so-so matchup with Minnesota before trips to Seattle and Cincy. Given the craziness of this team’s backfield all year, don’t totally write off the rookie just yet.

Availability: 80%
FAAB
: $2-3

Keep your eye on ’em

WR Dez Fitzpatrick, Tennessee Titans: The rookie had one target — caught for no gain — against the Houston Texans in Week 11’s shocking loss. Tennessee exited the game without WR A.J. Brown (hand, chest) and already is down Julio Jones until at least Week 14. Even though Chester Rogers saw the same number of targets (6) as Fitzpatrick, the latter has more potential. We’ve see exactly what Rogers is through the years, and gamers can keep tabs on how Fitz performs against the New England Patriots in Week 12 as a barometer heading into the Titans’ Week 13 bye.

Availability: 99%

Eligible-to-return tracker

The following fantasy-relevant players are eligible to return from the Reserve/Injured list and could be on waivers, but inclusion below doesn’t guarantee coming back in the upcoming week. The date when the player was placed on IR is in parentheses.

  • TE Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team (10/6)

Deep diving for running backs

If you’re in a competitive league, it is unlikely running backs are just chillin’ on the waiver wire. But that doesn’t mean gamers aren’t still in need of “break in case of emergency” running backs. These players could be available for a dumpster dive:

  • Qadree Ollison, Atlanta Falcons (ATL replaced Mike Davis with … Mike Davis?)
  • Matt Breida, Buffalo Bills (apparently he’s a thing now)
  • Duke Johnson, Miami Dolphins (activated, 4 touches in Week 11)
  • Jaret Patterson, Washington Football Team (Antonio Gibson insurance)
  • Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals (TD flier)
  • Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers (TD flier)

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 11 free-agent forecast

A quiet week on the wire still offers plenty of help.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated. FAAB $ amounts are based on a $100 budget.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Bye weeks: Broncos, Rams

Fantasy football waiver wire targets

Priority free agents

1) QB Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers: Superman returns to Krypton, err Carolina, and is poised to start in Week 11. He came in cold Sunday and accounted for two scores. The veteran may not be the physical terror he once was, and he’s always an injury liability, but Cam’s scoring prowess on the ground and weaponry around him creates a must-own situation in 12-plus-team leagues. Carolina faces Washington and Miami in the next two games before going on bye. Following the week off, the schedule isn’t terrible (ATL, @BUF, TB, @NO, TB). It may not always be pretty, but we’re approaching the playoffs, and injuries can derail an otherwise strong roster. Newton offers insurance and matchup-based utility.

Availability: 84%
FAAB
: $20-21

2) RB Wayne Gallman, Atlanta Falcons: Cordarrelle Patterson can’t do it alone, and Mike Davis has been substandard in 2021. Gallman saw 15 carries to Davis’ four in Week 10, generating 55 yards plus another 21 via his lone reception on two targets. The latter domain belongs to Patterson, but the backfield may quickly be turned over to Gallman as the bell cow. He played admirably while replacing Saquon Barkley in New York last year, and an opportunity is all it takes at the most volatile position in the game. Week 11 brings in the New England Patriots on a short week, and the remaining schedule is a mixed bag, but Gallman belongs on rosters until this picture becomes a little clearer. There’s more long-term potential here than what Rhamondre Stevenson offers, although the rookie is more gifted.

Availability: 99%
FAAB: $20-21

3) RB Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots: This one kind of stinks because of the situation and through no fault of Stevenson’s. The Patriots were without starting back Damien Harris (concussion) vs. Cleveland, creating an opportunity for the rookie to rack up 100 yards and a pair of scores on 20 totes. He has the chops to get it done, and there will be opportunities in Week 11 at Atlanta, provided Harris sits again. That said, if the Alabama product returns after only a one-game absence, Stevenson becomes unplayable in all but the most desperate of situations. He should be rostered, even though the Pats love to play games with the touches, but gamers are in a tough spot knowing how much to invest. Spend up if you’re a Harris owner.

Availability: 69%
FAAB
: $19-20

4) WR Marcus Johnson, Tennessee Titans: The Titans called Johnson’s name six times in Week 10 with Julio Jones (hamstring) on IR and ineligible to play until after Tennessee’s Week 13 bye. Johnson hauled in five passes for 100 yards on the nose and did not score. He’s going to see single coverage and has no one of note but A.J. Brown to steal looks from him. The Titans may toy with fantasy owners and work in Nick Westbrook-Ikhine more than a single target some weeks, and Chester Rogers occasionally is in the mix, too, but no one aside from Brown in this receiving corps has shown the ability to get into triple digits like Johnson. He tallied an individual 100-yard performance in each of the past two seasons as a seldom-used Indianapolis Colts reserve. Johnson should have deep-league utility in the next two weeks (HOU, @NE) before Jones is able to return.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $11-12

5) TE Tyler Conklin, Minnesota Vikings: Conklin has at least five targets in each of those games, and he was getting it done with scoreless volume until finding the end zone twice in Week 10 on just three grabs for 11 yards. In Week 11, the Vikings host the Green Bay Packers — a defense that has put the clamps on tight ends in 2021. Injuries and personnel changes at linebacker could give Conklin some utility this week, but he’s primarily included here after four straight games in PPR double figures. Minnesota’s standout receiving duo keeps defenders focused away from Conklin, and defensive attention paid to Dalvin Cook around the stripe makes him just that much more dangerous.

Availability: 70%
FAAB
: $11-12

[lawrence-related id=462114]

One-week plays

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions at Cleveland Browns: Aside from Week 7 vs. a strong Los Angeles Rams unit, the rookie has been targeted at least five times in each of the most recent six games (Week 9 bye). St. Brown landed four of six looks for 61 yards against Pittsburgh and continues his AFC North road stand with a trip to Cleveland. The Browns allowed WRs to average top-10 figures for receptions, yardage and scoring efficiency in the five weeks leading up to the Patriots’ unheralded cast of wideouts scoring twice and going for 157 yards on eight catches by the team’s top duo. St. Brown has a quality matchup and could be used in a pinch if you’re without one of six useful wideouts from the two bye teams.

Availability: 94%
FAAB
: $5-6

TE Adam Trautman, New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles: Trautman — an offseason sleeper for many until a late-summer injury — never really clicked with Jameis Winston but has settled in nicely over the last few weeks. He has season highs in receptions each of the past two games, and Trautman’s number has been called 6.33 times, on average, in the last three contests. Philadelphia allowed ridiculously good stats to TEs over the five-week span entering Week 10, and while Denver tight ends didn’t score Sunday, they combined for 136 yards on eight grabs.

Availability: 95%
FAAB
: $3-4

PK Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Chargers: Regardless of whether Ben Roethlisberger (COVID) returns, Boswell has fared well the past two weeks. He heads on the road to face a Los Angeles Chargers group that has given up serious work to kickers of late. The team entered Week 10 as the sixth-weakest unit at limiting kickers in fantasy, and Minnesota’s Greg Joseph added two field goals as well as a trio of TD-cappers to the tally. The injury woes on Pittsburgh’s end, even if Big Ben returns could lead to increased work for Boswell.

Availability: 68%
FAAB: $0-1

PK Zane Gonzalez, Carolina Panthers vs. Washington Football Team: Gonzalez has scored 17 fantasy points twice in the last three games, including in Week 10, and he stands to benefit from Newton’s return to the offense. The Panthers face a Washington group that has given up two field goal attempts in three straight contests and at least that many six times overall this year. Carolina probably won’t be a well-oiled machine in Cam’s first start of the year, which could lead to hiccups in Washington territory.

Availability: 68%
FAAB: $0-1

Miami Dolphins D/ST at New York Jets: Regardless of which quarterback Robert Saleh decides to start, the Dolphins should make a heck of a splash in fantasy. This defense has nine sacks over the last two weeks and six takeaways, including one defensive score. The Jets are somewhere between hapless and hopeless at the moment, and even a veteran with Joe Flacco’s pedigree shouldn’t be considered a huge upgrade over Mike White, presuming Zach Wilson (knee) is unable to play.

Availability: 75%
FAAB: $0-1

Grab & stash

RB D’Onta Foreman, Tennessee Titans: Getting touches but doing almost nothing with them … he could have utility down the stretch, perhaps starting this week vs. his former employer, Houston. The rest of the schedule leans in his favor, and Foreman should be rostered in deeper formats. Those in more casual leagues can treat him as a matchup-based flier.

Availability: 97%
FAAB: $2-3

Keep your eye on ’em

WR Tre’Quan Smith, New Orleans Saints: The veteran receiver likely is rostered in deep/competitive formats, but he widely available in more casual settings. That’s bound to change to a degree after he caught four of seven targets for 44 yards and a score in Week 10, his second week out of the last three with 12 or more PPR points. Ahead, however, it gets dicey against the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills, so see how he performs before investing in relaxed leagues. He can be bumped into the “grab-n-stash” column for advanced leagues.

Availability: 90%

Eligible-to-return tracker

The following fantasy-relevant players are eligible to return from the Reserve/Injured list and could be on waivers, but inclusion below doesn’t guarantee coming back in the upcoming week. The date when the player was placed on IR is in parentheses.

  • PK Rodrigo Blankenship, Indianapolis Colts (10/16)
  • TE Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team (10/6)

Deep diving for running backs

If you’re in a competitive league, it is unlikely running backs are just chillin’ on the waiver wire. But that doesn’t mean gamers aren’t still in need of “break in case of emergency” running backs. These players could be available for a dumpster dive:

  • Matt Breida, Buffalo Bills (apparently he’s a thing now)
  • Ameer Abdullah, Carolina Panthers (continues to see targets)
  • Jaret Patterson, Washington Football Team (Antonio Gibson insurance)
  • Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals (TD flier)
  • Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers (TD flier)

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 10 free-agent forecast

Fantasy owners need to make roster room for these players.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated. FAAB $ amounts are based on a $100 budget.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Bye weeks: Bears, Bengals, Giants, Texans

Fantasy football waiver wire targets

Priority free agents

1) WR Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers: Last week, Aiyuk made an appearance in the “stash” section in case Kyle Shanahan decided to come to his senses after we saw the second-year receiver get targeted a season-high seven times in Week 8. This past Sunday, San Fran looked his way eight times, resulting in a 6-89-1 line (plus one fumble lost). With several matchups ahead that suggest increased passing volume by the Niners, Aiyuk is a weekly lineup decision once again. San Francisco faces LAR, @JAC, MIN, @SEA and @CIN in the next five games — if he cannot maintain utility in that stretch, he’s not worth rostering.

Availability: 40%
FAAB
: $12-13

2) WR Elijah Moore, New York Jets: Recommended in this space as a one-week play vs. Indianapolis, Moore delivered the goods to the the tune of 7-84-2 on eight targets, spanning a pair of backup quarterbacks. The Jets face Buffalo, a defense that has allowed receivers to rack up short-area catches but do little with them, this week, and then Moore takes on the Miami Dolphins — fantasy’s best PPR matchup for the position entering Week 9. Week 11 sends him to Houston for another exploitable defensive matchup. The rookie has scored at least 10 PPR points in three straight and warrants a low-end flex play even with this difficult Buffalo defense ahead. Be more skeptical of him upon QB Zach Wilson’s return from a knee injury, however.

Availability: 73%
FAAB
: $11-12

3) RB Devonta Freeman, Baltimore Ravens: After the upcoming game against Buffalo, Baltimore has positive matchups for Freeman against Miami, at Houston, and vs. Philly. The way the veteran has played the last two weeks should earn him more time the field, even when Latavius Murray returns. Freeman is likely rostered in competitive circles but shouldn’t be hovering anywhere near 50 percent at this point. Play him vs. Buffalo only if necessary, due to his receiving skills, but look at him as an RB2 target for the other three matchups in the next month.

Availability: 50%
FAAB
: $15-16

4) RB Ty Johnson, New York Jets: Johnson gets a bump from “only if you’re super desperate” to “must be owned in all formats” following his fourth straight game in PPR double figures. In the last month, he has scored once on the ground and twice via the passing game, averaging more than five targets per contest in the last three weeks. Buffalo isn’t an ideal opponent to face in Week 10, but the versatile back has a fighting chance of keeping his double-digit streak alive. The following three games pits him against a trio of easily exploitable defenses, creating one of the easiest schedules for running backs in that window.

Availability: 87%
FAAB: $9-10

5) WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns: No OBJ means more DPJ … and, in Week 9, it resulted in a TD. Volume won’t be on his side, because that’s not how this offense operates, but we’ll see the occasional deep shot at trying to catch defenders off-guard as they focus so much on this backfield. The Michigan product has the necessary vertical game to stretch the field, and he’s a reasonable weekly lineup option in the next trio of games heading into a Week 13 bye. Cleveland heads on the road to face New England, returns home for Detroit, and then hits the trail once again for a visit to Baltimore — all three of these defenses ranked inside of the top 11 for yards per catch allowed to the position.

Availability: 87%
FAAB
: $9-10

6) RB Eno Benjamin, Arizona Cardinals: Chase Edmonds sprained his ankle and could miss up to six weeks as the typical long end of a high-ankle sprain prognosis. Arizona will rely heavily on James Conner, and rightfully so, but Benjamin could be worth a sniff in deeper setups. Arizona gave him nine carries in Week 9’s blowout win vs. San Fran, and he found the end zone to help justify their efforts to get him more involved — not bad for a 2020 seventh-rounder who has a total of 11 career rushing attempts. We’re talking “warm body at a vital position” territory here, so don’t get overly excited about him. One ancillary perk: Conner is brittle, so this could turn into something even more interesting with a little misfortune.

Availability: 99%
FAAB: $8-9

7) WR Olamide Zaccheaus, Atlanta Falcons: We’re at the stage of the season where you begin to see a lot of “last week we told you to keep an eye on Player X, and now he is ascending” … Zaccheaus fits the bill. He was included as a “watch list” — the entire Atlanta receiving corps was — after Calvin Ridley stepped away. Zaccheaus snagged only three passes in Week 9, but two of them were good for scores, and that should be the only reason a gamer is concentrating attention his way. Roster Zaccheaus and see how this plays out. He can be used in a pinch with four teams on bye once more in Week 10. At Dallas this week will be a decent barometer, and then he has meetings with several of the more susceptible pass defenses (NE, @JAC, TB, @CAR). There’s staying power with selective deployment ahead.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $5-6

8) WR DeSean Jackson, Las Vegas Raiders: At 35 nearly years old, Jackson still has the wheels to get over the top. And he has a quarterback who loves chucking it down field. The veteran journeyman will have utility in a pinch as he bids to fill the vertical role left behind following the release of Henry Ruggs III. The Raiders play five straight teams with varying degrees of weakness at stopping the long ball. He should maintain enough weekly utility to trot him out to cover a bye or as an injury fill-in.

Availability: 96%
FAAB
: $3-4

[lawrence-related id=461887]

One-week plays

RB Le’Veon Bell, Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins: This one comes with a caveat: Only play Bell if Latavius Murray remains out. Bell has scored a TD in two of his last three games, but until Week 9, the volume wasn’t there to any worthwhile level. His 11 carries (no targets) came in a tight game vs. Minnesota and produced 48 yards with a score, but as long as Devonta Freeman is rolling as he has been, Bell is only a deep-league flier for a cheap TD vs. a defense that has given them out like candy.

Availability: 95%
FAAB
: $3-4

TE Tyler Conklin, Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Chargers: Five different tight ends have scored in the eight games played by LA this year, coming at a rate of once every 8.4 receptions. The position has struggled the last two weeks, which could make Conklin even riskier than usual, but some of that is due to the teams being able to attack on the outside as the Chargers have been mired by injuries at cornerback. In the three previous games, however, each opponent had a TE score, and David Njoku went for a ridiculous 7-149-1 line. Conklin may not score a 71-yard TD, but something around 70 total yards and a score isn’t out of the question.

Availability: 84%
FAAB
: $2-3

TE Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: With TDs in consecutive games, Doyle is on the radar once again. However, last week, his only grab was the one-yard shovel pass TD, and there’s always the threat of Mo Alie-Cox returning to his TD-vulturing ways. Super risky, but fortune favors the bold. Jacksonville has allowed nothing the last two games vs. TEs (Gerald Everett and Tommy Sweeney), but three scores and as many double-digit PPR showings were surrendered in the previous three games.

Availability: 84%
FAAB
: $1-2

PK Greg Joseph, Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Chargers: Kickers have averaged 2.25 field goal attempts and a trio of extra points vs. the Chargers in the last four games. Philly’s Jake Elliott failed to get into double figures last week as he was afforded only one three-point try, but five kickers have attempted two or more field goals and four have 10-plus points in 2021 against this unit in typical fantasy scoring. The offensive vs. defensive strengths suggest Joseph could kick two-plus field goals and add his name to the list of prolific fantasy outings.

Availability: 68%
FAAB: $0-1

Baltimore Ravens D/ST at Miami Dolphins: In leagues that deduct fantasy points for giving up real ones, Baltimore has scored in the red its last two games. This defense has a combined minus-two fantasy points in those outings, which spans a Week 8 bye, and its fantasy ownership has dipped accordingly. Whether Miami trots out Tua Tagovailoa or Jacoby Brissett, the future is bright for Baltimore as a one-week play.

Availability: 68%
FAAB: $0-1

Grab & stash

RB Brandon Bolden, New England Patriots: While erratic and risky, Bolden has a place on rosters in deep formats, but he’s closer to a watch lister for more casual setups. Given the concussion concerns with Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson, Bolden is a fringe lineup consideration for Week 10. His receiving skills keep him in the conversation some weeks, but a greater chance of increased playing time could make him a flex flier this week vs. Cleveland. In the event he draws more PT in Week 11, a trip to Atlanta cannot hurt his chances of relevancy. Stash him until we know more about Harris and Stevenson, because if both are healthy for Week 10, Bolden is untrustworthy in all but the deepest of settings.

Availability: 38%
FAAB: $2-3

WR T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts: The matchup for WRs is favorable over the next month or so, presuming Hilton can overcome a concussion suffered two games ago and actually stay on the field. In the next four weeks, he faces three exploitable units and one that he has thoroughly owned in his career. Even this sad, shambling carcass of a former star still should be able to make a little noise against Jacksonville and Houston. On the surface, he’s a no-go vs. Buffalo in Week 11 and a bit risky against Tampa the following game, but the way Indy defends the pass, volume could work on his side in both contests.

Availability: 72%
FAAB
: $0-1

Keep your eye on ’em

RB Jeff Wilson Jr., San Francisco 49ers: Wilson was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform ahead of Week 9 but didn’t see a utilization, even with Trey Sermon inactive. The ground game remained firmly in Elijah Mitchell’s grasp, and Wilson’s TD-stealing ways were put on the back burner. Will he see an uptick in work going forward? Hard to say. Sermon wasn’t touching the ball the last few weeks anyway, but Kyle Shanahan was a strong advocate for Wilson in the past. San Francisco faces the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10, which is a favorable enough matchup on the ground, and a Week 11 trip to Jacksonville makes Wilson a possible TD target. If he remains underutilized or outright continues to be ignored, you know what to do with him.

Availability: 38%

Eligible-to-return tracker

The following fantasy-relevant players are eligible to return from the Reserve/Injured list and could be on waivers, but inclusion below doesn’t guarantee coming back in the upcoming week. The date when the player was placed on IR is in parentheses.

  • PK Rodrigo Blankenship, Indianapolis Colts (10/16)
  • TE Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team (10/6)
  • WR Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys (9/13)

Deep diving for running backs

If you’re in a competitive league, it is unlikely running backs are just chillin’ on the waiver wire. But that doesn’t mean gamers aren’t still in need of “break in case of emergency” running backs. These players could be available for a dumpster dive:

  • D’Onta Foreman, Tennessee Titans (TD flier)
  • Jaret Patterson, Washington Football Team (Antonio Gibson insurance)
  • Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals (TD flier)
  • Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers (TD flier)

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 9 free-agent forecast

High-profile injuries have gamers working overtime on the wire.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated. FAAB $ amounts are based on a $100 budget.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Bye weeks: Lions, Seahawks, Buccaneers, Football Team

Fantasy football waiver wire targets

Priority free agents

1) Derrick Henry’s replacement: Henry (foot) has a Jones fracture, which will cost him 6-10 weeks after surgery on Tuesday. Early reports from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport say Tennessee is working out running back Adrian Peterson.

Peterson is a logical replacement, and despite his advanced age, he proved capable of getting the job done last year. He is now fresh as a daisy, too. Be prepared to pounce. In fact, if you’re in a competitive league and have the ability to drop someone from KC, NYG, LV or BAL ahead of Monday Night Football, go for it. Some leagues allow for first-come, first-served waivers right up to kickoff of MNF, and since none of those four teams have played yet, all of their players are eligible to be dropped.

No one player — or 10 — can directly replace Henry, so we’ll see some kind of time share. RB Jeremy McNichols should be the third-down guy. The primary backup, Darrynton Evans (knee), is on Injured Reserve.

With such a huge loss in fantasy, be aggressive. Peterson hasn’t even signed yet, so recognize the risk in being too aggressive. AD is not a lock to be signed, and this is a preemptive recommendation. The 4 p.m. EDT Tuesday trade deadline will dictate where this one heads.

Other notable options speculatively could include Todd Gurley, Brian Hill, and Frank Gore.

Availability: N/A
FAAB
: TBD

2) RBs Boston Scott & Jordan Howard, Philadelphia Eagles: Let’s assume Miles Sanders returns after his three weeks on IR, which means we’ll see him in Week 11 vs. a stout New Orleans run D. Los Angeles’ weakness is stopping the run, and Denver has degraded in a serious way over the last five weeks. This defense went from the 11th-toughest unit on the season-long front to the third weakest over the last three weeks.

Two caveats: Philly rarely ran before Sanders went down, and they faced the Detroit Lions in a blowout win. Those points out of the way, both Scott and Howard saw double-digit touches and each scored a pair of touchdowns. It’s a little mystifying they didn’t give Kenneth Gainwell an earnest chance until the game was out of hand, but we should at least be happy Nick Sirianni remembered the offense is allowed to run the ball.

Availability: 80% (Scott) & 99% (Howard)
FAAB
: $24-26 (Scott) & $21-23 (Howard)

3) RB Carlos Hyde, Jacksonville Jaguars: A few times, Hyde has appeared in this article as a recommended handcuff for James Robinson. The second-year J-Rob has a bruised heel and could miss time … or maybe not. We just don’t know the extent of this one, and neither did head coach Urban Meyer. The opportunity to see the bulk of the carries is appealing, yet the immediate schedule is anything but with matchups vs. BUF, at IND, and vs. San Fran. Roster Hyde in the scenario Robinson misses time and bye weeks or other injuries force your hand to play him despite a tough matchup. Just don’t invest too much to make it happen.

Availability: 94%
FAAB
: $13-14

4) RB Ty Johnson, New York Jets: Prior to Week 8, Johnson had averaged 8.5 utilizations over the first six games — nothing special, but every bit helps during bye weeks and at the infirmed position. While Johnson has been capped at five rushing attempts since his season-high 12 totes in Week 2, 13 total targets in the last two games shouldn’t be ignored. He has 11 catches and 13 or more fantasy points in those outings. The Jets aren’t a great team, obviously, but that helps pass-catching backs, and Johnson proved to be immune to a quarterback change. Wide receiver deficiencies have him in the mix, regardless of the matchup.

Availability: 95%
FAAB: $9-10

5) WR Jamal Agnew, Jacksonville Jaguars: Three straight games Agnew has at least six targets and five or more receptions. Although the yardage has been capped at 78 and lower than 42 in two of those three contests, the former cornerback has 10 or more PPR points in teach of those outings. He also is coming off a 12-target performance, and Trevor Lawrence clearly has faith in him since DJ Chark Jr. was lost for the year.

Availability: 98%
FAAB
: $4-5

6) QB Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders: Vegas comes out of the break and faces one of the softest fantasy schedules of any team. Looking ahead, Carr battles at the New York Giants, returns home for the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, and then goes on the road for a Thanksgiving Day trip to Dallas. Afterward, a return home to face the lowly Washington pass defense, and a trip to KC in Week 14 carries us through the schedule in which bye weeks are an issue.

Availability: 38%
FAAB: $4-5

7) TE Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers: Regardless of Eric Ebron’s health, Freiermuth has taken over as the TE1 of this offense. He posted 7-58-0 in Week 6 before the bye week and came out of the break with a 4-44-1 line. His touchdown grab was a masterpiece, and the season-long loss of wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster opened a weekly role for a possession weapon with a QB whose deep ball leaves something to be desired.

Availability: 90%
FAAB: $3-4

8) WR DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins: He’ll be inconsistent, but coming back from injury to log 11 targets, eight catches and 85 yards — all season highs. He last dressed in Week 4 and finished with 4-77-1. In his five appearances, he has three games with at least four grabs, 77 yards and 12-plus PPR points. While we’ve see a roller coaster from Tua Tagovailoa, Parker should be universally owned as long as he’s healthy.

Availability: 65%
FAAB
: $3-4

9) PK Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders: Check the wire since he is returning from a bye week. Carlson had nailed at least two field goals in five of seven outings, and he has nine or more fantasy points in as many contests. If you’re tired of rotating kickers from the wire, Carlson has staying power in an offense that will continue to provide work.

Availability: 74%
FAAB: $1-2

One-week plays

QB Davis Mills, Houston Texans vs. Miami Dolphins: This one is super risky for a few reasons … the erratic rookie’s highs have been impressive, whereas his lows have been catastrophically bad. Then there’s the looming chance of Tyrod Taylor returning this week after reportedly being close in Week 8. That said, if it is indeed Taylor under center, he’s a reasonable swap into this spot. While Mills should be given a legit chance to start the rest of the way, head coach David Culley appears to favor the veteran — perhaps that changed after this rookie’s strong Week 9 showing vs. a damning LA Rams defense. Quarterbacks have averaged the third-most fantasy points per game since Week 3 vs. the Dolphins. Granted, the competition that has exploited Miami has been stiff, but there’s still moderate upside for Mills to do some damage.

Availability: 98%
FAAB
: $1-2

WR Elijah Moore, New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts: Thirteen receivers have at least four catches vs. the Colts this year, and 10 have gone for 12-plus fantasy points in PPR scoring. The short week means Mike White is likely to start once again at quarterback, and he looked to the rookie six times vs. Cincinnati in Week 8, resulting in 6-67-0. The prior week, Moore ran in a TD vs. New England, which is an added bonus to know he may be utilized in such a way. Four teams on bye means we need to dig a little deeper sometimes, and Moore makes for a worthwhile PPR flex play.

Availability: 84%
FAAB
: $1-2

TE Mo Alie-Cox, Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Jets: Four targets in Week 8 resulted in a big, fat zero in the receptions column. Not encouraging. However, with a season-high of three catches in any single game entering the week, don’t be turned off too much. Alie-Cox’s role isn’t to rack up volume … he’s a “play-n-pray” TD gamble in fantasy. New York has allowed three TE touchdowns in the last four games, and using data from the past three weeks shows this matchup has been 140.1 percent weaker than the league average.

Availability: 84%
FAAB
: $1-2

PK Jason Sanders, Miami Dolphins vs. Houston Texans: The past five games vs. Houston have resulted in kickers scoring no fewer than seven fantasy points. Every kick but one extra point has been true, tallying 6-for-6 on three-pointers and 15 of 16 overall kicking attempts. The matchup is 46.4 percent better than average since Week 3. Sanders, for his part in this equation, hasn’t missed an XPA this year (14), but he has been on a wild ride when it comes to field goals with three misses in the last six tries. The offense vs. defense matchup profiles as a little bit of a struggle for Miami, which could result in more treys.

Availability: 90%
FAAB: $0-1

[lawrence-related id=461678]

Grab & stash

WR Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers: A disastrous start to his season finally showed a bright spot with seven looks — the highest involvement of 2021 for Aiyuk — and a four-catch, 45-yard day. He added a two-point conversion. Given how limited he has been involved, and the looming prospect of Trey Lance taking over at some point this year, Aiyuk remains ultra risky.

Availability: 49%
FAAB
: $2-3

WR Gabriel Davis, Buffalo Bills: Davis has been a total flop this year, that is until he came off the bye week and posted a 4-29-1 line — not special, but he had one more target than Emmanuel Sanders, who was blanked on his four looks. Davis has shown what he can do during a seven-score rookie season a year ago, and Sanders isn’t the future, so one has to question if we’re starting to see a transition. While I’m skeptical, Davis is worth stashing in deeper leagues to find out where this is headed.

Availability: 98%
FAAB
: $1-2

TE Foster Moreau, Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders return from a Week 8 bye, and Darren Waller’s injury situation has him facing a day-to-day status. Vegas returns to face the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively, and both are friendly enough opponents for tight ends. The position is a staple in this passing game, and Moreau can build on his Week 7 performance if given the same role. If you can, stash him until we definitively know Waller’s availability.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $0-1

TE Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team: A recommendation for people with extra storage space: Thomas is appearing on more and more waiver wires of late, and he’s expected to return after Washington’s Week 9. Upon his return, in Week 10, Thomas has three straight weeks vs. top-10 matchups in his favor.

Availability: 47%
FAAB
: $0-1

Keep your eye on ’em

Atlanta Falcons wide receivers: With Calvin Ridley stepping away indefinitely as he focuses on personal matters, Atlanta has a sizeable target share to be seized. Last week, Russell Gage Jr. was included as a recommendation, but he wasn’t even targeted in a losing effort without Ridley. That perfectly illustrates the volatility of this passing game. Tajae Sharpe led the team in receiving Sunday, and Olamide Zaccheaus will have a chance to step up his involvement. Given the erratic nature, it’s best to watch how this shakes out vs. New Orleans. In all actuality, we’re probably looking at Kyle Pitts and Cordarrelle Patterson as the only contributors with any fantasy relevance from week to week.

TE Dan Arnold, Jacksonville Jaguars: In the last three games, following the loss of WR DJ Chark Jr., after Arnold was traded from Carolina earlier in the year, the versatile tight end has 23 targets in the last three contests. He hasn’t scored since Week 14 of 2020 two teams ago, but Arnold catches passes from a rookie QB and on a franchise with a porous defense. The opportunities should be there more often than not, and he’s worth watching in most formats but could be rostered in a pinch.

Availability: 96%

Eligible-to-return tracker

The following fantasy-relevant players are eligible to return from the Reserve/Injured list and could be on waivers, but inclusion below doesn’t guarantee coming back in the upcoming week. The date when the player was placed on IR is in parentheses.

  • PK Rodrigo Blankenship, Indianapolis Colts (10/16)
  • PK Robbie Gould, San Francisco 49ers (10/6)
  • TE Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team (10/6)
  • WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Green Bay Packers (10/2)
  • WR Tyrell Williams, Detroit Lions (9/23)
  • WR Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys (9/13)

Deep diving for running backs

If you’re in a competitive league, it is unlikely running backs are just chillin’ on the waiver wire. But that doesn’t mean gamers aren’t still in need of “break in case of emergency” running backs. These players could be available for a dumpster dive:

  • RB Jeremy McNichols, Tennessee Titans (PPR only)
  • RB Scottie Phillips & Rex Burkhead, Houston Texans (8 utilizations each w/o Mark Ingram)
  • RB Jaret Patterson, Washington Football Team (Antonio Gibson insurance)
  • Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers (FB with an adoring coach)
  • Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts (maybe gets traded?)

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 8 free-agent forecast

Can a cakewalk schedule make Jameis “Fantasy Famous” once again?

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated. FAAB $ amounts are based on a $100 budget.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Bye weeks: Raiders, Ravens

Fantasy football waiver wire targets

Priority free agents

1) RB Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles: Miles Sanders was carted off after suffering an ankle injury in Week 7, just at a time in which head coach Nick Sirianni decided running the football might actually help the team. The injury appeared serious enough to cost Sanders a few games or so, and initial reports call it a sprain. Gainwell, a versatile rookie, will see an uptick in touches. He had been utilized barely enough in the passing game early in the year to warrant a speculative waiver add prior to bye weeks, but his role trailed off leading up to Sanders getting hurt. Boston Scott will be factored into the backfield to a degree, but we saw last year he isn’t capable of shouldering more than a handful of touches per week. Gainwell is a must-add in all formats. His current FAAB price is based on the speculative idea we won’t see Sanders for two or three weeks.

Availability: 79%
FAAB
: $29-31

2) QB Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints: Prior to the Week 6 bye, Winston was included in this space as a stash option, mostly due to his extremely easy schedule for the next month or so. The Week 7 game has yet to be played at publishing time, and it will be updated with any news that may affect this recommendation. Michael Thomas (ankle) could be activated over the upcoming week or two, and WR Tre’Quan Smith’s return will take some pressure off receiver Marquez Callaway. Winston’s upcoming opponents after Seattle (which is a cake matchup): TB, ATL, @TEN, @PHI, BUF, and DAL … Excluding Philly and Buffalo, we’re looking at four top-eight matchups.

Availability: 49%
FAAB
: $4-5

3) RB Brandon Bolden, New England Patriots: Everyone behind Damien Harris in this backfield is a crapshoot in terms of weekly fantasy utility, so keep that in mind. In Week 6, we saw Bolden get slightly dinged up and Rhamondre Stevenson seemingly return to Bill Belichick’s good graces, only for the rookie to become a healthy scratch once again this past weekend as Bolden returned and J.J. Taylor was active. The latter scored twice on the turf in a blowout win, but Bolden has PPR staying power as long as he’s healthy.

Availability: 94%
FAAB: $8-10

6) WR Russell Gage Jr., Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons have started to come around of late as head coach Arthur Smith’s system is being digested, and we saw Gage remind us in Week 7 why he was a preseason sleeper. Landing four of six targets for 67 yards and a score is likely his ceiling, but the Falcons will have to pass a ton, and Calvin Ridley isn’t getting an inch of breathing room right now. Gage will disappear some weeks as the game plan favors throwing to the running backs, and not every contest will afford Matt Ryan the luxury of making Ridley, Gage and Kyle Pitts relevant. That said, Gage absolutely is worthy of a roster spot with upcoming meetings against Carolina, New Orleans, Dallas, New England, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Carolina again, San Francisco, and Detroit before finally heading to Buffalo in the fantasy championship week. That is one of the softest WR schedules you’ll find.

Availability: 90%
FAAB
: $2-3

5) WR Kendrick Bourne, New England Patriots: Two Patriots in the top five … not how this was drawn up. Bourne has managed to produce at least 10 PPR points in four of his last five outings, and the defensively challenged Patriots will ask Mac Jones to throw more than desired by the coaching staff. Bourne is pacing for his best fantasy season to date, and the latter four of his next five opponents (@LAC, @CAR, CLE, @ATL, TEN) are quite pleasant matchups for the position.

Availability: 94%
FAAB
: $3-4

6) RB Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals: Last week, we noted whichever Bengals back between Perine and rookie Chris Evans would be active is the worth playing vs. Baltimore, and the veteran lived up to expectations. There was chatter going into the year that Joe Mixon would lose a decent number of touches to Perine, and we’ve seen 16 and 17 touches, respectively, go Perine’s direction in his last two games (missed Week 6 on the COVID list). One game was close, the other was a blowout, so we’ll take that as a sign this team is looking to keep Mixon as fresh as possible for a likely playoff push. The Bengals face a hapless New York Jets’ run defense in Week 8, but it swings to basically the opposite end of the spectrum vs. Cleveland ahead of Cincy’s Week 10 vacation. Roster Perine at least until then as the schedule stiffens after the break.

Availability: 93%
FAAB: $3-4

7) TE Mo Alie-Cox, Indianapolis Colts: With at least 8.0 PPR points to his credit in the last four games, Alie-Cox has relevance in fantasy, especially since he scored four touchdowns in that window. He has a low-volume, moderate-upside profile and will provide better than a puncher’s chance of finding paydirt as gamers navigate upcoming bye weeks and current injuries. Each of his next five opponents have allowed at least two scores to the position this year, and four of those teams rank inside of the top 10 for TE matchups.

Availability: 83%
FAAB: $1-2

8) WR Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams: Every third game Jefferson has been a worthy fantasy contributor, but patterns like that are closer to meaningless than reliable. The more important trend to note is his sheer lack of utility in the games in which he doesn’t score a touchdown. We’re talking three times with fewer than five PPR points and one that topped out at 8.2. Los Angeles has a host of weapons, but upcoming matchups with CAR, @NO, @DAL, NE, @JAC, and TB will make Jefferson a viable flier play each week as we traverse bye weeks and injuries.

Availability: 91%
FAAB: $1-2

9) WR Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers: This one is lukewarm based on the situation, but the upcoming matchups are tremendous. Green Bay faces Arizona, KC and Seattle the next three weeks, which will keep Aaron Rodgers’ right arm plenty busy. The downside concern here is two-fold: Marquez Valdes-Scantling is eligible to return to cut into Lazard’s PT, and there’s also the unpredictability of which non-Davante Adams wideout will make a difference from week to week. If you can stomach as much risk as potential reward, Lazard has a hint of utility with a short run of staying power.

Availability: 96%
FAAB
: $1-2

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One-week plays

QB Teddy Bridgewater, Denver Broncos vs. Washington Football Team: Bridgewater should get WR Jerry Jeudy back into the mix this week, and he still has a trio of capable pass-catchers in Tim Patrick, Courtland Sutton and Noah Fant. Denver’s defense continues to take injury hits, and Teddy B. has thrown an average of 40 passes in his past three games. He has north of 260 yards and two scores in four of seven appearances, which is encouraging, but the real reason for his inclusion is the extent of how much Washington stinks vs. QBs. In 2021, the position has averaged 2.71 TDs and 311.1 yards per game, making this the top matchup. Six quarterbacks have at least 27 fantasy points scored against Washington this year.

Availability: 80%
FAAB
: $3-4

TE C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets: There’s definite risk in stumping for Uzomah, even with a wonderful matchup, just because this offense has so many outlets for the football. Running the risk he could be lost in the mix, understand what kind of possible peril you’re assuming. The Jets have played pretty well vs. wide receivers, which is Cincy’s strength, but running backs and tight ends have chewed them up. In the past five weeks, New York looked more like gangrene than Gang Green. TEs have averaged 18.8 PPR points on the eighth-most catches and yards per game. Two of the 30 grabs have scored.

Availability: 82%
FAAB
: $2-3

TE Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers have allowed serious volume to the position — the eighth-most catches and 11th-highest yardage averages since Week 2 — but this is the seventh-best opponent to face for ease of touchdowns by TEs. One in every 7.8 grabs has found the end zone, which bodes well for a guy who … only finds the end zone. Johnson has six total grabs and three scores in 2021. The level of risk here cannot be understated, yet the appeal is obvious. With Darren Waller (injured) and Mark Andrews on bye, gamers may find themselves willing to gamble.

Availability: 94%
FAAB
: $0-1

PK Chase McLaughlin, Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: The past two weeks haven’t exactly gone McLaughlin’s way, but we’re encouraged about this one. These teams always battle each other like it’s the last game they’ll ever play, and offensive injuries on Cleveland’s behalf could lead to a low-scoring affair. Some of it depends on what version of Browns defense shows up. The Steelers have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to the position on the strength of 11-for-11 kicking for each field goals and extra points. Five of six opponents have at least seven fantasy points, and McLaughlin has attempted two or more FGAs in four of the past five outings.

Availability: 90%
FAAB: $0-1

Cincinnati Bengals D/ST vs New York Jets: It may seem odd to have so many Bengals in one waiver article, but here we are … not to discredit the success of Cincinnati this year, we’ll chalk this one up to all that is the New York Jets offense. QB Zach Wilson has a sprained knee and will miss a few weeks, so we’re likely looking at Mike White as the Week 8 starter. Versus New England last week, coming in cold, he threw 32 times, completing a respectable 62.5 percent of them, for 202 yards, one TD and a pair of picks. QB Josh Johnson is the only other passer on the team, so he’s likely to get elevated from the practice squad. In the event he starts, this matchup play holds true. Only five teams have more sacks than the Bengals this year, and this defense is just two away from the league lead. Sacks and pressure tend to create mistakes, especially from inexperienced QBs.

Availability: 42%
FAAB
: $0-1

Atlanta Falcons D/ST vs. Carolina Panthers: Sam Darnold was benched last week and replaced by P.J. Walker — an experiment that didn’t go any better — somehow worse, in fact. Even though Darnold has closely resembled the New York version of himself the last three weeks, he should return to the lineup. Atlanta’s defense doesn’t have much going for it from an accomplishment standpoint, so this one is all about banking on Darnold being awful once again. In the past five weeks, only four offenses have allowed more fantasy points per game to opposing defensive teams — and two of those squads required special teams TDs to make it happen.

Availability: 97%
FAAB
: $0-1

Grab & stash

QB Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins: While recommending Tua as the Deshaun Watson trade winds approach hurricane speeds isn’t exactly safe, risk-averse owners see an opportunity to roster him after consecutive games with 26-plus-point fantasy days, including career-high 33.5 points vs. Atlanta. Granted, both of those performances came against easily exploitable defenses, but Tagovailoa mustering fantasy-relevant stats vs. Houston (Week 9) and Baltimore (Week 10) after Buffalo has its way with him this upcoming week isn’t out of the question. Stash him for now as by weeks pick up to four teams after only two being on the nearest slate.

Availability: 93%
FAAB
: $2-3

TE Foster Moreau, Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders have a Week 8 bye, but if you have the room it wouldn’t hurt to stash Moreau through his week off in case Darren Waller’s injury situation has him out once Week 9 arrives. Don’t spend any FAAB on him, nor should you drop a player with future utility. Vegas returns to face the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively, and both are friendly enough opponents for tight ends. The position is a staple in this passing game, and Moreau can build on his Week 7 performance if given the same role.

Availability: 99%
FAAB
: $0

TE Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team: Another recommendation for people that have extra storage space: Thomas is appearing on more and more waiver wires of late, and he’s entering the final week of his projected absence. The issue here is you’ll have to tie up a spot for two games as Washington goes on bye in Week 9. Fortunately, we have only two teams on bye this week. Upon his return, in Week 10, Thomas has three straight weeks vs. top-10 matchups in his favor.

Availability: 47%
FAAB
: $0

Keep your eye on ’em

WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans: Collins went on IR with a shoulder injury and returned to the field for his first game back in Week 6. This past Sunday, rookie quarterback Davis Mills was awful, and Collins “paced” the team in yardage. Don’t laugh … okay, it’s a gut-buster … the total was just 28 yards. Woof. Collins’ five targets make him mildly attractive, and the return of quarterback Tyrod Taylor figures to help. The large-bodied rookie receiver will be worth keeping an eye on, especially if veteran wideout Brandin Cooks is traded prior to the deadline as this team is in the throes of a full-on rebuild.

Availability: 99%

WR Kalif Raymond, Detroit Lions: Each week, Detroit’s receiving corps is among the toughest to predict. Raymond emerged vs. the LA Rams in Week 7, going for 6-115-0 on eight targets. He has 16 total utilizations in the last two games and six-plus in four of his last five appearances. Watch how the target distribution plays out this week vs. Philadelphia ahead of Detroit’s Week 9 bye before investing.

Availability: 99%

Eligible-to-return tracker

The following fantasy-relevant players are eligible to return from the Reserve/Injured list and could be on waivers, but inclusion below doesn’t guarantee coming back in the upcoming week. The date when the player was placed on IR is in parentheses.

  • WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Green Bay Packers (10/2)
  • WR Tyrell Williams, Detroit Lions (9/23)
  • WR Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys (9/13)
  • PK Wil Lutz, New Orleans Saints (9/6)

Deep diving for running backs

If you’re in a competitive league, it is unlikely running backs are just chillin’ on the waiver wire. But that doesn’t mean gamers aren’t still in need of “break in case of emergency” running backs. These players could be available for a dumpster dive:

  • RB J.J. Taylor, New England Patriots (cheap TD potential)
  • RB Ty Johnson, New York Jets (averaging 8.5 utilizations)
  • RB Jaret Patterson, Washington Football Team (Antonio Gibson insurance)
  • Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers (FB with an adoring coach)
  • Carlos Hyde, Jacksonville Jaguars (James Robinson insurance)
  • Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts (maybe gets traded?)