fantasy football waiver wire week 14

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 14

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 14.

It’s Week 14, and two teams are on vacation in the final week we have byes this season. Whether you’re in the fantasy playoffs or a season-long league, crunch time is upon us.

Each week, we’ll highlight diamonds in the rough or some players that just need to be rostered in more leagues on the defensive side of the ball. Keep in mind your scoring system and roster restraints when heading to the waiver wire to grab these IDPs.

Defensive linemen

DE Kwity Paye, Indianapolis Colts

Last week, we highlighted another Colts DE, Samson Ebukam, who has two sacks in each of the last two games. Well, Paye had six tackles, two forced fumbles and two sacks last week. He also has sacks in consecutive games. The Colts play the hapless Cincinnati Bengals this week, and both players could go off.

DE Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans

The No. 2 overall pick showed flashes earlier in the season, but he really didn’t produce consistently. He has sacks in three of the last five games, and he has nine tackles in the last two games combined. Anderson will have peaks and valleys, but he looks to have his feet under him and is finishing his rookie season strong.

Linebackers

LB Mykal Walker, Pittsburgh Steelers

Starters Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander landed on IR, which gave Walker a chance to shine. And shine he did in Week 13 with 10 tackles, which led the team. He had five tackles last week and has played in only three games this season, which could keep him flying under the radar. Take notice.

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LB J.J. Russell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs’ linebacker corps has been decimated with injuries, which thrust the 25-year-old Russell into action. He responded with seven tackles and a sack last week. He’ll need those injuries to remain an issue to keep his playing time, but he’s worth the speculative grab.

LB Jack Cochrane, Kansas City Chiefs

Sticking with the filling-in-for-injury theme, Cochrane took over when Drue Tranquill was concussed in Week 13. The second-year man from South Dakota finished the game with seven tackles. The hit Tranquill took to the head looked ugly, if he’s out this week, Cochrane is worth the plug-and-play.

Defensive backs

SS P.J. Locke, Denver Broncos

The fourth-year man took over when S Kareem Jackson was suspended four games. Locke has had two huge games in a row. Two weeks ago, he had seven tackles, a forced fumble, a sack, and a pass defense. Last week, he had eight tackles and a sack.

FS Tashaun Gipson, San Francisco 49ers

The Niners haven’t missed much of a beat when S Talanoa Hufanga went down for the year when Gipson stepped up. He had five tackles each of the last two weeks, and he added a sack two weeks ago. His ceiling is pretty low, but he has a relatively safe floor as well.

S John Johnson III, Los Angeles Rams

The former fantasy stud is back where his fantasy prime took place, and he has put together three solid games in a row. Johnson tallied three tackles and a pass defense in Week 11, four tackles plus two pass defenses in Week 12, and six tackles, an INT and two pass defenses last week. Those are too solid of weeks to gloss over.

Best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 14

The best fantasy football waiver wire pickups going into Week 14 of the 2023 NFL season.

With Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season in the books, it’s time to take a look at the best options out there on the fantasy football waiver wire going into Week 14 of the 2023 campaign.

This week will be the last one that features byes, with the Washington Commanders and Arizona Cardinals getting the week off. Here’s a look at some players you may need to replace in your lineup as a result:

Arizona Cardinals: QB Kyler Murray, RB James Conner, WR Marquis Brown, TE Trey McBride

Washington Commanders: QB Sam Howell, RB Brian Robinson, WRs Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel, TE Logan Thomas

Thankfully, the byes this week aren’t as brutal as last week, but there are still some key players set to sit.

But fear not, there are some solid options on the waiver wire for fantasy managers to consider. Here’s the best of the bunch (note: every player is under 50 percent owned in ESPN leagues):

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 14

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 14.

Six teams are on a bye in Week 14, which is officially the last week to navigate them, so while it’ll be a hectic week to fill lineup spots, it will also provide a final chance at nabbing IDPs that should remain rostered.

Defensive Linemen

DE Chandler Jones, Las Vegas Raiders

Jones has a flair for the dramatic when it comes to fantasy. He had been mostly silent throughout the season, and the 32-year-old turned back the clock with a six tackle, three-sack performance last week. Jones has a history of monstrous performances. He had a six-tackle, five-sack Week 1 last year. Was this one last hurrah or the beginning of a late-season renaissance?

DT Michael Hoecht, Los Angeles Rams

No one is replacing Aaron Donald, but Hoecht ran with the opportunity the last two weeks. He had six tackles two weeks ago and his first two sacks of the season last week. The former Ivy Leaguer will get an extended look, and he’s worthy of being plucked from waivers in deeper formats.

Linebackers

LB Chad Muma, Jacksonville Jaguars

An ankle injury was the only thing that could slow Muma down last week. Keep an eye on his availability this week due to that. Muma had 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks last week before the injury. He had six and nine tackles in the two previous games, and he’s a priority pickup if he’s good to go.

LB Josh Uche, New England Patriots

Uche is the epitome of a hot-and-cold player. He has sacks in four-straight games, and in two of those he had a total of three tackles. He had 13 tackles combined in the other two. So temper your expectations a bit, but he seems like the kind of player Bill Belichick depends on down the stretch.

Defensive Backs

S Jordan Whitehead, New York Jets

Whitehead has been an unspectacular player in fantasy this season, but he broke out with 11 tackles last week. Whitehead has at least four tackles in 11 of 12 games this year, which is a solid floor to take a chance on even if the 10-tackle games aren’t a mainstay.

CB Damarri Mathis, Denver Broncos

The fourth-round rookie has been tested often of late, and he has piled up the tackles. He has 20 tackles over the last three games, and he figures to have the chance at a lot more against the Kansas City Chiefs this week. Consider him as a one-week play with the potential for more.

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Best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 14

Falcons WR Russell Gage headlines the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 14.

After what was an explosion of great waiver wire options last week — especially at the running back position — the Week 14 waiver wire isn’t looking as great, but there are still some intriguing options out there.

Week 14 will be the last round of bye weeks for teams. Here’s a look at which teams won’t be playing and the key players from each you might have to replace in your lineup:

Indianapolis Colts: QB Carson Wentz, RB Jonathan Taylor, WR Michael Pittman Jr.

Miami Dolphins: QB Tua Tagovailoa, RB Myles Gaskin, WR Jaylen Waddle, TE Mike Gesicki

New England Patriots: QB Mac Jones, RBs Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson

Philadelphia Eagles: QB Jalen Hurts, RB Miles Sanders, WR DeVonta Smith, TE Dallas Goedert

While there are a few running backs to consider, this list is heavier on wide receivers. Let’s see who makes the cut in this week’s version of the best fantasy football waiver wire targets.