8 fantasy football waiver wire claims to make ahead of Week 15

Fantasy Football: Adds, waivers, wavier wire for Week 15.

Need a fresh face for your fantasy football roster this week even if it’s the postseason?

It’s never too late for a few extra points to continue to add to your win column. Don’t stop searching for pieces now.

Here are eight waiver wire claims to make in fantasy football ahead of Week 15:

Ryan Tannehill #17 of the Tennessee Titans. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

QB Ryan Tannehill

Folks still aren’t picking up Ryan Tannehill, but that’s fine, we’ll keep adding him here. The Titans’ new starter, and probably going forward to next season too, had another multi-touchdown outing last week against the Raiders with three. That’s four games in a row with multiple sores. He did have an interception, but it was his first one since Week 9. This week he has the Texans, who were upset and lit up by Broncos rookie quarterback Drew Lock last week.

Percent owned in ESPN fantasy leagues: 40.1%

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5 takeaways from Colts’ 38-35 loss vs. Buccaneers

Takeaways from the Week 14 loss.

Well, it was fun while it lasted. As the Indianapolis Colts (6-7) entered Sunday’s game, their dimming playoff hopes were depended on their efforts to win out and receive much help along the way. While one of their main competitors did lose at home, the Colts couldn’t help themselves as they ultimately lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 38-35.

It was another week consisting of blown second-half leads and costly mistakes as the Colts fell below .500, for just the second time this season. With only three games remaining, this AFC South competitor now has a 2% chance of making the playoffs and will need even more help in order to do so.

Here are five takeaways from the Colts’ Week 14 loss:

Leonard possibly had the best game of his career

I know this headline can be considered a little crazy since linebacker Darius Leonard has had plenty of memorable performances, but I don’t believe it is far fetched. The reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year made history in Sunday’s game while also taking it over at times.

For the first time in his pro-playing career, Leonard came up with multiple interceptions and returned one for a touchdown, his first pick-six ever. Lastly, the man who’s better known as “Maniac” entered his name in the record books. Since 1982, Leonard is the one and only defensive player who has recorded 10+ sacks and over five interceptions in his first 25 career games.

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Studs and duds from Colts’ 38-35 loss to Bucs

Studs and duds from the 38-35 loss.

The Indianapolis Colts (6-7) saw their already-thin playoff hopes get dashed Sunday when they lost 38-35 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7) at Raymond James Stadium.

This was by far the most thrilling game of the season for the Colts. There were countless lead changes, including three in the first half. The Colts took a 27-21 lead but found themselves outscored `17-8 in the second half for the loss.

Here are the studs and duds from the Week 14 loss:

STUD: WR Marcus Johnson

The Colts were once again without T.Y. Hilton, who may not even play this season due to a lingering calf injury. However, the Colts got some help with their depth thanks to the performance of Johnson.

Starting the game off with a 46-yard touchdown catch from Jacoby Brissett, it looked like the Colts would move the ball through the air with ease. It wasn’t easy, but Johnson still had a strong day. He finished with three catches on seven targets for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Adding to the room will be necessary this offseason, but Johnson is a formidable depth piece.

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Colts WRs have favorable matchup vs. Bucs secondary

Colts WRs could have fantasy value in Week 14.

The Indianapolis Colts passing attack hasn’t had many encouraging outings over the last month or so, but some of that could change Sunday when they travel to Raymond James Stadium to visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Facing a Buccaneers defense that is allowing the second-most receiving yards per game to opposing offenses (303.2), the Colts wide receivers could find success in real football and in fantasy football.

Outside of running back Marlon Mack, there haven’t been any consistent fantasy producers from the Colts in 2019. Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has dealt with injuries, tight end Eric Ebron was non-existent compared to his 2018 season and quarterback Jacoby Brissett hasn’t thrown for multiple touchdowns since Week 7.

As the fantasy football playoffs approach, mitigating risk should be avoided where it can. But not all teams in the postseason can play it safe. Sometimes upside is needed and there’s a duo of Colts wide receivers that could find some success against the Buccaneers poor passing defense.

As it stands now, Hilton likely isn’t going to play Sunday. There are concerns he might not even return this season with four games remaining. This leaves Zach Pascal as the WR1 in Week 14.

Pascal has enjoyed a quasi breakout in 2019. He’s stepped up into bigger roles as the season has progressed and even has a pair of 100-yard games under his belt. So the upside for him to have a big game is certainly there, but his floor is a goose egg like he did in Week 12 against the Texans.

Still, Pascal is beloved by the coaching staff and should see a healthy dose of targets against the Bucs. The game script is also likely to be in the favor of a passing game given Tampa Bay’s strength in stopping the run and their ability to score on the offensive side of the ball. He has also seen at least six targets in four of the last five games.

With Pascal sitting as a flex-worthy option with WR2 upside in fantasy, there is another name that could be intriguing to fantasy managers looking for upside. However, there is some major risk involved as well.

Rookie wide receiver Parris Campbell has a chance to return to game action this week and could be heavily involved in the passing game. Having missed the last four games with a fractured hand, Campbell practiced in full to begin the week.

The speedy second-round pick has gotten two starts this season (Weeks 4 and 9). In those two games, Campbell was heavily involved. He saw eight targets against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4 and had eight touches during the Week 9 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Colts love Campbell and have been extremely high on him since drafting him with the No. 49 overall pick. He is a perfect fit for the offense they want to run and would likely benefit from Brissett’s lack of desire to push the ball downfield.

Campbell certainly brings more risk than Pascal—who should be viewed as the WR1 in the offense in Week 14. The rookie has been spotty for most of the season and the passing offense has left much to be desired, but the matchup is there and the Colts are desperate for wide receiver production.

With four games remaining and their season likely over, developing Campbell should be a top priority.

Sometimes the fantasy football playoffs call for a bold move. In a pinch, Pascal and Campbell could pay off big time as the Colts travel to Tampa in Week 14.

7 fantasy football waiver wire claims to make ahead of Week 14

Fantasy football waiver wire claims and adds to make ahead of Week 14.

Need a fresh face for your fantasy football roster this week?

It’s never too late for a few extra points to add to your win column. Especially since it could be playoff time now.

Here are seven waiver wire claims to make in fantasy football ahead of Week 14:

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

QB Ryan Tannehill

Ryan Tannehill has quietly put up three-straight games which have included two touchdown passes in each. Of course, the yards haven’t always been there, limiting his fantasy football value. This week Tannehill’s Titans are on the road, but against the Raiders. They’ve allowed 27 passing touchdowns to date and rank as the No. 24 team defending the pass, allowing an average of 258.2 yards per game. They’re not great.

Percent owned in ESPN fnatasy leagues: 23.6%

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9 fantasy football sleepers for Week 14

Quarterbacks Gardner Minshew and Devlin Hodges highlight Touchdown Wire’s Week 14 list of fantasy football sleepers.

NFL coaches and players always talk about how the playoffs bring a whole new level of intensity. It’s true.

The same is true of fantasy football and its playoffs are now upon us. At this point, you have to go for broke. Sometimes, desperate measures are needed. That sums up what the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars are doing in reality.

The Jaguars have no margin for error for the playoffs. The Steelers don’t have much more room for error. But they’re going with rookie quarterbacks Devlin Hodges in Pittsburgh and Gardner Minshew in Jacksonville for the rest of the season.

Are they good enough to start in fantasy? I say yes.

Let me explain my reasoning a little deeper as Hodges and Minshew highlight Touchdown Wire’s weekly list of nine fantasy football sleepers.

9. Gardner Minshew, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars benched high-priced quarterback Nick Foles last week after falling behind, 25-0, last week. The turned back to the rookie Minshew, who went 4-4 as a starter when Foles was injured early in the season and he sparked the Jaguars to two quick scores. That led to the Jaguars announcing that Minshew will be the starter the rest of the season. Minshew has a favorable matchup against the struggling Los Angeles Chargers this week.

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6 waiver wire pickups for fantasy football in Week 14

Waiver wire targets in Week 14.

In most league formats, Week 14 marks the last week of the regular fantasy football season. Your last chance to add and drop players who will or will not be with your team for the crucial playoff weeks. Perhaps you do not need to add anyone and you have been rolling with the same guys all year. In that case, consider yourself lucky.

Being active on the waiver wire is always one of the biggest keys to building a playoff contender, and that continues to hold true as the fantasy season hits the final stretch.

Here are six waiver wire pickups to target entering Week 14:

RB Raheem Mostert: 14.1% rostered (ESPN)

In what was once a crowded backfield in San Francisco with Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman having a majority of the carries, it was hard to judge which 49ers running back would be worth adding. Mostert has survived the injury bug that has started to attack this 49ers offense and has taken over as the lead back.

Against Baltimore in Week 13, Mostert totaled 19 carries for 146 yards and a touchdown in a downpour that lasted all game. Mostert brings a dynamic speed and toughness aspect to this young 49ers team.

The upcoming schedule isn’t great, but Mostert has flex appeal—especially if something happens to Coleman and/or Breida.

Next game: at New Orleans

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5 takeaways from Colts’ 31-17 loss vs. Titans

Takeaways from the Week 13 loss.

As crazy as this may sound, I’m not in a place of concern for the Indianapolis Colts (6-6) right now. For them to be in this position, losers of four out of their last five games seem to be fitting a team that, at one point, was thriving under more than unfavorable situations. But of course, the tide begins to change.

Following their 5-2 start to the season, the Colts are once again at the .500 mark as they lost to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Despite possessing a 10-point lead early in the third quarter, the Colts couldn’t build off of it as they allowed the Titans to score 24 points en route to winning 31-17.

Here are five postgame takeaways from the Week 13 loss:

Another target is seriously injured

For an offense that was already dealing with various injuries to its biggest contributors, they didn’t need to suffer another one on Sunday. But, of course, you can’t get everything you ask for. During the second quarter, wide receiver Chester Rogers was injured and eventually ruled out of the game, and we discovered why earlier on Monday.

The Colts’ third receiver in command (when everyone is healthy) and starting punt returner suffered a season-ending knee fracture. While Rogers didn’t produce a catch in Sunday’s game, his absence still hurt the Colts’ struggling offense. The Grambling State product is capable of making timely plays that spark their offense and is well-versed in Frank Reich’s offensive scheme.

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Colts’ player of the game vs. Titans: WR Zach Pascal

Zach Pascal is the player of the game in Week 13.

With T.Y Hilton suffering a setback on his injured calf this week and Chester Rodgers exiting the game in the first quarter, the Indianapolis Colts receiving corps was thin. However, Zach Pascal stepped up in a huge capacity as the Colts fell to the Tennessee Titans, 31-17.

He finished the day with seven receptions for 109 yards, averaging 15.6 yards per catch. Pascal was the main target in the Colts passing game that had to get going quickly.

Having lacked explosive plays over the last month, Pascal had a huge hand in changing that. Of the eight passing plays going 16 yards or more, Pascal had four of them on the day.

Pascal needed a solid performance after struggling the past few weeks to get things going as he had earlier in the season. He gave all he could Sunday as the Colts’ fourth-quarter meltdown cost them the win.

Hopefully, the Colts receivers can get healthy as the team travels to Tampa Bay next week to try and salvage the season. Pascal epitomizes the hard work and “next man up” mentality that the Colts have had all year.

Studs and duds from Colts’ 31-17 loss to Titans

Studs and duds from the Week 13 loss.

The Indianapolis Colts (6-6) found themselves on the wrong end of a second-half comeback in the Week 13 loss against the Tennessee Titans (7-5) at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Despite the strong start to the game in the first half, this wound up being another putrid outing for the Colts offense. They have now scored fewer than 20 points in six games this season. Of those six games, the Colts have lost three in a row.

Here are the studs and duds from the divisional loss against the Titans:

STUD: WR Zach Pascal

He’s had some disappearing acts this season, but Pascal has mostly stepped up when the Colts have needed him this season. He did so again on Sunday against the Titans while recording a career-high for receiving yards in a game.

Pascal led the Colts offense with seven receptions for 109 yards. He also saw 10 targets, good for second behind Jack Doyle. With T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell both inactive due to injuries, Pascal stepped up in a massive way despite the end result for the Colts.

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