Every week I will list some players who I think if things go their way, will wind up in those waiver articles the following Tuesday. You don’t have to stash all of them – it depends on who you have on your roster, the depth of your benches, the scoring system of your league, etc. But these are guys that should at least be on your radar.
Stashing players is only something that can occur in deeper leagues with large benches, so to make this information worthwhile, I will only be recommending guys that are rostered in under 20% of leagues on both Yahoo and ESPN, and in many cases, you’ll see percentages in the single digits. If you’re in a league where guys like Rhamondre Stevenson (45.4% on ESPN), Kadarius Toney (41.5% on ESPN), and Elijah Mitchell (85.5% on ESPN) are on the waiver wire, you’re either in a league too shallow for stashing, or you should go pick those guys up right away.
In addition, for those of you in really deep leagues (16+ teams), we will also include some deep cut players that are rostered in less than 3% of leagues on both Yahoo and ESPN in a section at the end to try and give you the best chance of winning your fantasy league. Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Week 13 Review
- Foster Moreau, TE, Las Vegas Raiders: Foster Moreau had one reception on three targets for 34 receiving yards against the Washington Football Team last week. While it wasn’t his best game, he’s now rostered in over 20% of fantasy leagues and no longer eligible for the ‘Must Stash’.
- Phillip Lindsay, RB, Miami Dolphins: Phillip Lindsay wasn’t active against the New York Giants as he was dealing with an ankle injury. Feel free to drop him during the Dolphins BYE week.
- Samaje Perine, RB, Cincinnati Bengals: Samaje Perine carried the ball five times for 36 rushing yards and caught two passes for five receiving yards through the air. He’s still worth rostering as a handcuff with the fantasy playoffs approaching.
- Trey Lance, QB, San Francisco 49ers: Trey Lance was not utilized against the Seattle Seahawks last week. While he is one of the higher upside players available on waivers, you can feel free to drop him for some players that have more of an opportunity in the immediate future.
- Jack Doyle, TE, Indianapolis Colts: Jack Doyle caught one pass for 13 receiving yards against the Houston Texans. You can feel free to drop him during the BYE week.
The Must Stash
Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears (18.9% on ESPN, 13% on Yahoo)
In many fantasy leagues, the fantasy playoffs will start next week. In the process of getting ready to compete for a championship, you’ll see teams tweak their strategies a little bit with ideas such as rostering two defenses rather than one or rostering the handcuffs of their starting running backs rather than some long-shot FLEX options. Because of this, reliable backup running back options such as Samaje Perine and Khalil Herbert should be rostered during playoff runs (for leagues with 12+ teams) in case of injury. When David Montgomery was out with an injury earlier this season, Herbert had four consecutive weeks with at least 18 carries and 70 rushing yards (Weeks 5-8). Clearly, if Montgomery were to miss time during the fantasy playoffs, Herbert would be a strong RB2. Take a shot on a handcuff like him if you have room on your bench.
Carlos Hyde, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars (9.1% on ESPN, 11% on Yahoo)
The Jacksonville Jaguars coaching staff has clearly been misusing James Robinson all year and the issue has gotten national media attention this last week after they refused to put him in after Carlos Hyde requested a breather. Trevor Lawrence even commented on the issue saying, “I voiced my opinion that James is one of our best players and he’s got to be in the game. And I think we’re all on the same page so there’s no confusion there so we’re just going to move forward, but I know James is a hell of a player so I want him out there.” While the Jaguars should clearly increase James Robinson’s workload after these comments from the face of the franchise, the Jaguars’ coaching staff obviously has other plans for his usage. Because of this situation, it’s worth monitoring Carlos Hyde on the waiver wire in case anything crazy comes from it.
Jalen Guyton, WR, Los Angeles Chargers (0.9% on ESPN, 3% on Yahoo)
Both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have landed on the COVID-19 list and have an uphill battle to play this week against the New York Giants, which means that the rest of the Chargers wide receiver corps will have to step up this week. Of the remaining available Chargers wide receivers, Jalen Guyton is the guy with the most upside. In the game against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, Guyton had an impressive stat line of four receptions on four targets for 90 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. With a great quarterback like Justin Herbert throwing him the ball, Guyton seems like one of the better wide receiver lottery tickets available on the waiver wire this week.
JaMycal Hasty, RB, San Francisco 49ers (2.4% on ESPN, 12% on Yahoo)
The 49ers running back room seems to constantly be dealing with injuries and have a different starter each week. Raheem Mostert started the first game but got injured quickly and is out for the year. Elijah Mitchell is currently in concussion protocol and may miss this week. Trey Sermon is on injured reserve with an ankle injury and not eligible to play. Jeff Wilson Jr. had a flare-up in his knee against the Seattle Seahawks and will be questionable for the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Because of all of these injuries, there’s a pretty decent chance that we see JaMycal Hasty utilized as the lead back this week. If you are looking for someone who can potentially be a plug-and-play running back option in the next couple of weeks, Hasty is a great player to roll the dice on.
Adrian Peterson, RB, Seattle Seahawks (11.8% on ESPN, 13% on Yahoo)
There are some guys in the ‘Deep Cuts’ section that I would personally put over Adrian Peterson on the ‘Must Stash’, but because Adrian Peterson is only eligible for the ‘Must Stash’ while the other players are eligible for both the ‘Must Stash’ and the ‘Deep Cuts’ section we will give Peterson the last spot on the list this week. While he was inefficient in his first game with the Seahawks (11 carries for just 16 rushing yards) it was encouraging to see him get 10+ carries and a touchdown instantly with the team. You should prioritize the other players on this list this week, but if you are in a pinch and need a guy who will get opportunities right away Peterson is an option.
Deep Cuts
(Rostered In Less Than 3% Of Leagues)
Both Websites (ESPN and Yahoo)
Jaret Patterson, RB, Washington Football Team (1.4% on ESPN, 1% on Yahoo): J.D. McKissic is dealing with a concussion still and Antonio Gibson has been playing through injury for a majority of the season so it’s worth keeping an eye on Jaret Patterson in deeper leagues.
Marlon Mack, RB, Indianapolis Colts (1.2% on ESPN, 2% on Yahoo): Marlon Mack has been a healthy scratch in each of the last four weeks, but it’s handcuff season and in the event that Jonathan Taylor misses time, he would likely receive a majority of the work on the ground.
Benny Snell Jr., RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (0.5% on ESPN, 1% on Yahoo): It’s handcuff season with the fantasy playoffs approaching quickly and if Najee Harris ends up missing time at any point this year (he did have an injury scare against the Chargers a few weeks ago), it’s likely that Snell would step into the role as the lead back.
Joshua Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers (0.5% on ESPN, 1% on Yahoo): With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams landing on the COVID-19 list, Joshua Palmer gets some appeal in deeper leagues.
John Bates, TE, Washington Football Team (0.1% on ESPN, 1% on Yahoo): Rookie tight end John Bates has gotten more work over the last few weeks and caught three passes on four targets for 42 receiving yards against the Las Vegas Raiders last week. With Logan Thomas out for the year, Bates could have some streaming appeal in Scott Turner’s offense.
Laquon Treadwell, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (0.3% on ESPN, 0% on Yahoo): Laquon Treadwell has had at least four catches and 50 receiving yards in each of the last two weeks. The former 1st round pick is worth keeping an eye on in case he can build upon his impressive four receptions on five targets for 62 receiving yards performance last week against the Rams.
ESPN/Yahoo Only
Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks (2.2% on ESPN, 7% on Yahoo): Rashaad Penny had a pretty good game last week against the San Francisco 49ers where he carried the ball 10 times for 35 rushing yards on the ground and caught one pass for 27 receiving yards through the air.
The Must Stash – Week 14 (Handcuff Szn)
Players Rostered In Under 20% Of Leagues That You Should Be Monitoring
Jalen Guyton
JaMycal Hasty
Samaje Perine
Khalil Herbert
Carlos Hyde
Rashaad Penny
John Bates
Laquon Treadwell
Joshua Palmer
Marlon Mack— Eli G (@3li_handles) December 10, 2021
That’s it for Week 14. Feel free to weigh in and mention any players you believe should be on this list.
Featured Image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)