The end is here, but Week 14 of the NFL season has just about wrapped up. It’s time for the fantasy playoffs and move one step closer to that championship. This article will discuss the key players worth picking up to help improve your roster. We will discuss what they have done and why they are important players to pick up on rosters. We will also discuss whether they are worth spending that number one waiver claim and how much FAAB percentage you should use on them.
The Week 15 waiver wire is starting to have names you will want to pick up to help your championship roster. There is a nice mix of players who all produced in Week 14 and should have value moving forward.
Sincere McCormick, RB – LV
Our top running back pickup for Week 15 is Sincere McCormick. The recently signed running back is making the most of an opportunity and is thriving in the Raiders backfield. In Week 14, he finished with 15 carries for 78 rushing yards. This came following his 12 carries for 64 yards last week. The Raiders have faith in giving him a big workload on this offense. While he has come at the expense of Zamir White and Alexander Mattison both missing time due to injuries, McCormick should be here to stay. The Raiders are well out of the playoffs, and they should look to see if McCormick can be what they have been missing in the ground. His upside will be capped with a nonexistent receiving game, but the carries should be there. The Raiders are also on their third-string quarterback, as Aidan O’Connell suffered an injury in Week 14, meaning it’ll likely be Desmond Ridder the rest of the way. The Raiders play the Falcons in Week 15, so we could see the offense rely on the run game.
- Top Waiver Priority – Yes
- FAAB % – 13%
Adam Thielen, WR – CAR
Let’s reverse the clocks as Adam Thielen is still a thing at his age in 2024. Thielen has performed well since returning from injury, especially over the last two weeks. He has 21 targets, 17 receptions, and 201 yards with a touchdown. What is more impressive is that he did it against a strong Eagles secondary as he broke 100 yards in Week 14. The Panthers’ offense has performed well since Bryce Young returned to the lineup, and the skills players have benefited from it. Thielen should be a top pick-up in Week 15 as he faces off against a boom-or-bust Cowboys secondary that Thielen should dominate again. It’s not just the Cowboys, as Thielen also plays Arizona and Tamp Bay in the final two weeks of the fantasy season.
- Top Waiver Priority – Yes
- FAAB % – 15%
Drake Maye, QB – NE
While you may not need a quarterback, you might if you are in the fantasy playoffs. This is where Drake Maye comes into the conversation for fantasy managers. Maye has played decently with his available weapons and averaged 15 fantasy points over the last four games. He will face off against the Cardinals, who have played better but are still a shakey secondary in fantasy. The biggest thing is that Maye is coming off his BYE week, so he should be well-rested for the final stretch of games. This could be the point of the season when we see Maye be able to do more things on the offense as the playbook opens up, or he gets more time to settle in to the offense. I’d like to see the Patriots use Maye on the ground and show off his mobility. Few quarterbacks are widely available at this point of the season, but Maye could help your playoff squad.
- Top Waiver Priority – No
- FAAB % – 2%
Juwan Johnson, TE – NO
Our tight end pickup for Week 15 has to be Juwan Johnson. Even with the recent news of Derek Carr’s injury, Johnson is close to being the top target leader in this Saints offense. Johnson has been getting more work since the Saints’ bye week, with 12 targets over the last 2 weeks. I would expect whoever plays quarterback to lean on the tight ends over the middle of the field as a safety blanket in the offense. Johnson will face off against the Commanders, which can be a favorable matchup. They have allowed five touchdowns over the last five games they played. The Saints could be in a negative game script, so we could see Johnosn see plenty of targets to help in Week 15.
- Top Waiver Priority – No
- FAAB % – 3%
Isaiah Davis , RB – NYJ
This next waiver wire pickup has more upside than Sincere McCormick, but his situation is cloudier heading into Week 14. That player is Isaiah Davis, who is the third-string running back on the Jets. It will all come down to whether or not Breece Hall is healthy enough to return to the field in Week 15. He missed Week 14, which was supposed to open the door for Braelon Allen, but Isaiah Davis shined. Davis could play just as much as Braelon Allen but outperformed him in Week 14. He had ten carries for 40 yards and a touchdown, but he also had three catches for another 27 yards. The Jets will face the Jaguars in Week 15, which could be a prime opportunity for Davis if Hall misses again. You may want to pick him up on Tuesday before we find out Friday that Hall won’t be suiting up in the first playoff game.
- Top Waiver Priority – Yes
- FAAB % – 8%
The 49ers Backfield Situation, RB – SF
The 49ers can’t seem to find a healthy running back if their lives depended on it. New starter Isaac Guerendo got hurt in Week 14, and the 49ers fear it could be a foot sprain that could keep him off the field in Week 15. That would leave the 49ers with journeyman Patrick Taylor Jr., who did score a touchdown this week. They also have two recent signings, KeShawn Vaughn and Israel Abanikanda. We have all been rushing to pick up another 49ers running back who we know can perform in this offense. Taylor Jr. is likely the next man up but doesn’t offer the same elite speed Guerendo offers. He is a bigger back who has only seen one NFL game getting over ten carries. Vaughn and Abanikanda should also get some looks as well. Patrick Taylor Jr. is the player to leave on waivers.
- Top Waiver Priority – Yes
- FAAB % – 10%
Photos by Icon Sports Wire and Adobe Stock | Adapted by Carlos Leano