Week 15 Early Pickups and Waiver Wire Adds

With fantasy playoffs set to begin, some of these players could be valuable replacements for injured stars.

Author:
Michael Fabiano
Publish date:
Dec 10, 2023

Here’s an early look at the fantasy players you’ll be targeting off the waiver wire this week. None of these players are rostered in more than 50% of Yahoo! leagues. The actual Yahoo! ownership percentage is included in parentheses. Players are listed from the most owned to the least owned after Sunday’s games. Be sure to check out Jen Piacenti’s expanded list of waiver-wire players every Tuesday!

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs (51%)

Clyde Edwards-Helaire in training camp — Denny Medley/USA Today Sports

Edwards-Helaire didn’t put up huge numbers against the Bills, but he did lead the Chiefs backs in touches (13) in the absence of Isiah Pacheco. If Pacheco is forced to miss additional time, both CEH and Jerick McKinnon (41%), who had just seven touches but scored a touchdown against Buffalo, should be owned in more leagues during the fantasy postseason. The Chiefs face New England in Week 15.

Noah Brown, WR, Texans (50%)

Brown didn’t do a thing in a bad loss to the Jets, catching no passes on five targets in the contest. Still, he’ll be a popular waiver wire add with Tank Dell already out and Nico Collins suffering an injured calf. In a worst-case scenario, Brown could be the Texans’ top wideout next week against the Titans. That won’t be as great in the event that C.J. Stroud, who is in concussion protocol, is unable to start. Stay tuned.

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Ravens (41%)

The revenge game narrative worked in the favor of fantasy fans again, as OBJ had four catches for 97 yards with a touchdown and 19.7 points against the Rams. He has now scored 11 or more points in four of his last five games, with three of them going over 14 points. With Matthew Stafford playing at a high level and a positive matchup against Jacksonville next, Beckham Jr. should be a strong addition.

Curtis Samuel, WR, Commanders (35%)

Samuel can be tough to trust, but he’s still a worthwhile add off the wire ahead of Week 15. The veteran has seen a combined 17 targets in his last two games, and he’s also scored a combined 29.5 points in those contests. The Commanders will continue to throw the ball a ton, so Samuel always has a chance to produce. In a game that could pop, he will face the Rams in Los Angeles coming off the bye.

Zay Jones, WR, Jaguars (29%)

Jones didn’t post a huge line, scoring just 7.9 points in a loss to the Browns, but he was targeted a ridiculous 14 times. That’s notable since it’s the first game he’s played without Christian Kirk. Clearly, Trevor Lawrence has trust in Jones and will make him a big part of the passing game moving forward. The Jags will certainly score plenty of points, so it makes sense to add Jones heading into the postseason.

Jake Browning, QB, Bengals (27%)

Bengals quarterback Jake Browning throws a pass. — Kareem Elgazzar/USA TODAY Network

Browning proved last week’s 27-point stat line was no fluke, as he followed it up with 23.7 points in a win over the Colts. He’s been a pleasant surprise both for Bengals and fantasy fans, so Browning should be rostered in super flex leagues and for all managers in need at quarterback heading into the fantasy playoffs. Browning, who now has consecutive passer ratings over 115, faces the Vikings next week.

Ty Chandler, RB, Vikings (22%)

Alexander Mattison suffered a sprained ankle in Sunday’s win over the Raiders, so we could be seeing more of Chandler moving forward. He had 12 carries in the 3-0 win and would be the lead back for Minnesota if Mattison were forced to miss time. The Vikings face the Bengals next on the schedule, so Chandler could be a flex.

Joe Flacco, QB, Browns (6%)

Who says Flacco isn’t elite? He made his second straight start for the Browns, and for the second straight week he produced a nice stat line. He threw for 311 yards with three touchdowns in a win over the Jaguars and coach Kevin Stefanski named Flacco his starting quarterback for the rest of the season. As a result, the old veteran will certainly be worth a look in many fantasy formats.

Chase Brown, RB, Bengals (6%)

Brown isn’t getting a boatload of touches, but the Bengals have definitely made a point of getting him enough to be fantasy relevant lately. In the last two weeks, he’s seen 20 touches (he had five in his previous five games)! Brown also looked good against the Colts, taking a pass from Browning 54 yards to the house. The rookie is worth a look as a handcuff for Joe Mixon and he’ll be rostered in many leagues.

Zamir White, RB, Raiders (2%)

Josh Jacobs suffered an injured knee in a loss to the Vikings, so he could be in question for Week 15. If he can’t get back on the field, White would likely take over the starting role for the Raiders in a committee with Ameer Abdullah. It’s not an ideal situation, but White could have some flex value in a worst-case scenario. The Raiders face the Chargers and their generous run defense next on the slate.

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