Mike Hubbard Jr here, welcome back to my weekly Waiver HUB. Follow me on Twitter (@FantasyHubbard) and Instagram (@fantasyhubbard) for all things fantasy football throughout the season. Feel free to tweet me or message me on either social media with any comments or questions you might have regarding fantasy football.
Week 13 has ended and week 14 starts on Thursday with a matchup between the 6-5 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 5-7 Minnesota Vikings. The Steelers are coming off a huge win over the Ravens, while the Vikings are coming off an upsetting last second loss to the then winless Lions after losing Dalvin Cook the week prior and now might be without Adam Thielen. The opening line favors the Vikings by 3 with an over/under of 44.5. The game will be in Minnesota and both teams need a win to stay alive in the hunt for NFL playoffs. Big Ben might not be what he used to be, but he has a beast rookie in Najee Harris and Diontae Johnson at WR who just produces every week. Kirk Cousins might have to lean heavily on Justin Jefferson if Thielen is unable to play, but they will have Mattison as RB1 who can produce against the Steelers defense that has let most teams run on them lately. My bold prediction is a 27-24 win for the Steelers. This game could be low scoring or high scoring by I like the over. Diontae Johnson and Justin Jefferson combine for 250+ receiving yards. Might come down to a last possession as it usually does for Minnesota.
Week 14 is here, and it is the last week of fantasy football regular season, so now is the time to make your moves and prepare for your playoff push. Injuries are inevitable so here’s another chance to hit the waiver wire and get impactful players. Another week gone, another opportunity to make your team stronger. Below are my top waiver wire priorities this week. Go get those available players to help your chances moving forward. Good luck this week and remember to check back every week to stay informed on who you could target off of waivers.
TOP PRIORITY OF THE WEEK
Taysom Hill – New Orleans Saints
Taysom Hill finally got to start for the Saints and could control the offense and do his thing. Hill threw 4 INTs, had a QBR of 44 and completed less than 50% of his passes. Somehow Hill finished as a top 5 fantasy QB in week 13. He did throw 2 passing TDs and ran wild for 101 rushing yards on just 11 carries. Like Jalen Hurts this season, he has shown that you don’t have to be an amazing pocket passer to get points, you just have to run a lot and find the end zone by air or ground. Hill injured his finger, but the talk is that he will play through his injury. In week 14 he gets the Jets which is more than ideal for his chances at putting up another top 5 performance. Hill could be your fantasy football game changer this late in the season. He is available in over 63% of leagues.
Quarterbacks
Cam Newton – Carolina Panthers
Cam returned to his Panther glory days in week 10 and 11. He threw 3 TD passes and ran in another 2. In week 12 we saw why Cam wasn’t on an NFL roster for a while. The optimistic side of me says he threw for 92 passing yards and scored a rushing TD. The realist side of me say he completed less than 25% of his passes, threw 2 INTs, rushed for 5 yards, and had a QBR under 10! The Panthers lost by 23 to the Dolphins in what was probably the worst start of his career. Be a goldfish and have a short memory. Cam could be in line to start in week 14 against the Atlanta Falcons. Both teams are 5-7 and Cam could pick apart their defense, especially on the ground. Don’t give up on Cam just yet.
Running Backs
D’Onta Foreman/Dontrell Hilliard – Tennessee Titans
I wrote about these 2 in my week 13 waiver article, but I don’t mind repeating myself. Both Foreman and Hilliard had great performances in week 12 against the Patriots defense. Foreman had 19 carries for 109 rushing yards while Hilliard had 12 carries for 131 rushing yards and 1 TD. Both also contributed 1 reception each for a few yards. With the absence of Derrick Henry, the release of Adrian Peterson, and the concussion issues for Jeremy McNichols, both Foreman and Hilliard were the top options for the Titans backfield, and both capitalized on their opportunity. It’s tough to say who will be better for your fantasy football team moving forward, but if I had to choose, I would take Foreman given the number of carries he has had since appearing in week 9 for the first time. The Titans are fresh off a BYE and are about to host the Jaguars. If you are still able to grab either or both of these RBs you’ll be in good shape.
Tevin Coleman – New York Jets
Tevin Coleman had 11 of the Jets 17 carries in week 13 and had 16 of the 34 carries in week 12. Coleman combined for 125 rushing yards in those 2 games. He is clearly the go to RB on the Jets while Michael Carter is on the IR. Carter will still be on IR for week 14 giving Coleman at least 1 more game with a starter’s workload. The assignment is tough against the Saints defense, but Coleman will still get chances and can also contribute to the pass game. Coleman could just be a week 14 streamer but is worth an add if you need the help or can’t get any other RB off waivers.
Jordan Howard/Boston Scott – Philadelphia Eagles
Predicting the RB situation each week for Philadelphia is no easy task. It usually Sanders as RB1, then you could get Howard and Scott, and then even Kenneth Gainwell gets some action. In week 13 it was the Miles Sanders show until his injury that took place toward the end of the game. Gainwell took over at RB since Howard was inactive due to injury and Boston Scott was active but didn’t play on offense because he is coming off an illness that wasn’t COVID related. The Eagles are on a week 14 BYE but get a nice NFC East remaining schedule that includes the WFT twice and the Giants once in the fantasy football playoffs. Sanders has time to rest but monitor his injury closely because if he can’t play, Howard and/or Scott could be in line for a hefty RB1 workload. My best guess at this point is that all Eagles RBs will be healthy by week 15 with the possible exception of Sanders depending on the severity of his injury. I like Howard, Scott, and Gainwell in that order if you’re willing to pick up an Eagles RB. The Eagles have rushed the ball a lot and have been effective since week 8.
Wide Receivers
Russell Gage – Atlanta Falcons
Russell Gage had the best start of his season for the Falcons in a loss to the Buccaneers. He caught 11 of his 12 targets for 130 receiving yards. Kyle Pitts was 2nd in targets with 7, but no one else had over 4 targets or 4 receptions. Matt Ryan clearly trusts Gage to convert opportunities down the stretch with the absence of Calvin Ridley. Gage gets Carolina in week 14 who have not been consistent as a defense. Gage could be in for another good game.
KJ Osborn – Minnesota Vikings
Adam Thielen injured his ankle in week 13 and although currently unknown, he is likely to miss at least week 14 since it’s the TNF football game just days away and Thielen didn’t practice Monday. KJ Osborn has entered the chat. KJ took over as WR2 and finished the game catching 4 of his 7 targets for 47 receiving yards and a receiving TD. Osborn should have an increase in workload on Thursday against the Steelers. The Vikings seem to be in every game they play and either win or lose by one possession. Kirk Cousins usually throws around 35 times each game. Justin Jefferson is the guy you want but Osborn is the guy you can get. This might be his best opportunity left this season for KJ if Thielen returns sooner than later.
Amon-Ra St Brown – Detroit Lions
Amon-Ra and the Lions got their first win of the season at home over the Vikings in week 13. St Brown caught 10 of his 12 targets for 86 receiving yards and scored his first receiving TD of the season. The lions take on the Broncos in week 14 where Goff will try to turn what was once a winless season into a 2-game winning streak. Goff can rely on Hockenson, Reynolds, and St Brown. Why not lean on the WR that caught 10 passes including the game winning TD reception as time expired. Reward him with targets and see how Brown can continue to impact the offense for the better.
DeVante Parker – Miami Dolphins
DeVante Parker returned in week 13 from the IR in time to face the NYG. He wasted no time getting back into the swing of things and caught all 5 of his targets for 62 receiving yards. Parker has only played in 6 games this season, but in those 6 games he has averaged 5 receptions out of 8 targets and almost 65 receiving yards per game. If he is available in your league and you need a streaming WR or FLEX, Parker might be able to help you in your playoff run. He has a week 14 BYE and then returns to action to face the Jets, Saints, and Titans.
Tight Ends
Tyler Conklin – Minnesota Vikings
Conklin isn’t that heavily owned for a TE that has been borderline top 15 this season in TE fantasy points. Tyler has scored just 3 TDs this season but is coming off a week 13 performance where he caught 7 of his 9 targets for 56 receiving yards. As I wrote above, Adam Thielen could miss the Vikings TNF game this week, bumping Conklin a little higher on Kirk Cousins list of pass catchers. Conklin averages almost 40 receiving yards each game this season and I believe he could do that on Thursday. Add a TD and he would easily be a great acquisition to your team.
Ricky Seals-Jones/John Bates – Washington Football Team
Who? I know, John Bates is an unfamiliar name, but he is a TE on the WFT. Logan Thomas came back from injury recently to take over TE1 responsibilities and suffered an injury in week 13 that could end his season. RSJ has been a decent replacement for Thomas this season, but he hasn’t played since week 10 and his playing in week 14 is likely however not guaranteed. Both could be in line for some targets from Taylor Heinicke as the WFT try to insert themselves into the playoffs. Bates has caught 12 of his 13 targets this season, which all game in 6 games played, and RSJ leads all WFT TEs in targets, receptions, and receiving yards this season. Monitor their health before they face the Cowboys in week 14.