Welcome to the 2024 fantasy football playoffs! It feels good to say that. If you’re reading this, you’re still fighting for your league’s title. Good for you! It’s not easy to make the playoffs. As the late, great Kobe Bryant once said though, “Job’s not finished.” From here on out, every decision regarding your lineup could make or break your season. It all starts with the Week 15 waiver wire. Who you choose to add on the Week 15 waiver wire may win you the week and keep your championship hopes alive.
There doesn’t need to be such in-depth analysis for each of these players on the Week 15 waiver wire. If you’re a playoff team, your roster likely has enough firepower to compete as is. You’re likely only adding these players as security blankets. Whatever the case may be, I’ll discuss them all enough to help you with your decision-making.
Week 15 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire By Position
Running Back
Sincere McCormick
Over the last three weeks, McCormick has seen an increase in workload one game after the other. He’s rushed five, 12, and 15 times respectively since Week 12. McCormick has logged five total targets over his last two games, as well. Though he has yet to score a touchdown, McCormick is averaging 5.5 yards per carry. On just 32 rush attempts, he has six carries that have gone for 10 yards or more. He now leads Raiders running backs in such runs, surpassing Alexander Mattison who has done so five times, but on 97 carries.
If you’re in desperate need of a plug-and-play running back heading into the fantasy football playoffs, McCormick is your best bet on the Week 15 waiver wire. However, there is some uncertainty with his situation. The Raiders will have to start Desmond Ridder at quarterback after Aidan O’Connell suffered a significant bone bruise in Week 14. While the offense could struggle, McCormick should still see plenty of volume, even if Zamir White (quad) and/or Alexander Mattison (ankle) return.
The silver lining is that the Raiders play their next two games at home against the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars. Both teams rank inside the top-10 in points allowed over the last three weeks. The Falcons specifically have allowed 32.3 points per game to opponents over their last three games. Sincere McCormick has a fine enough floor given his efficiency as a runner. His ceiling rests on his ability to find the end zone. Given his upcoming schedule, he has a good chance to do so.
Other Running Backs to Consider
Patrick Taylor plays Thursday to open up Week 15. He could see a major increase in workload if Isaac Guerendo (foot) is unable to play or, at the very least, can’t handle the lead back role he did in Week 14. Taylor’s competition for touches would be Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Israel Abanikanda. They were both added to the roster prior to Week 14. Taylor has been with the 49ers in some capacity all season. Granted, he is the fourth-string running back, but volume is volume. He’s at least worth stashing on your bench if you don’t need to start him.
Jaleel McLaughlin may or may not be the Broncos’ lead back in Week 15 coming out of the team’s bye. I say that because McLaughlin has never led the backfield in snaps played this season, but has led them in carries in each of Denver’s last two games. While that sounds all well and good, his workload in those two games consists of just 21 carries or 51% of the backfield rush share. In fact, six different Broncos have recorded at least one carry in each of Denver’s last three games, as well. McLaughlin is a high-upside stash but comes with a lot of risk if you need a spot start for Week 15.
Isaiah Davis rushed 10 times for 40 yards and a touchdown in the absence of Breece Hall in Week 14. He also caught half of his six targets for 27 yards. These are solid numbers for Davis especially considering Braelon Allen logged 15 touches of his own, 11 of which were carries. There’s good reason to believe Hall won’t return this season to the 3-10 Jets as he manages a knee injury. I think Davis is as valuable as Allen off of the Week 15 waiver wire. Davis is significantly less rostered despite a comparable workload playing just one less snap.
Handcuff running backs are players who are an injury away from plugging into fantasy lineups and are crucial to add on the waiver wire. Injuries to Christian McCaffrey, Kenneth Walker, and others should be enough evidence of how important it is to have handcuffs on your bench. I don’t want a simple list to come across as lazy, but there’s no need to dance around how important these players are. The top handcuff running backs, if available, include, but are not limited to, Tyler Allgeier, Ray Davis, Trey Benson, Justice Hill, Kenneth Gainwell, Jaylen Wright, and Blake Corum.
Wide Receiver
Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns
Jerry Jeudy ranks fourth in receiving yards (933) so far this season. If you’re not fortunate enough to have Jeudy on your roster, do what you can to add Elijah Moore on the Week 15 waiver wire. Cedric Tillman is still in the concussion protocol after exiting Week 12 early. That leaves Jeudy, Moore, and David Njoku as the top three pass catchers for Jameis Winston. This remains good news for Moore as Winston has attempted at least 41 passes in five of his last six starts.
As a result of a high-volume passing attack, Moore is averaging 8.6 targets per game since Winston took over as the starting quarterback. Admittedly, however, Moore’s production comes and goes. In his last six games, he has three with 34 or less receiving yards. The other three, he’s recorded 66 or more yards, including 111 in Week 13. Moore isn’t a must-start wide receiver by any means. However, he would be the “next man up” on a lot of playoff rosters, or a flex in larger leagues now, if needed.
Other Wide Receivers to Consider
Adam Thielen might not be available on your league’s Week 15 waiver wire, but if he is, you could add him over the aforementioned Elijah Moore if you wanted to. Since returning from an early season hamstring injury, Thielen has been a top target for Bryce Young in the Panthers’ passing game. Specifically in Carolina’s last two games, Thielen has drawn at least 10 targets in each, logging at least 99 yards in each, as well.
Quentin Johnston is a solid Week 15 waiver wire add whose value increases that much more if Ladd McConkey sits out again. In McConkey’s absence, Johnston caught five of seven targets for 48 yards and a touchdown on Sunday night. In Week 15, he and the Chargers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They’re one of nine teams that have allowed 2,000 or more receiving yards to wide receivers this season. They rank inside the top-12 in fantasy points allowed to the position, as well.
Wan’Dale Robinson just logged a team-high 11 targets in Week 14. Unfortunately for he and the Giants, nobody is talking about it because he caught just four of them for 38 yards. Still, if you need a high-upside flex play, at the very least, Robinson should see plenty of targets in Week 15 playing from behind against a Baltimore Ravens team that’s not only better but coming off of a bye. The Ravens are also the best possible matchup in fantasy points per game allowed to opposing wide receivers.
Tight End
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
In three games prior to the Patriots’ Week 14 bye, Henry logged no less than eight targets in each one. His 26 targets from Weeks 11 through 13 account for a team-high 25% target share. His 12.1 fantasy points per game as a result ranks 10th amongst the position during this specific three-game stretch as well. Coming out of the bye, Henry should remain a focal point in the Drake Maye led offense. Their remaining opponents, the Cardinals, Bills, and Chargers, are all playoff-caliber teams that will likely require New England to throw to keep up or catch up. Henry has the highest floor of the likely group of tight ends available in your league on the Week 15 waiver wire.
Other Tight Ends to Consider
Juwan Johnson played the same amount of snaps (49, 72%) as Foster Moreau in the absence of Taysom Hill in Week 14. However, it was Johnson who logged more targets (5) catching four of them for 50 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, Derek Carr will miss the next few games, and perhaps the rest of the season, with a broken hand. That leaves either Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler at quarterback. As a result, Johnson could draw a heavy dose of targets on an offense that lacks playmakers and will need someone to step up as a reliable target.
Noah Gray has exactly four receptions in each of his last four games for the Chiefs. He’s averaging five targets per game over this span. Gray does have plenty of competition for targets most of the time, though. Travis Kelce, DeAndre Hopkins, Xavier Worthy, and others cap his ceiling any given week. Gray is as touchdown-dependent as most tight ends on the Week 15 waiver wire. He at least has Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback and, again, is seeing consistent looks in the passing game.
Stone Smartt is making his first appearance as a waiver wire suggestion. This comes after the news that Will Dissly is set to miss a few weeks with a shoulder injury. Smartt stepped into Dissly’s role in Week 14 catching all three of his targets for 54 scoreless yards. Plugging in Smartt is likely a move for managers in larger or deeper leagues. However, if you’re streaming the position, he does get a home matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15. They’ve allowed the fifth-most receptions and second-most yards to tight ends this season. Especially in Ladd McConkey sits out again, Smartt’s stock rises.
Quarterback
Jameis Winston, Cleveland Browns
Winston has attempted 41 or more pass attempts in five of his six starts this season. The only game he did not do so was Week 12 in snowy conditions hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers. As a result of his high volume in the passing game, Winston is averaging 315 passing yards per game. That’s a floor of 12.6 fantasy points per game just from yardage alone. Then consider Winston is also averaging two passing touchdowns per game, as well. Sure, he has nine interceptions in his last five games, including six in his last three. However, if interceptions are scored as just -1.0 point in your fantasy leagues, then his turnovers aren’t enough to shy away from adding him on the Week 15 waiver wire.
Other Quarterbacks to Consider
Will Levis is worth a Week 15 waiver wire claim if you’re streaming the quarterback position or playing in a Superflex league. However, as a playoff team, you likely have a starting quarterback locked into your Week 15 lineup already. Levis gets a Week 15 matchup at home against the Cincinnati Bengals. They’re a top-three matchup for opposing quarterbacks in regards to fantasy points allowed per game. There is concern surrounding a reoccurring shoulder injury for Levis, but he has a higher than most floor given the matchup and his weapons. He should have no problem reaching at least 16.0 points, if healthy, in a potential shootout.
Aaron Rodgers has the best possible fantasy matchup for opposing quarterbacks in Week 15. The New York Jets will travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars. They’re allowed 275 passing yards per game, the second-most in the league on average. They’re also allowed 24 passing touchdowns in 13 games, also the second-most in the league. Rodgers has just three games north of 18.0 fantasy points this season. His most recent is Week 9 against the Houston Texans. That’s also the Jets’ last win. Week 15 could be his next against the Jaguars throwing to Garrett Wilson, Davante Adams, and others.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 15 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!