A note to you, the reader: I write this every Monday morning from the comfort of my home office in Charlotte, N.C., except for this week. I’m in Texas this week for my wife’s family holiday celebrations. I may or may not be in a loft space, slightly hungover, waiting on coffee and Whataburger pancakes from my aforementioned (and very loving) wife. It’s possible these waiver wire recommendations are shorter than usual, but I assure you they are sound.
If you’ve made it this far it’s because you’re in the fantasy playoffs. Congratulations!
Unless you have the luxury of a very deep bench, treat everything from this point forward like a DFS lineup. Maximize your points for this week and worry about next week when it gets here. So, let’s hit the waiver wire hard for Week 15!
Teams on bye: No more bye weeks, hooray!
As always, the players below are rostered in fewer than 50% of ESPN leagues.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 15 Pickups (2023)
(Rostership percentages courtesy of ESPN)
Priority Adds
Matthew Stafford (QB, L.A. Rams) | 34% Rostered
“Matthew Stafford is quietly averaging over 23 fantasy points in his last two games.”
That was my lead into my writeup on Stafford last week. He’s now averaging over 23 fantasy points in his last three contests.
He slung the football for 294 yards and three more touchdowns on Sunday. Maybe you lost Justin Herbert. Having worries about C.J. Stroud being in concussion protocol? Or perhaps you think Patrick Mahomes may be in a sluggish, slow game against the Patriots during the first week of the fantasy playoffs. Matthew Stafford can be your fantasy football savior. The Commanders are giving up over 25 fantasy points per game to the quarterback for the last month. Start Stafford.
Isaiah Likely (TE, Baltimore Ravens) | 26.4% Rostered
Isaiah Likely had a Mark Andrews-type stat line this past week, tallying five catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. Most of that production came on a 54-yard gallop to the endzone. There aren’t a ton of tight ends that even give you the possibility of getting a 54-yard touchdown weekly. Likely is explosive and is seeing targets in bunches; in fact, he’s racked up 13 targets in his last two games. The matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars isn’t a plus matchup, but the second-year TE can overcome that worry on volume. He’s worth a Week 15 waiver wire add and a start.
Plug-Ins
Keaton Mitchell (RB, Baltimore Ravens) | 35% Rostered
While Keaton Mitchell didn’t have the big boom game for fantasy this week, he did lead Baltimore running backs in touches with 10. Justice Hill still led the way in snaps, but Mitchell only had six fewer, while Gus Edwards fell to 19 total snaps. Mitchell has proven that he’s the Ravens’ most explosive and efficient RB, averaging six Yards Per Carry (YPAC) on Sunday. The Ravens take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are allowing the 12th-most fantasy points to the RB over the last month. The Jaguars have also given up the third-most receiving yards to the RB the entire season. Mitchell could be in for a big game in Week 15, and he is readily available on the waiver wire in most leagues.
Noah Brown (WR, Houston Texans) | 42.6% Rostered
Noah Brown is a great pickup for Week 15 if – and this is the biggest of ifs – C.J. Stroud can clear concussion protocol. Stroud took quite the bump near the end of the Texans’ contest against the Jets, and it’s been reported that he’s currently in concussion protocol. Brown’s running mate Nico Collins also left the game with a calf injury from earlier in the season that he appeared to reaggravate.
Brown had massive back-to-back games in Weeks 9 and 10. The Titans have been exploitable all season in giving up fantasy points to the WR position, averaging nearly 39 Points Per Reception (PPR) points allowed per game. If Stroud clears concussion protocol, Brown likely becomes the default top target in this offense. If Davis Mills gets the nod, it’ll be hard to trust a Houston pass-catcher with confidence. Monitor the situation and make your Week 15 waiver wire pickups accordingly.
Zamir White (RB, Las Vegas Raiders) | 1% Rostered
Unfortunately for Josh Jacobs‘ managers and the Las Vegas Raiders, the Alabama product went down with a knee injury late in the fourth quarter on Sunday. The Raiders only played six offensive snaps after Jacobs went down, so there’s not a ton to analyze in terms of “next man up.” 2022 fourth-round selection Zamir White hasn’t been involved a lot in the Raiders backfield this season, as Jacobs has been a workhorse. Still, of the Raiders’ remaining options, White most matches Jacobs in terms of playing style and stature. Las Vegas has the misfortune of having a turnaround, with a “Thursday Night Football” matchup in Week 15 against the Chargers, who have been a top-12 matchup for RBs over the last month.
Stashes
Los Angeles Rams (D/ST) | 16% Rostered
It’s possible the Los Angeles Rams D/ST is the most underrated squad heading into the fantasy playoffs. Los Angeles takes on the Commanders in Week 15, the Saints in Week 16 and the Giants in Week 17. Juicy, juicy and juicy. The Rams have accumulated eight QB sacks in their last three contests. While they haven’t been prolific in terms of pressure, Commanders’ QB Sam Howell has taken 58 sacks this season, 10 more than any other QB in the league. Don’t worry about the Rams giving up some points here and there. Turnovers and sacks are the name of the game, and the Rams should see opportunities for both.
Thanks for reading my favorite fantasy football waiver wire Week 15 pickups. Looking for more fantasy football advice? Follow me on Twitter @ThatMattKelley.
*Photo Credit: Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer – USA TODAY Sports*