With a wild football weekend in the rearview mirror, it's time to assess the state of our fantasy teams and add (or cut) accordingly.
Saturday and Sunday of Week 15 brought a relatively lighter list of injuries to fantasy relevant players.
- RB Jonathan Taylor (IND) sustained a high-ankle sprain against the Vikings and will likely miss the remainder of the year.
- QB Colt McCoy (ARI) suffered a concussion and was ruled out to return against the Broncos. He was replaced by third-stringer Trace McSorely.
- RB Caleb Huntley (ATL) suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against the Saints.
- QB Ryan Tannehill (TEN) was carted off to the locker room with an ankle injury, but he was able to return against the Chargers. He was briefly replaced by rookie Malik Willis.
- QB Jalen Hurts (PHI) reportedly suffered a sprained shoulder against Chicago. His status is uncertain though the team and his agent don't believe it's a long-term issue.
Whether you need a player to replace dead weight on your roster, or just need a streamer, make sure to check out Action Network's top targets at each position — all of which are available in at least 40% of Yahoo! leagues — that you should prioritize come Tuesday night.
Note: Yahoo! roster percentages are reflected in parentheses as of Monday and fantasy rankings are exclusive of the Monday Night Football game.
Fantasy Waiver Wire Pickups
Fantasy Waiver QBs to Target
Brock Purdy, 49ers (20% rostered)
Purdy was stellar once again in the 49ers' 21-13 win on Thursday night over the Seahawks. He completed 17-of-26 attempts for 217 yards and two touchdowns and is the QB14 heading into Monday Night Football.
Since stepping in for Jimmy Garoppolo, who is out with a broken foot, Purdy has finished as the QB18 (not a complete game), QB8 and QB14 (with one game left to play).
He has a soft schedule to finish out the season against three below-average defenses against fantasy quarterbacks, starting with the Commanders. He should be a high-end QB2 option with QB1 upside.
Remaining schedule: vs. Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Cardinals
Sam Darnold, Panthers (6%)
Darnold has been unremarkable since returning from injury — though he has been a palpable upgrade from the quarterback clown car the Panthers had been fielding all year.
He completed 14-of-23 attempts for 225 yards and one touchdown in the Panthers' 24-16 loss to the Steelers. He is currently the QB20 with one game left to play.
The quarterback pickings on the waiver wire are slim this week and Darnold is only one in the deep league or superflex conversation with the Lions on deck, whose defense has allowed the most fantasy points to quarterbacks this year.
Detroit's defense was just lit up by Zach Wilson, who is currently the QB9 after subbing in for Mike White. Darnold should be a very solid QB2 in this desirable matchup.
Remaining schedule: vs. Lions, at Buccaneers, at Saints
Gardner Minshew, Eagles (0%)
The Hurts injury could be disastrous for fantasy managers in the midst of playoff semifinals. Minshew would be the next man up and logical choice as someone who has been usable for fantasy in the past.
Minshew started two games for the Eagles last season, one in Week 13 against the Jets and another in Week 18 against the Cowboys.
He completed 20-of-25 attempts for 242 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed four times for 11 yards in his first start for a QB10 finish. He completed 19-of-33 attempts for 186 yards, two touchdowns and one interception and rushed five times for 10 yards in his second start and was the QB17, which feels like his floor this week.
The Eagles offense is much improved with the offseason addition of star wideout A.J. Brown, so Minshew should have a relatively safe floor. The Cowboys have been a tough matchup all year, but they were just lit up by the Jaguars.
Minshew should be considered a high-end QB2/low-end QB1 in this matchup assuming he starts.
Remaining schedule: at Cowboys, vs. Saints, vs. Giants
Other quarterbacks to consider: Ryan Tannehill, Titans (41%); Davis Mills, Texans (5%); Zach Wilson, Jets (7%)
Fantasy Waiver RBs to Target
Zack Moss and Deon Jackson, Colts (2% and 7%)
The Colts leaned on the duo of Moss and Jackson after Jonathan Taylor went down early in their epic 39-36 loss to the Vikings.
Moss tallied 24 carries for 81 yards, while Jackson recorded 13 carries for 55 yards and caught a pass for a one-yard touchdown. Moss out-snapped Jackson by a count of 53 to 25 in the effort.Moss is currently the RB35 in half PPR and Jackson is the RB26.
Jackson has been productive with Taylor sidelined in the past, though that was before Moss joined the team. The snap counts and touches suggest Moss would be the preferred add, though this will likely be some kind of committee.
The Colts' remaining schedule is delectable for running backs, as they are slated to face three bottom-nine teams according to the rush DVOA metric and fantasy points allowed to the position.
Remaining schedule: vs. Chargers, at Giants, vs. Texans
Tyler Allgeier, Falcons (37%)
With Desmond Ridder making his first NFL start, the Falcons leaned heavily on their run game in a 21-18 loss to the Saints.
Allgeier had his best fantasy game this season and led the backfield in carries. The rookie rushed 17 times for 139 yards and a touchdown, and he is currently the RB7 in half-PPR scoring with one game left to play. Cordarrelle Patterson also had a nice game with 14 carries for 52 yards and a touchdown.
I expect the Falcons to continue this trend for the rest of the year with Marcus Mariota on injured reserve and the inexperienced Ridder under center. Allgeier could end up offering RB3 value down the stretch in a 1A/1B situation with Patterson.
Remaining schedule: at Ravens, vs. Cardinals, vs. Buccaneers
Chuba Hubbard, Panthers (39%)
Hubbard had four carries for 10 yards and caught three passes for 57 yards in Carolina's loss to Pittsburgh. He is currently the RB33 in half-PPR scoring. D'Onta Foreman saw the majority of attempts, but he was quite ineffective, logging ten carries for nine yards.
Hubbard continues to be the primary pass-catching back on a team that finds itself in negative game scripts more often than not. He could offer some PPR upside with the Lions' permeable pass defense on deck.
Remaining schedule: vs. Lions, at Buccaneers, at Saints
Marlon Mack, Broncos (5%)
Mack had yet another good game in the Broncos' 24-15 win over the Cardinals. He rushed five times for 37 yards and a touchdown and also caught four targets for 26 yards. Latavius Murray was the featured back and had 24 carries for 130 yards and a touchdown with a reception for 12 yards.
Mack, who finished as the RB14 last week, is currently the RB13 in half PPR. He and Murray may struggle this week against the Rams, but they get to face the Chiefs and Chargers to finish out the year. Mack is worth an add in deeper leagues.
Remaining schedule: at Rams, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers
Joshua Kelley, Chargers (4%)
Kelley saw double-digit carries for the second time this season in the Chargers' 17-14 win over the Titans.
He rushed 10 times for 25 yards and a touchdown and had a reception for seven yards and is currently the RB30 in half-PPR scoring. Lead back Austin Ekeler was injured briefly and sat out the series in which Kelley scored. Ekeler still scored later on and logged 14 touches for 70 all-purpose yards.
This was no easy matchup against the Titans, whose defense ranks first in rush DVOA. The Chargers' run game should be more effective against the Colts.
Kelley, who could be developing standalone value in deeper leagues, is a high-value backup for Ekeler managers.
Remaining schedule: at Colts, vs. Rams, at Broncos
Jordan Mason, 49ers (12%)
Mason was used sparingly when the 49ers swept the season series against the Seahawks. He saw just four carries to Christian McCaffrey's 26 and was out-snapped by CMC 57 to 7. The rookie, though, was effective with his usage and still logged 64 yards.
Mason may not be a superstar quite yet and is the clear and distant No. 2 behind McCaffrey. That said, he is definitely a name to keep an eye on for next season and would be a very valuable insurance policy should anything ever happen to McCaffrey between now and your fantasy finals.
Remaining schedule: vs. Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Cardinals
Jaylen Warren, Steelers (13%)
Warren logged a season-high 11 carries in the Steelers' win over the Panthers. He recorded 38 yards and a touchdown and double-digit fantasy points in half PPR for the first time all year. He was the clear No. 2 in the effort behind Najee Harris, who had 24 carries for 86 yards and a touchdown.
Warren falls into a similar category as Mason and Kelley as a high-end insurance policy. I expect both Warren and Harris to have opportunities next week against the Raiders, who rank 22nd in rush DVOA and have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to running backs.
Remaining schedule: vs. Raiders, at Ravens, vs. Browns
Other running backs to consider: Salvon Ahmed, Dolphins (0%); Pierre Strong Jr., Patriots (17%); Gus Edwards, Ravens (44%)
Fantasy Waiver WRs to Target
Jahan Dotson, Commanders (17%)
Dotson had a breakout performance in the Commanders' 20-12 loss to the Giants. He caught 4-of-6 targets for 105 yards and a touchdown — his second in two weeks — and is currently the WR8 in half-PPR scoring.
The first-round rookie has been injured for much of this season, but in the nine games he's played, Dotson has finished as a top-22 receiver or better five times.
The Commanders have certainly had their offensive struggles this year, but their receiving corps has been strong with Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel by Dotson's side. Dotson is on the rise and he could end up offering low-end WR3/flex value down the stretch — even with the 49ers' stout defense on deck.
Remaining schedule: at 49ers, vs. Browns, vs. Cowboys
Zay Jones, Jaguars (55%)
Absolutely ridiculous of late, Jones had a monster game in a tough matchup against the Cowboys. He reeled in 6-of-8 targets for 109 yards and three touchdowns and is currently the WR1 in half PPR.
Christian Kirk and Evan Engram were also involved and each had 10 targets and combined for 154 receiving yards, while Marvin Jones Jr. scored the only other Jaguars touchdown of the day.
The team's pass-heavy approach has been benefitting Jones, who is the WR6 since Week 10. He has finished as a top-eight receiver in three of the last four games since the Jaguars' Week 11 bye and he should be considered a WR2 rest-of-season.
Remaining schedule: at Jets, at Texans, vs. Titans
Noah Brown, Cowboys (2%)
Brown had his best game of the season in the Cowboys' disappointing overtime loss. He logged a season-high six catches on nine targets for 49 yards and two touchdowns and is the WR6 in half PPR.
Brown served as the WR2 behind CeeDee Lamb, who was flawless and caught all seven of his targets for 126 yards. Michael Gallup was a non-factor and caught one pass for two yards.
The Ohio State product should be regarded as the Cowboys' No. 2 option moving forward, though he is probably worth sitting next week against the Eagles. Brown caught 1-of-3 targets for 10 yards when these two teams first met in Week 6, which made him just the WR83 for that week.
Brown will be a low cost and widely available option for many managers' fantasy finals in Week 17 against the Titans.
Remaining schedule: vs. Eagles, at Titans, at Commanders
Russell Gage, Buccaneers (13%)
Gage had his best fantasy game of the year in the Buccaneers' disappointing 34-23 loss to the Bengals.
He saw a team-high 12 targets and caught eight of them for 59 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He is currently the WR5 in half PPR and will finish top-eight for the second time this year (one more than Mike Evans or Chris Godwin).
Evans and Godwin were also involved and combined for 13 catches on 18 targets for 166 yards and a touchdown.
While I do not want to make too much of a game that could very well be a flash in the pan, the Buccaneers do have a favorable schedule down the stretch against three below-average pass defenses according to the pass DVOA metric. Gage could be a deeper league option for managers in need of depth.
Remaining schedule: at Cardinals, vs. Panthers, at Falcons
Elijah Moore, Jets (36%)
Moore was okay — not great — in Zach Wilson's return. He caught 4-of-7 targets for 51 yards and was only out-targeted by Garrett Wilson, who caught 4-of-9 for 98 yards.
Unfortunately, it does not sound like Mike White will be returning to face the Jaguars on Thursday night, which is bad news for all of New York's pass-catchers.
I would add him, but hold out starting him until Week 17 or 18 when he faces weak pass defenses in Seattle and Miami.
Remaining schedule: vs. Jaguars, at Seahawks, at Dolphins
K.J. Osborn, Vikings (5%)
Osborn shined in the Vikings' comeback win over the Colts, catching 10-of-16 targets for 157 yards and a touchdown. He is the WR2 in half PPR heading into Monday night.
Osborn even out-performed Justin Jefferson, who is currently the WR3 after hauling in 12-of-16 targets for 123 yards and a touchdown.
Though he had nice Week 14 in Detroit (WR26), this was Osborn's best game of the year by a significant margin. He will be a high-upside, boom-or-bust play in Week 16 against the Giants, who rank 24th in pass DVOA.
Remaining schedule: vs. Giants, at Packers, at Bears
Other wide receivers to consider: Kalif Raymond, Lions (3%); Mack Hollins, Raiders (29%); Terrace Marshall Jr., Panthers (5%); Chris Moore, Texans (19%); Richie James, Giants (14%); Rashid Shaheed, Saints (1%)
Fantasy Waiver TEs to Target
Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans (29%)
Okonkwo was good yet again in the Titans' loss to the Chargers. He reeled in 4-of-5 targets for 54 yards and rushed for six yards on the heels of his TE2 finish last week against the Jaguars.
Okonkwo is currently the TE15 in half-PPR scoring and is the TE2 since Week 13. He has four consecutive games with at least five targets and he saw a season-high 60% snap participation rate in Week 15, out-snapping Austin Hooper for only the second time all year.
He has a couple of good matchups coming up to finish out the year starting with the Texans in Week 16. Okonkwo should be considered a high-end TE2 with TE1 upside.
Remaining schedule: vs. Texans, vs. Cowboys, at Jaguars
Juwan Johnson and Taysom Hill, Saints (20% and 47%)
Both Johnson and Hill shined in the Saints' crucial win over the Falcons.
Johnson hauled in 4-of-6 targets for 67 yards and two touchdowns and is currently the TE2 in half PPR heading. Hill, who is still categorized as a tight end for some reason, rushed seven times for 30 yards, tossed two passes for 80 yards and a touchdown and is currently the TE11.
Both could be worth adding, though I would prefer Hill RoS given his versatility and rushing/passing upside. He was the TE1 in Week 13 before the Saints' bye and he offers a high ceiling opposite the Browns' defense, which ranks 30th in rush DVOA.
Remaining schedule: at Browns, at Eagles, vs. Panthers
Noah Fant, Seahawks (22%)
Fant was the lone Seahawk to find the end zone in the loss to the 49ers. He caught 5-of-6 targets for 32 yards and a touchdown and was the third option behind Tyler Lockett (7-of-9 for 68 yards) and DK Metcalf (7-of-9 for 55 yards).
Fant is currently the TE7 in half PPR with one game left to play and will finish as a TE1 for the second time in three weeks. That said, he has major bust potential as he laid a goose egg in Week 14 against the Panthers. Fant has a much easier matchup coming up against the Chiefs, whose defense ranks 25th in pass DVOA.
Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, vs. Jets, vs. Rams
Other tight ends to consider: C.J. Uzomah, Jets (0%); Brock Wright, Lions (0%); Jordan Akins, Texans (1%); Trey McBride, Cardinals (4%)
