We've put a bow on Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season and as head coach Bill Belichick would say, "We are onto Week 15." Now it's time to gaze into the crystal ball and see which players we should target on the waiver wire now in preparation for most fantasy playoffs who could pay off big time later.
Reminder: Bye weeks are over! Happy playoffs!
Week 15 Early Waiver Wire Targets
QB Mike White, Jets (20% rostered)
White was a solid fantasy play in his first two starts, throwing for at least 315 yards in each game. He finished as the QB6 and QB7, respectively, in Weeks 12 and 13.
White has been a breath of fresh air and a welcome change from Zach Wilson for Jets fans and Garrett Wilson managers alike. That said, I would avoid him this week in a brutal road matchup against the Bills, who rank seventh in pass DVOA and have allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this year.
After that, things get much easier for the Jets, who have one of the softest playoff schedules — they face the Lions, Jaguars and Seahawks to end the year, which vaults White into the low-end QB1 conversation.
QB Taylor Heinicke, Commanders (12%)
Heinicke had his second-best fantasy game in Week 13 against the Giants. He completed 27-of-41 attempts for 275 yards and two touchdowns and finished as the QB11.
He gets to face the G-Men once again after the Commanders' Week 14 bye. The Giants rank 28th in pass DVOA, and if the last game was any indication, Heinicke should at least flirt with QB1 numbers again.
WR Jahan Dotson, Commanders (15%)
Dotson bounced back from his Week 12 bagel and caught 5-of-9 targets for 54 yards and a touchdown against the Giants. He saw more targets than Curtis Samuel (6-of-7 for 63 yards) and was the WR18 in half PPR, though both took a backseat to Terry McLaurin, who had a monster day (8-of-12 for 105 yards and a touchdown).
Dotson has been banged up for much of this season, though in the eight games he has played, he has scored double-digit fantasy points and finished as a top-24 receiver four times. As mentioned above, Dotson has a bye this week, but he could be a decent stash candidate, especially in deeper leagues for teams looking ahead to the playoffs.
WR Alec Pierce, Colts (14%)
Pierce had a lovely game in the Colts’ epic meltdown against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. He led the team in all receiving categories (likely because he was not drawing No. 1 coverage) and caught 4-of-8 targets for 86 yards and a touchdown. He finished as the WR14 in half PPR, while Parris Campbell and Michael Pittman Jr. were the WR51 and WR75, respectively.
Pierce was an intriguing prospect in this year's draft. The 6-foot-3, 211-pound second-round pick from Cincinnati ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and is an impressive, big-bodied athletic specimen. His pedigree, combined with the Colts’ pass-happy offense, could give him just enough opportunity for a late-season breakout after Indy's Week 14 bye.
RB Jordan Mason, 49ers (13%)
Mason could be on his way to a much more significant role in San Francisco.
For one, the 49ers are much leaner at running back with Elijah Mitchell likely to miss the remainder of the regular season due to a sprained MCL. Mitchell missed time earlier this year due to a right knee sprain suffered in Week 1.
It is also well within the realm of possibilities that the 49ers opt to lean on the run game more after Jimmy Garoppolo broke his foot. This will benefit Christian McCaffrey the most, but Mason should also get more opportunities in this scheme change with Brock Purdy under center.
Last week against the Dolphins, Mason logged season highs in all rushing categories with eight attempts for 51 yards — good enough to finish as the RB43 in half-PPR scoring. He's a good speculative add with breakout potential, especially with the Seahawks, Commanders, Raiders and Cardinals to finish out the 2022 season.
RB Joshua Kelley, Chargers (3%)
It has been the Austin Ekeler show all year with Kelley singing in the chorus.
Kelley had an uptick in usage in Week 13 against the Raiders and split snaps with Ekeler by a count of 45 to 32. This was a season-high 43% snap participation rate for the Year 3 running back, who logged seven rushes for 30 yards in the effort.
At minimum, Kelley could be emerging as the clear-cut insurance policy for Ekeler managers looking for peace of mind as we head towards the fantasy playoffs.
TE Cade Otton, Buccaneers (9%)
Otton is coming off a huge game in which he caught 6-of-10 targets for 28 yards and a touchdown, which was apparently good enough to finish as the TE1 in full PPR this week.
Otton played a larger role with Cameron Brate sidelined, but I am very encouraged to see the sheer number of targets he’s getting from TB12. The rookie has been a bit erratic, though the tight end position has generally been a headache if you did not draft Travis Kelce.
I would sit him against the 49ers, but things get a bit easier to wrap up the year against the Bengals, Cardinals, Panthers and Falcons.
