Thomason: Top Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 15
By Jack Thomason--
(CBS) What another brutal week. Can the season just end already and we declare a champion?
I know I had one team on a bye and lost both Thomas Rawls and T.J. Yeldon! How's that team going to fare? I'm sure plenty of you were trying to advance and had the same guys or Greg Olsen, Tyler Eifert, Andy Dalton and more go down. I can't wait to see who the championship teams own most. I'm guessing DeAngelo Williams will be one of the main contributors. Anyway, I digress.
Here are my top 10 waiver adds for 10- and 12-member leagues.
1. Denard Robinson (RB, Jacksonville Jaguars) – Yeldon sprained his knee in Sunday's matchup against the Colts. He was off to a nice day, averaging more than five yards per carry before the injury. Then came Robinson, who carried the ball 14 times in a blowout victory, scoring once and piling up 75 yards. We've seen Robinson handle the load before and be a viable RB2 option last year. Because of that, he's the top pickup of the week. He also gets the Falcons next week, which is a great matchup.
2. Tim Hightower (RB, New Orleans Saints) – Hightower is back! He hasn't played since 2011, but why not, right? He came in off the streets and registered 28 carries for 85 yards and a short touchdown. He did that against a top-five run defense, too. I'm not saying you're getting an all-world stud here, but the volume will be there, the role will be there and C.J. Spiller is an afterthought. If you're in need of running back help, this is one of the two players you go for.
3. Tyler Lockett (WR, Seattle Seahawks) – I have Lockett ahead of DuJuan Harris, even though Rawls was lost for the year, because I believe moving forward the Seahawks will be relying much more on Russell Wilson's arm than the legs of any running back they have. Wilson has been on fire the last month, and with that has come an upswing in production for Lockett and Doug Baldwin. Lockett has a ridiculous 90.9 percent catch rate over the last four games and has tallied 20 receptions for 280 yards and four touchdowns over that span. He can't keep those numbers up, but he will be a dynamic receiver for a white-hot quarterback on one of the NFL's hottest teams.
4. DuJuan Harris (RB, Seattle Seahawks) – Waiver wire star Rawls broke his ankle this past weekend and leaves many owners clamoring for another running back if they were lucky enough to survive the opening week of the playoffs. While I the first two running back options are easier to trust, Harris is worth adding if you miss out. He carried the ball 18 times, albeit for 42 yards, so the workload was there. The Seahawks do have veteran Fred Jackson and re-signed Bryce Brown, so pay attention to them as well, but the early reports suggest Harris will be leading the way as the back with the most volume.
5. Bilal Powell (RB, New York Jets) – Since returning from an ankle injury, Powell has two touchdowns and more than 80 yards from scrimmage in three of the last four games. The Jets are playing well on offense, and Powell has been the third receiving option behind stud receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. There's been enough work to go around for those three and Chirs Ivory, and there's no reason to think it will end as the Jets push to lock up a wild-card berth. They currently hold the sixth seed in the AFC.
6. Darren Sproles/Ryan Mathews (RB, Philadelphia Eagles) – This is going to be a difficult situation to figure out moving forward as DeMarco Murray was supposedly demoted but saw 11 carries. Mathews was back from injury and saw a team-high 13 carries, and Sproles had seven. Sproles did get the all-important goal-line carry, which he converted for a touchdown, so that helps boost confidence. We also saw coach Chip Kelly use him at the goal line on multiple occasions last year. I'm guessing Mathews isn't available, but Sproles may be, and he has been heavily involved the last two weeks. Go get him.
7. Brandon Bolden (RB, New England Patriots) – We don't know the extent of LeGarrette Blount's hip injury at the moment, but Bolden was involved after he went down, both as a runner and a receiver. James White will still have a role, as he has 18 receptions for 190 yards and two scores over the last two weeks, but it was Bolden who led the team in carries with 16, totaling 41 yards. If you're in need and miss out on some of the earlier players, Bolden's worth a look for your stretch run.
8. Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB, New York Jet) – Fitzpatrick keeps putting up the points yet isn't getting much love. Since Week 9, he ranks sixth in points per game average among quarterbacks and has amassed 27 total touchdowns on the year. Fitzpatrick is always a threat to run the ball too, as he has 232 yards rushing on the season. If you just lost Dalton or are looking for a quarterback upgrade, don't think twice about adding Fitzpatrick.
9. Cameron Artis-Payne/Fozzy Whittaker (RBs, Carolina Panthers) – Jonathan Stewart's dealing with a sprained foot, and his status is unclear at this time. One would expect the Panthers to err on the side of caution given that they have already wrapped up a bye. Keep an eye on the news, but should Stewart sit, a committee backfield is the likely scenario.
10. Ted Ginn Jr. (WR, Carolina Panthers) – Ginn's the consummate boom-or-bust player, but he has been hot of late, scoring four touchdowns over his last two games. You know Ginn can cause you massive headaches when he drops a ball or two for a touchdown, but Cam Newton hasn't stopped looking his way downfield, and the opportunities are there. Ginn now has a trio of two-touchdown games this year. As a WR3 or a "what the heck" flex play, I'd be happy to add Ginn, as he gets the Giants' porous pass defense next. It may only take one reception for him to give you what you need/want.
Just missed: Chris Polk, Isaiah Crowell, Charles Sims, Malcom Floyd, Cecil Shorts, Jermaine Kearse, Zach Miller and Will Tye.
Jack Thomason is 670 The Score's fantasy football expert and co-host of "Chicago's Fantasy Football Today," which can be heard every Sunday during football season from 8-9 a.m. CT on WSCR-670 and 670thescore.com/listen. Follow him on Twitter@jthomason77and feel free to ask fantasy questions.
