Even though Week 13 isn’t fully in the books, it’s time to cast an eye over your Week 14 waiver wire pickups for the 2021 season.
This week brings the last week where we have bye weeks to deal with, which has felt never-ending at times! The teams on bye this week are:
- Indianapolis Colts
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- Philadelphia Eagles
All of these pickups are written in percentage, not priority. For a player to be eligible they have to be owned in less than 50% of leagues. The rostered percentage is taken from ESPN. Now, let’s get into them!
Cam Newton (CAR) v ATL 36.4% rostered
Why not start off with a risky pick? Newton was not great last time out against Miami, and that’s putting it kindly. If it hadn’t been for his rushing TD, you’d have been just as well starting a player on a bye week. This week brings a get right game against a Falcons defense that has given up alot of points to the position this season.
Taysom Hill (NO) @NYJ 35.9% rostered
Hill returned to action, and had a mixed time on the field. Throwing 4 INTs is never ideal, but his rushing ability always gives him that ability to get it done for fantasy. The Jets shouldn’t put up too much of a challenge for the Saints. The thing to be wary of is the injury to Hill’s hand- keep an eye on the injury report.
Jimmy Garoppolo (SF) @CIN 14.2% rostered
Ok, be honest, did you expect the team to still be rolling out Garoppolo at this point of the season? I certainly didn’t, but here we are. Garoppolo has been performing well recently too. If you take out his Week 12 game against the Vikings, he has thrown multiple TDs for the last 4 games. The Bengals defense is good, but it’s not invincible, as we saw with Justin Herbert this past week.
Others to Consider
- Teddy Bridgewater (DEN) v DET 18.7% rostered
- Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) @MIN 15.7% rostered
- Zach Wilson (NYJ) v NO 3.8% rostered
Rhamondre Stevenson (NE) BYE 46.3% rostered
The rollercoaster of Stevenson’s rookie season could mean that this looks just awful come tomorrow, but here we go. Stevenson has seen a decent amount of usage this season, and as we reach the sharp end of the season, having a RB that has the ability to score well is like gold dust.
Tevin Coleman (NYJ) v NO 41.3% rostered
Coleman had another week where he had double-digit carries. On the Jets offense that isn’t going to be coming with too much upside. What it does come with though is a player that is going to be a flex consideration each week due to volume. I wouldn’t expect too much this week against the Saints, but after that you’ve got a few decent weeks.
Dontrell Hilliard/ D’Onta Foreman (TEN) v JAX 36.1/ 35.5% rostered
This is when I feel like I miss a yearly tradition. Every year, Derrick Henry would go HAM on the Jags, not this year though. Hopefully, we still see someone from the Titans do that. We have had a bye week, but going into it these two had a great performance against the Patriots. I think of the two I’d opt for Foreman, but I’m splitting hairs there.
Sony Michel (LAR) @ARI 35.2% rostered
I don’t think Michel will see that level of work against Arizona, given that Henderson was officially active, but we are getting to the point where you need to insure RBs. If Henderson were to suffer another injury, Michel is the guy that is going to be getting the workload in this offense.
Kenneth Gainwell (PHI) BYE 11.5% rostered
Gainwell was the forgotten man, all it took was a bit of Minshew Mania. A bye week is always a bit of an equalizer, but that was a great performance from the rookie. His involvement in the receiving game too, makes him a decent pick-up.
Adrian Peterson (SEA) @HOU 11.1% rostered
Peterson stepped into the Seahawks backfield, taking double-digit carries for just 16 yards, but he did manage to get a TD. With another week with the team, and a matchup against the Texans, Peterson is likely to be a popular add for those needing something special to get into the playoffs.
Others to Consider
- Matt Bredia (BUF) @TB 19.8% rostered
- Carlos Hyde (JAX) @TEN 9.2% rostered
- Brandon Bolden (NE) BYE 7.2% rostered
- Jermar Jefferson (DET) @DEN 09.% rostered
Laviska Shenault (JAX) @TEN 45.5% rostered
Shenault has been frustrating for fantasy. There are the signs that he should be producing but seems to be held back by the overall offense. I’d pick him up in the hope at the tail end of the season. with the matchups that the Jaguars translates on the field and production follows.
Kendrick Bourne (NE) BYE 33.1% rostered
Bourne has been great the past few weeks. Yes, that could be different later tonight as the team faceoff against Buffalo, but currently, he has been productive enough. If you need a depth piece, you could go the way of Bourne. This week will give you an indication of what to expect in Week 16 when the teams square off again.
Russell Gage (ATL) @CAR 24.9% rostered
Gage is a great option to pick up, with the schedule he has for the playoffs. Gage has picked it up now, and looks to be the primary receiver in this offense that is likely to be passing the ball often.
Amon-Ra St.Brown (DET) @DEN 6.6% rostered
Is this what we should expect moving forwards for St. Brown? Possibly. Certainly at the start of the season, the expectation that he was going to be the primary receiver for the team. That hadn’t transpired until this past week. In PPR leagues especially, pick him up. Although he is going to be a popular add this week.
K.J. Osborn (MIN) v PIT 4.1% rostered
Osborn has had a mixed season, mostly down to if he is able to get on the field. The injury to Adam Thielen allowed Osborn to see the field, which ultimately meant that he finished with 4 receptions for 47 yards and a score. That injury means that Osborn should see the field more often than he did, and has some nice matchups coming up.
Others to Consider
- Deonte Harris (NO) @NYJ 3.8% rostered
- Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (TEN) v JAX 2.9% rostered
- Josh Reynolds (DET) @DEN 2.7% rostered
- Zay Jones (LV) @KC 1.6% rostered
Jared Cook (LAC) v NYG 48.6% rostered
Cook is part of a dynamic offense of Los Angeles, but hasn’t always managed to do it on the field. But, against the Giants this week, there is every opportunity for Cook to have a decent TE performance. Not that is takes that much outside of a TD.
Tyler Conklin (MIN) v PIT 34.2% rostered
Conklin has had a decent season (especially for a TE). The passing offense for the Vikings is going to adapt with Adam Thielen set to miss some time. Uncertainty brings opportunity, so pick up Conklin and see how that shakes out.
Others to Consider
- Foster Moreau (LV) @KC 29.2% rostered
- Evan Engram (NYG) @LAC 28.4% rostered
- Cole Kmet (CHI) @GB 13.5% rostered
Green Bay Packers v CHI 27.3% rostered
The Packers defense has been decent enough this season, with a number of double-digit performances, as well as a few high single-digit scores. This matchup against Chicago’s stale offense is a good one to target. Pick them up fresh off the back of their bye week.
Kansas City Chiefs v LV 24.0% rostered
The Chiefs defense seems to have managed to get some production for fantasy recently, including nine points against their Week 14 opponents. I’d be happy picking them up as a streaming option this week.
Others to consider
- Denver Broncos v DET 43.8% rostered
- Cleveland Browns v BAL 40.8% rostered
- Cincinnati Bengals v SF 12.7% rostered
Greg Zuerlein (DAL) @WAS 38.0% rostered
Zuerlein’s leg has been great this season. The Cowboys offense has been able to get the ball downfield consistently but hasn’t always managed to convert that into TDs. Those FG attempts and a safe PAT floor are fantastic for a fantasy kicker.
Zane Gonzalez (CAR) v ATL 5.0% rostered
Gonzalez has been a decent enough kicker this season, missing just a handful of kicks this season. The Panthers offense should be better than it was last time out. Last time out against the Falcons, he had a great double-digit performance, with 4 FG conversions.
Others to consider
- Younghoe Koo (ATL) @CAR 41.7% rostered
- Evan McPherson (CIN) v SF 34.0% rostered
- Robbie Gould (SF) @CIN 18.2% rostered
There you have it! Any questions, or want some more specific help for your league on who to drop, just reach out. Reach out on social media, you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Or jump into our Discord server. And checkout out rankings for each Week.
Image Credit: Chuck Cook- USA TODAY Sports
