Thomason: Top Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 14
By Jack Thomason--
(CBS) It's playoff time!
I'll be dishing out some guys to add depth and, if you're lucky, get hot during your playoff run. Still, the list below shows you that waiting to spend your free-agent bidding dollars or holding on to the top waiver spot for too long is a no-no. And of course, I'll say this weekly: Be sure to have all important handcuffs locked up for your players or others.
Here are my top 10 waiver adds for 10- and 12-member leagues.
1. DeVante Parker (WR, Miami Dolphins) – A former college star from Louisville, Parker's has shown his elite talent for Miami over the last two weeks. His 38-yard touchdown grab was something of beauty, as he used every bit of his leaping ability and his 6-foot-3 frame to go up and pluck the ball out of the air. Playing more than 80 percent of the snaps the last two weeks, Parker has seen 15 targets, scored two touchdowns and totaled 143 yards.
2. James White (RB, New England Patriots) – You never know what the case is going to be in this Patriots offense, but they're in need of receivers, and White gives New England an element it has been missing out of the backfield since Dion Lewis went down. While White isn't as good as Lewis in the open field, he should be a viable safety blanket for Tom Brady as long as Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman are out. White broke out and earned trust this past Sunday, snagging 10 of 13 targets for 113 yards and a score.
3. Bilal Powell (RB, New York Jets) – Powell has quietly led the backfield in cumulative snap percentage over the last four weeks. While Chris Ivory saw more touches Sunday, it was Powell who turned in the better day with a team-leading 13 targets and eight receptions for 91 yards and a trip to pay dirt. He had 108 total yards. Powell's worth the addition, especially in PPR leagues, if you're looking for depth and a potential flex option.
4. Darren Sproles/Ryan Mathews (RB, Philadelphia Eagles) – DeMarco Murray has been an afterthought of late in the Eagles' offense, and on Sunday it was all Sproles, who totaled 100 yards on 18 touches while playing 57 percent of the snaps. Do we know if anything is changing in Philadelphia as far as the running back situation? No, but coach Chip Kelly did say the rotation would be a week-to-week situation. Mathews has been out with a concussion the last three weeks but is also worth a speculative add.
5. Austin Seferian-Jenkins (TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – Seferian-Jenkins missed nine games due to a shoulder injury, but two traits are evident. One, he's uber-athletic. And two, quarterback Jameis Winston loves to throw to his tight ends (and has since his Florida State days). Seferian-Jenkins saw the second-most looks this past week with six, and that was while only playing 30 percent of the snaps. Seferian-Jenkins also dropped a touchdown pass while knocking off the rust, but he did catch three passes for 31 yards and gets a dream matchup in his second game back against the Saints.
6. Chris Polk (RB, Houston Texans) – The likely reason for Alfred Blue playing only 12 percent of the snaps is the Texans were trailing for the majority of the game. Polk's the superior pass receiving back and pass-protecting back and led the team with 39 percent of the snaps played. He tallied 72 total yards on 13 touches and scored a beautiful 11-yard receiving touchdown where he Madden truck-sticked Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore into the end zone. I don't know that there's a changing of the guard, but there are many, many people who believe Polk is the superior talent to Blue. Is it possible Houston finally realized the same?
7. Dorial Green-Beckham (WR, Tennessee Titans) – While Green-Beckham can't be trusted yet, he's worth having rostered because of his natural talent and big-play ability. He had the best game of his career Sunday, taking five balls for 119 yards and a touchdown. He bounced off of a would-be tackler en route to his 47-yard touchdown and saw the second-most targets on the team (six), so this could be the start of a hot streak.
8. Tyler Lockett (WR, Seattle Seahawks) – The Seahawks and quarterback Russell Wilson have been on fire over the last three weeks. They've thrown for 11 touchdowns, and while Doug Baldwin his been white-hot, Lockett is coming off a season-best seven-catch, 90-yard game. Lockett has 14 receptions, 146 yards and two touchdowns over this three-game stretch. He's a dynamic rookie with explosive playmaking ability, and if your league gives points for return touchdowns, that's another plus he can add.
9. Markus Wheaton (WR, Pittsburgh Steelers) – Wheaton has played at least 55 percent of the offensive snaps the last three weeks and has scored in back-to-back games. While his 201 yards against Seattle will likely go down as a career-best, he did bounce back by seeing another six targets and turning them into 50 yards, so he didn't vanish like many expected he would. Being one of the top three receivers in this Steelers offense isn't your typical fantasy uselessness.
10. Keshawn Martin (WR, New England Patriots) – Gronkowski's expected to miss at least one more game and while Danny Amendola returned and White broke out, Martin still saw eight targets and played 97 percent of offensive snaps. Brandon LaFell continues to struggle as well, so Martin could end up being a sneaky play moving forward as long as the Patriots are undermanned on offense.
Just missed: Tyrod Taylor, Jameis Winston, John Crockett, Jay Ajayi, Charles Sims, Reuben Randle, Cecil Shorts, Brian Hartline, Will Tye and Richard Rodgers.
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.
