You did it! If you’re reading this article heading into Week 15, it’s safe to assume you made the fantasy playoffs. Congrats. There’s also a chance you lost another running back recently, as they have been dropping like flies. The Week 15 waiver wire is full of backup running backs being thrust into starting roles. Here are my favorite options.
Week 15 Waiver Wire Additions
Tank Bigsby, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Available in 54% of Yahoo leagues, 65% of ESPN leagues, and 52% of Sleeper leagues
It’s actually pretty surprising that Bigsby is available in so many leagues. From Weeks 4-8, he was the RB13 in fantasy, but a combination of injury, poor play from the Jaguars, and a Week 12 bye clearly frustrated fantasy managers to the point of dropping him. In Week 14, he rushed for 55 yards and a TD. More importantly, he worked far ahead of Travis Etienne, with 18 carries to Etienne’s four. It’s anyone’s guess what the Jags will look like down the stretch, but they have a favorable schedule for fantasy RBs and appear to be leaning on Bigsby once again. If you still have FAAB and a need at RB, Bigbsy is your best bet.
FAAB Bid: 100%
Patrick Taylor, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Available in 95% of Yahoo leagues, 96% of ESPN leagues, and 93% of Sleeper leagues
Will the next 49ers RB please stand up? If you have no idea who Patrick Taylor is, you are not alone. With Isaac Guerendo going down with a foot injury, it appears Taylor will be the 5th-man up for the Niners this season. Taylor has played limited snaps but is the longest-tenured healthy back in San Francisco and scored a TD this week. The running back role for the 49ers is valuable for fantasy, so adding Taylor is advisable. Based on the terrible run of injuries for the position, you might want to consider adding Israel Abanikanda or Ke’Shawn Vaughn, too. That will put you ahead when Taylor is hurt in Week 15.
FAAB Bid: 100%
Sincere McCormick, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Available in 85% of Yahoo leagues, 88% of ESPN leagues, and 82% of Sleeper leagues
McCormick was my bonus pick last week because I wasn’t sure if the Raiders would commit to him. It appears they have. Over the last three games, McCormick has carried the ball 32 times and added four catches in the passing game. In that span, he is a top-30 RB in fantasy. He’s not putting up league-winning numbers, but he is a solid backup for those teams fighting through the fantasy playoffs.
FAAB Bid: 75%
Isaiah Davis, RB, New York Jets
Available in 89% of Yahoo leagues, 96% of ESPN leagues, and 86% of Sleeper leagues
Davis is in a similar situation to McCormick. He could be a nice back in the fantasy playoffs, but there is no guarantee the Jets are going to give him the ball. There are rumors that Breece Hall might get shut down for the rest of the season, and that would turn the Jets’ starting role over to Davis and Braelon Allen. Over the last two weeks, Davis has been more productive than Allen, especially in the passing game. Davis is worth a speculative add, especially by any Breece Hall manager still alive in the playoffs.
FAAB Bid: 50-75%
Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers
Available in 47% of Yahoo leagues, 62% of ESPN leagues, and 31% of Sleeper leagues
Thielen makes the list for back-to-back weeks, but he’s worth repeating as the most productive WR who is still on waivers in most leagues. He immediately reprised his role as Bryce Young’s favorite receiver, with 25 targets over the last three games since he returned from injury. He’s also found the endzone, so there is some upside here, too. Thielen is a WR3 or Flex option, but there is a safe floor that you can’t always expect from late-season waivers.
FAAB Bid: 25-50%
**Bonus Pick**
Jameis Winston, QB, Cleveland Browns
Available in 66% of Yahoo leagues, 80% of ESPN leagues, and 58% of Sleeper leagues
I don’t usually include many QBs or TEs in my waiver articles because it’s just as easy to let waivers run and find a viable option for free on Wednesdays. For more on that, check out my Stream of the Week articles. However, Jameis Winston is throwing the ball around far too much right now to ignore in fantasy. Since taking over the job, he has thrown the ball 259 times in six games. He is the QB10 in fantasy during that span. If you snuck into the playoffs with streamers or poor QB play, Winston might be your guy over these last few weeks.
FAAB Bid: 5-10%
A friendly reminder: This article gives you our Top 5 picks from the Week 15 waiver wire, but if you need more help, check out our YouTube channel every Tuesday morning to catch WireTapped. We break down all of the popular waivers and answer your questions live.
Be sure you’re following Ryan on Twitter! Also, you can find Club Fantasy’s Week 15 rankings here and the rest of our Week 15 content here!