Staying active on the waiver wire is an important way for season-long fantasy owners to improve their teams and get an edge on the competition. Shifts in opportunities for players due to injuries or performance cause value spikes that owners can take advantage of to fill in roster holes to build a championship lineup.
Each week, we will discuss waiver wire targets at each position to consider for both the week ahead and the rest of the fantasy season.
Week 15 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds
* Current roster % in home leagues is noted in parentheses (from Sleeper)
Jameis Winston, QB (Cleveland Browns) (42%)
At least Jameis Winston is having fun in Cleveland. The former Buccaneers and Saints quarterback has one of the most joyous outlooks on the game and is sparking some excitement on Lake Erie, though not necessarily sparking many wins.
That said, Winston continues to throw the ball down the field without much regard for who may catch the pass on the other end. In his four most recent games after the team’s bye week, Winston has games with 395 and 497 passing yards to go with eight total touchdowns and six total interceptions.
The ultimate boom-or-bust fantasy option, Winston has two top-5 fantasy finishes in that span. He is also capable of a complete bust game with multiple picks. This week, the Browns host an excellent Chiefs defense that will look to capitalize on Winston’s aggressiveness. He is a wild card on the field and a wildcard in fantasy lineups.
Looking for more fantasy football content? Make sure to check out Sean Koerner’s and Chris Raybon’s weekly fantasy football rankings by subscribing to FantasyLabs’ 2024 fantasy football kit to see how other waiver wire candidates look this week.
Sincere McCormick, RB (Las Vegas Raiders) (18%)
The Raiders have been forced to triage through multiple running back injuries this season to the likes of Zamir White and Alexander Mattison. Rookie Sincere McCormick from UTSA took the lead role last week and played well to the tune of 78 yards on 15 carries.
It appears McCormick will again be the workhorse back for the Raiders against a relatively stout Falcons run defense. Las Vegas just lost Aidan O’Connell and will likely turn to Desmond Ridder to finish out a disappointing 2024 campaign.
Expect a lot of handoffs and dump-offs to McCormick this week. He has averaged 5.5 yards/attempt this season but has yet to find the end zone. The carries and yards should be there, but he will likely need a score to pay off as a fantasy starter.
Now available: our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
Elijah Moore, WR (Cleveland Browns) (38%)
Although the Browns are nowhere near the playoff hunt in the AFC, their games have certainly been more exciting with Jameis Winston at the helm. Their remaining wideout group of Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and Elijah Moore have become fantasy-relevant after Amari Cooper trade with Winston’s air-it-out-at-all-cost tendency.
With Tillman out of the lineup due to a concussion, Moore has seen a bump in playing time. His 83% snap rate last week was his highest since the opening week of the season. He saw a season-high 14 targets in Week 13 but reverted back down to four opportunities last week against the Steelers.
Winston has thrown the ball over 40 times in five of his six starts since taking the starting role. With that volume, Moore has the potential to be a low-end starting fantasy option against the Chiefs this week.
Hunter Henry, TE (New England Patriots) (45%)
The targets keep piling up for Hunter Henry in this Patriots offense as a security blanket for rookie quarterback Drake Maye. He’s averaging 6.4 targets/game this season and has reached eight opportunities in each of the last three games.
Henry is a high-floor, low-ceiling tight end option with just one touchdown on the season all the way back in Week 6. Maybe this is the week he finds the end zone after eight red zone targets in the last five games. Henry continues to see 80+% of snaps in most weeks and notched a 30% target share last week in a one-point loss to the Colts.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code LABS1 for a $1500 deposit match.
Arizona Cardinals, D/ST (38%)
The Arizona defense put together a strong four-week stretch in Weeks 9-13 with top-12 fantasy finishes in each game. After tallying at least three sacks in four-straight games and at least one turnover in three straight games, they disappointed against the Seahawks on Sunday with zeroes in both categories.
The New England offensive line is a juicy matchup for any defensive front, but Drake Maye has shown an ability to scramble and find open running lanes to avoid aggressive rushers. The Patriots still rank 28th against fantasy defenses and the Cardinals will be motivated to stay in the playoff hunt with a win.
