Week 15 Waiver Wire Priority Adds feat. Zach Charbonnet, Sincere McCormick, and more
We made it. It's playoff week. The rest of the season rankings are useless now, and it's survive and advance end-game mode from here on. It's not too late to optimize our lineups, though, and we're here to help. The waiver wire can be a great tool for ensuring your contending teams have enough depth through championship week.
We will prioritize our top 10 players while featuring the best options in each position to assist you with your waiver wire decisions and FAAB suggestions before Week 15. We cast a wide net of potential targets, considering all the players under a 70% ownership threshold on popular platforms like ESPN and Yahoo! Sports.
Week 15 Waiver Wire Priority Adds Ranked
Top Fantasy Football Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups
Waiver Wire RB adds for Week 15
#1 Zach Charbonnet | Seattle Seahawks
ESPN 72% | Yahoo! 43% | FAAB Range 25-50%
Charbonnet's 29 touches in Week 14 wasn't just a season-high for the young back, but it was the most by any Seahawks player this season.
With starter Kenneth Walker ruled out with ankle and calf injuries before Sunday's clash with the Cardinals, Charbonnet enjoyed a career day with 193 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. The second-year running back has started three games in place of Walker this season and turned 69 touches into 369 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns.
In 10 contests with Walker active, Charbonnet has a combined 64 touches for 283 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. He has been featured here for multiple weeks and should've been rostered heading into this week.
However, it was surprising to see Charbonnet only owned 43% of Yahoo! leagues. Walker's status needs to be monitored closely this week, as Charbonnet could crack the top 12 once again if Walker misses more time.
#2 Sincere McCormick | Las Vegas Raiders
ESPN 11% | Yahoo! 0% | FAAB Range 20-40%
Sincere McCormick did us all a favor and settled the Alexander Mattison vs. Zamir White debate. The answer ultimately was: No. Two consecutive games of double-digit touches for the third-year back may have solidified him as the starter heading into the fantasy playoffs.
McCormick had a season-high 89 scrimmage yards against Tampa Bay last Sunday and has two catches in two of his three appearances this season. He also flipped snap counts with veteran Ameer Abdullah, which gave insight into how the Raiders view him going forward.
Abdullah ran 90% for the Raiders in Week 12, only to see him dwindle down to 62% in Week 13, and 39% in Week 14. McCormick's arrow was trending up with 10% in his first game in Week 12, 38% in Week 13, and a season-high 61% last week. We recommend up to 40% of your remaining FAAB to acquire a starting running back this late.
#3 Tank Bigsby | Jacksonville Jaguars
ESPN 36% | Yahoo! 61% | FAAB Range 15-30%
It hasn't been an excellent year for Jacksonville's running backs — especially in the previous five games where they were kept out of the endzone. The last time a Jaguars back reached paydirt was in Tank Bigsby's breakout game in Week 7 (118 rushing yards and two touchdowns).
However, Bigsby received a team-high 19 touches in 62 scrimmage yards and that all-important touchdown. His ownership number may have dipped due to him missing a crucial Week 13, but he should be considered one of the best pickups before the playoffs this week.
Waiver Wire WR adds for Week 15
#1 Adam Thielen | Carolina Panthers
ESPN 39% | Yahoo! 23% | FAAB Range 15-30%
Fading older wideouts at this time of year is a good fantasy strategy, but Adam Thielen should be the exception.
The veteran has looked like his vintage, healthy self again after being out since Week 4. Thielen has turned 21 targets in the previous two weeks into 201 receiving yards and a touchdown. He has quickly become a preferred option for surging second-year quarterback Bryce Young.
Young has thrown at least one passing touchdown in the Panthers' previous six games. A drastic turnaround from the beginning of the season, as Young failed to throw a touchdown in three starts before being benched after two weeks. With Carolina playing decently lately, they could have a sneaky play in the first round of the playoffs against a struggling Cowboys secondary in Week 15.
#2 Marquez Valdes-Scantling | New Orleans Saints
ESPN 23% | Yahoo! 2% | FAAB Range 7-15%
Marquez Valdes-Scantling came into Week 14 with low ownership numbers despite scoring a touchdown in three consecutive weeks. Even with six teams on bye, Valdes-Scantling only topped out in 23% of ESPN leagues. Much like Thielen mentioned above, older wideouts seem to fade, so it makes sense that fantasy managers were not stashing Valdes-Scantling.
However, he has grabbed our attention by leading the team in receiving yards for the fourth-consecutive game and the first, where he led the team in targets all season. With Chris Olave and Taysom Hill missing significant time, New Orleans could give Valdes-Scantling some burn to wrap up its lost season.
Injuries have delivered this Saints offense another blow last week by losing starter Derek Carr for the second time this year — with a fractured hand. We will have to wait and see what quarterback starts next week against Washington.
#3 Rome Odunze | Chicago Bears
ESPN 61% | Yahoo! 70% | FAAB Range 7-15%
Last week, we wondered if Caleb Williams had turned the corner during his rookie season in Chicago. Williams got a litmus test in the San Francisco secondary and has been a defense to avoid in years past.
With just 134 passing yards on the day, you might assume Williams didn't pass that test. But consider Williams rebounded from a challenging first half to throw for two touchdowns to save his fantasy day. Fellow rookie Rome Odunze was a primary benefactor of that effort, with two late touchdowns and the game well in hand.
Williams has thrown at least two touchdowns in his previous three games. Odunze could only garner five targets all game but turned four receptions into 42 receiving yards and those two scores against the 49ers. It was the first game of multiple touchdowns for the young wideout and the first touchdown since his breakout performance in Week 3 (112 receiving yards and one touchdown).
Odunze will have back-to-back divisional matchups against Minnesota and Detroit, so his matchups could be better. But with his arrow trending up, Odunze is a good depth option on fantasy benches in case he breaks out during playoff matchups.
Waiver Wire TE adds for Week 15
#1 Hunter Henry | New England Patriots
ESPN 58% | Yahoo! 40% | FAAB Range 7-15%
Henry is on the verge of breaking career marks in catches and receiving yards but remains one of the criminally under-owned tight ends in fantasy football. With three more catches and 43 yards, he will have the best statistical years of his career. So unlikely from the beginning of the season with veteran Jacoby Brissett and rookie Drake Maye.
Since Maye was inserted into the starting lineup in Week 6, the rookie has recorded at least one touchdown and three games of multiple scores. Now coming off its late-season bye week, the Patriots will get three matchups from teams with playoff aspirations in the Cardinals, Bills and Chargers in championship week.
#2 Pat Freiermuth | Pittsburgh Steelers
ESPN 48% | Yahoo! 58% | FAAB Range 5-10%
The Steelers turned in a low-volume game against the Browns last week, but Pat Freiermuth once again found the endzone in his limited opportunities. The reliable tight end caught all three of his targets for 48 yards and that touchdown.
Despite Russell Wilson only having 15 completions for the game, Freiermuth had two explosive receptions of 21 and 20 yards. There will be brighter days for this offense — especially when George Pickens returns to the lineup.
If Pickens can't return from his hamstring injury for Week 15, Freiermuth could be in play as a usable tight-end option even with a tough matchup against the Philadelphia secondary.