Waiver Wire Week 14 – Fantasy Football 2024

It’s the final week of the regular season for many, while some leagues’ playoffs may be underway. Either way, it’s do-or-die for many fantasy teams in Week 14. With six teams on bye, this week’s waiver wire could decide whether fantasy teams sink or swim.

As always, I’ll be here every Tuesday with my top waiver targets. Percentages are based on ESPN’s rostered player data.

Quarterbacks

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (37.0%)

Williams continues to thrive under the new direction of now-interim head coach Thomas Brown. He’s thrown five touchdowns over the past two games and now heads to San Francisco, where he’ll face a mostly toothless 49ers defense. The Bears have become a team with nothing to lose and will look to keep Williams in his groove and finish the year with something positive to build on.

Will Levis, Tennessee Titans (4.8%)

Levis has provided respectable fantasy numbers since returning from the bench in Week 10. Now, he gets four favorable matchups against the Jaguars, Bengals, Colts and Jaguars again in the next four weeks, making him a good streaming option for teams currently struggling at quarterback.

Running Backs

Isaac Guerendo, San Francisco 49ers (1.7%)

Guerendo will be thrust into a starting role for the 49ers for the remainder of the fantasy season after Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason suffered injuries Sunday night. The 49ers are in a lost season and could shut down stars as their playoff hopes wane. Guerendo offers value based on volume alone.

Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers (10.5%)

The Chargers ran the ball just 11 times last week in an unusual game script against the Falcons.

Gus Edwards saw six carries, Vidal saw four, and Hassan Haskins saw one carry but fumbled and never saw the field again. Vidal provides the most juice on the ground, but he’s struggled in pass protection, which could hold him back from seeing most snaps. Still, the Chargers coaching staff could change their minds at any time and give the better runner in Vidal an extended run, making him a must-stash for teams entering the fantasy playoffs.

Sincere McCormick, Las Vegas Raiders (0.1%)

The Raiders’ season has been over for a while now, and it’s time to see what they have in McCormick.

He’s earned more snaps lately with Zamir White and Alexander Mattison sitting out with injuries, and he posted 64 yards on 12 carries against the Chiefs in Week 13. Mattison could return in Week 14 and suppress McCormick’s usage, so it’s essential to monitor Mattison’s health and how the coaches talk about McCormick, as they could choose to give him the bulk of opportunities whether Mattison suits up or not.

Chris Rodriguez, Washington Commanders (0.2%)

Although most of Rodriguez’s production came with the game out of hand, he outplayed Jeremy McNichols in this one, and he looks like he’ll continue as the No. 2 running back moving forward. Rodriguez should take on most of Austin Ekeler‘s role while he misses the next three weeks on injured reserve, making him worthy of a roster spot if space permits.

Wide Receivers

Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers (27.3%)

The savvy vet has done it again. Now healthy, Thielen has taken over the Panthers’ receiving room as Bryce Young‘s favorite target, catching eight of 10 targets for 99 yards and a score against the Buccaneers last week. Carolina’s lack of target competition bodes well for Thielen down the stretch, and he’ll serve as a valuable flex play for the remainder of the season.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tennessee Titans (19.9%)

Westbrook-Ikhine doesn’t believe in regression. When you think his run might end, he puts up two more touchdowns in Week 13. While his reception totals remain low, his targets have increased, as he’s earned 19 over the past three weeks. Will Levis and the Titans are committed to the deep ball, and Westbrook-Ikhine is thriving.

With a gorgeous schedule over the final four weeks, Westbrook-Ikhine is emerging as one of those late-season waiver-wire heroes who helps win leagues.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, New Orleans Saints (22.5%)

Valdes-Scantling has earned just ten targets over his last three games, yet he has caught four touchdowns. The deep-shot specialist is a boom-or-bust asset that makes for a risky play during the most critical weeks of the year. There aren’t many better pass-catching options in New Orleans, though, and the speedster could extend his touchdown streak to another game against a poor Giants secondary this week.

Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys (7.9%)

Cooks earned seven targets in his first game back from injury, catching three of them for 16 yards and a score. Cooper Rush has been good enough as a backup to continue supporting receivers in fantasy, and the Cowboys have soft matchups against the pass upcoming. Cooks makes a decent streaming option this week against the Bengals.

Tight Ends

Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals (22.0%)

The Bengals offense is great for fantasy, as their porous defense requires plenty of points from the offense to stay in games. Gesicki’s target numbers have stayed respectable even with Tee Higgins back in the fold, and he’s my favorite dart throw off the waiver wire, given his chances to get in the end zone on a high-scoring offense.

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (5.2%)

With Taysom Hill set to miss the remainder of the year, Juwan Johnson likely steps in as the team’s leading tight end and No. 3 option in the offense. Johnson often hasn’t excelled when given opportunities over the years with the Saints, making him an untrustworthy yet sensible option due to the absence of quality tight ends.