Waiver Wire Week 14: Top Pickups, Drops and Expert Analysis

If you're hitting the waiver wire looking for major help this late in the season, you've survived a shaky roster that somehow made the fantasy playoffs or are making your final push in what is typically the last possible week to be in the fantasy regular season.

For those of you who've been streaming quarterbacks off the waiver wire to get this far, this week provides some strong options who can help you for more than just one week, like Tyrod Taylor of the Buffalo Bills. Of course, the savvy owners thought ahead and may have grabbed Taylor or some of the other options I presented for this week, and I can't fault them for that move.

With any meaningful matchup this late in the season likely determining a playoff spot or possible seeding to earn a bye, you likely have a very good idea of what your starting lineup looks like other than maybe one spot, at least when it comes to the skill positions. Playing the matchups at quarterback and defense means you have multiple quarterbacks and multiple defenses, especially if you planned ahead.

Using your roster space wisely means it makes sense to grab that second defense and cut loose a useless player you can't wait on like Arizona Cardinals running back Andre Ellington. He sat out Week 13 with a turf toe injury and probably won't play in Week 14 thanks to the Thursday game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Take a long look at your roster before you make any moves. Evaluate if you'll ever start each one of your players with confidence at this important time of the season. And also consider that when deciding whom to pick up.

I didn't include Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenjon Barner, even though he's a hot name coming off a season-high nine carries. The Eagles have been frustrated by DeMarco Murray, so while it was a disappointment to see him on the field for just 22 percent of the snaps, it was the same number as Barner. Would you really feel comfortable starting him in a do-or-die game this week or the next?

If you're reaching to fill that last spot on your roster off the waiver wire, be sure to consider all factors, like schedule, role, playing time and your confidence level in actually putting that player in your lineup if it comes down to it. Don't waste space with someone you wouldn't even consider using for whatever reason.

Quarterbacks

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Thanks to the strong play of Tyrod Taylor, the Buffalo Bills are still in the playoff hunt.

Jameis Winston, TB

Percent Owned: ESPN – 37.6, Yahoo – 40

Adding Winston to your roster following just an OK game against the Atlanta Falcons is a move solely based on his schedule over the next three weeks, specifically this week matched up with the New Orleans Saints.

In the Week 13 win over the Falcons, Winston completed just 18 of 27 attempts for 227 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He got a little boost from his legs with 15 yards and a touchdown on five carries. Winston now has four rushing touchdowns since Week 8.

The matchup against the Saints shouldn't scare Winston since they've allowed the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks over the last month. Plus, Winston has the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears coming up in playoff weeks, so there's a good chance he's the quarterback of championship teams.

Week 14 Projection: 255-265 passing yards, three touchdowns, one interception, 21 rushing yards

Ryan Fitzpatrick, NYJ 

Percent Owned: ESPN – 41.9, Yahoo – 44

The magic continued for Fitzpatrick and the New York Jets in a come-from-behind overtime victory over the New York Giants in the battle for MetLife Stadium in Week 13. He threw for 390 yards with two touchdowns and rushed five times for 22 yards without any turnovers.

When called upon for fantasy, Fitzpatrick has been pretty reliable, especially in recent weeks. Over the last four games, he's thrown nine touchdowns to four interceptions, while rushing for at least 20 yards in three of those four games.

The Tennessee Titans visit the Jets this weekend fresh off a bad performance against Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles. Because he's done it before and not just this year, Fitzpatrick may be the safest quarterback to grab for this week and beyond.

Week 14 Projection: 265-275 passing yards, two touchdowns, 18 rushing yards

Tyrod Taylor, BUF

Percent Owned: ESPN – 45.8, Yahoo – 36

Considering how well he played early in the season and his fantastic performance last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, I'm surprised to see how widely available Taylor was in multiple weeks. However, I don't expect that to be the case after Week 14, so snatch him up while you can.

He wasn't asked to do much with his arm in Week 13 against the Houston Texans, but his efficiency proved valuable for a team low on receivers. Taylor completed just 11 of 21 pass attempts, but he threw three touchdowns through the air in addition to his seven carries for 28 yards and a rushing touchdown.

He'll jump into the fantasy playoffs with matchups against three beatable NFC East teams, starting with the Philadelphia Eagles. If Taylor performs like he did the last two weeks, this pickup will pay dividends the rest of the way.

Week 14 Projection: 250-260 passing yards, two touchdowns, 22 rushing yards, one touchdown

Droppable Players: Matt Hasselbeck

Running Backs

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

The involvement of James White has been a necessity for the New England Patriots.

James White, NE 

Percent Owned: ESPN – 26.5, Yahoo – 27 

If you've been waiting for White to take on a bigger role, wait no longer. In Week 13, White was one of the few bright spots for the New England Patriots in an ugly loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. White ran for just four yards on two carries but racked up 10 receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets.

Coming into Week 13, White had a total of 19 targets and posted 12 receptions for 95 yards. With the injuries to running back Dion Lewis, wide receiver Julian Edelman and especially tight end Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots had to get White more involved, especially since they trailed for almost the entire second half last week.

He may not have 10 receptions every week, but White's role looks like it'll be a consistent one, especially now that he's proved he can handle it. He'll take on the Houston Texans this week followed by the Tennessee Titans and New York Jets. 

Week 14 Projection: Five receptions, 71 receiving yards, three carries, 10 rushing yards

Darren Sproles, PHI

Percent Owned: ESPN – 47.7, Yahoo – 41

The Philadelphia Eagles decided to make some changes in their backfield for Week 13, and that meant Sproles led the way. Sproles had been fairly quiet for the last two months but embraced a bigger role against the New England Patriots and came through with 66 yards on 15 carries and four receptions for 34 yards on six targets. His biggest play was an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Sproles led the backfield with 56 percent of the snaps. His featured role wasn't the only surprise, as DeMarco Murray played just 22 percent of the snaps, the same number as Kenjon Barner. Sproles led the team in carries, rushing yards and receptions. Meanwhile, Barner had nine carries for 39 yards and two receptions for seven yards, while Murray had just 24 yards on eight carries and no catches.

According to head coach Chip Kelly, the team's running back rotation will be looked at on a week-to-week basis. For now, Sproles might be the only one worth taking a shot on since Murray has been useless for a couple of weeks and Ryan Mathews (concussion) could be out again. Sproles gets the Buffalo Bills on Sunday followed by the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Redskins.

Week 14 Projection: 13 carries, 58 rushing yards, five receptions, 40 receiving yards

Bilal Powell, NYJ 

Percent Owned: ESPN – 12.9, Yahoo – 7

Powell has been on the fantasy radar in recent weeks because of snap-count comparisons to running back Chris Ivory. For the second time in three weeks, Powell outsnapped Ivory. In Week 11, Powell played 62 percent to Ivory's 25 percent. In the Week 13 win over the New York Giants, the count favored Powell with 56 percent of the snaps compared to 38 percent for Ivory.

Powell wound up with eight receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets in addition to 17 rushing yards on six carries. Ivory had just 10 carries for 47 yards, possibly because the Jets trailed for so much of the game, but he salvaged some fantasy value with five receptions for 22 yards on five targets.

So why is Powell in the mix more now? My guess is because Ivory has slowed down as we come down the stretch and the injuries he attempted to play through are starting to catch up with him. Powell has fantasy value as a RB3 or flex in what's become a decent one-two punch. He'll take on a solid Tennessee Titans defense in Week 14.

Week 14 Projection: Five carries, 15 rushing yards, five receptions, 48 receiving yards

Droppable Players: Andre Ellington

Wide Receivers

Brad Penner/Associated Press

The Miami Dolphins might not be going anywhere, but we are seeing more of rookie wide receiver DeVante Parker.

DeVante Parker, MIA

Percent Owned: ESPN – 21, Yahoo – 30 

For those of you who bought into Parker heading into Week 13 following some garbage-time production during a blowout loss to the New York Jets in Week 12, I say congratulations, because the rookie first-round pick from this year's draft is starting to emerge at just the right time.

Parker drew the start in Week 13 versus the Baltimore Ravens and came through with three receptions for 63 yards and a great touchdown catch on five targets. He played 88 percent of the snaps, which was second in the receiving corps only to wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who played 90 percent.

Hopefully, the Dolphins are smart enough to keep Parker in a prominent role, especially with beatable matchups against the New York Giants, San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts coming up over the next three weeks. He's a nice WR3 with upside.

Week 14 Projection: Five receptions, 80 yards, one touchdown

Tyler Lockett, SEA

Percent Owned: ESPN – 14.3, Yahoo – 20

For the last three weeks, the Seattle Seahawks have been led by wide receiver Doug Baldwin in the passing game, but in two of those games, Lockett has been fantasy-relevant, including the Week 13 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Lockett played 58 percent of the snaps, which put him behind Baldwin (62 percent) and Jermaine Kearse (63 percent), but it was Lockett who came through by catching all seven of his targets for 90 yards. Back in Week 11, he had four receptions for 48 yards and two touchdowns. He'd been making most of his noise as a returner with a pair of touchdowns on special teams, but that ability has been too hard to keep off the field on offense, and he's starting to show he belongs.

Baldwin still tops the list of Seahawks receivers for fantasy, but Lockett does have some deep-reach potential, especially with a slate of matchups that includes the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and St. Louis Rams.

Week 14 Projection: Five receptions, 71 yards

Dorial Green-Beckham, TEN

Percent Owned: ESPN – 9.9, Yahoo – 15

It's been tough to figure out just when Green-Beckham would come through with a big fantasy performance, and after weeks of teasing us with decent games or letdowns in good matchups, he finally put up big numbers in a wild game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13.

Just two weeks removed from posting three receptions for 40 yards in Jacksonville, he reeled in five of his six targets (the drop led to an interception) for 119 yards and a 47-yard touchdown. Coming into Week 13, DGB had more than three receptions just one other time and topped out at 77 yards in Week 9.

The Tennessee Titans have a record of 3-9 and obviously aren't going anywhere this year, so we should get to see a lot more of Green-Beckham in the final weeks of the season, which includes games against the New York Jets, New England Patriots and Houston Texans. Those are just OK matchups but will be good tests for the rookie, as they're all in playoff contention.

Week 14 Projection: Four receptions, 61 yards

Droppable Players: Travis Benjamin

Tight Ends

Cliff McBride/Getty Images

There's not much out there at tight end, but at least Austin Seferian-Jenkins has returned to action.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TB

Percent Owned: ESPN – 15.1, Yahoo – 36

For the first time since Week 2, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had Seferian-Jenkins back in the lineup following a lengthy absence for a shoulder injury. He played just 29 percent of the snaps compared to 48 percent for Cameron Brate, who did a fine job filling in for ASJ.

Seferian-Jenkins wound up with three receptions for 31 yards and nearly had a touchdown in his first game since September. The Buccaneers had somewhat of a luxury working ASJ back into the mix with Brate doing well and big talents like wide receivers Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson. They may want to ramp his second game up, especially with the Buccaneers in the playoff hunt.

If you're picking up ASJ with the intention of using him this week, it's worth a shot against a terrible New Orleans Saints defense. He still has to prove he's all the way back, and a higher snap count would confirm that, but he's definitely an upside play if you need that in your lineup.

Week 14 Projection: Four receptions, 42 yards

Droppable Players: Vance McDonald

Defense/Special Teams

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Fire up the Detroit Lions defense in Week 14 since they have a favorable matchup against the St. Louis Rams.

Detroit Lions

Percent Owned: ESPN – 10.3, Yahoo – 11 

The Detroit Lions are coming off a terrible loss to the Green Bay Packers thanks to a Hail Mary completion from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to tight end Richard Rodgers to win the game. The Lions are not among the top fantasy defenses over the last four weeks, but they are among the leaders with 13 sacks.

They get the nod off the waiver wire this week because they head to St. Louis to face the mess that is the St. Louis Rams. Whether it's Nick Foles or Case Keenum starting at quarterback doesn't matter, because this is the least intimidating passing game in the league, which is why defenses have been able to key in on and stop running back Todd Gurley. They've given up the third-most fantasy points to opposing defenses.

Week 14 Projection: 15-18 points allowed, two interceptions, three sacks, one fumble recovery

Kickers

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

It could be a busy Week 14 for Mike Nugent.

Mike Nugent, CIN

Percent Owned: ESPN – 24.3, Yahoo – 18

Over the last four games, Nugent has been perfect, hitting all seven of his field-goal attempts as well as 12 extra-point attempts. He's coming off his best game of the season with three field goals and four extra points in a comfortable victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Nugent has had four extra points in each of his last three games and could have even more this week against a shaky Pittsburgh Steelers defense. As part of one of the better teams in the league with a nice matchup, Nugent is a safe and reliable option to grab this late in the season.

Fantasy leaders provided by NFL.com. Targets provided by ESPN.com. Snap counts provided by ProFootballFocus.com.