Week 14 Waiver Wire: Top Pickups and Drops

It's late in the 2015 NFL season, which means there is little time left for fantasy football owners to make moves for their playoff push.

Whether you've been fighting your way toward sweet, sweet fantasy championship or had a bad year (that totally wasn't your fault) and have simply been avoiding your league's version of the Sacko Bowl, the waiver wire has been there for you. All season, it's been an ample supply of hidden gems, spot-starters and new fantasy favorites.

But this late in the year, there isn't much left out there on the waivers. If you're looking for a fantasy savior, that perfect starter is probably going to have to come from a player already on your roster. Still, it doesn't hurt to take a look at what's out there.

Here are the top pickups and drops for both ESPN and Yahoo Sports leagues heading into Week 14. In order to account for the larger 12- and 14-player fantasy leagues, players owned in more than 50 percent of leagues are not included in the list, except for notable cases where a player has a major swing in ownership rates.

Top Yahoo Pickups
Top ESPN Pickups
Player	% Owned	No. of Monday Adds
James White, RB, New England	28	14,796
Robert Turbin, RB, Dallas	6	8,668
Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Tennessee	15	7,329
Tyrod Taylor, QB, Buffalo	36	7,004
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Tampa Bay	36	6,296
Richard Rodgers, TE, Green Bay	43	5,022
DeVante Parker, WR, Miami	30	4,370
Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle	20	2,566
Ted Ginn Jr, WR, Carolina	36	2,106
Bilal Powell, RB, New York Jets	7	2,021
Player	% Owned	% Change Last 7 Days
Bears D/ST	44.1	+39.7
DeVante Parker, WR, Miami	21.0	+16.2
Jacob Tamme, TE, Atlanta	39.9	+16.1
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, New York Jets	41.9	+15.6
Vance McDonald, TE, San Francisco	15.5	+14.9
Brandon Bolden, RB, New England	14.2	+10.1
Markus Wheaton, WR, Pittsburgh	17.2	+9.5
Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota	29.8	+8.8
Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit	39.7	+5.8

Top Yahoo Drops
Top ESPN Drops
Player	% Owned	No. of Monday Drops
Vance McDonald, TE, San Francisco	19	5,508
Crockett Gillmore, TE, Baltimore	29	3,703
Tevin Coleman, RB, Atlanta	46	3,309
Dan Herron, RB, Indianapolis	11	2,973
Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago	46	2,520
Willie Snead, WR, New Orleans	50	2,009
Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Indianapolis	13	1,966
Devin Funchess, WR, Carolina	46	1,961
Karlos Williams, RB, Buffalo	40	1,835
Dontrelle Inman, WR, San Diego	14	1,795
Player	% Owned	% Change Last 7 Days
Brian Hoyer, QB, Houston	27.3	-13.2
Tevin Coleman, RB, Atlanta	57.8	-11.3
Karlos Williams, RB, Buffalo	49.2	-11.1
Rishard Matthews, WR, Miami	49.0	-10.9
Terrance Williams, WR, Dallas	32.5	-6.9
Zach Miller, TE, Chicago	18.1	-6.7
Ryan Mathews, RB, Philadelphia	55.6	-6.7
James White, RB, New England	26.5	-6.6
Nate Washington, WR, Houston	35.7	-5.7

Reviewing Top Pickups for Week 14

James White, RB, New England

Steven Senne/Associated Press

New England went from an undefeated No. 1 seed to a No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs in the span of just two games (eight days, really). Tom Brady and company will surely be on a warpath to close out this season, which could mean plenty of work for James White in the passing game.

White stepped up in a big way against Philadelphia, racking up 10 receptions for 115 yards and one touchdown. Nine of his receptions came in the second half, as Brady looked his way time and time again with his downfield options limited.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller conjured up a name familiar to many Pats fans while watching White perform: 

Fantasy owners might worry that White will lose targets when Rob Gronkowski comes back, but those fears need not be so pronounced. Brady is better than anyone at taking what the coverage gives him, and the Pats offense loves safety valves in the short game. White could still see double-digit targets with a healthy Gronk.

Plus, with LeGarrette Blount mostly ineffective on the ground over the past four games, White could stand to pick up even more snaps going forward. He carried the ball just twice against Philly. The Patriots could stand to give him a few more carries as a change of pace for Blount.

New England has what should be a tough matchup against Houston in Week 14. The Texans have been as tough a team as any over the past six weeks. Brian Hoyer is playing well at quarterback, and the defense has been stingy.

Brady could very well find himself throwing the ball quite a bit in this contest. White is certainly worth an add and is a great flex option going forward, even more so in point-per-reception leagues. 

Robert Turbin, RB, Dallas

Rob Foldy/Getty Images

Did someone put a hex on the Cowboys backfield? This season has seen Tony Romo, Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel all play multiple games at quarterback. That would be bad enough, except the running back position has been even more of a revolving door.

From Julius Randle to Lance Dunbar, Darren McFadden to a brief bout of Christine Michael, it seems anyone and everyone has had an opportunity to take charge as Dallas' lead back. 

With McFadden losing two fumbles in Dallas' narrow Monday night win over Washington, some overeager fantasy players seemed to think Robert Turbin might get some extra snaps going forward.

McFadden was checked for a concussion after his second fumble, per Charean Williams of the Star Telegram, but was cleared to return to the game and went on to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Turbin didn't do much with his opportunities, carrying the ball six times for 12 yards and picking up two catches for another 12 yards. 

Unless the Cowboys decide to reprimand McFadden for the fumbles—or it comes to light that he picked up an injury on Monday—Turbin has little to no fantasy value.

Elsa/Getty Images

If you're in desperate need of a running back and can't get White, Yahoo Sports' Andy Behrens notes Charles Sims might be a good option in Week 14: 

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Tampa Bay hosts New Orleans in Week 14, and, as you might have heard, the Saints defense is like a giant, steaming all-you-can-eat smorgasbord of yards and points. New Orleans allows the most points per game (31.7), the most total yards (425.2) and the most rushing yards (137.8). Sims is averaging 9.75 touches per game and 4.7 yards per carry so far this season; he just gained 56 yards on seven attempts against Atlanta's D, a group that allows just 3.8 YPC. Assuming he sees his usual workload against the Saints, he's a good bet for 65-80 yards and a score. All your Bucs get the green light this week.

"

Turbin did average 5.0 yards per carry in each of his first two appearances with Dallas—he started the season with Cleveland—but he's not likely to put up meaningful fantasy numbers this year.

Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Tennessee

In a surprisingly awesome game between two AFC also-rans, Tennessee rookie wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham put together the best game of his young career. He tallied five receptions for 119 yards and one score in the Titans' 42-39 win over Jacksonville. 

Here's his scoring play from that game, per the NFL: 

“He’s got the physical gift,” quarterback Marcus Mariota said, per the Tennessean's Jason Wolf. “I hope this game gives him all the confidence in the world, because he can do this week-in and week-out. He did a great job at keeping his head. … He was able to keep his cool and was able to make big plays.”

Green-Beckham has had only one other game this season that would pique fantasy owner's interests: a 77-yard effort in Week 9 against New Orleans. Green-Beckham played well, and his prospects going forward look good.

Tennessee hits the road over the next two weeks to play the New York Jets and New England. According to Yahoo Sports, those two teams rank 27th and 17th respectively in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers.

Titans rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota has remarkably done his best work on the road this season, throwing 10 touchdowns without an interception in four games.

Green-Beckham will certainly get more looks following his big game, although he's seen more than six targets only once this year. There's also the possibility that the Jets will get Darrelle Revis back from a concussion in Week 14.

According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, the Jets will learn more about Revis' status for the upcoming game later in the week, as he's still in the concussion protocol. Considering Green-Beckham's excellent frame, the Jets could stick Revis on him. In the same vein, the Patriots could throw Malcolm Butler at the rookie in Week 15, forcing Mariota to go elsewhere in the passing game.

Green-Beckham is worth a pickup, but exercise caution in PPR leagues, as he may not have much extra added value there. If Revis doesn't play in Week 14 and you're options are limited, Green-Beckham is a definite WR3 with upside. 

Tyrod Taylor, QB, Buffalo

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

Philip Rivers and Ryan Tannehill have been hit or miss lately, while Eli Manning keeps chucking interceptions. Derek Carr is slowing a bit, and Matt Ryan's Atlanta Falcons are in a free-fall. 

For those looking for emergency quarterback help, Tyrod Taylor could be the answer. The Virginia Tech alum has thrown for 502 yards and six touchdowns in the past two weeks, while adding 74 yards and another score on the ground. 

He's developing a devastating rapport with wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who took in three catches for 109 yards and a touchdown in the Bills' Week 13 win over the Texans. Coach Rex Ryan is really liking what he's seeing from Taylor, per the team's official Twitter account: 

A threat to pick up points with his arm and his legs, Taylor and his astute football mind have also done a fine job taking care of the football and preserving his fantasy point totals. He last threw an interception on October 4 against the Giants, and he has tossed just four all season (three coming in a single game). Taylor has put the ball on the ground seven times this year, but only three of his fumbles have been recovered by the opposition. 

Taylor has a favorable matchup against the Eagles in Week 14. Philadelphia is giving up the third-most fantasy points to opposing QBs this season, per Yahoo Sports. As long as the weather holds, he could be in store for another big game.