Week 15 Waiver-Wire Pickups: Sleepers Available for Fantasy Playoffs

Given how odd 2017 has been, it's only fitting fantasy football league championships might come down to guys like Case Keenum and Jimmy Garoppolo. 

Those owners advancing deep into the playoffs have hit an interesting stretch of season where upsets are a major portion of the schedule and season-long injuries have started to take a toll, producing big days from lesser-known names. 

It also means injuries have struck at the worst possible time, with Carson Wentz being the prime example. Sometimes these sorts of mishaps create windows of opportunity, but not always—Nick Foles isn't going to put up MVP-esque numbers. 

Below, we'll outline some of the top names on the wire in Week 15. Keep in mind it's no longer about long-term roster presences. Instead, it's instant-gratification time. 

Week 15 Waiver-Wire Targets

Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, SF (21 percent owned) 

Jay Cutler, QB, MIA (14 percent owned) 

Blake Bortles, QB, JAX (42 percent owned)

Kerwynn Williams, RB, ARI (11 percent owned) 

Peyton Barber, RB, TB (35 percent owned) 

Rod Smith, RB, DAL (13 percent owned) 

Dede Westbrook, WR, JAX (31 percent owned) 

Tyrell Williams, WR, LAC (35 percent owned) 

Tyler Lockett, WR, SEA (39 percent owned) 

Trey Burton, TE, PHI (8 percent owned) 

Adam Shaheen, TE, CHI (1 percent owned) 

Blake Bortles, QB, JAX (42 percent owned)

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles isn't the first guy owners would think of when it comes to players capable of saving lineups. 

Yet here we are, as Bortles has now hit on 18 or more points in three consecutive games, two of those going for north of 20 points. He's thrown two touchdowns apiece in each of his last two outings and now heads into a favorable matchup against the Houston Texans. 

He isn't exactly lacking confidence either, as noted by Brian Chojnacki of First Coast News: 

Good quotes aside, Bortles gets a Texans team allowing the second-most points on average to opposing quarterbacks this year, meaning he should keep rolling against a divisional opponent. 

Owners know Bortles as a garbage-time producer in bursts, but he's worth more this week with so much at stake. 

Rod Smith, RB, DAL (13 percent owned)

Elsa/Getty Images

The Dallas Cowboys have something of a scary backfield for owners, yet it'd be a mistake to ignore Rod Smith because Alfred Morris also happens to take some snaps. 

Smith saw fewer touches than Morris in Week 14 yet piled up 28 points by way of six carries for 47 yards and a score and five catches for 115 yards and another score. 

Versatility is the name of the game for Smith, who hadn't seen many opportunities for most of the year. Owners starting him now hinges on the idea the Cowboys will ride the hot hand against an Oakland Raiders defense allowing the 15th-most points to backs this year. 

The silver lining is the fact those Raiders continue to fall apart and in Week 14 coughed up 19.8 points to Kareem Hunt. Smith does plenty with limited touches, so he is a big-day candidate with a little ownership percentage. 

Tyrell Williams, WR, LAC (35 percent owned)

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Sometimes finding production at wideout late in the season is a matter of seeking out an MVP candidate at quarterback and targeting his favorite weapons. 

Here, said weapon is Tyrell Williams, who happens to keep feasting from the elite play of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers. 

Williams has a touchdown in two out of his past three games and those two games came in at 13.8 and 30.2 points. He's certainly not the top option on the offense, but he's a boom-or-bust play capable of winning matchups on his own if the matchup is right. 

Case in point: 

Speaking of matchups, this is of the can't-miss variety in Week 15. Williams gets the Kansas City Chiefs, the team allowing the second-most points to wideouts this year. 

With the Chargers fighting for a division and playoff seeding, owners can rest assured Rivers will look for big plays often Saturday. 

Trey Burton, TE, PHI (8 percent owned)

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Foles might not put up huge numbers for the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15, but it's worth looking at a guy like tight end Trey Burton. 

Should Zach Ertz miss another game, Burton is a must-start for most owners coming out of a Week 14 eruption where he caught five of his six targets for 71 yards and two touchdowns, slotting him at 23.1 points. 

It gets better—Burton's next opponent is the New York Giants, the team coughing up the most points to tight ends this season. 

With the Eagles looking to make a statement against a rival in their first game without Wentz, Burton should see another minimum of six targets like he has over his past two outings, provided the depth chart lets him get on the field. 

All scoring info, points-against info and ownership stats courtesy of Yahoo standard leagues.