Fantasy Football Week 15: 5 Must-Haves Off the Waiver Wire
The final week of the regular season, as far as fantasy football is concerned, was filled with a ton of interesting story lines to follow.
For one thing, Week 14 will have two Monday night games due to the collapse of the Metrodome’s roof. Therefore, Detroit’s Ford Field will host the Giants-Vikings game at 7:20 Eastern time.
Another piece of news coming out from this game is that Brett Favre stated to ESPN’s Ed Werder that had the game taken place on Sunday, December 12th as scheduled, he would not have started.
Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier has officially listed Favre as a game-time decision, but Favre remains doubtful that he will be able to go out and throw come opening kickoff.
Switching gears to the AFC East, Week 14 showed that this division is not as clear-cut as people thought a couple weeks ago.
Despite a snowstorm with 50 mph gusts of wind against the NFL’s third-ranked defense, MVP candidate Tom Brady showed why he is one of the elite.
He went 27-of-40 for a whopping 369 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers.
The Patriots routed what seemed to be a top NFC contender in the Bears, with a final score of 36-7.
This improved New England’s record to an impressive 11-2 and officially clinched a playoff spot for the Pats.
The New York Jets were expected to bounce back after getting blown out by the Patriots in Week 13, facing another divisional opponent in the Miami Dolphins in Week 14.
In a game that was very sloppy due to rainy conditions, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez fumbled four times and committed two turnovers in a game that the Jets basically gave away.
Still, it would not be fair to blame everything on Sanchez, as his receivers Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery were dropping passes left and right, including Holmes dropping what would have been a sure touchdown in the second quarter.
All of a sudden, the Dolphins are back in the playoff race at 7-6, and the Jets look more like the 2008 squad that missed the playoffs than Super Bowl contenders.
Gang Green certainly needs to get things together sooner than later, as they have another tough test in Week 15 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With all the latest news covered, let us look at the gems on the waiver wire who can lead your imaginary team to a league title.
Louis Murphy, WR Oakland Raiders
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While Raiders QB Jason Campbell has been anything but consistent this year, he has shown an ability to at least exploit a good matchup.
Murphy, a useful fantasy option in Weeks 2 and 3, suffered a collarbone injury and was then further impacted by a bruised lung.
Needless to say, this crushed his fantasy value, and the switches at quarterback did not help matters much either.
However, he is back on the fantasy radar after grabbing six catches for 59 yards and a touchdown.
Despite the recent emergence of rookie Jacoby Ford, Murphy was targeted by Campbell in a number of key situations and finally looks like the team's No. 1 receiver again.
If you need further convincing, Murphy and the Raiders face a pretty pass-friendly playoff schedule: a Broncos team that’s phoning it in at this point, a depleted Colts secondary and a Chiefs defense that is good but very beatable.
Murphy has likely been hanging around your league’s waiver wire for weeks now and is a good sleeper for this year’s playoffs.
Rashad Jennings, RB Jacksonville Jaguars
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Jags running back Maurice Jones-Drew has been on a tear recently, notching six consecutive 100-yard games.
This has left backup Rashad Jennings in the shadows, but he has actually been extremely productive on limited touches in recent weeks.
In the past three weeks, he has 205 rushing yards on just 22 carries, as well as three touchdowns.
Jennings is really coming into his own in his sophomore season and needs to be owned by all MJD owners, just in case.
But for those looking for running back help during the fantasy postseason, Jennings looks to be a useful flex play the rest of the way with a playoff schedule that involves two of the worst run defenses in the league in the Colts and the Redskins.
He will face the Texans in the fantasy finals, but their run defense does not exactly scare anyone either. Jennings will be at the very least a worthwhile flex play during this final stretch.
Ryan Torain, RB Washington Redskins
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Fantasy veterans know that nobody runs a more confusing backfield that Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan, so no one knew exactly what to expect when Ryan Torain returned from a hamstring injury in Week 14 against the Buccaneers.
Well, those who had the guts to start Torain were handsomely rewarded, as Torain ran for 172 yards on 24 carries, notching a staggering 7.2 yards per carry.
Owners can find ease in the fact that James Davis did not have a touch in this contest, while Keiland Williams only had seven.
Torain will see very beatable defenses in the upcoming weeks against Dallas and the Jaguars, but be careful making him your primary option, as he faces a very aggressive Giants defense in the fantasy finals.
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Alex Smith, QB San Francisco 49ers
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Aaron Rodgers owners had to be horrified to see the signal caller leave Week 14 early due to a concussion. He totaled a putrid 3.34 points before exiting, and backup Matt Flynn inspired little confidence to take over the role of a fantasy starter.
However, another quarterback from the 2005 draft could be the answer to your fantasy team’s woes.
Alex Smith reclaimed his starting job with a vengeance in Week 14 against the Seahawks, as he gained 255 yards through the air, scoring three touchdowns along the way.
While Smith is clearly not the most consistent option, his fantasy playoff schedule includes the Chargers, Rams and Cardinals.
This means he should probably remain benched in Week 15, but he could pay huge dividends for those who gamble on him in Weeks 16 and 17 against teams with very weak secondaries.
Unless you own an elite option as a backup to Rodgers, Smith is a must own this week due to the uncertainty surrounding concussions.
Those with inconsistent options at QB (Jay Cutler, Matt Schaub, Ryan Fitzpatrick) may want to add Smith to their roster as well.
Tim Hightower, RB Arizona Cardinals
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What a mess this Cardinals offense has been this season. Everyone knew the retirement of Kurt Warner would hurt this team, but the fact that they did not trade for or draft a quarterback of the future was puzzling.
Even more curious was the decision to cut longtime backup Matt Leinart and roll with Derek Anderson...and we all know how that turned out.
Injuries to running back Beanie Wells and a mediocre offensive line have also hindered the Cardinals' run game, rendering their offense flat-out anemic for the majority of this season.
However, Tim Hightower exploded against a crumbling Broncos team in Week 14, racking up 148 yards and two touchdowns, averaging a hefty 8.2 yards per carry.
Hightower has racked up 33.4 fantasy points in standard scoring leagues in the past two weeks and appears to be the team’s only bright spot on offense outside of Larry Fitzgerald.
He is in must start territory in Weeks 15 and 16 against the Panthers and the Cowboys respectively, but be weary of using him in the finals, as he faces a stout 49ers front line.
The first time the Cardinals played the Niners, Hightower notched a goose egg for fantasy points.
Nevertheless, he needs to be owned in all leagues during fantasy football’s most critical time.
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