Week 14 Waiver Wire: Marion Barber and More Must-Add Players for Playoffs

In the vast majority of fantasy football leagues, Week 14 marks either the first week of the playoffs or the last week of the regular season. Either way, Week 14 is absolutely essential for most fantasy owners, and because of that, no lineup missteps can afford to be taken.

Many teams that were able to barely sneak into the postseason have one or more holes in their respective lineups. Because of that, the waiver wire is still likely to come into play.

Here are three players likely on your league's waiver that should be snatched up and put in your starting lineup immediately.

Dexter McCluster, Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs' offense is a bit of a mess in its current state, and the backfield is a microcosm of that. Head coach Todd Haley has a three-back rotation that he likes to employ with Jackie Battle, Dexter McCluster and Thomas Jones.

While it may seem like a situation to stay away from, I think McCluster has begun to separate himself from the pack a bit.

While McCluster isn't going to be a workhorse, his versatility as a pass receiver makes him a very valuable commodity, particularly in PPR leagues. I also believe that the injury to quarterback Matt Cassel has helped McCluster in terms of production as well since backup Tyler Palko is very conservative and tends to dump the ball off to his backs.

McCluster had his best game of the season on Sunday with over 100 total yards and a touchdown against the Chicago Bears. I understand that some of that production came off a fluky Hail Mary at the end of the first half, but McCluster was utilized throughout the game. With the New York jets' shaky run defense next on tap, McCluster should make for a nice addition.

Santana Moss, Washington Redskins

While Washington Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss was drafted in essentially every league prior to the season, it's safe to say that most owners gave up on him. After a solid start to the year, Moss broke his hand and missed several weeks.

Moss is back in full force though and seems poised to turn in a breakout performance.

Although Moss hasn't exactly been dominant in the two games since his return, it takes a bit of time for a receiver to get reintegrated in the offense, particularly when they are coming off a hand injury. Moss does have nine catches over his past two contests, and with quarterback Rex Grossman playing fairly well, he should get a good amount of targets.

Moss has a dream matchup this weekend as the Redskins face the New England Patriots and their league-worst pass defense. The Pats' secondary is an absolute mess due to injuries and ineffectiveness, so the 'Skins should pass plenty.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Dan Orlovsky had well over 300 yards last week against New England, so expect a similar performance from Grossman with Moss being the main beneficiary.

Marion Barber, Chicago Bears

One man's fantasy misfortune is another's big break. When Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte left Sunday's game with a knee injury, his fantasy owners held their collective breath. When it was announced that he would miss anywhere from two to six weeks with a MCL sprain, however, it left his owners deflated.

While the news is terrible for Forte and those who own him, it is a great opportunity for owners with a high waiver priority. While some Forte owners probably had the foresight to handcuff him with Barber, that certainly isn't the case with everyone. Because of that, Barber should everyone's main waiver-wire target this week.

Even with Forte in the lineup and receiving a huge amount of touches, Barber was utilized quite often by the Bears. In fact, he even leads the team in rushing touchdowns with five. With no real competition, however, Barber is in line to receive a full allotment of carries for a Chicago offense that has a shaky quarterback in Caleb Hanie.

Barber may not have much burst, but he should get a ton of touches and has a great chance to score against the Denver Broncos' mediocre run defense.