NFL fantasy football waiver wire, Week 14: Jordan Mason, Caleb Williams among top players to target

ROSTERED: 45%

This might come as a surprise, given the horrible vibes swirling around the Bears, but Williams has been a top-four fantasy QB in each of the last two weeks, averaging 26.5 fantasy points per game in that span. That is elite production, and it’s exceptionally impressive for a rookie QB working with his second play-caller of the season. He’ll next travel to play the 49ers. We all know San Francisco’s D has the talent to make life tough on the opposing QB, but the group hasn’t played to its usual standard of late as injuries have taken a toll. Plus, Williams just put up 596 passing yards, five TDs and 72 yards rushing against the Lions and Vikings, two of the tougher defenses against fantasy QBs this season. If you’re streaming at the position, Williams is one of your best options right now.

ROSTERED: 24%

Wilson is coming off his biggest feast of 2024, throwing for 414 yards and three TDs against the Bengals, making him the fantasy QB3 of Week 13 heading into Monday Night Football (26.86 fantasy points). Russ’ cooking has been a bit hit or miss for fantasy managers this season, though. Wilson is averaging 17.3 FPPG this season, which puts him in the high-end QB2 ballpark. In a week with six teams on bye, that makes him a starter in a lot of leagues. His next opponent, the Browns, held him to 13.8 points when they met in Week 12, but let’s remember conditions were not ideal in that game. Wilson deserves your attention if you need a QB. Just don’t bank on 20-plus points from him.

ROSTERED: 4%

Maye is ON BYE this week, but if you happen to play in a two-QB league, the rookie could be well worth stashing. He’s averaged nearly 17 FPPG in games he’s started and finished since becoming New England’s QB1, which makes him a high-end fantasy QB2 in most leagues. After the bye, the Patriots visit the Cardinals, who have been a middle-of-the-pack defense against fantasy QBs.

ROSTERED: 54%

ROSTERED: 1%

With J.K. Dobbins now on injured reserve, these two runners are handling the bulk of the workload for the Chargers. The Gus Bus is continuing to plod along at an unremarkable pace. He leads the team with 15 carries in the past two games, but he’s turned them into just 43 yards (2.9 per). The volume means he should be on your radar, but it’s hard to back a guy averaging 4.9 FPPG since he returned from injury in Week 10. At the same, he’s a couple goal-line runs away from having a spike week. Vidal is the more explosive player right now, but he’s going to need more than four touches to justify being placed into fantasy lineups. Their Week 14 matchup against the Chiefs -- the stingiest defense to fantasy RBs this season -- is one to avoid, but things do lighten up considerably with a game against the Buccaneers in Week 15.

ROSTERED: 34%

ROSTERED: 0.6%

With the unfortunate injury news about Christian McCaffrey comes another golden opportunity in the Kyle Shanahan offense for Mason, a waiver wire Hall of Famer for his play in the early part of the season while McCaffrey was out. Mason led the 49ers with 13 carries for 78 yards in snowy Buffalo, stepping back into RB1 duties after McCaffrey exited. Guerendo, no stranger to this space himself, had San Francisco’s lone TD of the night on a 15-yard run. Mason is a must-add this week in any format, and Guerendo is worthy of consideration as a handcuff in deeper leagues. The Bay Area backs next have a home game against the Bears, who have been gashed by the run of late.

ROSTERED: 16%

After getting only one touch in Week 12, the rookie had the best game of his NFL career so far, rushing for 42 yards on eight carries (5.3 per) against the Saints. Maybe Sean McVay will be working Corum into the rotation more to try to keep Kyren Williams fresh late into the season as the Rams make a playoff push. In any case, Corum is worth picking up as the handcuff to Williams. The running backs do have a favorable matchup against the Bills in Week 14. As the clear RB2 -- one who doesn’t offer much as a pass catcher -- Corum isn’t someone to start in fantasy leagues, but he’s not a bad stash.

ROSTERED: 0%

The Raiders have been looking for someone -- anyone -- to spark their running game, and it sounds like head coach Antonio Pierce wants to see more of McCormick. He played 38 percent of the snaps against the Chiefs, leading the team with 12 carries for 64 yards (5.3 per). He also had a couple catches. After the game, Pierce praised McCormick, telling reporters the back is “earning more reps.” The majority of the RB snaps went to Ameer Abdullah in Week 13. Alexander Mattison and Zamir White will be back in the mix when they’re healthy, which could mean a vast reduction in playing time for the former practice-squad member, but don’t be surprised if Pierce rides the hot hand. In deep leagues, McCormick is worth a flier.

ROSTERED: 13%

Bryce Young’s improved play is lifting the fantasy outlook for all the Panthers’ top pass catchers, but Thielen -- who was also featured in this space a week ago -- seems like the stock to buy right now. In his second game back from injury, he led Carolina with 10 targets, turning them into eight catches for 99 yards and a TD (23.9 fantasy points). He is Week 13's fantasy WR5 entering Monday Night Football. I don’t love this Sunday's matchup against the Eagles, who just did a bang-up job of limiting Lamar Jackson and Co., but if you’re feeling desperate at wide receiver, Thielen could be a dice roll that pays off with the Panthers potentially needing to chase points. Don’t overlook rookie WR Xavier Legette, either.

ROSTERED: 10%

I keep waiting for the week where Valdes-Scantling disappears, but he enjoyed his third consecutive game with double-digit points on Sunday. He’s averaging 18 FPPG during the hot streak despite being targeted just 10 times total in the three games. MVS was on the receiving end of Derek Carr’s lone touchdown pass in Week 13, giving him four TDs in his last three contests. The bottom could drop out at any minute, but if you don’t mind living dangerously, take a chance with the Saints next playing a vulnerable Giants defense. 

ROSTERED: 5%

Cooks was held to three catches for 16 yards against the Giants, his first game back since Week 4. However, he scored a TD on his way to 10.6 fantasy points and was targeted a team-high seven times. He might fall into the TD-dependent category, but with favorable matchups against the Bengals, Panthers and Buccaneers in the next three weeks, he’s in play as a flex option in deeper leagues.

ROSTERED: 2%

Congrats to those of you who picked up Westbrook-Ikhine after he was included in this space a week ago. He delivered not one but two TDs against the Commanders on his way to a season-high 21.1 fantasy points. The man knows how to get into the paint. He’s now scored at least one TD in seven of the last eight games, despite averaging just 2.5 catches per game over that span. He’s averaging 15.1 FPPG in his last five contests and 17.9 in his last three. Yes, he’s extremely TD-dependent, but the TD production makes him a player who should be starting in a lot of leagues. He's tied for fourth in the league in TD receptions! Scoop him up if you can with a juicy matchup against the Jaguars defense in Week 14. 

ROSTERED: 53%

Like a lot of fantasy tight ends, Muth is TD-dependent. I know: The production hasn’t been overwhelming even when he does score a TD, as he’s averaging just 8.8 FPPG this season. That’s nothing to sneeze at in today’s TE environment, though. There has been a slight uptick in targets for the Steelers’ TE1 in the last couple weeks (11 total), and he’s averaged 14.3 FPPG in that small sample. So, if you have one of the top fantasy tight ends in the game, you can pass. If you have a need at the position, he’s worth a look. In Week 14, Pittsburgh hosts the Browns, who allowed four catches for 59 yards to Freiermuth in Week 12.

ROSTERED: 1%

With Taysom Hill suffering a season-ending knee injury, there will be more opportunities coming Johnson’s way. He was targeted a season-high seven times on Sunday, making five catches for 36 yards. He’s reached double-digit fantasy points twice this season, but only in games when he’s scored a TD. The Saints’ Week 14 opponents, the Giants, have been surprisingly tough on tight ends this season. I’d have to be desperate to think about starting him this week, but if you find yourself in such a situation, at least Johnson’s volume is promising.

ROSTERED: 52%

Some folks got off the Eagles train prior to Sunday’s game against the Ravens. Understandable, given that Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry play for Baltimore. Yet, Philly did an excellent job against one of the league’s top offenses and now could be sitting on the waiver wire for you to pick up just in time for a Week 14 meeting with the far less imposing -- albeit improving -- Panthers. A double-digit day seems within reach for this bunch at home against Carolina.

ROSTERED: 19%

Arizona has fielded one of the better fantasy defenses for the past month or so. The Cardinals D/ST is averaging 10.5 FPPG in its last four games, with an eye-popping 19 sacks in that span. Three highly manageable matchups await, with the Seahawks, Patriots and Panthers up next. Pick ‘em up! 

ROSTERED: 16%

The Saints D/ST has not offered much to fantasy managers of late, but if you’re streaming for one week only, this is a group to check out because of its matchup this Sunday. New Orleans will visit the Giants, who have been among the most generous teams to fantasy defenses this season. Whether it’s Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito starting at QB for the G-Men, the Saints could go marching into the backfield all day. Lock was just sacked six times against the Cowboys, while DeVito was brought down four times the week prior.