At this point in the season, you should have a pretty good idea of your team's chances at playoffs. Use the waiver wire to fight through bye weeks and keep your playoff dreams alive. This week's waiver adds are great substitutes and flex plays while you wait for your injured players to become available again. On top of that, most players are available in 90% of leagues or more!
Alex Smith - QB - Washington Football Team - ESPN .3% Yahoo 1% - Jake
Alex Smith is now the starting quarterback for the Washington Football Team. If he can string together a few quality starters, then he may quickly assume pole position for the Comeback Player of the Year award. Smith will have every opportunity to do just that as he faces Lions, Bengals, and Cowboys defenses over the next three weeks. These defenses have been a source for quality streaming options all season long. Smith also showed quality chemistry with his number one target, Terry McLaurin, as they connected for a touchdown last week. If you’re desperate for a long shot QB, Smith has an opportunity to produce.
Kallen Ballage - RB - Los Angeles Chargers - ESPN .3% Yahoo 1% - Jake
In another heartbreaker for the Los Angeles Chargers, Kallen Ballage saw an unexpected workload as the running back unit suffered a few bumps and bruises during Sunday’s matchup against the Raiders. Once Justin Jackson left the game, the coaching staff turned to Ballage rather than Joshua Kelley. Although both players had a respectable amount of touches, it was Ballage who led with 15 carries for 69 yards and a score. He also logged two catches to amass 16.40 fantasy points in PPR. Should Jackson and Troymaine Pope continue to miss time, it looks like Ballage will have a steady role.
Curtis Samuel - WR - Carolina Panthers - ESPN 52.6% Yahoo 31% - Jake
Oftentimes it’s difficult to count on a team's clear cut third wideout option, but Curtis Samuel isn’t used like every team’s third wideout. Samuel totaled a season-high in targets and receptions against the Chiefs as he hauled in all nine of his targets for his first 100+ yard receiving game of the season, including a touchdown run on a pop pass from Bridgewater. That score gave Samuel four touchdowns over the last three games and two of those are rushing scores. Head Coach Matt Rhule is clearly looking to take advantage of Samuel’s running ability, which has been a strength of his since his time at Ohio State. If Samuel continues to get these opportunities, he’ll have a high ceiling as a flex option moving forward.
Jake Luton - QB - Jacksonville Jaguars - ESPN 2.2% Yahoo 3% - Zach
In the rookie's debut, he threw for over 300 yards on 38 attempts. Jacksonville showed they not only trust him but that they are going to throw the ball a lot. Minshew is projected to be out at least another week and Doug Marrone was not willing to commit to Minshew even when he returns. If you are a team in need of a plug and play QB, Luton showed he has the potential to produce and could be a season-long streamer if he keeps the job.
Danny Amendola - WR - Detroit Lions - ESPN 7.2% Yahoo 2% - Zach
In the absence of Kenny Golladay, which will continue for at least another week, Danny Amendola led Detroit in receiving with 10 targets for 7 catches and 77 yards. He is not the most exciting player but has proven to have a weekly floor without the competition for targets of Golladay. Fire him up as a bye/injury replacement for the week with a low ceiling but a safe PPR floor.
JD McKissic - RB - Washington Football Team - ESPN 34.4% Yahoo 24% - Zach
I wrote about McKissic a few weeks ago but his value has continued to rise and he is still available in close to 75% of leagues. This week against the Giants, he played 84% of the snaps, with part of the reason being that Gibson fumbled early in the game. He is proving that he is a weekly piece in this offense, offering a safe PPR floor averaging 7 targets per game since week 3, including 14 this week! With juicy matchups coming up against Detroit, Cincinnati, and Dallas, he is likely a safe RB3/flex play.
