Fantasy Football Waiver Wire, Week 14: Turn on Your Brian Hartline

You never know when someone you had overlooked will go on a December surge. Brian Hartline is your deep sleeper candidate. Only owned in 8% of leagues, Hartline has 32 targets, 22 catches, and 234 receiving yards, while playing with three different starting quarterbacks in Cleveland. What he doesn’t have during that span is a touchdown catch. However, I’m a big believer in opportunities leading to results, and Hartline is a value play if you need an extra starter in the playoffs.

Weirder things have happened in December. Patrick Jeffers has the record for the most fantasy points over the final quarter of a season for a wide receiver. Drew Bennett once tore it up catching passes from Billy Volek.

As always, I provide selections for Shallow Leagues (owned in 50-69% of CBS Sports Leagues), Average Leagues (owned in 30-49%), and Deep Leagues (owned in less than 30%).

QUARTERBACKS

Shallow Leagues: My top two starting options for this week are in the same game: Ryan Fitzpatrick (65%), who I have at #11, and Marcus Mariota (59%) at #14. I have both ahead of plenty of starters like Philip Rivers (at KC), Matt Stafford (at STL), Derek Carr (at DEN) and Matt Ryan (at CAR).

Average Leagues: If those two are gone, my next recommendation is Brian Hoyer (44%) going against New England.

Deep Leagues: If you are scrambling or in a start-two QB league, my top recommendations come from another battle for a high draft pick, when Johnny Manziel (7%) and Cleveland go to Blaine Gabbert (9%) and San Francisco.

RUNNING BACKS

[UPDATE: Since this was published, news emerged that Mark Ingram had a shoulder injury and he was placed on Injured Reserve. Tim Hightower, who was signed last month after the Khiry Robinson injury, will be next in line, likely the better part of a platoon with C.J. Spiller. Hightower should be considered the top pickup this week now]

Shallow Leagues: James White (63%) is your best bet for a low-end RB2 start off the waiver wire. He has had two big weeks in the last three. He’s been hit-or-miss since Dion Lewis went down, but with all the other injuries he has taken advantage of the opportunity, and has outscored LeGarrette Blount.

Darren Sproles (57%) and Shane Vereen (69%) are both PPR flex options. Sproles led the Eagles in carries after DeMarco Murray appeared to get benched, and could be in line for a few more touches again this week.

Average and Deep Leagues: Bilal Powell (17%) has really helped Fitzpatrick’s numbers since the he returned from injury. He’s been a flex option. Chris Polk (7%) is your role of the dice play. He got the most carries for the Texans’ last week. It’s hard to know what Bill O’Brien is thinking from week-to-week here, but if you need an upside play and have limited options, go for Polk.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Shallow and Average Leagues: DeVante Parker (32%) caught a touchdown and will start again this week against the Giants. Nate Washington (47%) should get more targets with the Texans going against the Patriots.

Deep Leagues: Robert Woods (23%) against the Eagles, a defense that gave up 5 touchdown passes in back-to-back games before last week, is an option in deep leagues.

TIGHT ENDS

Shallow Leagues: Richard Rodgers (51%) had his breakout game, and caught the game-winning Hail Mary. He’s a low-end TE1 option this week against Dallas.

Average Leagues: Austin Sefarian-Jenkins (43%) made his return in a limited fashion last week. This week, it’s the Saints. That’s always a tempting matchup.

Deep Leagues: Will Tye (1%) has been getting more and more action with the Giants and is a fall-back option at the position.

OVERALL

Tim Hightower, RB NO
James White, RB NE
Brian Hartline, WR CLE
Richard Rodgers, TE GB
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB NYJ
Darren Sproles, RB PHI
DeVante Parker, WR MIA
Marcus Mariota, QB TEN
Shane Vereen, RB NYJ
Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, TE TB
Bilal Powell, RB NYJ
Chris Polk, RB HOU
Will Tye, TE NYG
Robert Woods, WR BUF
Nate Washington, WR TEN
Brian Hoyer, QB HOU