<
>

Free-agent finds for Week 14

Waiver-wire news changes throughout the week as injuries and depth-chart shenanigans overtake us. So be sure to follow me on Twitter by clicking on the link next to my headshot at the bottom of the column, and I'll keep you updated as news warrants.

Let's get to the best fantasy roster additions heading into Week 14:

Standard ESPN league finds

Kenny Stills, WR, New Orleans Saints (owned in 17.7 percent of ESPN leagues): I was on record as falling hard for rookie Brandin Cooks before he broke his thumb. So it stands to reason I also like Stills, though he was "only" on my speculative list last week. It's scary to trust any Saints receiver -- a pejorative that apparently now extends to Jimmy Graham -- but if I'm comparing Stills and Marques Colston right now, Stills wins. While Colston keeps committing weird drops (he had another one on an easy catch along the sideline Sunday, giving him six for the season, tied for second most in the NFL), Stills blew up for 162 yards receiving, giving him 260 since Cooks' injury. He doesn't have the open-field quicks of a Cooks, but Stills is every bit as straight-line fast. Don't treat him as a top-20 WR, but top 30? I could get behind that.

Jordan Reed, TE, Washington (24.6 percent): Yeah, this guy again. The world is coming around to my viewpoint that "tight ends are the new kickers" (I really should've trademarked that). Only Rob Gronkowski has avoided disaster so far this year, and what the heck were the odds that would've been the case this summer? After Gronk, Graham and (if he ever gets healthy) Julius Thomas, this position is a hateful, spiteful mess. So why not try Reed again, just to torture yourself a little more? There's logic here: Colt McCoy is a popgun-armed QB with a history of featuring TEs. Get this stat: Almost 30 percent of his 792 regular-season pass attempts have been aimed at a tight end. And that includes 11 targets to Reed on Sunday. Of course, the moment you trust Reed, he'll pull a muscle and be out for the season. But if you're riding with someone from the TE middle class (as most of us are), why not?

Minnesota Vikings defense (23.1 percent): If you followed my advice and used the St. Louis Rams D/ST last week, keep it rolling in Week 14. If you didn't, they're probably no longer available, so you could try the Vikes against the New York Jets. True, the Jets got their running game healthy Monday night against the Miami Dolphins, and as run defenders, the Vikes aren't world-beaters. But streamers can't be choosers, and any time you get a crack at a defense facing Geno Smith, you take it.

Handcuffs: It's playoff time. As the weeks go by, your remaining opponents are going to be strong, and hopefully you've got the studs to keep up. Middling roster options with potential no longer need apply; rather, you're better off using roster spots backing up your RBs. Here's a list of current handcuffs you should own: Knile Davis, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (27.1 percent); Carlos Hyde, RB, San Francisco 49ers (16.3 percent); James Starks, RB, Green Bay Packers (6.2 percent); Joseph Randle, RB, Dallas Cowboys (4.8 percent); Robert Turbin, RB, Seattle Seahawks (2.5 percent); Ka'Deem Carey, RB, Chicago Bears (1.3 percent).

Other solid waiver adds, about whom I've written in previous weeks: Mark Sanchez, QB, Eagles (45.3 percent); Daniel Herron, RB, Colts (40.9 percent); Latavius Murray, RB, Raiders (37.4 percent); Jarvis Landry, WR, Dolphins (28.5 percent); Andrew Hawkins, WR, Browns (40.3 percent).

Speculative standard-league finds

Johnny Manziel, QB, Cleveland Browns (2.7 percent): As of this writing, the Browns hadn't announced who their starting QB will be for Week 14 against the Indianapolis Colts, and it could go either way. But while I know Browns fans will hate me for saying this, Brian Hoyer isn't good. I know he's a "winner" and he's "local," but he also makes "mistakes" and has bad "accuracy" and throws "interceptions." Give the guy credit for a couple of improbable rallies (which often consisted of taking advantage of insanely bad coverage), but watch tape with clear eyes. He's a backup. I don't know what Manziel is at this point, but he ran for a TD Sunday, and for fantasy, that's all I really care about. Tim Tebow had some fantasy relevance in his day. If Manziel gets named the starter, he's got crazy legs and Josh Gordon at his disposal. Intriguing.

Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (42.4 percent): Don't worry, I'm not pulling some retrofit of my preseason endorsement of the Muscle Hamster. That was a terrible, terrible call. I continue to apologize. When we're drafting players, we're drafting their entire situation, and in a RB's case that includes blocking and injuries. Martin has not enough of the former, and too many of the latter. But he was his old self in the first half Sunday, against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that had been solid against the run in back-to-back weeks. I can't imagine you'll feel OK using Martin in a fantasy playoff game, but if you're desperate or want someone with a lot of upside, he does have that.

Andre Williams, RB, New York Giants (31.8 percent): This endorsement is entirely based on Rashad Jennings' health. Jennings hurt an ankle Sunday and missed the Giants' crucial final two drives, leaving Williams in the driver's seat. Jennings says he'll be able to play in Week 14, but players say things. Let's keep our ears to the ground on this one, because the Tennessee Titans have been a dream matchup for opposing rushers this month.

Khiry Robinson, RB, Saints (12.3 percent): Robinson is expected to return in Week 14 against the Carolina Panthers, though having missed six full contests with an arm injury, it doesn't seem likely he'd compete too heavily with Mark Ingram for carries right away. Fortunately for Ingram's fantasy owners, the former Heisman winner shook off a couple subpar outings Sunday, bruising his way to 122 yards. But could Robinson get involved later in December? It's possible.

Stedman Bailey, WR, St. Louis Rams (4.3 percent): Stop me if you've heard this before. Rams receiver you've barely heard of goes bananas, causes a stampede to the waiver wire. No, it's not Brian Quick. No, it's not Kenny Britt. This time it's Bailey, who reached the 100-yard mark in the first quarter Sunday. (He didn't catch another pass all day.) That's 189 yards for Bailey in his past two games, and surely this means he is Shaun Hill's new binky and together the pair will ascend to previously unknown heights! Or, rather, just like Quick and Britt before him, Bailey will become part of a frustrating rotation on which you won't want to rely in your fantasy playoffs.

Other speculative standard-league waiver adds, about whom I've written in previous weeks: Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers (30.5 percent); Branden Oliver, RB, Chargers (31.7 percent); Charles Sims, RB, Buccaneers (18.5 percent); Matt Asiata, RB, Vikings (30.0 percent); Pierre Thomas, RB, Saints (31.5 percent); Theo Riddick, RB, Lions (6.1 percent); Davante Adams, WR, Packers (6.8 percent); Greg Jennings, WR, Vikings (35.1 percent); Kenny Britt, WR, Rams (29.9 percent); John Brown, WR, Cardinals (23.6 percent); Charles Johnson, WR, Vikings (9.3 percent); Donte Moncrief, WR, Colts (1.5 percent); Cecil Shorts, WR, Jaguars (33.3 percent); Markus Wheaton, WR, Steelers (10.0 percent); Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings (18.2 percent); Jordan Cameron, TE, Browns (36.9 percent); Owen Daniels, TE, Ravens (26.7 percent); Tim Wright, TE, Patriots (12.8 percent); Mychal Rivera, TE, Raiders (31.9 percent).

Deeper-league finds

Colt McCoy, QB, Washington (2.8 percent): McCoy didn't play great against the Colts in Week 13, but his performance was a marked improvement over Robert Griffin III's final two appearances. McCoy's TD pass to Logan Paulsen was legit highlight material, and while many of his 392 passing yards came in the service of a futile comeback, that's still a lot of yards. The warning sign here is that when Washington got great field position in the first quarter because of turnovers, Colt did nothing. That said, he doesn't have a terrible schedule (STL, @NYG, PHI, DAL) the rest of the way. He's a two-QB league option.

Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (1.2 percent): The USC rookie has been a beneficiary since Allen Robinson's injury, with nine catches on 12 targets in his past two games. Of course, during that same span, Cecil Shorts and Allen Hurns have 11 targets apiece (though only five and four catches, respectively), so it's probably futile to imagine we'll see anyone stand out from the crowd through the rest of December. But Lee's skill set continues to pique.

Andre Roberts, WR, Washington (1.1 percent): It sounds like DeSean Jackson will be able to play through his knee injury Sunday, but if that changes, Roberts should be on a deep-leaguer's radar. Don't get me wrong: Roberts doesn't have more than two catches in a game since Week 6, but with no D-Jax, he'd at least be the big-play threat in D.C.

Other solid waiver adds for deep-leaguers, about whom I've written in previous weeks: Lance Dunbar, RB, Cowboys (1.2 percent); Juwan Thompson, RB, Broncos (3.6 percent); Malcom Floyd, WR, Chargers (33.4 percent); Robert Woods, WR, Bills (4.2 percent); Allen Hurns, WR, Jaguars (10.2 percent).