As the fantasy football season goes on, it becomes harder and harder to find starting-caliber players on the waiver wire. This list includes a few names who could end up being key depth pieces to championship teams.
Depth is one of the most important parts of fantasy football roster construction, having a solid bench to replace an injured starter is extremely important. Here’s a list of players rostered in less than 65% of ESPN fantasy football leagues who could help out your team as the season draws to a close!
Quarterback Targets
Matthew Stafford - LAR
(28.3% Rostered)
Matthew Stafford has been on a statistical tear recently, throwing for ten passing touchdowns to only three interceptions over his last four games. He’s also passed for more than 250 yards in all four of those outings. Stafford still has something left in the tank, it seems.
If you’re in need of a streaming option at quarterback for a week or two, Stafford is a solid option. He has a fantastic receiving group that includes wideouts Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Stafford has also only been sacked five times in the last five weeks. Stafford also captains a pass-heavy Rams offense that relies on gaining ground through the air. These factors can greatly contribute to his continued success. Unfortunately, he faces a difficult challenge against an elite Philadelphia defense this week.
If you trust the talent and the situation around Stafford, he remains a solid investment if you are in need of a backup quarterback over the next few weeks. He may not be the best option this coming week, but he still has the potential to put up top-five fantasy quarterback production down the line.
Drake Maye - NE
(17.7% Rostered)
Drake Maye played some pretty good football on Sunday, even if New England did fall short against Los Angeles. Maye has now passed for five touchdowns in five healthy games, adding another on the ground. Like Stafford, he is a solid streaming option for the rest of the season. There are several reasons for this.
First, Maye has been given a very generous amount of volume in the passing game. Through five fully healthy games, he has posted at least 30 passing attempts four times, even registering 40 or more twice.
His passing volume is a fantastic factor in his success in fantasy football and his ability to pick up yards in the running game is also a solid addition. Drake Maye has a great ceiling and a high floor in fantasy football, he remains a great option on the waiver wire.
Running Back Targets
Roschon Johnson - CHI
(14.2% Rostered)
Over the course of the 2024 season, Johnson has slowly taken over the goal-line back role for the Chicago Bears offense. In doing so, he has solidified himself as a fantasy-relevant waiver wire option available in most leagues.
On Sunday, Johnson received only four fewer carries than fellow Chicago running back D’Andre Swift. According to the FantasyPros Red Zone RB Stats, three of these carries occurred inside the 10-yard line, one of which resulted in a touchdown.
Last week, Chicago fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and replaced him with Thomas Brown. Johnson receiving a significant increase in both goal-line carries and overall action out of the backfield may be a sign of things to come. Johnson is a great value on the waiver wire.
Jaylen Warren - PIT
(64.3% Rostered)
It seems as though Pittsburgh running back Najee Harris has a solid hold on the top spot in the Steelers backfield. However, there is still fantasy value surrounding Jaylen Warren, who was ranked 31st in Fantasy Trading Room’s Week 11 Running Back Rankings.
Warren received 13 total touches on Sunday in a win against Baltimore, nine on the ground and four through the air. He totaled 68 yards in all while averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
Going forward, Warren is definitely rosterable in most redraft leagues because of his action in both the running and passing games. He has been efficient over the course of his career and that has shown no sign of stopping. If you’re in need of a running back to provide solid stats off the bench, Warren is absolutely worth a pickup.
Wide Receiver Targets
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine - TEN
(1.6% Rostered)
Westbrook-Ikhine provided one of the most exciting plays of the year when he and quarterback Will Levis connected on a 98-yard touchdown pass to give the Tennessee Titans new offensive life in what ended up being a loss to Minnesota.
He has averaged nearly five targets per game since wideout DeAndre Hopkins was traded to the Chiefs, and it's obvious that this coaching staff trusts Westbrook-Ikhine to produce solid stats on offense. The veteran receiver has been on the team for several seasons and is having one of the best seasons of his career.
Another reason to be interested in the wideout is that he has scored five touchdowns over his last six games, and having a nose for the endzone never hurts in fantasy football.
Alec Pierce - IND
(15.1 % Rostered)
Pierce has remained a boom-or-bust option on the waiver wire for the majority of the season and is having the best season of his career. On Sunday, with quarterback Anthony Richardson back in the lineup, Pierce posted three receptions for 74 yards.
He is a trusted deep-threat for this Colts offense and has the ability to drop 20 fantasy points on any given week. With Anthony Richardson finding his confidence again, Pierce could be on the receiving end of a lot more deep touchdowns that allow for major fantasy production.
Pierce won’t take over as the WR1 for this offense by any means, but he could start to see more targets as the weeks go on. Don’t sleep on the Richardson-to-Pierce connection.
Tight End Targets
Jonnu Smith - MIA
(18.3 % Rostered)
Jonnu Smith has surprisingly been one of Miami’s most productive pass-catchers over the last few weeks. Smith’s PFF Player Grades back this up, as he has received a 78.9 overall receiving grade in 2024 through 11 weeks.
Smith has drawn over six targets in five of his last six games. This volume has allowed Smith to be one of fantasy football’s most productive tight ends in 2024 as he continues the best season of his career so far.
Smith posted over 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s win over Las Vegas, so it’s becoming clear he can be counted on to start on a weekly basis. If Jonnu Smith is still on waivers in your fantasy league, you should pick him up immediately.
Will Dissly - LAC
(18.0 % Rostered)
Like Smith, Dissly has been one of the biggest surprises of 2024 in what has been a largely disappointing group of fantasy football tight ends.
Dissly has slowly seen his target numbers increase this season, leading to some solid fantasy performances over the last few weeks. On Sunday night, Dissly tallied 80 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown, good enough to land himself a spot among the top ten tight ends in terms of production in Week 11.
If Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert can continue to play well, Dissly should remain fantasy relevant. His volume has made him rosterable in fantasy football, which is a rarity among fantasy tight ends. Dissly has positioned himself as one of the more important pieces of this Chargers passing game going forward. Dissly, who was ranked 22nd in Fantasy Trading Room’s Week 11 Tight End Rankings, is certainly trending up.