Fantasy football Week 14: Add and drop

Each week I’ll list the best widely available free agents for fantasy football — I define “widely available” as being owned in around half of all ESPN or Yahoo leagues — and some guys who are probably better off in the free-agent pool than collecting dust on your roster.

Follow me on X (formerly known as Twitter) @UTEddieBrown if you have questions throughout the week.

Here’s my NFL Week 14 waiver wire cheat sheet for all league sizes and formats, with players you need to add, drop and stream in your fantasy football league:

ADD

— RB Isaac Guerendo, 49ers (ESPN: 1%; Yahoo: 7%): San Francisco placed Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason on injured reserve Monday. The only other running back on the roster is Patrick Taylor, who has spent most of the season on the practice squad. Guerendo reminded me a lot of Raheem Mostert coming out of college, so it didn’t surprise me when the Niners drafted him. He’s a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan’s system. I can’t imagine a higher priority pickup headed into the fantasy playoffs.

— WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Titans (ESPN: 18%; Yahoo: 20%): It’s possible Westbrook-Ikhine is actually in the midst of his breakout season. He’s flashed before this and two months is quite the sample size. NWI is the overall WR6 in standard formats (WR14 in PPR) since Week 6 with a TD reception in seven of the last eight games. He faces a terrible Jaguars defense in Week 14 with six teams on a bye.

— QB Jameis Winston, Browns (ESPN: 10%; Yahoo: 16%): In true Winston fashion, the former No. 1 overall pick has produced three great fantasy weeks, including a monster 497 yards and four TD performance on Monday Night Football, and two bad ones so far. I’m hearing rumblings Cleveland might make a switch to Dorian Thompson-Robinson at some point to see if the young signal-caller will factor into any post-Deshaun Watson plans. Until then, Winston will deserve weekly streaming consideration.

— WR Keon Coleman, Bills (ESPN: 53%; Yahoo: 43%): Coleman looked like everything was coming together before he hurt his wrist. The rookie playmaker had nine receptions (14 targets) for 195 yards and a TD in his last two full games. There are a lot of mouths to feed on Buffalo’s offense, but I always believed Josh Allen was the perfect quarterback to unlock Coleman’s big-play ability in the pros. His 19.0 yards per reception and 11.6 yards per target has only bolstered my belief.

— TE Pat Freiermuth, Steelers (ESPN: 42%; Yahoo: 51%): Freiermuth is the overall TE10 in standard formats (TE11 in PPR) since Week 10 with at least four receptions for 59 yards or a TD in two straight games. Three of his next four games are against teams in the bottom 12 at preventing fantasy points to tight ends.

— BONUS: RB Braelon Allen, Jets (ESPN: 22%; Yahoo: 32%): First, Breece Hall was a late addition to the injury report last week, creating doubt he would play on Sunday, then Hall fumbled twice in a come-from-ahead loss to the Seahawks, and after the game expressed a “confidence” crisis has set in — Hall has four fumbles in his last five games. With the season lost, it wouldn’t surprise me if Allen gets showcased at some point during the final month. The next four games are a cakewalk for running backs: the Dolphins, Jaguars, Rams and Bills. All four are among the bottom 11 teams at preventing fantasy points to running backs.

— BONUS: WR Cedric Tillman, Browns (ESPN: 49%; Yahoo: 43%): Tillman missed the Monday night shootout at Denver dealing with a concussion. The volume in Cleveland’s passing game with Winston at the helm dictates all of the Browns’ principal pass catchers be universally rostered, including Elijah Moore (ESPN: 13%; Yahoo: 11%). Moore finished with 111 yards on eight receptions and 14 targets against the Broncos, and has at least six receptions in four of the last six games.

— BONUS: QB Russell Wilson, Steelers (ESPN: 43%; Yahoo: 36%): Wilson was a premium streaming option last week against the Bengals, and paid huge dividends if he was in your lineup with 414 passing yards and three TDs against only one interception. In his six starts this season, he’s finished as the weekly QB3, QB24, QB9, QB26, QB19 and QB4.

— BONUS: RB Blake Corum, Rams (ESPN: 14%; Yahoo: 14%): Corum hadn’t topped 20% snap share all year until Sunday at New Orleans, where the rookie played 32% of Los Angeles’ offensive snaps. He’d inherit a substantial workload if something were to happen to Kyren Williams.

— BONUS: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Saints (ESPN: 23%; Yahoo: 31%): MVS has 232 yards on seven receptions (10 targets) and four TDs in his last three games with New Orleans. Obviously, this type of efficiency isn’t sustainable long term, but he’ll have flex appeal at least one more week against the Giants, who are susceptible to allowing big plays through the air.

— BONUS: TE Will Dissly, Chargers (ESPN: 33%; Yahoo: 42%): I’m sure Dissly’s single target and zero receptions against the Falcons were a major bummer for a lot of folks, but he’s been plenty productive going on two months, and has a very fantasy-friendly schedule the next two weeks. Both the Chiefs and Buccaneers are among the bottom seven teams at preventing fantasy points to tight ends.

— BONUS: WR Adam Thielen, Panthers (ESPN: 27; Yahoo: 32%): It didn’t take long for Thielen to become Bryce Young’s top target once again after returning from injury. The veteran slot machine had eight receptions (10 targets) for 99 yards and a TD in an overtime loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday. Thielen has WR3/flex upside going forward, especially with Young finally showing a pulse.

— BONUS: QB Will Levis, Titans (ESPN: 5%; Yahoo: 12%): Levis is the overall QB15 since returning from injury in Week 10 with multiple TD passes in three of the last four games. Levis is a premium streaming option this week against the Jaguars, who are allowing the most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.

— BONUS: WR Romeo Doubs, Packers (ESPN: 48%; Yahoo: 45%): Doubs missed last week recovering from a concussion, but there’s a chance he returns for a huge NFC North matchup at Detroit on Thursday night.

— BONUS: TE Grant Calcaterra, Eagles (ESPN:

— BONUS: RB Ray Davis, Bills (ESPN: 11%; Yahoo: 17%): Davis is the overall RB29 in standard formats (RB32 in PPR) since Week 6 with 97 rushing yards or a TD in four of the last seven games. If James Cook misses any time, Davis would have RB1 upside.

— BONUS: WR Brandin Cooks, Cowboys (ESPN: 8%; Yahoo: 10%): Cooks had three receptions for 16 yards and a TD on seven targets in his return on Thanksgiving against the Giants. He’ll have flex appeal the next three weeks against the Bengals, Panthers and Buccaneers.

— BONUS: TE Juwan Johnson, Saints (ESPN: 5%; Yahoo: 3%): With Taysom Hill done for the season, Johnson will likely see higher usage considering New Orleans is literally running out of bodies on offense. He tied Hill with a team-high seven targets against the Rams. Foster Moreau (ESPN:

— BONUS: RB Trey Benson, Cardinals (ESPN: 24%; Yahoo: 23%): Notice a trend with my running back targets this week? All talented rookies, and backups to workhorse fantasy studs, with the exception of Guerendo, who was a third-stringer. They’d all be capable of winning you a fantasy championship if they get the opportunity down the stretch. Arizona faces the Seahawks, Patriots, Panthers and Rams to conclude the fantasy season. All four are among the bottom 13 teams at preventing fantasy points to running backs. Benson will have flex appeal against Carolina in Week 16 even if James Conner is healthy.

— BONUS: D/ST Saints (ESPN: 30%; Yahoo: 27%): I’m not sure it matters who starts at QB for the Giants between Tommy DeVito or Drew Lock. Both are currently sack magnets, making New Orleans a solid streaming option this week.

— BONUS: D/ST Colts (ESPN: 26%; Yahoo: 32%): Indianapolis is on a bye this week and travels to Denver in Week 15, but faces the Titans and Giants after that, two of the top three teams at allowing fantasy points to opposing defenses.

— BONUS: D/ST Cardinals (ESPN: 19%; Yahoo: 15%): Arizona has been the 11th-highest scoring defense in fantasy since Week 5, and will host the Seahawks this week, the Patriots in Week 15 and travel to Carolina in Week 16.

DROP

— RB Christian McCaffrey, 49ers: Achilles tendinitis robbed McCaffrey of the first eight games this season, and a PCL injury will keep the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year sidelined for the rest the year.

— RB Jordan Mason, 49ers: Mason suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday night’s loss at Buffalo and is expected to be placed on IR.

— TE Taysom Hill, Saints: The fates robbed us of a fun stretch run from the most unique player in the NFL. Hill suffered a torn ACL and additional damage to his knee in a loss to the Rams on Sunday.

— RB Austin Ekeler, Commanders: Ekeler was placed on IR after suffering his second concussion of the season and won’t be eligible to return until Week 18.

— RB J.K. Dobbins, Chargers: Dobbins, one of the better stories of this season, suffered an MCL sprain in Week 12 and was put on IR on Saturday. He could return to action in Week 17, championship week in most fantasy leagues, so stash him if you can afford the roster spot and have title aspirations.