The key to winning your fantasy football league is not how well you draft, but the players you add off waivers. This is extremely important because securing hidden talent could replace those late-round selections, even mid-rounders, that aren’t having the best season. Here at NFS, we provide the best picks for players you should grab off waivers now before it is too late. As always, both opportunity and performance are taken into consideration for these players. You can also make life easier by checking out our Consistency Rankings!
Devante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins
Returning from injury, Devante Parker has proved for multiple seasons now that he can be a reliable number two, even number one wide receiver for Tua Tugovailoa as he continues to develop. This week’s game against the New York Giants was actually Parker’s least targeted game. He finished with five catches for 62 yards. He’s had no lower than seven targets all season long, even with multiple games missed. Even with Jaylen Waddle quickly emerging as a future star in this league, Parker still manages to get his own, making him a solid pick-up for the playoffs.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
It’s now fair that we classify Rhamondre Stevenson as a legitimate starting running back in the NFL. Originally, it was expected that he would be a backup behind Damien Harris. But even as of late, Stevenson has been getting just as many and sometimes, even more, carries in games than Harris. Against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, Stevenson finished with 23 carries for 72 yards. Harris has injured that game, but Stevenson has still finished with 10+ carries in four of the last six games. With a favorable run schedule, Stevenson is a quality target off waiver wires.
Taysom Hill, QB, New Orleans Saints
Despite throwing four interceptions against the Dallas Cowboys, Taysom Hill showed enough decent play to make him a decent quarterback option going forward. First, Alvin Kamara did not play in last week’s game. He’ll be very beneficial for short outside passes when need be. Hill also showed incredible rushing play throughout the entire game, finishing with 11 rushes for 101 yards. He might lack the weapons he needs to be successful. But Hill is the perfect garbage time fantasy quarterback for playoff options for teams who struggled to find a consistent quarterback all season.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
After a 1-7 start to the season, the Miami Dolphins are now on a six-game winning streak and right outside of the playoff picture. Massive team improvement and coaching have resulted in that, including great improvement from Tua Tagovailoa. Since Week 9, Tua has only thrown one interception to five passing touchdowns. He still has a long way to go before being worth what he was drafted. But it is important that he is proving he is not a liability on offense like how he was playing in prior weeks during the losing streak.
Russell Gage, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Russell Gage has been a rare positive in an Atlanta Falcons offense that has continued to struggle for weeks on end now. With Calvin Ridley out, Gage has filled the number one receiver pretty decently. He’s finished with 18 or more fantasy points in back-to-back weeks. Last week against the Buccaneers, he finished a season-high 11 receptions for 130 yards. Russell’s only concern is for the rest of the season, there aren’t too many favorable matchups left for him to produce. But, he’s proved decent thus far, making him a solid pick-up.
Ethan Hartley 