2022 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 15 Picks and Injury Replacements

The Desai Guys continue their Waiver Wire Fantasy Football coverage this week with injury updates and replacements.

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Fantasy Football Updates: Week 14 Injuries And Waiver Wire Week 15

Russell Wilson, QB – Denver Broncos

• Wilson took a big hit to the head in the fourth quarter of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs
  • He ended up missing the rest of the game and is now in the concussion protocol
• Wilson and the Broncos offense was actually looking quite good before the Wilson head injury
  • He was 23 for 36 in passing, for 247 passing yards, and threw three touchdowns with only one interception
• Brett Rypien came in to finish the game for Denver and led one scoring drive while also throwing one interception.
• If Wilson has to miss a game or two, Rypien would be the starter, and his fantasy value low
  • The Cardinals are next on the schedule and it may not be a bad stream as Arizona could be without Kyler Murray as well and it could be a close game
• Overall, you could be better off grabbing another quarterback off waiver wires this week if you need to stream at the position this week
  • Jared Goff, Desmond Ridder, Brock Purdy, and Taylor Heinicke could have a good week this week for your fantasy roster if you need a quarterback in Week 15

Tyler Huntley, QB – Baltimore Ravens

• Huntley left the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a concussion in the third quarter
  • He will now go through the concussion protocol and there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to go by the weekend to play the Browns
• This could be a problem for the Ravens as Lamar Jackson is still not full healthy either and could miss another week as well
• If both Huntley and Jackson are unable to suit up for the Browns game, the Ravens would have to turn to rookie Anthony Brown
• Head coach John Harbaugh has optimism that Huntley should be able to get through the protocol but still need to see as the Ravens play on Saturday this week, instead of Sunday
  • The short-week factor could affect the status of Jackson and Huntley

Kenny Pickett, QB – Pittsburgh Steelers

• Pickett suffered a concussion against the Baltimore Ravens and exited the game early
  • He left in the first half and then later returned, but was then ruled out of the game because of the concussion protocol
• The problem for the Steelers is that this is the second concussion this season for Pickett and there’s little to no chance that Pickett can suit up for their Week 15 game.
• Pittsburgh would need to roll with either Mitchell Trubisky or Mason Rudolph this week against the Carolina Panthers
  • Trubisky came in last weekend against the Ravens, but he had a rough outing
    • Trubisky went 22 for 30, threw for 276 passing yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions
• Rudolph might get a chance with the poor play from Trubisky last week, but Trubisky does have a little more experience in this system as he started the season for the Steelers
  • Either way, you want to avoid the Steelers quarterback situation in fantasy football as both options are rough and Pickett is no prized pick either, even if he can suit up

Dameon Pierce, RB – Houston Texans

• Pierce left the game against the Cowboys in the early part of the fourth quarter
  • He suffered an ankle injury and was seen leaving the game in a walking boot
• Pierce has been the only steady part of the Texans offense and this could be bad news if he has to miss some time
  • Head coach Lovie Smith couldn’t confirm if Pierce will be available this coming week and we’ll just need to see how the practice week goes for Houston this week
• If Pierce is forced to miss some time, Rex Burkhead would step up into the starting role and would be supplemented by Eno Benjamin
• Burkhead should be available via the waiver wire and holds good value if you need to fill the hole left by Pierce, but you could look for other options as well
  • Jerick McKinnon, Chuba Hubbard, Gus Edwards, and Jordan Mason would be good options if you miss out on Burkhead this week on waiver wires

Jeff Wilson Jr., RB – Miami Dolphins

• Wilson got hurt in the first half with an apparent hip injury
  • He was removed from the game and his status for this Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills is in doubt
• Raheem Mostert will take over the running back duties with Salvon Ahmed partnering with him
• Wilson brought another jolt of life to this offense since being acquired from the 49ers
  • He will be missed, but the Dolphins should be OK with Mostert leading the rushing attack on his own
• There’s no guarantee that Wilson will miss this weekend’s game, but it’ll be a situation where you need to monitor how he practices
  • This Dolphins offense has been lacking some juice the last couple of weeks and having all hands on deck is what head coach Mike McDaniel can use as they push for a playoff spot

Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins, WR – Cincinnati Bengals

• Higgins actually aggravated his hamstring during warmups and didn’t even suit up for the game against the Cleveland Browns
• Boyd dislocated his finger on the second play of the game and was ruled out of the rest of the game
  • Both players are considered day-to-day with their respective injuries and could possibly miss the game this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• This could be a big loss to the Bengals passing offense even though Ja’Marr Chase will be active. Who knows who will supplement him?
  • Trenton Irwin scored against the Browns and would be the next man up for the Bengals
  • Also, Trent Taylor could be in play for earning some snaps as well if both Higgins and Boyd can’t suit up in Week 15
  • Hayden Hurst is still nursing his calf injury and will not be ready by this week
• Joe Mixon is healthy and Samaje Perine is a great player out of the backfield and in the passing game as well
• Monitor this situation all week as Boyd or Higgins could be out or in play against Tampa Bay this week
• If you need to claim a receiver off the waiver wire, grab any of the following guys and you should be good this week
  • Donovan Peoples-Jones, Darius Slayton, Jameson Williams, and Van Jefferson are good pick-ups this week

Tyreek Hill, WR – Miami Dolphins

• Hill was able to play through the entire game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but was clearly dealing with an ankle injury
  • He was seen on the sidelines wrapping his ankle and icing it as well
• Hill is labeled as day-to-day and it’ll depend on how his ankle look throughout the practice week
• Very similar to Jeff Wilson Jr., he can very easily suit up this weekend to play the Bills or he might miss the game if the ankle is too bothersome
• All likelihood is that Hill will try to push through it and play against Buffalo as the Miami offense needs all they can to score on this vaunted Bills defense
• This practice week will be interesting for fantasy managers as Hill and Wilson will be on close watch to see if they can suit up on Saturday
• Jaylen Waddle will see an uptick in targets and Trent Sherfield will see an increase in snaps as well on offense if Hill can’t play
  • Mike Gesicki could also earn himself some targets at the tight end position as well

Deebo Samuel, WR – San Francisco 49ers

• Left the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a cart after he got rolled up by two defenders
  • News has come out after the game that he sprained his MCL and should be able to return within a month
• Losing Samuel is a big deal to this 49ers offense, but they have some other great playmakers that it won’t be a huge loss
  • Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey should easily fill the void left by Samuel
• Jauan Jennings should be a great pick-up off the waiver wire as well, as he should see more targets in the offense with Samuel being out for a short time
• Brock Purdy has also looked like he’s more than capable of leading this offense and their defense is playing lights out
• If you need to replace Samuel, there are some good options off waiver wires; Jennings and also Ray-Ray McCloud but you might be better looking at other offenses

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 15 Picks

Waiver Wire Week 15 Quarterbacks

Mike White, New York Jets vs. DET (ESPN Roster Percentage – 15.3%)

• I’m officially all aboard the Mike White hype train
• Assuming his offensive line doesn’t get him killed (which is not a given), I think his next two matchups and just the pure amount of yards he gets make him a viable streamer/QB2
• Over his past three games as a starter, he’s thrown for over 300 yards twice and it probably would’ve been all three had he not missed a few drives in Buffalo
• His next two opponents are Detroit and Jacksonville so the matchups are the very definition of clutch
• If you have Kyler Murray, Russell Wilson, or Lamar Jackson, he’s the perfect insurance policy

Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons vs. NO (ESPN Roster Percentage – 2%)

• The Falcons are ready to see what they have in the rookie, Ridder
• While Marcus Mariota has played well this season, it hasn’t been spectacular and Atlanta needs to learn what Ridder can bring to the offense in a lost season now
• This divisional game against the Saints is a good test for Ridder off the BYE week
• While the Saints offense had a good pass defense, they have a unit that sometimes doesn’t play up to an elite level and Ridder could possibly take advantage of that

Waiver Wire Week 15 Running Backs

Jerick McKinnon, Kansas City Chiefs vs. HOU (ESPN Roster Percentage – 34.6%)

• Clyde Edwards-Helaire is still out and is not eligible to return until Week 16
• This backfield is still split between McKinnon and rookie Isiah Pacheco
• McKinnon is the passing down back and he had himself a great game against the Denver Broncos last week
  • Seven receptions for 112 receiving yards and two scores, while he only had six carries and 22 rushing yards
• This Chiefs offense will look to score anyway they can and while Edwards-Helaire is still on the sidelines, McKinnon is a name to stash and stream while he’s riding a hot hand

J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens vs. CLE (ESPN Roster Percentage – 60%)

• I’m actually surprised his rostered percentage is this low
• It’s clear that the Ravens intend to utilize him as their main guy
• Yes there is a risk that he could be splitting carries with Gus Edwards but I think as long as he does as well as he did this last week, he’ll be the main focus
• He had 15 carries and averaged 8 yards a carry, it seems his injury isn’t holding him back despite what Twitter would have you believe
• He also plays Atlanta and Pittsburgh after this week. So again with the favorable playoff matchups

Waiver Wire Week 15 Wide Receivers

Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. DAL (ESPN Roster Percentage – 60%)

• Trevon Diggs does scare a lot of people and rightfully so but does this mean that he’s going to be covering Jones? Not necessarily
• Diggs could be put on Christian Kirk or even help out with Evan Engram, leaving Jones to benefit
• Not to mention that Jones has seen a ridiculous 33 targets over his last three games and scored 15+ points in two of his last three games
• Trevor Lawrence is riding a hot streak and Jones can stand to benefit from that

Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions vs. NYJ (ESPN Roster Percentage – 26.9%)

• After dealing with rehab from a college ACL injury, Williams is finally healthy and active for the Lions offense
  • He broke free against the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 41-yard touchdown score
• Williams brings a next-level speed to this offense and while he’s not targeted a lot yet, he’s a home run threat waiting to happen
• If you need a receiver down the stretch, Williams has a great matchup the next couple of weeks facing the Jets, Panthers, Bears, and Packers in the final four weeks of the season

Waiver Wire Week 15 Tight Ends

Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans vs. LAC (ESPN Roster Percentage – 4.3%)

• The rookie Okonkwo has come on recently for the Tennessee Titans, sharing the tight end role with Austin Hooper
  • Over the last three games, Okonkwo had 13 receptions off of 16 targets and totaled 148 receiving yards as well
    • Also scored once last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars
• Okonkwo is a physical specimen at the tight end position and his involvement can only bring good things to the Tennessee offense
• This Titans offense needs as many playmakers as they can get, with Treylon Burks returning from injury and possessing an offense with the 4th fewest passing yards in the NFL currently

Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. DAL (ESPN Roster Percentage – 44%)

• Yep, back-to-back Jaguars. Obviously, I hate myself.
• While I definitely don’t think he’s going to turn into a late-season star pick-up, I think that his production will still be serviceable. Which at this point in the season and at this position is the best you can ask for.
• 22 targets over the past two games show that when Lawrence does well, Engram does well
• There’s very little reason to believe that won’t continue. Of course, it is the Jags but the risk is well worth it

Waiver Wire Week 15 Defenses/Special Teams

Denver Broncos vs. ARZ (ESPN Roster Percentage – 34%)

• Maybe this is a little too knee jerk but if Kyler Murray is out, this instantly turns into one of the better units you can grab off the waiver wire
• They have the Cardinals this week and the Rams the week after that
• This defense is honestly probably the only reason the Broncos are even somewhat competitive
• If you’re streaming defenses and higher on the waiver wire, this is the perfect under-the-radar pick you can grab

Green Bay Packers vs. LAR (ESPN Roster Percentage – 37.5%)

• Yes, it was impressive what Baker Mayfield did against the Las Vegas Raiders last Thursday night
  • IT WAS THE LAS VEGAS RAIDERS!
• This Packers defense is still alive in the playoff chase and is coming off a BYE week
• This team will play better overall on both sides of the ball and this defense could be a good streaming option if you need one here in Week 15

Waiver Wire Week 15 Kickers

Joey Slye, Washington Commanders vs. NYG (ESPN Roster Percentage – 1.8%)

• The last time the Commanders played the Giants (two weeks ago), Slye scored eight fantasy points
• Over his last four games, Slye is actually averaging 11.5 fantasy points in that span
• This game should be a close one as well and Slye should have a good shot at double-digit points against the Giants

Eddy Pineiro, Carolina Panthers vs. PIT (ESPN Roster Percentage – 1.6%)

• He’s scored 10+ points in the last two games
• Darnold hasn’t greatly improved this offense but he at least has them competent
• And a competent but not great offense is great for kickers