At this point, everyone knows about the Kareem Hunt saga so I’m not going to go into it. But I will go into how his replacement fared in his first start since 2016. Everyone kind of assumed that Spencer Ware would take over the majority of carries, which is what happened. Ware handled the ball 14 times, while Damien Williams handled the ball five times. As a Ware owner that watched the game, I’m still a little concerned about him moving forward.

With a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, Ware was never trusted to run out the clock. Patrick Mahomes was forced to throw the ball in several 3rd-and-short situations despite being a little inaccurate throughout the day. Ware was never able to get into a rhythm, ending the day averaging just 3.4 YPC against an Oakland defense that was allowing over 5.0 YPC.

CBS’ Evan Washburn just said Andy Reid told him the Chiefs eventually want a three-man committee between Ware, Damien Williams and Darrel Williams. — Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) December 2, 2018

Uh oh. Just to pile on, the Chiefs have re-signed Charcandrick West as an additional hand in the backfield. It looks like the Chiefs are moving towards a committee in the backfield, making Ware more of a low-end RB2/FLEX than the RB1 owners were hoping for.

As always, the Waiver Wire will focus on players owned in under 35% percent of Yahoo! leagues. Players listed as “Other Options” are between 35-50 percent owned.

2018 Fantasy Football Week 14 Waiver Wire

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Quarterbacks

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (5% Owned)

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If you weren’t sure about his playmaking abilities before, hopefully, you’re a believer now. Allen followed up his 26 point Week 12 with a spectacular 30 point performance in Week 13, throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for an additional 135 yards on nine attempts.

Allen is now the first QB in the Super Bowl Era to rush for 95 yards in two consecutive games. He would have had 100+ in two straight games if it weren’t for the kneel down against the Jags. Point is, Allen has been unreal since coming back from injury. His passing still needs some work, but if everyone is jumping on Lamar Jackson for his rushing floor, I see no reason why Allen can’t be owned for the same reason.

This week, Allen will face the Jets, the same team that was eviscerated by Matt Barkley in Week 10. New York also struggles against good rushing QBs, allowing 40 or more yards to Marcus Mariota, Mitchell Trubisky, and Ryan Tannehill this season. Expect Allen to make waves with his legs yet again.

Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins (6% Owned)

I’ll choose not to write about the same two quarterbacks as I did last week, so Tannehill falls into this spot. Since coming back from injury, Tannehill has thrown multiple touchdowns in two consecutive games. Granted, he only managed 137 yards last week against the Bills but I’ll give him credit for finding the end-zone three times.

This week, Miami will host New England, which isn’t the terrible matchup that it seems to be. The Dolphins have actually won four of the last five meetings between the two teams in Miami, with Tannehill throwing for a combined 840 yards and seven touchdowns in the three games he’s played.

The Patriots have given up the 7th most Fantasy points to QBs this season and rank 19th in DVOA against the pass. Tannehill is a desperation play in 2QB leagues, but trusting him is better than playing Nick Mullens and Cody Kessler. Seriously, people actually added Cody Kessler last week.

Other Options: Marcus Mariota (34% Owned)

Running Backs

Justin Jackson, Los Angeles Chargers (23% Owned)

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Everyone jumped on the Austin Ekeler train last week but it was Jackson who stole the show on Sunday night. After posting 57 yards on seven carries against the Cardinals, Jackson followed up with eight carries for 63 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers.

Jackson looked excellent, outgaining Ekeler 82-43 despite being out-touched 18-9. Jackson did not receive a carry in the first half but was a big reason the Chargers were able to make their comeback after halftime. The offense looked MUCH better with Jackson in the backfield and was able to move the ball consistently with the threat of him running.

Melvin Gordon could return this week, but if he doesn’t, Jackson should be in line for a decent workload against an awful Bengals defense.

Jeff Wilson Jr., San Francisco 49ers (1% Owned)

Another week, another Matt Breida handcuff. Wilson Jr. is the next man up after the oft-injured Breida hurt his ankle once again prior to Sunday’s game. Wilson played well as lead RB, rushing for 61 yards on 15 carries while adding eight catches for 73 yards.

There hasn’t been any update on Breida’s availability, but the Niners would be smart to let him rest his troublesome ankle. If Breida was to miss Week 14, Wilson would likely carry the load once again. Alfred Morris may see a few touches but we’ve seen enough to know that he is no longer a threat.

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His involvement in the passing game gives him a solid floor, making Wilson a must-add in all leagues. Breida owners should be especially aggressive in their bids.

Other Options: LeGarrette Blount (42% owned), Rex Burkhead (24% owned), Jaylen Samuels (10% owned)

Wide Receivers

Curtis Samuel, Carolina Panthers (18% Owned)

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Samuel looks to be the biggest beneficiary of Greg Olsen’s season-ending injury. Without the tight-end in the lineup, Samuel led the Panthers in receiving, catching six passes for 88 yards. His opportunity has grown exponentially over the last two weeks, as his snap count has risen from 28 percent in Week 11 to 92 and 83 percent in Weeks 12 and 13 respectively.

He is making the most of his opportunity, ranking second in Fantasy points per route and fourth in Fantasy points per target according to Player Profiler. Samuel has also seen at least one red-zone target in five of his last six games. He also drew 40 percent of the team’s air yards in Week 13.

Samuel and D.J. Moore give Cam Newton the speedy, deep threat receivers he hasn’t had since Ted Ginn Jr. It remains to be seen if Samuel will maintain this much of a target share, but he looks like a good candidate to soak up a bunch of Olsen’s leftover targets.

Dante Pettis, San Francisco 49ers (4% Owned)

Along with Wilson, Pettis has been the only bright spot on the 49ers offense over the last two weeks. In the last two games, Pettis has been targeted 14 times, catching nine passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns. He has been excellent with Pierre Garcon out of the lineup and will continue to excel if the veteran misses another week.

Pettis has excellent after-the-catch skills, so he isn’t limited by Nick Mullen’s shortcoming like other receivers may be. The two have developed good chemistry, as Pettis has been the highest targeted Niner’s wide receiver over the last two weeks.

Pettis is worth a look as a high-ceiling WR3 in PPR thanks to his YAC skills and high target share. Keep an eye out for status updates on Garcon and Marquise Goodwin. If either one plays, Pettis’ value takes a massive hit.

Other Options: Chris Godwin (46% owned), Chris Conley (16% owned), Josh Doctson (14% owned)

Tight Ends

Ian Thomas, Carolina Panthers (1% Owned)

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I’m not going to tell you to add Jonnu Smith and C.J. Uzomah for what seems like the sixth straight week. I’m going to go way off the board and take a look at Greg Olsen’s immediate replacement. After Olsen went down, Thomas caught 5-of-5 passes for 46 yards.

I don’t expect Thomas to be a particularly high ceiling player, but he will immediately be in line for a massive snap count. The Browns defense isn’t the worst matchup, as tight ends have been heavily targeted (nine or more) in three of their last four games.

I wouldn’t recommend Thomas unless you’re in a very, very deep league. Even if I miss on Thomas, I don’t think it could be any worse than the poor souls who tried out Matt LaCosse last week.

Anthony Firkser, Tennessee Titans (0% Owned)

Another off the board pick, but Firkser has actually been very consistent over the last three weeks. Since Week 11, Firkser has caught all 10 of his targets for 138 yards and a touchdown. In those three weeks, he has not gone under 40 yards receiving.

Firkser has not gone over 30% of snaps during his streak, so counting on his opportunity is a risky proposition. However, if Mariota is willing to throw to him so often despite his limited snaps, he must be doing something right. He’s still behind Jonnu Smith on the depth chart, so consider Firkser the Hail Mary to end all Hail Mary plays.

Other Options: Jaylen Samuels (10% owned). If James Conor can’t play, Samuels and his sweet RB/TE eligibility will be the PERFECT player to put into your TE spot. As of now it looks like he will play, but keep a close eye on him.

Deep League Special

Bruce Ellington, Detroit Lions (9% Owned)

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Maybe this isn’t such a “Deep League” pick, but I think Ellington might be sliding under the radar thanks to the lack of pizzazz in his stat line. Without Golden Tate and Marvin Jones in the lineup, the Lions have leaned heavily on Ellington as their slot receiver.

Over the last three games, Ellington has seen 26 targets and caught 19 passes for 115 yards. Not much to write home about, but if you’re in a full point-per-reception league, that’s a very solid floor in your FLEX spot. Ellington will continue to see a barrage of short passes so long as Kenny Golladay is the only other receiver of note in Detroit.

Ellington makes a sneaky PPR add for deep league owners who need a high floor player moving into the playoffs. Just don’t expect a blow-up game out of him.

Check out the rest of our 2018 Fantasy Football content from our great team of writers.