Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups, Week 15: Blake Corum, Luther Burden III among players to target

Every Monday during the season, Justin Boone breaks down the recommended waiver-wire pickups.

Roster percentages are generated from Yahoo leagues. Free-Agent Budget (FAB) amounts are based on a $100 salary cap. Only players rostered in less than 50% of leagues are considered.

Key injuries to consider

• Daniel Jones (Achilles, season-ending)

• Cedric Tillman (concussion)

• Zach Ertz (ACL, season-ending)

• Darnell Washington (concussion)

Pickups by position

Week 15 top-10 overall pickups

1. Chris Rodriguez Jr., Commanders
2. Bam Knight, Cardinals
3. Blake Corum, Rams
4. Luther Burden III, Bears
5. Harold Fannin Jr. Browns
6. Jayden Reed, Packers
7. Colston Loveland, Bears
8. Isaiah Likely, Ravens
9. Devin Singletary, Giants
10. Jalen Coker, Panthers

Quarterbacks

J.J. McCarthy, Vikings

The quarterback options on the waiver wire have been very thin the last few weeks and that continues heading into the fantasy playoffs. So, hopefully you’re already set at the position.

It’s been an incredibly disappointing season for McCarthy, but he’s coming off his first 20-point fantasy outing since Week 1 — with a three-touchdown performance against the Commanders. That was enough to make him a top-12 fantasy QB on the week.

We also have to keep reminding ourselves that this was just McCarthy’s seventh NFL start, so it’s not impossible that he could continue to improve.

He’ll have a chance to build some momentum in Week 15 against a Cowboys’ defense that’s allowing the most fantasy points to quarterbacks.

While he’s far from a must-start fantasy play, McCarthy might be the best the waiver wire has to offer for managers who are scrambling after Daniel Jones’ season-ending injury.

Trevor Lawrence is 59% rostered but would be the No. 1 QB add if available.

Sam Darnold is 54% rostered but would be the No. 2 QB add if available.

Risky streaming options

• Bryce Young at NO (17% rostered)

• C.J. Stroud vs. ARI (42% rostered)

• Tyler Shough vs. CAR (8% rostered)

Risky streaming options (if starter is out)

• Marcus Mariota at NYG (8% rostered)

Desperation streaming options

• Shedeur Sanders at CHI (8% rostered)

• Riley Leonard at SEA (0% rostered)

• Aaron Rodgers vs. MIA (24% rostered)

• Kirk Cousins at TB (8% rostered)

• Cam Ward at SF (8% rostered)

• Tua Tagovailoa at PIT (18% rostered)

Desperation streaming options (if healthy)

• Tyrod Taylor at JAX (15% rostered)

• Geno Smith at PHI (14% rostered)

Desperation streaming options (if healthy and starter is out)

• Justin Fields at JAX (27% rostered)

Desperation streaming options (if starter is out)

• Kenny Pickett at PHI (0% rostered)

Running Backs

Chris Rodriguez Jr., Commanders

Rodriguez is coming off a quieter game in a tougher matchup with the Vikings, resulting in just 10 carries for 52 scoreless yards. More importantly, he continues to serve as the Commanders’ lead back.

That should serve him well in Week 15 when he takes on a Giants’ defense that’s allowing the second-most fantasy points to running backs. New York has given up at least 80 scrimmage yards and/or a touchdown to 10 different RBs over the last six games.

Since stepping into a bigger role, Rodriguez had four straight usable fantasy outings prior to this week. He posted 65 yards and a score versus the Seahawks, a touchdown against the Lions, 85 yards on 16 touches in a loss to the Dolphins and 41 yards and a TD while facing the Broncos.

Rodriguez won’t win your fantasy league, but he can be an RB3/flex option with spiked-week potential in better matchups — like this Week 15 date with the Giants.

Bam Knight, Cardinals

Since returning for one limited practice, Trey Benson has logged five straight DNPs and it’s looking like he might not return at all this season.

In his absence, Knight has been the most valuable fantasy back in Arizona and needs to be rostered in all leagues. Prior to Week 14, he had scored a touchdown in three consecutive appearances, finishing as a top-20 fantasy RB each time.

Whether you want to start him this week against a fierce Texans’ defense is up to you, but he has matchups with the Falcons in Week 16 (10th-most fantasy points allowed to RBs) and the Bengals in Week 17 (most fantasy points allowed).

Knight has now caught at least three passes in every contest over the last month and remains the goal-line option. He’ll continue to be a fantasy RB3 with RB2 upside if Benson remains out.

Blake Corum, Rams

Kyren Williams might be playing slightly fewer snaps these days, but it’s kept the veteran fresh and he continues to produce like a fantasy RB1.

Meanwhile, his backup Corum has taken advantage of increased opportunities over the last six weeks. He now has at least 55 scrimmage yards in four of his last six outings, including 81 yards and a touchdown in Week 13 and 131 yards and two TDs on Sunday.

Corum isn’t coming for Williams’ job, but he has turned into a true fantasy RB3 with immense upside in favorable game scripts.

Expectations might need to be dialed back a bit versus the Lions and Seahawks over the next two weeks, but Corum still needs to be rostered everywhere and can sneak into fantasy lineups as a flex option in those games.

Devin Singletary, Giants

The Giants are coming off a bye, which arrived at the right time for Tyrone Tracy Jr., who exited the Week 13 game with a hip injury.

Tracy downplayed the issue, but we’ll still need to see him back on the practice field before we know for sure that he’s 100% healthy heading into Week 15.

Even in a complementary role, Singletary has posted at least 45 scrimmage yards in five straight contests. When his snaps increased in Week 13, he went off for 102 yards and a score.

New York also has a favorable upcoming schedule with the Commanders, Vikings and Raiders during the fantasy playoffs. Washington is particularly enticing this week, with the Commanders’ defense allowing the third-most fantasy points to running backs.

At worst, Singletary is an RB3/flex option even with Tracy in the lineup.

RB3/flex options (if starters are out)

• Jaylen Wright at PIT (3% rostered)

• Ollie Gordon II at PIT (8% rostered)

Flex options

• Tyler Allgeier at TB (41% rostered)

• Bhayshul Tuten vs. NYJ (40% rostered)

• Samaje Perine vs. BAL (5% rostered)

Flex options (if healthy)

• Keaton Mitchell at CIN (3% rostered)

Risky flex options

• Brian Robinson Jr. vs. TEN (21% rostered)

• Tyjae Spears at SF (28% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options

• Sean Tucker vs. ATL (25% rostered)

• Emanuel Wilson at DEN (31% rostered)

• Dylan Sampson at CHI (11% rostered)

• Jeremy McNichols at NYG (2% rostered)

• Jacory Croskey-Merritt at NYG (46% rostered)

• Michael Carter at HOU (6% rostered)

• Malik Davis vs. MIN (0% rostered)

• Rasheen Ali at CIN (0% rostered)

• Ty Johnson at NE (2% rostered)

• Jaleel McLaughlin vs. GB (2% rostered)

• Isaiah Davis at JAX (3% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options (if healthy)

• Nick Chubb vs. ARI (39% rostered)

Upside stashes to roster

• Tank Bigsby (18% rostered)

• Ameer Abdullah (0% rostered)

• Raheem Mostert (1% rostered)

• Dare Ogunbowale (0% rostered)

Injured-reserve stashes

• Braelon Allen (16% rostered)

• MarShawn Lloyd (1% rostered)

Wide Receivers

Luther Burden III, Bears

With Rome Odunze missing Week 14 with a stress fracture in his foot, Burden led the Bears in targets (6), catches (4) and yards (67). He also added another three yards on the ground.

Odunze’s injury seems more like a week-to-week scenario, meaning Burden should continue this role as the team’s most dangerous weapon through the air.

You can treat the promising rookie as a WR3/flex option while Odunze is sidelined and a WR4/flex once he returns to the field.

Jayden Reed, Packers

Reed looked good in his first action since Week 2, helping the Packers get a win over the Bears.

The 25-year-old played 47% of the Packers’ snaps, generating 31 yards on four catches and 22 yards on two carries.

While a date with the Broncos’ formidable secondary looms in Week 15, Reed should still be rostered to see if his usage rises in the coming weeks.

As I mentioned last week, if we go back to his rookie year, Reed finished as the WR23, scoring 10 total touchdowns and adding 119 yards on the ground despite only seeing the field for 56% of the Packers’ snaps.

In 2024, he averaged WR14 fantasy stats through the first nine games while seeing an increase in playing time up to 66% of the snaps. But after the Packers’ Week 10 bye, his numbers fell off dramatically — topping 50 yards just once in the second half of the season and being the WR62 during that final eight-game sample.

He’s likely to continue being a frustrating fantasy asset, but there aren’t many players on the waiver wire with his kind of upside as a WR4/flex with top-20 potential if everything goes his way.

Jalen Coker, Panthers

Coker was on bye in Week 14 and fantasy managers clearly didn’t take my advice and stash him cause he’s available in 96% of leagues.

Prior to the bye, he had over 50 yards in two of his last three games, including a season-high 4-74-1 stat line in Week 13.

I’ve brought this up before, but if we remove his first game of the 2024 season where he only played 10% of the snaps, he was on pace for over 800 yards as a rookie last year.

It’s very possible we see him emerge as the second-best pass-catcher in Carolina down the stretch, especially with matchups against the Saints and Buccaneers, which aren’t intimidating at all.

Coker could be a sneaky WR4/flex option with the potential for more if Bryce Young can build off his recent quality performances.

Ryan Flournoy, Cowboys

With CeeDee Lamb leaving last week’s game due to a concussion, Flournoy filled in admirably with nine receptions, 115 yards and a touchdown. It was his second 100-yard effort of the season.

Since that game was on Thursday, Lamb will have some extra time to clear concussion protocol. If he does, then Flournoy goes back to being a dart-throw flex option.

However, if Lamb isn’t available, Flournoy would be in consideration as an upside WR4/flex option for fantasy managers.

WR4/flex options

• Jayden Higgins vs. ARI (42% rostered)

• Darius Slayton vs. WAS (35% rostered)

• Adonai Mitchell at JAX (26% rostered)

Flex options

• Chimere Dike at SF (15% rostered)

Risky flex options

• Pat Bryant vs. GB (3% rostered)

• Tre Tucker at PHI (48% rostered)

• Jack Bech at PHI (1% rostered)

• Devaughn Vele vs. CAR (19% rostered)

• John Metchie III at JAX (9% rostered)

• Elic Ayomanor at SF (14% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options

• Cooper Kupp vs. IND (41% rostered)

• Josh Downs at SEA (45% rostered)

• Isaac TeSlaa at LAR (12% rostered)

• Xavier Legette at NO (7% rostered)

• Tim Patrick vs. NYJ (0% rostered)

• KaVontae Turpin vs. MIN (5% rostered)

Tight Ends

Harold Fannin Jr., Browns

Fannin has been a regular in this column and for good reason. The rookie is the TE11 in fantasy points per game on the year.

However, over the last three weeks with David Njoku playing through injuries and Shedeur Sanders under center, Fannin’s playing time has increased, moving him up to TE4 in FPPG during that span.

Njoku hurt his knee on Sunday, which could force him to miss time. That would only elevate Fannin’s projection even more, which is saying something considering he’s coming off an eight-catch, 114-yard, one-touchdown performance.

Fannin can realistically be treated as a top-10 fantasy TE the rest of the way.

Colston Loveland, Bears

Though Loveland isn’t seeing the same kind of volume that his fellow rookie Fannin is commanding, the Bears’ tight end is finding ways to remain productive for fantasy with two touchdowns in his last three outings.

Since Week 9, Loveland is the TE6 in fantasy points per game and looks like a potential superstar at the position if his targets ever catch up to his talent.

Fantasy managers can continue to use him as a fringe low-end TE1/high-end TE2.

Isaiah Likely, Ravens

As I predicted in my deep stashes column last week, Likely ended up being a sneaky fantasy streamer against a Steelers’ defense that he’s had success against over the last two seasons.

His stat line could have been even bigger if his second touchdown — which he appeared to catch — wasn’t overturned.

In Week 15, Likely gets to square off with another familiar foe in the Bengals’ defense that’s hemorrhaging fantasy points to tight ends at a historic rate this season. On the season, Cincy is allowing over five more points per game to the position than any other team.

It was only two weeks ago when Likely had five receptions for 95 yards against them and we should expect another strong effort here. So, fire up Likely as an upside TE2/streamer.

Streaming options

• Darren Waller at PIT (38% rostered)

• Theo Johnson vs. WAS (42% rostered)

• Dalton Schultz vs. ARI (47% rostered)

Risky streaming options

• Mike Gesicki vs. BAL (2% rostered)

• AJ Barner vs. IND (12% rostered)

• Mason Taylor at JAX (24% rostered)

Dart-throw streaming options

• Evan Engram vs. GB (38% rostered)

• Colby Parkinson vs. DET (3% rostered)

• Pat Freiermuth vs. MIA (11% rostered)

• Jonnu Smith vs. MIA (14% rostered)

• Gunnar Helm at SF (0% rostered)

• Chig Okonkwo at SF (16% rostered)

• Ben Sinnott at NYG (0% rostered)

• John Bates at NYG (0% rostered)

Defenses

Week 16 stashes

• Bills vs. CLE (52% rostered)

• Chiefs at TEN (51% rostered)

• 49ers at IND (24% rostered)

• Saints vs. NYJ (8% rostered)

• Bengals at MIA (3% rostered)

• Cowboys vs. LAC (11% rostered)

Kickers

Cam Little is 59% rostered but would be the No. 1 K add if available.

Evan McPherson is 51% rostered but would be the No. 2 K add if available.

*If Pineiro isn’t healthy, then Matt Gay (6% rostered) would take his place.