Fantasy Football 2018: Top 10 waiver wire Week 14 pickups

SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 02: Dante Pettis #18 of the San Francisco 49ers catches the ball over Tedric Thompson #33 of the Seattle Seahawks for a touchdown in the third quarter at CenturyLink Field on December 2, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

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PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 02: Pittsburgh Steelers Jaylen Samuels (38) runs for a touchdown during a NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers at Heinz Field on December 2, 2018 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Shelley Lipton/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Jaylen Samuels, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

With James Conner being ruled out with an ankle sprain, backup running back Jaylen Samuels becomes an intriguing waiver wire option in fantasy leagues.

Samuels carried the rock just twice for five yards, but he caught three passes for 20 yards and a touchdown. If the Steelers decide to actually decide to run the ball is this very winnable Week 14 matchup against the Oakland Raiders, then Samuels could have a strong fantasy day. Oakland’s defense is one of the NFL’s worst, and they could struggle to contain Samuels in the passing game.

Furthermore, Samuels has tight end eligibility in Yahoo! fantasy football leagues, making him an ideal waiver wire target for Yahoo! owners. The fifth-round pick out of N.C. State has averaged a meager 2.6 yards per carry this season and will clearly take a backseat to Conner whenever the 2018 breakout star returns from his injury, but Samuels could give owners, particularly in deep leagues, a boost this week.

Note that Samuels has two touchdown receptions on just seven total catches this year, so the Steelers could start dialing up more red zone passes to a player who received Trey Burton comparisons coming out of the draft.

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