For some of you out there, Week 14 is it — the final chance you have to make the fantasy football playoffs. For others, it's that penultimate chance. Either way, we've reached the point of the season where there's no use stashing players, where you need your waiver wire additions to perform.
If you picked up Saints running back Devin Neal last week in hopes he would do that, you were slightly mistaken. And hey — I was mistaken too. I thought Neal in the lead role would be a very good fantasy player, and instead, he was just ... fine. 69 scrimmage yards is nothing to scoff at, but he might not be a league winner.
Here are five players you should be looking at on the waiver wire ahead of Week 14 of the NFL season.
Zonovan Knight, Running Back, Arizona Cardinals
We've spent all season waiting for Trey Benson to return, but we're heading into Week 14 and he still hasn't returned after last playing on Sept. 25. Arizona is 3-9 on the year and has no incentive to rush Benson back from his knee injury, especially after he may have suffered a setback last week during practice.
That might mean that Zonovan Knight will continue to serve as the lead back. This week, Knight had 11 carries for a season-high 62 yards while also catching three passes for 36 yards and a touchdown, which gives him a touchdown in three consecutive games and three consecutive finishes as a fantasy RB2. He's worth a roster spot and flex consideration until Benson returns.
Kyle Monangai, Running Back, Chicago Bears
If Kyle Monangai is still on your waiver wire, why? I mean, he's currently only rostered in 56 percent of ESPN leagues, so the answer can't be "everyone in the league quit playing fantasy," because 44 percent of all leagues can't be inactive, right? Or is this like the Dead Internet Theory of fantasy football? Are 44 percent of leagues now entirely AI? They must be, if Monangai is still on that many waiver wires.
Sunday marked the fourth game in a row that Monangai scored a touchdown. He also rushed for 130 yards on 22 carries, marking his second 100-yard game in the last five contests.
Yes, there were a couple of low-yardage games in that span, but he found the end zone in both of them! Burn all your FAAB budget on him if he's on your wire.
Jayden Higgins, Wide Receiver, Houston Texans
Houston finally got starting quarterback C.J. Stroud back this week after a three-game absence due to a concussion. It wasn't a perfect return, but Stroud did show immediate chemistry with rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins, who caught all five of his targets for a career-high 65 yards.
The five targets were fewer than he had in any of the three Davis Mills starts, which was definitely a concern coming in. Would Stroud pepper Higgins like Mills was? The answer might have been "not quite," but the increased quality of the targets paid off.
Houston played Higgins for 44 snaps, behind only Nico Collins among the team's receivers. He's pretty firmly the No. 2 option right now, making him worth flex consideration going forward.
Alec Pierce, Wide Receiver, Indianapolis Colts
Would you believe that Alec Pierce is on track to lead the NFL in yards per reception for the second year in a row? It's wild, because I still don't think of him as a top receiver because of his low volume, but no one does more on a per-catch basis. If not for a drop in his touchdown rate this season, I think a lot of people would be talking about this guy.
Last week should have been a bust week for him against an elite Houston defense, but instead, we saw Pierce go off for 78 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. The Texans largely held the other Colts receivers in check — Josh Downs and Michael Pittman Jr. combined for three receptions — but Pierce was able to find the holes in the defense and make plays down the field.
If he could do that against Houston, then I'm pretty sure he can do it against anyone, including the Jaguars this weekend. Pierce is still more than capable of putting up a bad stat line, but his high ceiling and ability to thrive with limited opportunities make him a high-ceiling flex option.
Adonai Mitchell, Wide Receiver, New York Jets
Who would have thought that the best Jets receiver would be a guy who began the year in Indianapolis? But with Garrett Wilson sidelined, Adonai Mitchell has really stepped up. What originally looked like a low-risk trade that would realistically offer a low reward as well now looks much better for New York.
The former second-round pick has been targeted at least six times in each game he's played with the Jets. His debut saw his drop issues highlighted as he caught just one pass, but this week's game against the Falcons finally saw Mitchell have a breakout showing, catching eight of his 12 targets for 102 yards and a touchdown.
Do I worry about consistency down the stretch? Sure, but as long as Tyrod Taylor remains the starter and the team isn't forced to go back to Justin Fields, there should be enough juice in this offense to support a fantasy-relevant receiver. Based on targets alone, Mitchell is by far the most likely player to be that fantasy-relevant receiver.