NFL Fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 14
By Lior Lampert
RB Waiver Wire Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 14
Ezekiel Elliott, New England Patriots (40 percent rostered)
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to miss “a few weeks” with an ankle injury. This not only makes backup running back Ezekiel Elliott a must-add and top priority on the waiver wire this week but a potential league-winner moving forward.
After Stevenson went down with an ankle injury early in the game, Elliott played nearly every offensive snap, receiving a season-high 17 carries. While Elliott only ran for 52 yards, the workload is notable and encouraging. Additionally, Elliott earned five targets, which he converted into four receptions and 40 yards.
Elliott is a proven fantasy football commodity dating back to his days as an elite producer for the Cowboys. While he may not be the same version of himself he once was, he still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
While the Patriots are a doomed and uninspiring offense, they will try to keep the ball out of their quarterback’s hands as often as possible (whoever that may be moving forward). With that in mind, Elliot needs to be added in leagues of all formats where he is available.
Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears (21 percent rostered)
Before the Bears went on bye in Week 13, it felt as though there was a changing of the guard at the running back position. Despite Khalil Herbert returning from injured reserve in Week 11 and earning 16 carries in his return to action, rookie running back Roschon Johnson paced the Bears backfield in snaps, touches, receptions, targets, and yards in Week 12.
Johnson turned 15 touches into 75 scoreless yards, averaging five yards per touch. He out-snapped Herbert 52-15 in the Bears’ win over the Vikings on ESPN’s Monday Night Football in Week 12. Now, after having additional time during the bye to continue finding ways to incorporate Johnson into the offense, he has a chance to remain the team’s primary running back moving forward.
D’Onta Foreman’s anticipated return could complicate matters within the Bears’ backfield, but the team would be wise to see what they have in their rookie fourth-round pick rather than prioritizing a veteran journeyman like Foreman.