Fantasy Football: Week 14 Best Waiver-wire Pickups

The fantasy football regular season is over and the playoffs rollercoaster begins this week. Those who have made it so far might not necessarily need to overhaul their rosters but it is always worth keeping an eye out for potential upgrades.

Here's who you should be looking for on the waiver wires this week to ensure your playoffs aren't over as soon as they begin.

Wide Receiver

Curtis Samuel—Carolina Panthers (7.7 fantasy points on average, owned by 39.9 percent of ESPN Fantasy Football teams)

Samuel entered Week 13 with just 25 targets to his name this season, but had 11 against Tampa Bay. The second-year receiver hauled in six of them for 88 yards, adding one carry for eight rushing yards. He looks ready to deliver more consistently.

Adam Humphries—Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12.1 fantasy points on average, owned by 41.2 percent of ESPN Fantasy Football teams)

Named in this column ahead of Week 13, the former Clemson star hauled in seven of nine targets in Week 13 and has 26 receptions for 310 yards over the last five games. Buoyed by a win over the Panthers, can the Bucs shock New Orleans?

Dante Pettis—San Francisco 49ers (5.9 fantasy points on average, owned by 2.3 percent of ESPN Fantasy Football teams)

Pettis caught five of his seven targets for 129 yards and two touchdowns in Week 13, making the most of the injuries to Marquise Goodwin and Pierre Garcon. He has 13 receptions and three scores in the last three games and has great upside, making him worthy of a spot on your roster.

Quarterback

Josh Allen—Buffalo Bills (9.8 fantasy points on average, owned by 3.7 percent of ESPN Fantasy Football teams)

The rookie has been among the top scoring quarterbacks in fantasy football over the last two weeks, rushing for a combined 234 yards. He's a threat on the ground, which offsets a wayward passing metric as he has not completed more than 58.8 percent of his throws over the last five games.

Derek Carr—Oakland Raiders (14.8 fantasy points on average, owned by 10.5 percent of ESPN Fantasy Football teams)

Carr threw three touchdowns and 285 yards as the Raiders record their second-best offensive return of the season in the loss against the Chiefs. In Week 14, Oakland faces the Steelers, whose defense has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season and Carr could be a worthy addition.

Baker Mayfield—Cleveland Browns (14 fantasy points on average, owned by 47.1 percent of ESPN Fantasy Football teams)

Mayfield threw three interceptions in Week 13 and got his lowest fantasy point total since Week 6, but continued his streak of throwing at least one touchdown, which goes all the way back to Week 4. He could bounce back against a Panthers team that has lost the last four in a row and has conceded the second-most QB fantasy points per game since Week 9.

Running Back

Jaylen Samuels—Pittsburgh Steelers (2.3 fantasy points on average, owned by 3.4 percent of ESPN Fantasy Football teams)

With James Conner out of Sunday's trip to Oakland with a leg injury, Samuels is the Steelers' main option at running back.

Jeff Wilson—San Francisco 49ers (12.3 fantasy points on average, owned by 0.4 percent of ESPN Fantasy Football teams)

With Matt Breida again struggling with an injury on Sunday, the undrafted rookie from North Texas stole the show with 15 rushes for 61 yards and eight catches for 73 yards. A smart addition, particularly if Breida fails to get fit for Week 14.

Theo Riddick—Detroit Lions (7.7 fantasy points on average, owned by 39.9 percent of ESPN Fantasy Football teams)

Named in this list ahead of Week 13, Riddick only had three catches against the Rams but has 28 over the last five games. With Kerryon Johnson sidelined, he's likely to see a lot of action going forward.

Tight End

Ian Thomas—Carolina Panthers (2.4 fantasy points on average, owned by 0.3 percent of ESPN Fantasy Football teams)

With Greg Olsen out for the rest of the season with a foot injury, Thomas is set to see his volume increase. The rookie had five catches in Week 13 and should be the Panthers' main option at tight end between now and the end of the season.

C.J. Uzomah—Cincinnati Bengals (6.5 fantasy points on average, owned by 31.2 percent of ESPN Fantasy Football teams)

As usual, options in this position are slim but Uzomah has been solid throughout the season, averaging eight targets a game over the past three weeks. He had five receptions for 33 yards in Week 13.