It’s been a couple of weeks since we have posted a sleepers and steals article, and with so much riding on this week it seemed like the perfect time for another one.
Plus, while scouring the waiver wire in one of my leagues last night I stumbled upon Quinton Ganther of the Washington Redskins, which surprised me for two reasons: 1) that I hadn’t picked him up yet, and 2) that I was in a league with that many other owners who apparently had taken their eyes off of the road.
Ganther needs to be on your roster folks, especially with a nice matchup this weekend against a New York Giants defense that has given up 17 rushing touchdowns this season.
And speaking of the Redskins, Jason Campbell is another guy possibly sleeping on your waiver wire who could help you win your Week 15 matchup.
Who are some other sleepers and waiver wire steals for Week 15? Let’s take a look.
Note: All players listed are owned in 70% or less of Yahoo! leagues.
Week 15 QB Sleeper Picks and Waiver Wire Steals
Waiver Wire Steal: Alex Smith, San Francisco (at Philadelphia)
Alex Smith has thrown for 9 TDs over his last four games, yet is only owned in 67% of leagues. Don’t be scared by his matchup either. Philadelphia has given up 20+ TD passes this season. With the momentum of the 49ers’ solid Monday night performance, I like Smith to have another solid day and be a terrific waiver wire steal if you can still get him.
Plus, with Detroit and St. Louis the final two games on the 49ers’ schedule, Smith could very well be a top-5 QB over the last three weeks of the season. (Note to Peyton Manning owners: pick up Alex Smith!)
Sleeper Pick: Jason Campbell, Washington (vs New York Giants)
I discussed Jason Campbell in my Week 15 start em, sit em post and think he has a chance to be a terrific play this week. Campbell, owned in only 42% of leagues, has thrown 7 TDs over his last three games against competition that is not atrocious (@PHI, NO, @OAK). As anyone who has watched the Giants play recently can tell you, their pass defense is atrocious.
If you’re in a pinch for a QB, Jason Campbell could help lead you to a Week 15 victory.
Deep Sleeper: Chad Henne, Miami (at Tennessee)
If you’re really in a pinch, Chad Henne has throw at least one touchdown in four out of his last five games. He has also throw for 220 or more yards in two straight. Tennessee’s pass defense, while improving, still is not a shut-down unit by any means.
I wouldn’t be all that excited to have Henne as my starter this week, but he’s owned in only 19% of leagues and could provide more value that, for instance, whoever plays QB for the Falcons this week and has to go up against Darrelle Revis.
Week 15 RB Sleeper Picks and Waiver Wire Steals
Waiver Wire Steal: Quinton Ganther, Washington (vs New York Giants)
I discussed Ganther above. As I said, I was shocked to see that he was only owned in 71% of leagues. At this point in the season, I cannot imagine that there are 29% of leagues out there in which not one team vying for a playoff spot (and therefore not yet checked out for the season) needs RB depth.
Ganther made a splash last week by generating 93 total yards and scoring two TDs. Granted, he did it against Oakland’s crappy run D, but two TDs are two TDs. The Giants have been giving up lots of points to everyone and the Redskins have suddenly become a well-oiled offensive machine out of nowhere.
I see no reason not to expect Ganther to be a top-20 back this week. If he’s out there, see if you have a backup TE or backup D to drop and get this guy.
Sleeper Pick: Chris Jennings, Cleveland (at Kansas City)
Chris Jennings is such a sleeper that his Yahoo profile doesn’t even include a head shot. He is also owned in only 26% of leagues, which is pretty damn low for a guy who will most likely be the lead back against a terrible run D this weekend.
Now, we all know about the limitations of the Cleveland offense, and how rare it is for a Cleveland back to score a touchdown; but, all that said, Kansas City gives up almost 150 yards per game on the ground and allows nearly a TD per game. Jennings is coming off a 20 carry, 73 yard, 1 TD performance against the best run defense in the league (Pittsburgh).
Jerome Harrison and Joshua Cribbs will no doubt steal some touches, but if you need a RB, Jennings is the kind of guy who will give you at least 3-5 points this weekend, with an upside of 9-10.
Deep Sleeper:Â Arian Foster, Houston (at St. Louis)
Arian Foster will be on a lot of peoples’ radar screens now that he has been announced as the starter in Houston, especially with the Texans playing the Rams this week. Currently, Foster is owned in only 17% of leagues, so certainly he is an option if you are desperate for RB help. I don’t know that I would get too excited about him though.
Despite having fresh legs, he only ran for 2.6 yards per carry against Seattle (13 carries). He did, however, catch four passes for 54 yards, proving that he could replace Steve Slaton as a pass catcher. On the negative side, Ryan Moats and Chris Brown are still there to steal carries.
Still, touches are currency in fantasy football and Foster appears headed for 15-20 touches if you need ‘em. In a PPR league, he has even more value.
Week 15 WR Sleeper Picks and Waiver Wire Steals
Waiver Wire Steal: Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City (vs Cleveland)
I’m not a huge Dwayne Bowe fan, especially considering that he’s missed four weeks and has Matt Cassel as his QB, but he certainly is talented and productive enough to warrant being owned in more than 73% of leagues. And while Cleveland’s defense is playing better, the Browns’ secondary is prone to giving up big plays in the secondary, which could lead to some inviting opportunities for Bowe in Week 15.
Sleeper Pick: Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay (at Seattle)
Bryant was obvious sit last week facing the Jets and Darrelle Revis. And while you should rightfully be worried about playing any WR relying on a rookie QB struggling as much as Josh Freeman is, Bryant is worth a look this week and may be available in your league (68% ownership).
In Weeks 12 and 13, Bryant caught 8 passes for 207 yards and a TD. That’s not to shabby. This week, he and the Bucs face a Seahawks secondary that is surrendering 252.8 yards per game and has given up 24 TDs. Even for a rookie QB there could be some nice holes for Freeman and Bryant to connect in this Sunday.
Deep Sleeper: Devin Thomas, Washington (vs New York Giants)
Can you tell how little I respect the Giants’ defense? Thomas is the third Redskin to show up in this week’s Sleeper and Waiver Wire Steal column, mainly because the Giants can’t stop anyone right now. And while Thomas has been up-and-down, he does have a four-game streak of catching at least one pass of 26 yards or greater.
As badly as New York’s secondary has been getting torched, I would not be surprised at all to see Thomas extend that streak and possibly get a couple of 26+ yard catches. For a guy owned in only 19% of leagues, that’s pretty good value.
Remember to check out our Week 15 start em, sit em post and our NFL Week 15 picks, spreads, and TV schedule post for additional Week 15 info.
**********
* – Jason Campbell photo credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images North America via Zimbio.com
About Jerod Morris
