Week 14 started the playoffs in many formats, and if it didn't for your league, Week 15 will. Jermichael Finley disappointed owners with a goose egg while a Greg Jennings injury left his owners with only two points despite Green Bay hanging 46 points on Oakland. A broken ankle left Demarco Murray owners frustrated and Victor Cruz had a seven week-low seven fantasy points in standard formats. The San Diego Chargers took another step toward an improbable run at the division title. T.J. Yates won his second straight start, and the Arizona Cardinals won their second straight game at home as an underdog. If these injuries or bad matchups have you looking for help on the waiver wire this week, here are some players to consider.
Felix Jones, RB, DAL - Until Sunday night's game against the Giants, Jones had minimal fantasy value with DeMarco Murray getting the lion's share of touches. However, with Murray's broken ankle likely to land him on IR, Jones will be a solid starter in a potent Cowboys offense the rest of the season. He finished Sunday's game with 16 carries for 106 and six catches for 31 yards. There were no visible ill effects from the injuries that plagued him earlier this season, and he has an excellent matchup against Tampa Bay this week. If he's available in your league he should be your top add and is a strong flex or No. 2 running back to start this week, especially in PPR formats.
Ryan Grant, RB, GB - While Brandon Saine was mentioned in this column last week as a good speculative add, it turned out that Grant had the significantly better fantasy day with 11 touches for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Grant benefited from going up against an Oakland defense that allows a league-high 5.2 yards per carry, which led to the productive day. John Kuhn split work with Grant after Saine left with a concussion, meaning they'll likely split touches again this week against Kansas City. The good news for Grant is Kansas City isn't much better than Oakland against the run, allowing 132.5 yards per game on the ground, 25th in the league. If you're desperate for running back help this week, put in a claim for Grant.
Jake Locker, QB, TEN - Even though he didn't enter the game until the second quarter, Locker managed to throw for 282 yards and a touchdown while running for 36 yards and another score. Coming into the season, Locker was criticized for deciding not to leave school as a junior and enter the draft. As a result of a decline in play his senior year coupled with harsher restrictions for the rookie pay scale with the new CBA, Locker lost tens of millions of dollars in guaranteed money by returning to school for his senior year. Between Sunday's contest and getting work in against Atlanta, Locker has shown poise in the pocket and has had some excellent downfield throws that have been right on the money. The last play of Sunday's game shows there will be bumps in the road - that happens for any rookie quarterback - but it's hard to deny the kid has looked good so far. While Matt Hasselbeck has not been ruled out for this week's game, Locker would be a sneaky play against the winless Colts.
Chris Ivory, RB, NO - It's interesting to note that Ivory was a healthy inactive the three previous weeks before Sunday's game against the Titans in which he led the Saints with 13 carries for 53 yards. Ivory had a team-high 5.2 yards per carry last season and should have fresh legs for the stretch run. Ivory as a viable option should give Mark Ingram plenty of time to deal with his turf toe, though when he returns it will likely relegate Ivory back to inactive status. Ivory was used in short-yardage situations as well, suggesting he'd be the goal-line back if the opportunity arises. Keep an eye on Ingram's status to determine if Ivory can help your team in deeper formats.
Keiland Williams, RB, DET - With both Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris banged up, Williams ended up getting the bulk of the workload against the Vikings. He finished the game with 14 touches for 60 yards. Williams got a few chances from in close but unlike the Green Bay game was not able to convert. He's only worth a look if Smith is held out of this week's game in a great matchup against Oakland.
James Jones, WR, GB - If you're looking for a reach play with a lot of upside, Jones will be your man for the next two weeks. Greg Jennings injured his MCL, and with the Packers already clinching the division there's no reason to rush him back into action. While Donald Driver is higher on the depth chart, Jones, given his speed and age relative to Driver, has the higher ceiling. Jones has done little since Thanksgiving but should see 4-6 targets with Jennings out. Jones runs a lot of deep patterns out of the slot, which could mean that he turns those 4-6 targets into big chunks of yards (18.4 yards per catch this season).
Atlanta D - The Falcons get the Jaguars at home this week in what should be a perfect defensive matchup. Safe to say, Blaine Gabbert doesn't look to be even a league-average quarterback now, and the majority of the offense goes through Maurice Jones-Drew. That plays right into the strength of the Atlanta defense, which allows only 3.9 yards per carry, the eighth-best mark in the league. This means the Falcons should shut down MJD to the point where Gabbert will have to air it out, which isn't a good thing. While Jacksonville scored 41 points against Tampa Bay on Sunday, seven turnovers and two defensive/special teams touchdowns show the point total wasn't because the Jags offense came to life. Look for Atlanta to make it a long afternoon for Gabbert and company.
Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN - It's hard to recommend any of the Denver wide receivers between Thomas and Eric Decker given the inconsistency of the passing game. That said, Tim Tebow has thrown to Thomas 20 times the last two games. This is a result of defenses cheating their safety toward Decker, especially when he comes out of the slot on the same side as Thomas. The targets say a lot, and Thomas was drafted to take the place of Brandon Marshall when they traded him to Miami. The problem for Thomas has always been staying healthy and staying on the field. With 222 receiving yards and three touchdowns the last two weeks Thomas is worth a look if you need wide receiver help this week; he gets the worst pass defense in the league with the Patriots coming to town.
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