Good morning.

You know what time it is…

If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you made the cut — unlike me in my home league, where my playoff dreams got absolutely obliterated by Josh Allen.

But the good news is most of us degenerates have way more fantasy teams than we can keep track of, so at least one is bound to still be alive!

And for that reason, we’ll fill you in on some playoff waiver wire pickups that could help you bring home a championship…

WAIVER WIRE 🧐

Running Back

Jags RB Tank Bigsby (48%) led the team with 18 carries for 55 yards and a TD, even though Travis Etienne (four carries for 20 yards) technically got the start. Bigsby played 53% of the snaps and has looked like the more explosive back all season, so expect him to continue getting a considerable workload down the stretch.

Raiders RB Sincere McCormick (18%) now has 27 carries for 142 yards (5.3 YPC) in his last two games, 9th-most in the league over that span, per NFL.com’s Dan Parr. He’s benefitted from Zamir White and Alexander Mattison being out with injuries, and while the two of them should be returning soon, McCormick’s been the most efficient back in Vegas and has the approval of HC Antonio Pierce.

Chargers RB Kimani Vidal (19%) out-snapped Gus Edwards 32-26, per PFF, and ran seven more routes, too. He clearly has more juice than the Gus Bus, who’s averaging just 5.8 fantasy PPG, and it looks like the Chargers might finally be recognizing that.

Broncos RB Jaleel McLaughlin (15%) could be worth an add for those of you willing to take your stab at Sean Payton’s RB Roulette. Denver was on a bye last week, but McLaughlin had 14 carries in the team’s Week 13 win, while no other Broncos back had more than four. He’ll face the Colts this week, who’ve allowed the 7th-most fantasy PPG to opposing RBs, so if you’re desperate, throw him in.

• High-profile backups like the Seahawks’ Zach Charbonnet (75%), the Jets’ Braelon Allen (68%), and the 49ers’ Isaac Guerendo (83%) should be rostered in every league after their starts last week. But if they somehow slipped through the cracks, grab ‘em.

As always, be on the lookout for top tier handcuffs:

• Tyler Allgeier, ATL (36%)

• Trey Benson (28%)

• Justice Hill, BAL (27%)

• Blake Corum, LAR (22%)

• Jaylen Wright, MIA (14%)

• Jeremy McNichols, WAS (6%)

Wide Receiver

Panthers WR Adam Thielen (69%) is averaging 8.5 receptions for 100.5 yards over the last two weeks. He’ll look to stay hot thanks to much improved play from Bryce Young and soft matchups against the Cowboys, Cardinals and Buccaneers on the schedule.

Saints WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (50%) ran more routes than anyone on the Saints on Sunday, and his 22.6% target share was a season-high, per J.J. Zachariason. He failed to score a TD for the first time since Week 9, but his seven targets were a season-high as well.

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan (12%) caught four passes for 59 yards and two TDs while leading Tampa in targets and tying for the team lead in routes run, per Yahoo’s Andy Behrens. We’ve been waiting for him to step up in Chris Godwin’s absence, and it looks like Sunday was finally the breakout game we’ve been asking for.

Chargers WRs Quentin Johnston (56%) and Josh Palmer (22%) posted 13+ fantasy points with Ladd McConkey out on Sunday night. Palmer led the team with nine targets (six catches for 78 yards), while Johnston wasn’t far behind with seven (five grabs for 48 yards with a TD). If Ladd were to miss more time, both QJ and Palmer could be viable FLEX options.

Browns WRs Cedric Tillman (48%) and Elijah Moore (38%) are fine FLEX options, too, given Jameis Winston’s gun-slinging performances. Tillman’s been out with a concussion, but he showed his ceiling with three straight 18+ point performances from Weeks 7-9, and Moore has been productive when targeted, averaging a solid 0.67 fantasy points per target this season, per ESPN’s Eric Moody.

Falcons WR Ray-Ray McCloud (24%) might not have the highest ceiling, but he’s racked up 90+ receiving yards in back-to-back games and has soft matchups against the Raiders and Giants on the horizon.

• If you’re really desperate, you can chase TDs with Lions WR Tim Patrick (2%), who had two last Thursday. The usage hasn’t been there, but at least you know there’s always a chance he could score in that high-powered attack.

QB & TE

Rams QB Matthew Stafford (55%) has scored 18+ fantasy points in five of his last seven games, while completing nearly 67% of his passes. This week, he faces a 49ers defense that has allowed 19 fantasy PPG to opposing QBs over the last three weeks, per Eric Moody.

Browns QB Jameis Winston (42%) “is averaging 21.2 fantasy PPG and has finished as a QB1 in 4-of-6 starts. He gets a tough matchup with the Chiefs this week keeping him on the QB1 periphery. After that, a date with the Bengals makes him a locked-in QB1 for the fantasy semifinals.” — NBC Sports’ Kyle Dvorchak

Patriots QB Drake Maye (24%) has reached 18.7+ fantasy points in five of his first seven full starts and has 24+ rushing yards in seven of his first eight starts, averaging 5.1 fantasy PPG as a runner in that stretch, per Fantasy Points.

Jets QB Aaron Rodgers (37%) might be annoying as hell, but his soft matchup against the Jags this week makes him a viable streamer at the position. Jacksonville allows the most fantasy PPG to opposing QBs, so look for Rodgers to build off his strong performance last week.

Patriots TE Hunter Henry (45%) has hit 9.4+ fantasy points and 41+ yards in seven of his first eight games with Drake Maye as the starter. He turned in seven catches for 75 receiving yards on nine targets in Week 13, which was the 6th time he’s reached 5+ receptions in his last seven games, per Fantasy Points.

Commanders TE Zach Ertz (57%) had a TD and 12.5+ fantasy points in three consecutive games before Washington’s Week 14 bye. His usage has been pretty consistent all season, as he’s hit 3+ catches in 11-of-13 games and 4+ catches in six of his last eight contests.

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth (56%) has scored 10+ fantasy points in five straight games and will face the Ravens and Chiefs in Weeks 16 and 17, both ranking among the top-8 most generous defenses for TE fantasy points allowed, per Eric Moody.

Saints TE Juwan Johnson (19%) may be TD-dependent, but with Taysom Hill on IR, he was Week 14’s TE3 overall, making four catches for season-high 50 yards and a TD.

• Other low-ceiling TD-dependent options that you could consider are the Eagles’ Grant Calcaterra (6%) and the Chiefs’ Noah Gray (25%). They don’t have much upside, but they’re red zone threats in high-powered offenses.

D/ST

The Washington Commanders (30%) will take on the Saints, who just lost QB Derek Carr to a fractured hand. New Orleans is running out of healthy bodies on offense, so the respectable Commanders defense should feast.

The New York Jets (34%) take on the Jags, who have averaged just 10.8 points in their last four games and will once again be starting Mac Jones.

The Baltimore Ravens (50%) and Cincinnati Bengals (26%) have been mostly brutal on defense this season, but they draw favorable matchups this week against the Giants and Titans, respectively. If there’s ever a week to start these D/STs, it’s this one.

DEEP DIVES 🤿

Young Handcuffs are Turning Heads

Stash these players on your bench before they blow up. Last week, the perfect pickup was Sincere McCormick.

Saints RB Kendre Miller (10%) is finally out of the doghouse now with interim HC Darren “The Rizzler” Rizzi calling the shots. He was activated off IR last week and carried the ball 10 times for 32 yards and one TD. And he’s been running hard — 79 out of his 84 rushing yards this year have come AFTER contact, per David J. Gautieri.

Jets RB Isaiah Davis (14%) split with fellow rookie Braelon Allen in Breece Hall’s absence, and has now posted 12+ fantasy points in consecutive games. If Hall is to miss more time, expect Davis to produce once again in this week’s juicy matchup with the Jags, who have allowed the 2nd-most fantasy PPG to opposing RBs.

49ers RB Patrick Taylor (7%) was called up from the practice squad last week and had seven carries for 25 yards and a late TD. Isaac Guerendo hurt his ankle, but reportedly feels great. The Niners have a quick turnaround, though, as they take on the Rams this Thursday night. If Guerendo has to sit out — or is limited in any way — Taylor’s the next man up.

Bucs RB Sean Tucker (4%) could be in handcuff territory if Bucky Irving is forced to miss time due to back/hip injuries. Tucker only handled three carries on Sunday, but he converted them into 47 rushing yards and has a RB1 performance under his belt this season, too.

POLL 📊

QUICK SLANTS 👀

📖 Read KC Joyner of The Athletic’s Fantasy Football Playoff Strategy for tips to help you dominate your fantasy football postseason.

📖 Read Fabs Five Fantasy Storylines from SI’s Michael Fabiano, where he dives into the weekend’s biggest topics, like backup RBs stealing the show.

📖 Read Nathan Jahnke of PFF’s Week 14 Recap for immediate fantasy football takeaways from Sunday’s games.

🎙️ Listen to Fantasy Football Players to TRUST In The Playoffs & Those You Can’t from The FantasyLife Show, where Ian Hartitz, Paul Charchian, and Chris Allen break down Week 14 and discuss players that fall in or out of their “Circle of Trust”.

📺 Watch ESPN’s College Football Playoff Preview to get you prepped for the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff. This is a great crash course for those of you who might not watch much college ball during the season, but want to check out the playoff and note some future NFL studs.

TWEET OF THE DAY

Before we go, send your well wishes to Jets fans. Their team was officially eliminated from the playoffs after Sunday’s overtime loss to the Dolphins, and now they’re about to get roasted by every dude at the water cooler over this upcoming Aaron Rodgers doc. It’s a rough life for Gang Green…

- Marcus