The 13th week of the 2016 regular season is just about over, with only the Monday Night Football game remaining. Most fantasy football leagues will run their waiver wires late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but we are here to help you get a jump on the best options to consider.
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We will be ranking the top five players likely to be available in your league at each of the major positions. Some weeks there might not be five good options available, but we’ll scour for the best we can find. Additionally, throughout the week, we will update each of these articles as ownership percentages change (via Yahoo!) and news arrives.
Waiver wire running back rankings, Week 14
1. Kenneth Dixon, Baltimore Ravens (46 percent owned)
Despite Terrance West outdoing Dixon this week, it was only due to scoring touchdowns, as yardage-wise, Dixon had a better week. The rookie running back rushed for 56 yards and added 21 yards on four receptions in the Ravens’ win over the Dolphins. Dixon has been a very efficient running back, and should continue to have standalone value behind West.
2. Jerick McKinnon, Minnesota Vikings (44 percent owned)
The Vikings continued to struggle on offense, but McKinnon managed to find some running room. He rushed for 41 yards and added five catches for 14 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings’ loss to the Cowboys. The Vikings struggled to generate offense all night, with McKinnon scoring the only touchdown of the game for Minnesota. He should have a good matchup next week against a below-average Jacksonville rushing defense.
3. Mike Gillislee, Buffalo Bills (23 percent owned)
Playing behind LeSean McCoy, Gillislee has been given a smaller, but consistent workload in Buffalo’s offense. These duties include goal line carries, which can result in significant fantasy production despite a lower volume of touches. The Buffalo running back rushed for 49 yards and two touchdowns in the Bills’ loss to the Raiders. Shady will continue to hold the lions share of the carries, but Gillislee’s goal line role on a run-first offense gives him decent value.
4. Rex Burkhead, Cincinnati Bengals (five percent owned)
Jeremy Hill was very inefficient as the lead back for the Bengals, rushing 23 times for only 33 yards. This could encourage the Bengals to increase Burkhead’s usage in the future. The Cincinnati running back rushed for 38 yards and added 28 yards on four catches in the Bengals’ win over the Eagles.
5. Alfred Blue, Houston Texans (two percent owned)
Lamar Miller left the game against the Packers in the first quarter with a rib injury, and even after returning, he was ineffective. Blue was able to rush for 38 yards and added three yards on two catches in the Texans’ loss to the Packers. Miller has dealt with a variety of injuries this year, and if he misses any time, Blue will be sure to benefit. The Texans have a good matchup against the poor Colts’ defense in Week 14.
