We are now entering Week 15 of the fantasy football season and the playoffs are in full swing. The waiver wire is mostly an afterthought at this point — owners should be focused on using their top starters to carry them to fantasy glory.
Fantasy football waiver wire: 5 running backs to target for Week 15
We examine the top RB waiver claims in the second week of the fantasy playoffs.
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That said, the wire will still be a factor depending on your specific circumstances, so you should still keep an eye on it. With that in mind, here are the top wire options at running back this week, owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! standard leagues.
Bilal Powell, New York Jets (45 percent)
Matt Forte barely got started before leaving the game with a knee injury. So Powell took over the backfield and predictably gashed the San Francisco 49ers’ atrocious run defense, racking up 179 total yards and two touchdowns on 34 touches. Proving that he can handle a full workload, Powell will be a solid RB2 when the Jets face the Miami Dolphins on Saturday.
Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers (36 percent)
The Packers still have a confusing backfield situation with Montgomery and Christine Michael splitting work. Montgomery only got 12 touches against the Seattle Seahawks, but he made the most of it with 86 total yards and a touchdown. Michael ended his day with 10 carries for 36 yards. Montgomery will be on the flex borderline when the Packers take on the Chicago Bears this week.
Justin Forsett, Denver Broncos (20 percent)
Devontae Booker flopped as a full-time starter, so Gary Kubiak brought back a familiar name in Forsett, whom he coached in both Houston and Baltimore. Forsett didn’t do anything on Sunday, seeing just nine touches while Trevor Siemian threw the ball 51 times. Forsett hasn’t looked good all year and there’s a reason he’s on his third team this season. He’s just a desperation RB3 against the New England Patriots.
Charles Sims, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19 percent)
Sims made his return from a knee injury that’s kept him out since Week 4. He immediately went back to his usual role as a pass-catching back and change-of-pace option to Doug Martin. Sims didn’t have a huge day with just 50 total yards on seven touches, but his catching skills will make him a useful option in PPR leagues. The Bucs have a tough matchup with the Dallas Cowboys coming up next.
Kenneth Farrow, San Diego Chargers (4 percent)
After Melvin Gordon went down with a hip injury, Farrow took over as the Chargers’ lead running back, rushing 16 times for 55 yards and catching six passes for 23 additional yards. It wasn’t an amazing stat line, but getting that many touches in emergency relief is surely a vote of confidence from the coaching staff. If Gordon sits out Week 15, Farrow will be on the RB2 map against the Oakland Raiders’ middling defense.
