Many fantasy football managers tend to ignore the waiver wire as the season progresses. This is a truly regrettable practice, as adding valuable depth only becomes more important as the year goes on. The addition of these players could be the difference between a fantasy championship and missing the playoffs entirely.

Each of the following players are currently owned in less than 65% of ESPN fantasy football leagues.

Quarterbacks

Tua Tagovailoa (MIA)

There’s no denying that Tua Tagovailoa has been lighting up opposing defenses over the last few weeks. Seven passing touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last two games have allowed Tagovailoa to enter a slightly higher tier of fantasy quarterbacks. 

In his last two contests, he has also registered over 35 pass attempts and 275 passing yards in each game. In fantasy football, Tagovailoa is receiving volume and performing incredibly efficiently. In Week 12, he easily outperformed his ranking of QB12 on the Fantasy Trading Room Week 12 QB Rankings. While it’s fair to claim he’s had some pretty easy matchups as of late, his schedule outside of Week 13 isn’t very daunting. 

The passing game is the focal point of Miami’s offense, and they’ve been performing extremely well recently. He is a great streaming option for any team looking for a fantasy quarterback with volume, efficiency, and an elite supporting cast consisting of Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Jonnu Smith, and De’Von Achane.

Caleb Williams (CHI)

Ever since Chicago replaced their offensive coordinator a few weeks ago, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, and the Bears offense as a whole, has shown drastic improvement, especially within fantasy football.

This offense has not only increased in production, but has also shown the ability to spread the ball around to a variety of receivers in the passing game. Five Bears had over 35 receiving yards on Sunday, including Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore, Cole Kmet, Rome Odunze, and D’Andre Swift. 

Williams found a way to keep the Bears in the game until the end but, unfortunately, walked away with a loss yet again. On the bright side, Caleb Williams flashed some serious potential in fantasy football. Firstly, his passing volume reached elite levels after registering 47 pass attempts against Minnesota. 

Secondly, Williams has also shown the ability to remain relevant in fantasy football by becoming more involved in Chicago’s run game. He has compiled over 100 rushing yards over the last two weeks combined, greatly improving his fantasy value by adding production and volume on the ground.

If he can continue to receive this type of production and volume, Caleb Williams should have a strong end to his rookie campaign and could even provide fantasy value heading into the playoffs.

Running Backs

Justice Hill (BAL)

Justice Hill makes this because of his role as one of the more valuable handcuff running backs in football. If superstar Ravens running back Derrick Henry were to, unfortunately, miss some time in the fantasy playoffs; Hill would immediately become fantasy-relevant. 

Having him on your team in case that happens could be the difference between a win and a loss when it matters most. Handcuff running backs can become ridiculously important in the blink of an eye, so stashing Hill is beneficial to any team looking for a handcuff running back who also provides a bit of stand-alone value.

Antonio Gibson (NE)

Antonio Gibson didn’t necessarily impress on Sunday, but he continues to threaten to take over the starting running back job in New England. Current starter Rhamondre Stevenson has struggled on the ground this year, opening the door for Gibson to receive more touches and potentially become rosterable in deeper leagues. 

Gibson has been efficient over the last few weeks and could stand to earn a few more touches if the Patriots continue to lose since they may desire to shake up their offense a bit. This season, Antonio Gibson has registered higher total rushing and receiving PFF grades than Rhamondre Stevenson, according to PFF’s Rushing Grades.

Look for Gibson to start to take over the starting role from Stevenson within the next few weeks. If he does, he could become surprisingly relevant as the playoff season draws nearer. 

Wide Receivers

Xavier Legette (CAR)

The Carolina Panthers have looked surprisingly average recently, which is a dramatic shift from their start to the season, which led many to believe they might have struggled to win more than one game in 2024.  

However, Carolina has flipped the script over the last few weeks, winning two of their last three and even taking the defending Super Bowl champions down to the wire. Rookie wideout Xavier Legette had six targets and over 50 receiving yards against one of the league’s toughest defenses, continuing his ascent into fantasy relevance.

Legette has drawn over five targets in five games this season and has scored a touchdown in four of his last eight games. He has shown recent improvement and is beginning to develop a connection with second-year quarterback Bruce Young, who has looked better since reclaiming the starting role in Carolina. According to TeamRankings’ Offensive Statistics, Carolina is averaging more points per game over their last three contests than Kansas City.

As this offense improves, Legette should see his fantasy value rise with it. He has become more consistent and is a threat in the red zone, a factor that definitely helps fantasy teams in need of a few wins. Legette should be rostered more widely soon enough.

Rome Odunze (CHI)

It’s no secret why rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze is on this list. He has received 20 total targets in the two games since Chicago replaced their offensive coordinator. 

That type of volume is hard to come across on the waiver wire, so if he’s available in your league, Odunze should be stashed. Ever since Chicago’s Week 7 bye, Odunze has seen a more consistent number of targets in the passing game. And if rookie quarterback Caleb Williams can continue to pile up yards for this Bears offense, there’s no reason to believe that Odunze won’t be one of the largest beneficiaries of this uptick in production. 

He has shown flashes of greatness during his rookie year, but the next step involves proving his worth as a weekly option in starting lineups in fantasy football. If Odunze continues to become more involved, he should be rostered in almost every fantasy league.

Tight Ends 

Noah Gray (KC)

Noah Gray has been one of the best tight ends in all of fantasy football recently, even better than his teammate, Travis Kelce. Gray has scored a whopping four touchdowns over his past two games and has become a serious waiver-wire target. 

If he continues to produce, Gray could become one of the biggest targets in this injury-plagued Chiefs offense, paving a path to late-season fantasy football stardom. It’s difficult to find a weekly starting-caliber tight end in fantasy football, so if there’s a legitimate option on the waiver wire, the opportunity to add a relevant player at the tight end position is too good to pass up for any fantasy team. 

Gray truly came out of nowhere, as he wasn’t even ranked among the top-24 tight ends in this week’s Fantasy Trading Room Tight End Rankings.

Cole Kmet (CHI)

Bears tight end Cole Kmet had his best fantasy performance in over a month on Sunday against Minnesota. Like many other of Chicago’s playmakers, Kmet has enjoyed a slight resurgence with the emergence of the team’s new offensive coordinator. This change has improved the passing game and, in turn, Kmet’s fantasy outlook.

He also played a season-high number of snaps in Chicago’s overtime loss, registering a snap count of 100%. It’s also very encouraging that Kmet received 10 targets on Sunday, a number not many other tight ends tend to reach. This production could provide immense fantasy value at the tight end position if continued. Kmet is worth rostering while Chicago’s passing attack continues to improve.