Week 14 Waiver Claims

Quarterback #1: Jalen Hurts

Jalen Hurts is a Konami-Code. There is no doubt about it. 0%. None. Book shut, case closed. He is. He rushed for over 3,000 yards & 40 TD’s in college, including over 1,200 yards & 20 TD’s in just his senior season at Oklahoma alone. Then he went out & ripped off a 4.59 40 at the combine & at that point, you knew. You knew he was a Konami-Code QB & the only thing keeping you at being 99.99% sure instead of 100% sure was the fact that you needed to actually see it happen on an NFL field. Well, we have now. Jalen Hurts took Carson Wentz’s job with 7:39 left in the third quarter against GB & in that 7:39 & a quarter, he rushed 5 times for 29 yards. In a quarter & 7:39… 5 times for 29 yards. You do the math… Because my math tells me that over a full game, you’re essentially getting a starting RB’s worth of rushing attempts & production… For the record, it takes 5.5 rushing attempts per-game to qualify as a “Konami-Code” QB, & Hurts hit 5 in a quarter & 7:39. Now throw in some passing stats on top… which Hurts had no issue compiling against GB, with 109 yards & a passing TD… in a quarter & 7:39… Do the math again, what’s that equate to over 4 full quarters? This is it, my friends. This is what you’ve been waiting for. For that next Kyler/Lamar/Cam/Taysom/Tebow-type Konami-Code who runs the ball so gosh-dang much that they produce as if a RB & QB had been morphed in a laboratory into one. This isn’t superstition, either. Every single Konami-Code QB but one is top-12 in PPG this year, and the one who isn’t is Cam Newton, who sits at 14th. That includes Taysom Hill, who’s 22.1 PPG in his 3 starts would rank 7th on the year among QB’s, despite the fact that Hill averaged just 181 passing yards per-game over those 3 starts & threw a total of 2 passing TD’s. Jalen Hurts threw for 109 yards & a TD in a quarter & 7:39… being thrown-in, mid-game. Now, Hurts gets a full week to prepare as the starter. You don’t have to wait until Weeks 15 & 16 against Arizona & Dallas either, you can play him this week against New Orleans as well. Trust in the Konami-Code & I have faith that you shall be rewarded.

Quarterback #2: Philip Rivers

Ok, now that I’ve spent so much of your time on Jalen Hurts, I’m going to keep it short & sweet here. Philip Rivers. 20.9 PPG over his last 6 games (excluding Baltimore). 20.9 PPG = QB10 on the season. LV & HOU next.

Running Back #1: Cam Akers

Don’t get fooled into starting Cam Akers this Thursday. Thursday Night Games are notoriously fickle & despite the fact that the Patriots have a middle-of-the-pack run defense (17^th most fantasy PPG allowed to RB’s), their defense has really come together as a unit over the last few weeks, allowing 17 or fewer points in 3 of their last 4 games, including a shut-out against the other LA team this past week. Don’t forget, this is the team that shut-down the Rams in the Super Bowl 13-3. Okay, now that I’ve talked you out of Akers for this week, consider that Akers gets the Jets in Week 15 & the fact that you will be more than comfortable playing him in that game if he gets even a half-way decent workload against the Patriots on TNF.

Running Back #2: Ty Johnson

Idk man, it feels like a trap. But who the hell else am I supposed to recommend here? Kalen Ballage for a TD against ATL if I had to, but I think you guys have heard enough about Ballage from me for this year… There just aren’t many (any) RB’s who had 20+ carries, a couple of receptions, 100 yards, & a TD just hanging around out there on waivers, and the timeless Frank Gore is hurt, so if you really are looking for plug-and-plays this late in the season, you’re sh*t out of luck my friend, because Ty Johnson is the best you got. Otherwise, just go stash Tony Pollard.

Wide Receiver #1: Allen Lazard

Lazard has yet to go under 7.5 PPR points in any of his 5 games played (not counting his first game back from injury) so I will continue to list Aaron Rodgers’ passing accomplishments until that statistical horse has been beaten dead. If you read the article last week, you’ll notice it’s the same stat I used before. And if you guys don’t go out & get Allen Lazard rostered in more than 50% of leagues, I am going to have to list it again next week too. So here it is: Aaron Rodgers has one dud against Tampa Bay. But other than that, multiple passing TD’s in every single game, including throwing for 4 passing TD’s five separate times & 3 TD’s four separate times.

Wide Receiver #2: Gabriel Davis

As it is in Green Bay, the dynamite is going boom in Buffalo. Five different Buffalo receiving options scored double-digit fantasy points last week as Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley, Davis, Dawson Knox, & Isaiah McKenzie all hit 10+ PPR points strictly via their receiving contributions.

Tight End #1: Logan Thomas

When it’s Logan Thomas-szn, we all win. The reclamation project has now seen 4+ targets in all 12 games this year & he seems to be getting more & more comfortable with his position & quarterback with each passing week. Washington is even starting to use him in a wildcat package.

Tight End #2: Dalton Schultz

I’ve been making the pitch for Schultz for weeks now based on his Week 14 Andy-Dalton-revenge-game matchup against a Cincinnati team that has allowed the 4^th most fantasy points to TE’s… and I’m not going to stop now.