Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups, Week 14: Adonai Mitchell, Brenton Strange among top players to target

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups, Week 14: Adonai Mitchell, Brenton Strange among priority players to targetStory byFantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups, Week 14: Adonai Mitchell, Brenton Strange among priority players to targetJustin BooneFantasy AnalystMon, December 1, 2025 at 7:08 PM UTC·13 min read

Every Monday during the season, Justin Boone breaks down the recommended waiver-wire pickups.

Roster percentages are generated from Yahoo leagues. Free-Agent Budget (FAB) amounts are based on a $100 salary cap. Only players rostered in less than 50% of leagues are considered.

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Key injuries to consider

• Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle)

• Justin Herbert (non-throwing hand)

• Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel)

• Kyren Williams (ankle, returned to game)

• Woody Marks (foot/ankle, returned)

• Aaron Jones Sr. (shoulder)

• Parker Washington (hip)

• Dylan Sampson (calf)

• Dont’e Thornton Jr. (concussion)

• Jack Bech (chest)

Bye weeks

• Carolina Panthers

• New England Patriots

• New York Giants

• San Francisco 49ers

Pickups by position

• Quarterbacks

• Running backs

• Wide receivers

• Tight ends

• Defense/Special teams

• Kickers

Week 14’s top-10 overall pickups

1. Kyle Monangai, Bears2. Christian Watson, Packers3. Alec Pierce, Colts4. Chris Godwin Jr., Buccaneers5. Devin Neal, Saints6. Adonai Mitchell, Colts7. Bam Knight, Cardinals8. Jayden Higgins, Texans9. Chris Rodriguez Jr., Commanders10. Colston Loveland, Bears/Brenton Strange, Jaguars

Quarterbacks

C.J. Stroud, Texans

Next Up

Rostered

FAB

at Chiefs

39%

$1

For the second straight week the waiver wire options at quarterback are extremely limited. If Trevor Lawrence or Sam Darnold are still free agents in your league, you should try to add them. Marcus Mariota would be an intriguing option, but we don’t know if Jayden Daniels will return for Week 14 or not.

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Stroud isn’t a great pickup, but there isn’t much competition as you can see from the rest of the list below.

While Stroud didn’t throw a touchdown on Sunday, he has posted his two highest yardage totals of the season in his last two full games. The emergence of Jayden Higgins is adding a new element to the passing attack and should help Stroud down the stretch, including in his matchups with the Cardinals (Week 15) and Raiders (Week 16).

Trevor Lawrence is 52% rostered but would be the No. 1 QB add if available.

Sam Darnold is 58% rostered but would be the No. 2 QB add if available.

Streaming options (if starter is out)

• Marcus Mariota at MIN (10% rostered)

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Risky streaming options

• Tyrod Taylor vs. MIA (4% rostered)

• Tua Tagovailoa at NYJ (20% rostered)

Desperation streaming options

• Tyler Shough at TB (7% rostered)

• Shedeur Sanders vs. TEN (8% rostered)

• Kirk Cousins vs. SEA (9% rostered)

• Geno Smith vs. DEN (15% rostered)

• Cam Ward at CLE (8% rostered)

Desperation streaming options (if healthy)

• Aaron Rodgers at BAL (27% rostered)

• J.J. McCarthy vs. WAS (31% rostered)

Desperation streaming options (if starter is out)

• Trey Lance vs. PHI (0% rostered)

• Max Brosmer vs. WAS (1% rostered)

Bye-week stashes

• Bryce Young (18% rostered)

Running Backs

Bam Knight, Cardinals

Next Up

Rostered

FAB

vs. LAR

25%

$9

Trey Benson returned to a limited practice last Wednesday, before going DNP-DNP the rest of the week. It’s unclear if this was simply the team being cautious and giving him more time to recover or if he suffered a setback.

Regardless, Knight is the most valuable fantasy back in Arizona until Benson is ready to return.

Since Week 6, Knight is the RB27 in fantasy points per game and has played at least 40% of the snaps in every contest during that span. He’s also coming off his best performance yet, with 98 scrimmage yards and a receiving touchdown.

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Knight has now caught at least three passes in each of the past three outings and remains the goal-line option. He’ll continue to be a fantasy RB3 with RB2 upside if Benson is out.

Michael Carter is still heavily involved in the backfield, but is just a risky flex option for the time being.

Once healthy, Benson will assume the lead back role and offer low-end RB2 fantasy value.

Chris Rodriguez Jr., Commanders

Next Up

Rostered

FAB

at MIN

24%

$7

If you were worried about Jacory Croskey-Merritt getting a post-bye rookie bump, don’t be. While the Commanders’ backfield remained a three-man committee in Week 13, JCM was a distant third option behind Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols.

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Even in a tougher matchup with the Broncos, Rodriguez delivered his fourth-straight usable fantasy effort with 41 yards and a TD. That comes after he posted 65 yards and a score versus the Seahawks, a touchdown against the Lions and 85 yards on 16 touches in a loss to the Dolphins over his previous three appearances.

As I mentioned last week, Rodriguez isn’t going to singlehandedly win your fantasy league, but he can be an RB3/flex option with spiked-week potential in better matchups - like his Week 15 date with the Giants.

Blake Corum, Rams

Next Up

Rostered

FAB

at ARI

16%

$6

Kyren Williams suffered an ankle injury on Sunday, but was able to return to the game. While we’ll still need to monitor his practice participation this week, it seems like he avoided anything that could cost him time.

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Use this as a reminder to roster as many high-end backups - like Corum - as possible.

Corum is the ideal one-injury away guy, because he offers weekly flex value in addition to a fantasy RB1 ceiling if Williams is ever sidelined.

Even in a complementary role, Corum has topped 55 scrimmage yards three times in his last five games.

Kyle Monangai is 58% rostered but would be the No. 1 RB add if available.

Devin Neal is 57% rostered but would be the No. 2 RB add if available.

Flex options

• Bhayshul Tuten vs. IND (44% rostered)

• Tyler Allgeier vs. SEA (42% rostered)

• Nick Chubb at KC (40% rostered)

• Tyjae Spears at CLE (32% rostered)

Risky flex options

• Emanuel Wilson vs. CHI (49% rostered)

• Keaton Mitchell vs. PIT (3% rostered)

• Ray Davis vs. CIN (7% rostered)

Risky flex options (if starter is out)

• Michael Carter vs. LAR (5% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options

• Malik Davis at DET (0% rostered)

• Ollie Gordon II at NYJ (9% rostered)

• Jeremy McNichols at MIN (2% rostered)

• Jaleel McLaughlin at LV (3% rostered)

• Samaje Perine at BUF (3% rostered)

• Ty Johnson vs. CIN (2% rostered)

• Tyler Badie at LV (0% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options (if starter is out)

• Zavier Scott vs. WSH (0% rostered)

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Upside stashes to roster

• Tank Bigsby (20% rostered)

• Sean Tucker (45% rostered)

• Isaiah Davis (4% rostered)

• Raheem Mostert (2% rostered)

Bye-week stashes

• Brian Robinson Jr. (25% rostered)

• Devin Singletary (22% rostered)

Injured-reserve stashes

• Braelon Allen (16% rostered)

• MarShawn Lloyd (1% rostered)

• Phil Mafah (0% rostered)

Wide Receivers

Adonai Mitchell, Jets

Next Up

Rostered

FAB

vs. MIA

2%

$9

Last summer while doing a live panel at the Fantasy Football Expo, I was asked which player I was willing to die on a hill for. My answer - Adonai Mitchell.

Despite not having reached his potential with the Colts, I still saw a player who could win in the pros and just needed to refine his skills.

While that didn’t happen in Indianapolis, he’s getting a chance to prove himself after a deadline trade that landed him in New York.

Over the last two weeks as a member of the Jets, Mitchell has turned into a near full-time player and earned 19 targets in the process.

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In Week 12, that only resulted in two catches for 42 yards with a lot left on the table. However, on Sunday Mitchell topped 100 yards for the time and scored a touchdown.

Though we can’t expect that kind of production from him every week, it’s great to see him turning into a boom-or-bust WR4/flex option. And there is plenty of potential for more, if he can truly emerge as the Jets’ No. 1 target with Garrett Wilson injured and No. 2 target if/when he returns.

Jayden Higgins, Texans

Next Up

Rostered

FAB

at KC

35%

$7

Speaking of young players starting to take on bigger roles in their offenses, we’re seeing Higgins turn into a more consistent threat in Houston.

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The first-year wideout has at least 55 yards or a TD in five of his last six outings and is the WR36 during that stretch.

He’s also still making rookie mistakes, which perhaps explains why he’s only playing around 60% of the Texans’ offensive snaps. A pessimist would view that as a negative, but an optimist realizes that means there’s even more room for his role to grow as the No. 2 pass-catcher behind Nico Collins.

At the moment, Higgins is a WR4/flex option but there is upside for that to rise over the final month of the season.

Jayden Reed/Dontavion Wicks, Packers

Next Up

Rostered

FAB

vs. CHI

38%/1%

$4/$1

Reed has been practicing in a limited fashion as he tried to return from foot and shoulder injuries. Whether he’ll be able to get back to form and make an impact on the fantasy season is unknown, but we’ve witnessed his upside in this offense in the past.

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Reed put up 45 yards and a TD in Week 1 before getting hurt and sitting out most of the season. It was the latest in a series of instances where he’s flashed a high fantasy ceiling.

Going back to his rookie year, he finished as the WR23, scoring 10 totals touchdowns and adding 119 yards on the ground despite only seeing the field for 56% of the Packers’ snaps.

In 2024, he averaged WR14 fantasy stats through the first nine games while seeing an increase in playing time up to 66% of the snaps. But after the Packers’ Week 10 bye, his numbers fell off dramatically - topping 50 yards just once in the second half of the season and being the WR62 during that final eight-game sample.

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Reed is likely to continue being a frustrating fantasy asset, but there aren’t many players on the waiver wire with his kind of upside as a WR4/flex with top-20 potential if everything goes his way.

If Reed remains out, then you can roll the dice on his teammate Wicks, who is coming off a massive six-catch, 94-yard, two-touchdown performance on Thanksgiving.

Isaac TeSlaa, Lions

Next Up

Rostered

FAB

vs. DAL

1%

$3

Normally when a player gets highlighted here, they’ve at least had one game with more than 35 receiving yards in their career - but that’s not always the case.

TeSlaa is the rare exception due to the opportunity that could be opened up if Amon-Ra St. Brown misses time with the ankle injury he suffered on Thanksgiving.

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With St. Brown leaving early last week, TeSlaa played 92% of the snaps and finished with 35 yards and a touchdown.

And if the Sun God is unable to suit up for this Thursday’s game against the Cowboys, it will put TeSlaa in position to be started in fantasy as a flex option.

The 23-year-old was a raw prospect with incredible physical traits who the Lions valued enough to trade up for him in the third round of this year’s draft. His contested-catch skills and nose for the end zone make him an intriguing boom-or-bust fantasy play in a game with highest projected point total on the week at 53.5.

Christian Watson is 53% rostered but would be the No. 1 WR add if available.

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Alec Pierce is 56% rostered but would be the No. 2 WR add if available.

Chris Godwin Jr. is 55% rostered but would be the No. 3 WR add if available.

Risky flex options

• Hollywood Brown vs. HOU (19% rostered)

• Pat Bryant at LV (2% rostered)

• Luther Burden III at GB (10% rostered)

• Keon Coleman vs. CIN (35% rostered)

• Devaughn Vele at TB (1% rostered)

• Parker Washington vs. IND (42% rostered)

• Josh Downs at JAX (48% rostered)

Risky flex options (if starter is out)

• Greg Dortch vs. LAR (10% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options

• KaVonta Turpin at DET (5% rostered)

• Malik Washington at NYJ (15% rostered)

• Rashod Bateman vs. PIT (15% rostered)

• Chimere Dike at CLE (20% rostered)

• John Metchie III vs. MIA (14% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options (if starter is out)

• Andrei Iosivas at BUF (17% rostered)

• David Sills V vs. LAR (0% rostered)

Upside stashes to roster

• Tre’ Harris (2% rostered)

Bye-week stashes

• Jalen Coker (4% rostered)

Tight Ends

Colston Loveland, Bears

Next Up

Rostered

FAB

at GB

43%

$7

Loveland has displayed high-end skills that make him an enticing fantasy add and possible top-12 option down the stretch.

When featuring him in this pace last week, I warned against the potential for a down game versus the Eagles, who are one of the toughest opponents for fantasy tight ends. The result was just three catches for 28 yards on six targets.

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However, that doesn’t overshadow what he was doing in the month prior with stat lines of 6-188-2, 4-55-0, 3-40-0 and 4-49-1.

Opportunity is important, but talent is the main driver of fantasy success and Loveland looks like one of the best young tight ends in the game.

While he doesn’t have any overtly easy matchups remaining, he also won’t face another challenge like the Eagles presented in Week 13.

He continues to be a fringe low-end TE1/high-end TE2 for fantasy.

Brenton Strange, Jaguars

Next Up

Rostered

FAB

vs. IND

32%

$7

Since returning to the lineup, Strange has immediately become one of Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets with 93 yards on five receptions in Week 12 and three grabs for 45 yards and a score on Sunday.

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In the opening month before he got hurt, Strange had at least 45 yards three times, but wasn’t able to score a TD to put him over the top.

In last week’s waiver wire column, I said Strange was back in the fantasy streamer conversation with a chance to flirt with low-end TE1 numbers if he can start finding the end zone. That’s exactly what he did, even with Brian Thomas Jr. active.

Theo Johnson is 57% rostered but would be the No. 3 TE add if available.

Low-end TE1/high-end TE2

• Harold Fannin Jr. vs. TEN (33% rostered)

• Darren Waller at NYJ (30% rostered)

Streaming options

• Dalton Schultz at KC (46% rostered)

Risky streaming options

• Evan Engram at LV (38% rostered)

• Isaiah Likely vs. PIT (5% rostered)

• AJ Barner at ATL (13% rostered)

Dart-throw streaming options

• Mason Taylor vs. MIA (20% rostered)

• Cade Otton vs. NO (49% rostered)

• Colby Parkinson at ARI (2% rostered)

• Gunnar Helm at CLE (0% rostered)

• Chig Okonkwo at CLE (17% rostered)

• Pat Freiermuth at BAL (13% rostered)

Defenses

Team

Next Up

Rostered

Buccaneers

vs. NO

28%

Dolphins

at NYJ

20%

Titans

at CLE

3%

Week 15 stashes

• Bears vs. CLE (22% rostered)

• Cowboys vs. MIN (10% rostered)

• 49ers (on bye) vs. TEN (33% rostered)

Kickers

Player

Next Up

Rostered

Brandon McManus

vs. CHI

13%

Wil Lutz

at LV

45%

Evan McPherson

at BUF

40%

Riley Patterson

at NYJ

2%

Ka’imi Fairbairn is 58% rostered but would be my No. 1 K add if available.

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