Fantasy Football waiver wire candidates after Week 13
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Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season is officially behind us, and those near the bottom of their league in fantasy football may be looking to make some significant changes to their respective fantasy teams.

For those who are looking to turn around their fantasy football fortunes, here are the top five pickup candidates that are available in over 50% of leagues on the ESPN Fantasy Football platform going into Week 14.

Week 13 Recap: 

My Week 13 waiver-wire column had some big misses, but also some players that were potential week-winners for fantasy owners.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed and Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth finished with 5.6 and 5.9 fantasy points respectively, which is obviously a pretty big letdown from both.

However, Packers quarterback Jordan Love continued his recent stretch of impressive play with 23.68 fantasy points. And Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard continued to be the only real consistent fantasy option on his team, finishing with 22.4 fantasy points.

Let’s keep the ball rolling heading into Week 14 with some more standout players that can help your fantasy team.

5. Curtis Samuel, WR, Washington Commanders

  • Week 13: 10.5 fantasy points (PPR)
  • Rostered: 44.6 %
  • Week 14 opponent: Bye Week

Samuel was the lone bright spot on a Commanders team that was thoroughly dominated in Week 13 by the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. He led all Commanders receivers in receiving yards for the second straight week, hauling in four receptions for 65 yards.

Samuel has been up and down from a fantasy perspective this season. But when he’s right, he’s been incredibly impactful for the Commanders.

The veteran wide receiver has three weeks this season where he has scored at least 18 fantasy points, which shows his upside when he is being utilized correctly.

Commanders quarterback Sam Howell has far and away the most passing attempts of any quarterback in football through Week 13. So, Samuel should be a player who is featured pretty heavily in this offense moving forward.

The Commanders have a much-needed Bye Week in Week 14, but adding Samuel could be a smart idea for fantasy owners in need of an impact player for their upcoming fantasy playoffs.

4. Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers

  • Week 13: 11.2 fantasy points (PPR)
  • Rostered: 42.6 %
  • Week 14 opponent: New York Giants

Doubs has been in my weekly waiver-wire columns several times this season because he’s simply been a pretty consistent fantasy contributor that most fantasy owners have not caught onto yet.

Doubs has scored double-digit fantasy points in eight of his 12 games this season. This includes his performance in Week 13 against the Kansas City Chiefs where he was a big-play threat for Jordan Love.

Doubs hauled in all four of his targets on the night for 72 yards, including this incredible catch in between two Chiefs defenders.

The Packers’ offense as a whole has completely turned a corner in the past few weeks, and they appear to be a serious threat in the NFC moving forward as long as Jordan Love is playing as well as he is.

That should make Doubs a weekly flex option on most fantasy teams moving forward. It also doesn’t hurt that fellow Packers wide receiver Christian Watson suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday night, which could lead to even more targets from Jordan Love if Watson is forced to miss their Week 14 game with the injury.

3. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, New England Patriots

  • Week 13: 13.2 fantasy points (PPR)
  • Rostered: 34.0 %
  • Week 14 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

I know what you’re thinking. This is a Patriots offense that has looked absolutely abysmal as of late. And it’s not the mid 2010s, which was the last time that Ezekiel Elliott was a great running back.

However, Elliott has a few things going in his favor when it comes to his fantasy outlook moving forward. Fellow Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson suffered an ankle injury on Sunday, which led to Elliott becoming the lead man in the Patriots backfield.

Elliott made the most of this opportunity, rushing for 52 yards while also adding in four catches for 40 yards through the air.

The Patriots play the Steelers on Thursday Night Football in Week 14, meaning that it will be unlikely that Rhamondre Stevenson will play in the game with his ankle injury.

Elliott will likely receive as many opportunities as he did on Sunday. And you simply can’t find too many fantasy running backs receiving this much workload, making Elliott an intriguing play in fantasy this week. Even if it does feel a little gross…

2. Elijah Moore, WR, Cleveland Browns

  • Week 13: 12.3 fantasy points (PPR)
  • Rostered: 34.4 %
  • Week 14 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

The Browns’ offense didn’t exactly have high expectations coming into Week 13 with 38-year-old Joe Flacco taking over at quarterback. However, Flacco actually brought some new life to this offense in the passing game. And Elijah Moore benefited directly from this.

Moore hauled in four of 12 targets on Sunday for 83 yards, which should be very promising for fantasy owners.

Moore also benefited from an injury to fellow Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper, who was unfortunately diagnosed with a concussion.

That puts Cooper’s status in Week 14 up in the air. But if he’s forced to miss the game, Moore could receive a lionshare of the targets from Flacco yet again.

1. Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans

  • Week 13: 12.8 fantasy points (PPR)
  • Rostered: 32.0 %
  • Week 14 opponent: Miami Dolphins

Spears was another player who benefited from an injury ahead of him in Week 13, playing a big role in the Titans’ offense once Derrick Henry went down with a head injury.

Henry was not diagnosed with a concussion, but it was serious enough of an injury for him not to return to the game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Spears stepped up in Henry’s absence, rushing for 75 yards while also hauling in four targets for 13 yards.

This situation will be worth monitoring throughout the week, as Henry could potentially be fine and play in Week 14 against the Miami Dolphins, which obviously cuts into a large portion of Spears’ playing time.

That being said, Spears could be in for a breakout game should Henry be forced to miss the game. Consider Spears as a high-upside pickup option in Week 14.

Honorable mentions:

  • Antonio Gibson (RB, Washington Commanders)
  • Keaton Mitchell (RB, Baltimore Ravens)
  • Quentin Johnston (WR, Los Angeles Chargers)
  • Gerald Everett (TE, Los Angeles Chargers)
  • Jonathan Mingo (WR, Carolina Panthers)

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.

View all posts by Reice Shipley