Dynasty Waivers of the Future: Week 15

My colleague Josh Fahlsing and I gaze into our crystal football each week to find players who may become popular waiver targets in the future, so you can pick them up now for next to nothing.

Sunday's games were stark reminders that backups can have sudden, significant relevance just in time for the fantasy playoffs. Daniel Jones's heartbreaking injury means Riley Leonard, whom Josh highlighted all the way back in Week 1, could be the starting quarterback for a contending NFL team for the rest of the season. Tyrod Taylor's groin injury could elevate Brady Cook, whom we highlighted in Week 9, into the starting role unless Justin Fields can return. 

At this point in the fantasy season, you're either looking for insurance policies in case injuries take down some of your starters, or you're looking for cheap bets on potential roles for next season. We have a little bit of each this week.

Josh: Looking for cheap bets on potential roles for next season is where I live this time of year, and that’s true no matter if my team is contending or rebuilding. Even for my contending teams, I’m deciding which current backup players on my roster might move on to bigger roles next year. 

Along the same lines, I go out of my way to try to make sure my high-value running backs are properly handcuffed. This time of year, you need to get a sense of which of your current handcuffs, like Tyler Allgeier, could be somewhere else in 2026, and whether their replacement is lurking even deeper on the team’s roster. 

Jeff: Let's get to our priority waiver-wire pickups. Which handcuff's handcuff are you targeting this week?

Dynasty Priority Pickups

RB Jaleel McLaughlin, Denver (39% Rostered)

Josh: McLaughlin is my priority pickup. Of all of the running backs I’m going to talk about today, he’s the one best-positioned to provide you with value this season and in the future. McLaughlin got off to a late start this season, but after J.K. Dobbins went down with a foot injury, McLaughlin has stepped up as a change of pace to RJ Harvey. McLaughlin isn’t posting gaudy stats, but he is a trusted player the coaching staff seems happy to use as we head into December.

Harvey will be back in 2026, but both McLaughlin and Dobbins are free agents. McLaughlin, who it feels like has been around Denver long enough to be little more than a ploy to motivate Tatum Bell, is a restricted free agent. However, he seems destined to stick around in a big enough role that he could have standalone value next year even if they bring in someone else to fill the Harvey handcuff role. In the meantime, any dynasty managers counting on Harvey in crunch time here in 2025 would do well to stash McLaughlin if they have a roster spot, even if they don’t believe he’ll hold reasonable value heading into next season.

Jeff, who's your top target of the week?

WR Ryan Flournoy, Dallas (22% Rostered)

Jeff: My top target was Dak Prescott's top target this week. A deep dart of mine back in Week 6, Flournoy led the Cowboys' receivers this week with 13 targets, catching 9 of them for a career-high 115 yards and the team's lone receiving touchdown. It was his second game with more than 100 receiving yards this season. True, his totals were boosted by CeeDee Lamb leaving the game with a concussion and George Pickens's lackluster performance, but Flournoy delivered when it counted. If nothing else, he should be rostered by managers who have Lamb or Pickens.

However, I'd argue that he has taken over the WR3 role. Jalen Tolbert has been targeted once since Week 8 and was a healthy scratch this week. KaVontae Turpin has not delivered what many, including myself, had hoped for when he was the third wide receiver, and he's since been outsnapped by Flournoy in six of the past seven games. Recently acquired Jonathan Mingo saw his first target as a Cowboy this week, and he did not catch it. Flournoy has earned more playing time for a prolific offense.

Looking toward next season, he will be playing on his rookie deal through 2027, making him an affordable option as the team works to re-sign Pickens. 

Dynasty Deep Darts