The running back injury bug has crept in as we close the season. David Montgomery and Nick Chubb are done for the year; others could face shutdown situations. Late rookie production allows players with quiet seasons to close the year positively. The Semifinals are a time for teams out of contention to stash young players who may have been dropped out of frustration. 

This article will discuss deep league waiver additions, focusing on Dynasty league formats. 

Players will fall into four primary categories: 

• Short-term Starters - Players capable of providing immediate production in deep leagues. 
• Proactive Pickups - Players who need the depth chart to be clear before them but are more available than other players in a similar role. 
• Deep Darts - Speculative players who have a chance at value.
• Dynasty Buys - Players whose values have changed, and the market may not have caught up.

Quarterback

Deep Darts

Carson Wentz, Kansas City (11% Sleeper rostered)

Many watching Redzone during Week 15 saw Patrick Mahomes II's ankle injury and the resulting "so that's where Carson Wentz went" after Mahomes left the game. 

Hypothetically, Wentz is a former top-end fantasy option that quality weapons would surround. In reality, we hardly felt comfortable starting the best quarterback on earth in our fantasy lineups.

If Mahomes is announced out, Wentz should be a priority add in Superflex leagues. He will likely settle as a fringe QB2 option. In deep leagues, starting quarterbacks come in late, especially in a potentially strong offensive environment, should be added.   

Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Cleveland (21% Sleeper rostered)

Why does Kevin Stefanski have to ruin our joy over something as frivolous as attempting to win football games? 

Jameis Winston has been a spark in all of our lives. From making Jerry Jeudy an elite fantasy wide receiver to giving interviews while looking at an imaginary camera, Winston is a firework. 

Unfortunately, Winston turns the ball over—a lot. Coaches loathe turnovers. Late in a game that the Browns would never win, Stefanski switched to Thompson-Robinson. 

With Winston in the lineup, every piece of the offense is in play. Jeudy is a Top 12 option. Jerome Ford is a league-winning running back after Nick Chubb's season-ending foot injury. David Njoku, Elijah Moore, and Cedric Tillman are all in play. 

Thompson-Robinson is a running quarterback who has averaged 140 yards passing per start. Maybe Jeudy can squeeze out enough to maintain WR3 status. The ceiling on the entire offense drops. 

But you know what we do in Superflex. Grab starting quarterbacks. 

Running Back

Short Term Starters

Kendre Miller, New Orleans (83% Sleeper rostered)

Miller quickly emerged as the complementary back to Alvin Kamara after Tysom Hill's injury. Since every Saint gets hurt, Miller could have a chance to be much more in Week 16. 

Kamara left Week 15 with a groin injury after a long touchdown catch. The initial early week read was a minor injury, though Kamara did not return. Miller handled the rest of the game, rushing for 46 yards on ten carries in the Saints' comeback effort. 

The Saints play on Monday night. An Atlanta win against the Giants or a Tampa Bay win over Dallas will eliminate the Saints from playoff contention. Outside of football players wanting to play football and Kamara's proximity to the 1,000 rushing yard milestone (he needs 50 yards), there could be little reason to risk further injury. Miller should see heavy volume, though a struggling Saints offense may fail to keep pace with the playoff-bound Packers. 

Proactive Pickups

Sione Vaki, Detroit (27% Sleeper rostered)
Craig Reynolds, Detroit (5% Sleeper rostered) 

David Montgomery's season-ending MCL tear is the low point of Week 15. 

The Lions have to pivot. The silver lining is that Jahmyr Gibbs has shown his capability in a feature-back role. Gibbs should be elite to close the season. 

But elite players need backups. This is a Dynasty article, and our Dynasty brains immediately jump to Vaki, the fourth-round pick in 2024's NFL draft. He is the exciting mystery box. 

Reynolds is the more likely answer. In his fourth season with the Lions, Reynolds has stepped up when asked in the past. The coaching staff loves him, and he had a starring role in the 2022 season of Hard Knocks, where the staff gushed about him. 

Vaki is likely sitting on some taxi squads. Reynolds is freely available. Gibbs managers with space should grab both. Vaki will be the better future stash. Reynolds has the better odds of hitting a Week 17 lineup. 

Deep Darts

Ty Johnson, Buffalo (37% Sleeper rostered) 

Johnson is an excellent RB3. The Bills value his contributions, and after a 114-yard receiving day in which the Bills continually generated mismatches and exploited Johnson downfield against linebackers, he leads James Cook and Ray Davis in running back receiving yards.

Johnson should be held in deep Bestball formats. Even with Cook or Davis out of the lineup, his volume and role would be inconsistent. Given Josh Allen's current play, a touchdown is always possible. 

DeeJay Dallas, Arizona (4% Sleeper rostered) 

Emari Demercado missed Week 15 with an injury. Trey Benson left Week 15 with an injury. Dallas would be the next man up. 

The Cardinals are comfortable adding touches to James Conner. Dallas is a deep-league speculative add, and if Benson or Demercado are available, he would still run behind them. 

Wide Receiver

Proactive Pickups

Malik Washington, Miami (57% Sleeper rostered) 

One Jaylen Waddle injury and one Odell Beckham Jr breakup, and Washington is suddenly a starting NFL wide receiver. 

Traditionally, backups have not seen production increases with Tyreek Hill or Waddle out of the lineup. Jonnu Smith's emergence and De'Von Achane's development make that even more unlikely. 

Washington could have an ace up his sleeve. 

The Dolphins' offense has primarily abandoned the deep elements of the passing attack in favor of generating run-after-the-catch opportunities. Washington excels in this area. We are far from feeling comfortable with Washington in a managed starting lineup. But in Dynasty and deeper Bestball formats, he should be added. 

Deep Darts

Devontez Walker, Baltimore (56% Sleeper rostered) 

Walker is the forgotten rookie. He was a raw prospect with tempting physical gifts, and the Ravens selected him towards the beginning of Round 4. "Day 2", representing Rounds 2 and 3, is typically viewed as the cutoff for Dynasty relevance, particularly at wide receiver. Round 4 is a lottery ticket. 

Walker is still in lottery ticket status. His contributions have been limited to special teams. Still, seeing him play and record his first reception and touchdown was encouraging.

Walker will likely be stashed on taxi squads and is a prime candidate to be cut in the post-rookie draft roster cull next spring. If he pops up again in the closing weeks, it will be worth monitoring. 

Tight End

Deep Darts

Ben Sinnott, Washington (81% Sleeper rostered) 

Unlike Walker, whose hype had cooled when he went Round 4, the draft was the jumping-off point for Sinnott. 

The next Sam LaPorta was attached to Sinnott after the Commanders added him to a tight end room viewed as wide open. Zach Ertz was the only known piece. 

The breakout did not happen. Sinnott spent most of the season behind Ertz and John Bates and did not record his first reception until Week 7. Ertz was forced out of Week 15 with a concussion, potentially opening the door for Sinnott to make a final impact. He has receptions in his last two games, a notable feat considering he has just five through 14 games. 

Rookie tight ends usually struggle, and Sinnott has time on his side. Monitor if he shows anything in Ertz's absence.