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Pickups of the Week: Denard Robinson, A.J. McCarron, many Seahawks

Each week, we identify six players to target on fantasy waiver wires, plus a lightly owned team defense. These fantasy assets are all available in a majority of Yahoo leagues. Add as needed.

Denard Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars, 3% owned

The list of NFL players who suffered injuries in Week 14 is long, terrible, and full of fantasy-relevant names. Among them, we find Jacksonville's starting running back, T.J. Yeldon. The rookie sprained his left knee in Sunday's blowout win, leaving his status very much in doubt for an upcoming home match-up with Atlanta, a doomed, lifeless team. In Yeldon's absence on Sunday, Denard Robinson roasted the Indianapolis defense for 87 total yards and one score on 15 touches. Here's the highlight run, a 31-yard gain that showcased pretty much every trait you want to see in a starting back; here's D-Rob's 1-yard touchdown plunge, a play in which he dodged an untouched D'Qwell Jackson, the NFL's leader in tackles. All things considered, it was a terrific day for Robinson. We don't yet have a clear understanding of the severity of Yeldon's injury, but, as of this writing, it seems likely that Jacksonville will feature Robinson in Week 15. You certainly can't argue with the quality of the matchup. Go get him.

FAAB bid: You really have FAAB remaining? Good job. Spend all of it. ($100 budget)

Tim Hightowe, back in our fantasy plans. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
Tim Hightowe, back in our fantasy plans. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)

Tim Hightower, RB, New Orleans Saints, 41%

Hightower is long gone in most competitive 10 and 12-team formats, because news of Mark Ingram's season-ending injury broke last week. But we nonetheless need to feature him here, as he remains un-owned in a majority of Yahoo leagues. Adds don't get much more obvious than this. Hightower isn't exactly the flashiest back in the game, but he handled a massive workload for the Saints in the win at Tampa, gaining 95 scrimmage yards on 29 touches. The last time he'd seen such a significant workload in an NFL game was ... well, never. And his last 20-touch game was way back in September of 2011, before the ACL injury. C.J. Spiller had little more than a cameo role in Week 14, playing only 15 snaps. Without question, the New Orleans back you want to own is Hightower. He gets a pair of home matchups in Weeks 15-16, facing the Lions and Jags. This will serve your last call on the vet. Again, we're not talking about a guy who makes wow-plays, but he's a high-volume back tied to a productive offense.

FAAB bid: All. Of. It. Every dollar. It's Week 15, people.

DuJuan Harris Bryce Brown & Fred Jackson, RBs, Seattle Seahawks, 1% and 5%

Yup, the injury replacements just keep comin'. Seattle running back Thomas Rawls suffered a season-ending ankle injury on Sunday, an awful ending to one of the season's best fantasy (and reality) stories. With Rawls out of the mix and Marshawn Lynch not expected to return just yet, the Seahawks' backfield touches are likely to be shared by a 34-year-old veteran (Jackson) and the newly reacquired Bryce Brown, an old friend/flame of the fantasy community. F-Jax had a relatively quiet afternoon on Sunday, receiving only eight touches and gaining just 23 scrimmage yards — not a huge uptick from his usual workload, really. He's likely to fill his typical workload. DuJuan Harris actually dominated the carries (18), but did very little with a substantial workload (42 yards, fumble, no TDs); he's since been waived. Brown figures to take over as the primary early-down runner, and he draws an exceedingly friendly matchup in Week 15 when the Seahawks host the Browns. Cleveland's run defense ranks No. 29 in the league, allowing 131.3 rushing yards per game and 4.5 per carry. Thus, Brown's name belongs among your weekly waiver claims, behind Robinson and Hightower. Jackson is Plan D.

FAAB bids: $16 and $9

Tyler Lockett, after yet another touchdown. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)
Tyler Lockett, after yet another touchdown. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks, 37% owned

We've already recommended Lockett many times, in many places. He's a bad dude, a dynamic big-play specialist capable of scoring from distance on any touch. Russell Wilson has targeted Lockett seven times in each of Seattle's last two games, and the rookie has hauled in 13 of 14 chances for 194 yards and two spikes. Next week's matchup is a gift, as the Browns visit CenturyLink Field. Cleveland's pass defense is basically as generous as its run D, allowing a whopping 8.1 yards per pass attempt. Assuming Lockett sees another 5-7 chances in Week 14, he's likely to again finish as a top-30 fantasy wide receiver. If you have a need at the position, he's probably the biggest talent on your waiver wire.

FAAB bid: $16

Zach Miller, TE, Chicago Bears, 30%

Miller has found the end-zone five times over his last six games — sometimes in spectacular fashion — and he won't lack for targets with Martellus Bennett done for the year. There's little question that Miller has clicked with Bears quarterback Jay Cutler — and when you're in Cutty's circle of trust, he'll target you without regard to coverage. Miller is in line for 6-9 chances per week down the stretch, which should land him easily inside the top-12 at his position.

FAAB bid: $8

A.J. McCarron, for those who are truly desperate. (Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images)
A.J. McCarron, for those who are truly desperate. (Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images)

A.J. McCarron, QB, Cincinnati Bengals, 1%

To be clear, we are not — repeat: NOT — suggesting that you start McCarron over an upper-tier QB, nor over any of this season's waiver gems (Tyrod, Fitz, Bortles, et al). But if you're a deep league owner who just lost Andy Dalton (thumb) to injury, there's a very good chance that McCarron is your best bet for a big stat-line in the fantasy semi-finals. You can't be too eager to start, say, Johnny Manziel at Seattle, or Case Keenum anywhere.

There's a wide range of possible outcomes with McCarron, no doubt, but he's working with an outstanding receiving corps, and he clearly understands the whole chuck-it-deep-to-A.J.-Green thing. McCarron tossed two TD passes to teammates on Sunday and one to the opposition, so, again, we may not see a quarterbacking clinic from A.J. at San Francisco next Sunday. But the matchup isn't too scary, and the weapons at his disposal are tremendous. The Niners rank No. 27 against the pass and allow 8.1 yards per attempt.

FAAB bid: $8

Minnesota Vikings, 19%

Minnesota will be coming off 10 days of rest heading into Sunday's home tilt against the fading Bears, so, with any luck, the defense will have a few of its injured starters (Barr & Co.) back in the fold. Jay Cutler has had a quality season for Chicago, but it's never a surprise to see him give the ball away. The Vikings D currently ranks as a top-10 unit in terms of points (19.6 PPG) and passing yards allowed (231.8 YPG), so we're talking about a quality group, when everyone is upright. If you're streaming defenses in the fantasy postseason, look to the north.

FAAB bid: $1

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