Fantasy Football Today – "Waiver Wire! Mike Evans, Greg Dortch, Isaac TeSlaa, Devin Singletary and More" (12/02/2025)

Hosts: Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, Jamie Eisenberg
Theme: Key waiver wire pickups and strategies for Week 14 and beyond as fantasy playoffs begin.

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the most important waiver wire adds for Week 14 of the fantasy football season, with an eye toward the playoffs. Adam, Dave, and Jamie discuss priority pickups from running backs to wide receivers and tight ends, hand out FAB (Free Agent Budget) advice, break down injury news, and rank position-by-position pickups for various league depths. The tone is engaging, opinionated, and full of the inside jokes and debates that make FFT a favorite for fantasy managers.

“Week 14 is here and the FFT Open playoffs are starting. So by the way, if you are not in the top four in your FFT Open division, please do not make any transactions or I will rip my eyeballs out.”
—Adam (01:23)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Waiver Wire Landscape and Strategy

• Importance of this week: Both Dave and Jamie agree this is “a really good waiver wire week, especially compared to last week.” There’s depth at WR and some running backs emerging (02:19–03:09).
• Roster % nuances: Several players are more available on ESPN or Yahoo than in CBS leagues—keepers need to look at their specific platform’s ownership rates.
• Position scarcity drives priorities: “It’s just about getting running back depth or you’re desperate… It’s position scarcity for [Rodriguez] to be at the top of the list. It’s not about talent.”—Dave (05:58)

Top Waiver Priorities (Week 14 and Playoffs)

Running Backs

• Chris Rodriguez: “Still at the top of the list… just the best of what's available for depth” (04:54; 05:58)
• Devin Singletary: “If you need somebody for the playoffs, I would just skip past Chris Rodriguez and go get Singletary first.”—Jamie (10:36)
• Jordan Mason (if available): “Should be the number one player to add if he’s available because of what his chances are.”—Jamie (09:30)
• Other deep adds: Donovan Knight, Michael Carter, Chuba Hubbard.

Wide Receivers

• Mike Evans: Both crown him the #1 add where possible. “Mike Evans is number one, and it's not close.”—Jamie (06:20)
• Greg Dortch: Prized add if Marvin Harrison Jr. sits. “If [Harrison] sits, then Dortch is great. I agree.”—Dave (06:48)
• Isaac TeSlaa: High-upside one-week streamer. “I like that upside potential… I'll take the chance for one week.”—Jamie (08:29)
• Jaden Higgins, Adonai Mitchell, Devon Vae, Michael Wilson (if available): All worthy in certain formats, with upside and target share discussed at length (07:54; 34:39).
• Chris Godwin: Noted as more available on some platforms; worth adding if Evans remains out.

Tight Ends

• Brenton Strange: "At the top of the list for me. 10.5+ PPR points in each of his past four full games."—Dave (40:41)
• Dalton Schultz: "There's a gap, Harold Fannin is third."—Dave (40:41)
• Dalton Kincaid: Must add if available and healthy.

Quarterbacks

• Jacoby Brissett, Trevor Lawrence, Jaden Daniels in shallow leagues; Marcus Mariota, Tyrod Taylor, Tyler Shough in deeper leagues (28:52).
• “If Trevor Lawrence is available, I still go get him.”—Jamie (28:52)
• “If you need a QB in Week 14, [Mariota’s] the best there is.”—Dave (66:02)

Defenses/Kickers

• Buccaneers DST, Commanders, Dolphins, Chiefs: All worth streaming (41:28)
• Evan McPherson (k): "Fantastic last two games… 36 points in his last two.”—Jamie (42:35)

FAB (Free Agent Budget) Strategy [17:36–22:33]

• Save to be a playoff 'bully': “If you don't need a player and you're in the playoffs, don’t waste money… be a bully if you can” —Adam (17:36).
• Only spend big if the player is a difference-maker (e.g., Mike Evans, Devin Singletary, Jordan Mason if available).
• Compare your remaining budget to league mates: “Check what everybody else's budget is…”—Jamie (18:47).

Who's Worth More Than 5% FAB? (21:24)

• Mike Evans, Adonai Mitchell, Brenton Strange, Jordan Mason (if available), Chuba Hubbard.

“Maybe Evans should be the priority anyway because… even if you miss on Dortch and Higgins, you can still get Vale or TeSlaa.”—Dave (35:18)

Position-by-Position Rankings

Quarterbacks (28:52)

• Top Streamers: Marcus Mariota, Tyrod Taylor, Tyler Shough (“not pretty” week, but viable in a pinch).
• Shallow league: Jacoby Brissett, Trevor Lawrence, Jaden Daniels

Running Backs (29:36)

• 1. Chris Rodriguez
• 2. Devin Singletary
• 3. Michael Carter (“It’s gross after that.”—Dave)
• Jordan Mason/Donovan Knight/Chuba Hubbard—all preferred if available.

Wide Receivers (31:25)

• 1. Mike Evans
• 2. Greg Dortch (excellent if MHJ sits)
• 3. Isaac TeSlaa (one-week upside play)
• Alternates: Higgins, Mitchell, Vale (see in-depth debate at 34:39 and 71:13)

Tight Ends (40:41)

• 1. Brenton Strange
• 2. Dalton Schultz
• 3. Harold Fannin Jr.
• Dalton Kincaid—add if available.

DSTs & Kickers (41:28; 42:35)

• DSTs: Buccaneers > Commanders > Dolphins > Chiefs
• Kickers: “Evan McPherson, Harrison Mevis, Fairbairn all strong options.” (42:35)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Mike Evans:
  “If you need someone to help you win your league, Mike Evans is number one and it's not close.” —Jamie (09:09)
• Evaluating Waiver Wire Picks:
  “We're looking at guys that... popped up and done some things for a week or two and then they tend to disappear, unfortunately.” —Jamie (36:44)
• On Greg Dortch’s upside:
  “He averaged, he scored over 16 PPR points in each of the two games that he played without [Marvin] Harrison.”—Jamie (08:29)
• On handcuffs and playoff stashes:
  “I just put almost all the prominent handcuffs in there of guys to go get on your roster.”—Jamie (18:54)
• On trusting upside in the playoffs:
  “I'm attaching Tesla to my team because he's attached to one of the best offenses in football... There's huge upside there.” —Jamie (38:47)

Key Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------|---------------| | Waiver wire importance & landscape | 02:08–03:09 | | Top shallow-league waivers (WR/RB/QB) | 03:54–04:54 | | Chris Rodriguez vs. other RBs | 04:54–06:18 | | Jamie’s & Dave’s top 3 priorities | 06:20–10:10 | | Discussion of Mike Evans as a stash | 11:42–14:10 | | FAB strategy & “Fabigy” | 17:36–22:33 | | Top 3 at each position for Week 14 | 28:52–33:44 | | Deep-league/dart-throw WRs | 34:39–38:05 | | In-depth reasoning on WR rankings | 40:27–44:46 | | Drop-o-meter discussion | 59:26–64:14 | | Handcuffs and playoff stashes | 64:20–65:43 | | Final ranking/advice round-up | 65:43–67:04 |

Additional Insights

• Injury landscape: The crew notes significant injuries to key WRs—Marvin Harrison Jr., Amon-Ra St. Brown, T. Higgins—and discusses their ripple effects on waiver-wire WRs (26:51).
• Handcuff strategy: Going into playoffs, prioritize high-upside RB stashes like Ollie Gordon, Keaton Mitchell, Ray Davis, Malik Davis (64:29; 68:51).
• DSTs & Playoff Planning: If clinched, add/swap DSTs for weeks 15–17 based on future matchups, not just this week (41:44).
• Shallow/deep league variations: The guys continuously note how league size/platform impacts recommended pickups.
• Camaraderie & Fantasy Cops: Adam’s stern warning on “no transactions if you missed the playoffs” and the IR spot debate add fun (01:23, 14:22).

Memorable Moments

• Ongoing debate about the right number of IR spots:
  “Five is excessive.” – Jamie; “It’s not excessive!...those can fill up quickly.” – Adam (14:25)
• Adam threatening dire consequences if eliminated teams make waiver moves:
  “Please, for the love of Pete, do not make any AD drops if you have not made the playoffs.” (24:48)
• Team name gold:
  “Mavis and Butker.” (43:19)
  “Both of their first names are Harrison… Mevis and Butker. Oh, my goodness.” (78:36)
• Heartbreaking FFT Open playoff exits:
  “I was 6 and 1. I lost six in a row.” – Dave (44:07)

Summary for Listeners

This episode arms fantasy managers with focused waiver wire advice tailored for Week 14 and the playoff run. With key injuries tilting opportunity, the hosts urge you to pounce on Mike Evans if available, target upside one-week WR plays like Dortch/TeSlaa, and insulate your rosters with high-upside RB handcuffs. Use FAB wisely—spend big only on difference makers and track your league’s budgets for efficient bidding. If streaming, attack favorable DST/kicker matchups and prioritize playoff-forward moves. The episode’s blend of tactical insight, rankings debates, and humor makes it a must-listen—or read—for anyone looking to win their league.

For full position-by-position breakdowns, injury impacts, and FAB percentages, skip to timestamps in the table above. For weekly laughter and listener camaraderie, the IR spot and playoff heartbreak segments are always a treat!