5 Players To Stash Ahead of Week 15 (Ep. 1897)

Summary

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FantasyPros: 5 Players To Stash Ahead of Week 15 (Ep. 1897)

Host: Lucas Wentzel
Date: December 13, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into actionable fantasy football strategy for the 2025 playoffs, with host Lucas Wentzel revealing his top five players (and one defense) to stash ahead of Week 15. The goal: help listeners secure an edge for the final waiver runs of the season and make deep playoff pushes, whether fighting for a ring or avoiding a last-place punishment. Lucas focuses on high-upside handcuffs and potential breakout players rostered in less than 30% of leagues.

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Key Takeaways & Discussion Points

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1. Brian Robinson (RB, San Francisco 49ers)

• Rostered in: 30% of leagues
• Timestamp: [01:06] – [03:40]
• Summary:
  • Robinson is positioned as the premium handcuff behind Christian McCaffrey.
  • He's recently averaged over seven carries per game and is the clear next man up due to the absence of meaningful competition.
  • Other top handcuffs—like David Montgomery and Blake Corum—are widely rostered, but Robinson remains available.
  • Contingency angle: If McCaffrey were to miss time, “it’s worth having your CMC insurance policy locked down” ([03:03]), and Robinson would see a massive workload in an elite offense.
  • Not just for McCaffrey managers; Robinson is “a stash for anyone with a bench spot” ([03:33]).

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2. Tank Bigsby (RB, Philadelphia Eagles)

• Rostered in: 13% of leagues
• Timestamp: [03:41] – [05:21]
• Summary:
  • Even with the Eagles’ underwhelming rushing attack, Bigsby is a prime stash with a soft end-of-season schedule (Raiders, Commanders, Bills—each in the top 10 for points allowed to RBs).
  • Bigsby gets contingency value: “I think Tank Bigsby gets the majority of the 16 to 17 carries that Saquon Barkley is averaging per game” if Barkley were sidelined ([04:40]).
  • Will Shipley’s role is strictly as a receiving back, further solidifying Bigsby’s upside if elevated to the lead runner.
  • Advice to listeners: Even non-Barkley managers should consider Bigsby for the “contingent upside stash” ([05:00]).

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3. Jalen Coker (WR, Carolina Panthers)

• Rostered in: 9% of leagues
• Timestamp: [05:22] – [06:38]
• Summary:
  • Coker blossomed prior to the Panthers’ Week 14 bye, ranking as WR20 over the three-game sample.
  • Solid if unspectacular stat line: 11 catches, 158 yards, 1 TD on 14 targets in that span.
  • Panthers QB Bryce Young is surging, “trailing only Dak Prescott in passer rating and highly accurate throw percentage,” with two top-five fantasy finishes in three games, bolstering Coker’s outlook ([05:55]).
  • Favorable Week 16 matchup vs Tampa Bay, with the division still very much in play for the Panthers.
  • Contingency upside: If Tee McMillan goes down, Coker’s role becomes even more valuable.

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4. Ray Davis (RB, Buffalo Bills)

• Rostered in: 9% of leagues
• Timestamp: [06:39] – [08:10]
• Summary:
  • Don’t chase the box scores: Davis has six games with zero carries; the appeal is pure handcuff upside if James Cook goes down.
  • Buffalo’s backup RB situation is fluid, with Ty Johnson still in the mix, but Davis projects for “the majority of the 19 carries James Cook is averaging per game” should the opportunity arise ([07:40]).
  • Cites last year’s 20-carry, 97-yard, 55-receiving-yard, RB13 finish in a spot start.
  • This is about “getting your insurance policy stashed now, or be a menace and stash your league mates’ handcuffs to benefit you” ([08:06]).

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5. Isaiah Likely (TE, Baltimore Ravens)

• Rostered in: 19% of leagues
• Timestamp: [08:11] – [09:34]
• Summary:
  • Likely has produced back-to-back top-10 TE weeks, with 6 targets per game, 95 yards one week and a TD the next.
  • Faces the Bengals next, who “as mentioned above, Isaiah Likely went for 95 yards against and finished as the tight end nine on the week” ([08:50]).
  • Baltimore’s postseason schedule is soft for tight ends: Patriots in Week 16 and Packers in Week 17 have both struggled to contain the position.
  • Great stash for fantasy managers streaming at tight end or seeking playoff upside.

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6. Atlanta Falcons DST

• Rostered in: 18% of leagues
• Timestamp: [09:35] – [10:19]
• Summary:
  • The Falcons have generated 5+ sacks in four of their last six games and have a juicy matchup in Week 16 (vs Cardinals, a top defense matchup per points allowed).
  • Lucas: “This Falcons unit... will be overlooked until everyone reads their weekly streaming articles for week 16. So now’s the time to outwork your league mates in every facet of fantasy football” ([10:08]).
  • Defensive streaming is key during playoff weeks—stash ahead of the rush.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On handcuffs:

  • “The 49ers may have only traded a 6th round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for B Rob but they did so with the exact intention that we are stashing Brian Robinson for.” ([02:27])
  • “Why wait until we have another scare similar to Devon H’s last week to roster your handcuff running back? Get your insurance policy stashed now...” ([08:02])

• Bold advocacy for stashing:

  • “Sometimes with stashing players you just need to look at the current weak matchup, predict it to be a smash spot, and beat your league mates to the waiver wire before the game even happens.” (on Isaiah Likely, [08:28])

• On staying ahead:

  • “Every edge matters in the fantasy football playoffs, right? That includes stashing defenses with juicy upcoming matchups.” ([09:36])

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Main Players & Teams Discussed (with Segments)

| Player | Team | Segment Start | |----------------------|-------------------------|---------------| | Brian Robinson | SF 49ers (RB) | 01:06 | | Tank Bigsby | PHI Eagles (RB) | 03:41 | | Jalen Coker | CAR Panthers (WR) | 05:22 | | Ray Davis | BUF Bills (RB) | 06:39 | | Isaiah Likely | BAL Ravens (TE) | 08:11 | | Atlanta Falcons DST | Atlanta Falcons (DST) | 09:35 |

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Summary Table: Waiver Wire Stash List

| Player | Position | Team | Roster % | Playoff Value | |---------------------|----------|------------------|----------|-----------------------------------------| | Brian Robinson | RB | SF 49ers | 30% | Top insurance for CMC, clear handcuff | | Tank Bigsby | RB | PHI Eagles | 13% | Best backup for Barkley, soft schedule | | Jalen Coker | WR | CAR Panthers | 9% | WR2 upside, offense heating up | | Ray Davis | RB | BUF Bills | 9% | Handcuff to James Cook, big role if needed | | Isaiah Likely | TE | BAL Ravens | 19% | Closing stretch: soft matchups, great form | | Atlanta Falcons DST | DEF | ATL Falcons | 18% | Week 16 streamer vs ARI, sack upside |

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Actionable Advice

• Proactively add these stashes—don’t wait for injuries or breakout games.
• Look ahead to favorable fantasy playoff matchups, not just immediate need.
• Consider stashing for both personal insurance and in hopes of weakening your opponents.

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Final Thoughts

Lucas hammers home that the margin for victory in the fantasy playoffs is razor-thin: “Every edge matters.” Whether holding high-upside handcuffs, emerging wideouts, or the best streaming defenses, make your moves before your competition gets wise.

Go check your waiver wire—these stashes could make all the difference!

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Transcript

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We have arrived in the 2025 fantasy football playoffs, but that does not mean you can stop outworking your league mates because you still have a fantasy football championship to win. Or maybe you're just trying to actively avoid your league's punishment. I'm Lucas Wentzel here with Fantasy Pros Though, bringing you my top five waiver wire stashes ahead of week 15 to continue out working your league mates and ahead of next week's waiver run as well. Before we dive into that list of players though, we've got a special deal going on for you. All right now, unlock a month of Betting Pros Premium for free. Download the Betting Pros app today and use promo code FP1MONTH. Get access to tools like the same Game Parlay tool, the Prop Bet analyzer, and the PricePicks Prop Bet cheat sheet. Don't miss out. Try it 100% free from one month now available both on iOS and Android. So starting off our list this week is San Francisco 49ers running back Brian Robinson, who is rostered in 30% of leagues. Since I talked about Brian Robinson last week, his roster percentage has actually dipped by 1% and that should not be happening because B Rob is as premium of a handcuff stash as they come. We all know how insanely good Christian McCaffrey is, and I won't be trying to convince you of outright standalone value here for Brian Robinson. But before the buy, we did start to see Brian Robinson get filtered more into this run game. He has seven plus carries in five of his last seven games and is currently riding a four game streak with at least seven carries. You look at the team's depth chart as well. Behind B Rob, it's Isaac Arundo and Jordan James, and neither of those running backs have a single touch this year, so we clearly know who the backup is. The next man up is behind Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers may have only traded a 6th round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for B Rob but they did so with the exact intention that we are stashing Brian Robinson for. And you look at the state of other handcuffs for the top fantasy football running backs. Obviously David Montgomery is rostered everywhere behind Jameer Gibbs, Devon Achan Jalen Wright was one of the most popular waiver wire ads this past week. Bijan Robinson Tyler Algier is rostered in 45% of leagues. Kyron Williams Blake Corum he's rostered in 58% of leagues. I completely understand that David Montgomery, Blake Corum and Tyler Algier have much more standalone value than Brian Robinson, but you see the upside these running backs possess when they get opportunities in their respective backfields. Same goes for B Rob. If anything were to happen to Christian McCaffrey down the stretch for the fantasy playoffs when everything is on the line, it's worth having your CMC insurance policy locked down. And even if you aren't a CMC manager, I think B ROP should be rostered in well more than 50% of leagues. The second player on our list is Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby, who is rostered in 13% of leagues. I already did a rundown on the premier handcuffs with Brian Robinson and I know the Eagles run game has been less than stellar this year, but I still want Tank Bigsby stashed. You look at the end of season schedule coming up for the Philadelphia Eagles. It's the Las Vegas Raiders this week. You have the Washington Commanders in Week 16 and then the Buffalo Bills in Week 17. All three of those teams are top 10 in schedule adjusted fantasy points allowed to running backs over the last five weeks per draft Sharks. It's the fourth easiest schedule remaining for running backs rest of season. Saquon had his second best outing of the year against the Los Angeles Chargers last week, averaging over six yards per carry. So with this soft of a schedule coming up, it's worth investing in Tank Bigsby as if the Eagles run game has solved bulk of its problems. Now don't hear what I am not saying. I am not saying it 100% has. But similar to another running back we'll be talking about later, I think Tank Bigsby gets the majority of the 16 to 17 carries that Saquon Barkley is averaging per game. And will Shipley functions as this change of base receiving back should anything happen to Saquon Barkley rest of season. I get it if you feel like Saquon just hasn't been good enough for you to roster his handcuff, but if you're not the Saquon manager and you do have an extra bench spot. I do like Tank Bigsby as a contingent Upside stash Next up on our list is Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker, who is rostered in 9% of leagues. It's taken a bit for Jalen Coker to get rolling here, but in the three weeks leading up to the Panthers Week 14 bye, Coker was the wide receiver 20 in half PPR formats. It wasn't anything flashy 11 catches on 14 targets for 158 yards and a score. But what I really want to capitalize on is how well Bryce Young was playing during that stretch in Weeks 1113 per fantasy points data, Bryce Young trailed only Dak Prescott in passer rating and highly accurate throw percentage and that led to a 5.3% completion percentage over expectation for Bryce Young, and he was averaging 21 and a half fantasy points per game with two top five finishes in those three games. So you take a look at the schedule coming up and you really don't mind seeing the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the Panthers next two matchups. New Orleans isn't exactly a quote unquote favorable matchup on paper, but you do love Tampa bay in week 16. The other thing that favors this offense is that they are they're very much in playoff contention because they share a 76 record with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are at top of the NFC South. If this offense keeps clicking and finds themselves in competitive ball games down the stretch, that's only to the benefit of Jalen Coker with the division on the line. And you do have some contingent upside here as well. If anything does happen to tea McMillan, the next player we're going to talk about is Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis, who is also rostered in only 9% of leagues. Don't bother checking the box score for Ray Davis, all right? Because you are definitely going to be disappointed. He has six games with zero goose egg carries this season, but as you can guess, I'm not interested in Ray Davis for his standalone value. With James Cook ranking as the RB6 overall in half PPR formats this year, this is another premier handcuff stash that needs to be to be rostered. Now I will say the backup role for James Cook isn't as cut and dry for the Bills as it is for a team like the San Francisco 49ers. Ty Johnson is still very much in the picture here, playing anywhere from 20 to 40% of snaps each week, but should anything happen to the running back that trails Jonathan Taylor by only 48 rushing yards, less than 50 rushing yards right now I would guess that Ray Davis gets the majority of the 19 carries James Cook is averaging per game and Ty Johnson is the change of pace punch for this backfield. Last season we were able to get a small taste of Ray Davis in the lead back role for this Buffalo Bills offense. I know the 2024 and 2025 seasons are two different seasons, but last year in Week 6 against the New York jets when James Cook was out with a toe injury, Ray Davis logged 20 carries for 97 yards and he caught all three of his targets for 55 yards. Finished with 18.2 PPR fantasy points on the afternoon which was good for the RB13 on the week. Again, the Tyler Algiers, the Blake Corums, the Emmanuel Wilson's, the Jalen Wrights are all rostered in over 30% of leagues. Why wait until we have another scare similar to Devon H's last week to roster your handcuff running back, get your insurance policy stashed now or be a medicine stash your league mates handcuffs to benefit you eventually down the line. Coming in next we have Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely who is rostered in 19% of leagues. The sometimes with stashing players you just need to look at the current weak matchup, predict it to be a smash spot and beat your league mates to the waiver wire before the game even happens. That's exactly the case here for Isaiah Likely. Likely is actually giving you back to back weeks as a top 10 tight end with 12 and a half PPR fantasy points in each week. Two weeks of six targets, one week with 95 yards and another with a touchdown. And now you get a smash spot of all smash spots with the Cincinnati Bengals who as mentioned above, Isaiah likely went for 95 yards against and finished as the tight end nine on the week. But we don't talk about stashes just for their one singular upcoming game. We make sure to look ahead at the future value they possess as well. In Baltimore they have the second easiest schedule for tight ends rest of season according to draft sharks. Yet the patriots in week 16 who are top 10 in schedule adjusted fantasy points allowed to tight ends. And then you get the packers in week 17 who have shown they can be susceptible to the tight end position this year. If Lamar Jackson is getting back on track then Likely could be a pass catcher that benefits from that. So I like getting Likely stashed now, especially if you have been streaming tight ends all season to close out our list I do want to make sure I highlight another defense 2 stash for the fantasy football playoffs and this week I want to touch on the Atlanta Falcons, who are rostered in only 18% of leagues. Every edge matters in the fantasy football playoffs, right? That includes stashing defenses with juicy upcoming matchups. Last week I talked about the New Orleans Saints because, well, every game between weeks 15 to 17 for them is a great matchup. But this week I want to focus specifically on Week 16. The Falcons defense is really getting after the quarterback right now. They've racked up five plus sacks in four of their last six games. Add in that going into Week 13, the Cardinals were adding 4.3 points per game on average to opposing defenses. Fantasy scores this Falcons unit. They'll be overlooked until everyone reads their weekly streaming articles for week 16. So now's the time to outwork your league mates in every facet of fantasy football by getting the Falcons defense specifically stashed away. And there you have it. My top six waiver wire stashes ahead of week 15. Go ahead and check your waiver wire right now. Make sure none of these players or defenses are currently available. 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