2. Sincere McCormick, Las Vegas Raiders
As of this writing, McCormick has not played a Week 15 Monday night game against the Atlanta Falcons. That looks like a tough matchup, but Atlanta has allowed more than 80 total yards to a running back in seven of their last eight games. Even with Alexander Mattison set to return to action Monday night, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has consistently committed to McCormick as the lead back.
As long as McCormick makes it through Monday night healthy, his matchups in Week 16 and 17 are impossible to ignore. The Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints entered Week 15 in the bottom-six of the league in fantasy points allowed to running backs (Yahoo! scoring, 0.5-point PPR), and it's highly unlikely the Raiders will be forced into a pass-heavy game script in either game.
Players on bad teams can help win people fantasy leagues. McCormick has the floor based on his role and the upside of nice Week 16 and 17 matchups to do just that.
ESPN Ownership: 32.7%
Yahoo! Ownership: 44%
Update, Dec. 17, 10:43 a.m. ET: McCormick indeed was unable to finish the game against the Falcons due to ankle injury. So proceed accordingly. Mattison (37.4 percent rostered in ESPN leagues, 37 percent rostered in Yahoo! leagues) is a potential pivot.
1. Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns
Ford's playing time has trended up in recent weeks, putting him on the waiver wire radar in deeper leagues. A 62-yard touchdown accounted for a big chunk of his 84 rushing yards Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, as he added two catches for 20 yards.
But in a bigger development, Browns running back Nick Chubb suffered a broken foot against the Chiefs and is out for the rest of the season barring something unforeseen.
When Chubb was out at the start of the season, as he worked his way back from his torn ACL last season, Ford played at least 75 percent of Cleveland's offensive snaps in three of the first four games. He had at least 64 total yards in all four, with at least 25 receiving yards and at least three catches in three of them.
D'Onta Foreman, who has been a healthy scratch since Chubb returned, is a potential fly in Ford's fantasy ointment. But Ford should be the lead back in good matchups against the Cincinnati Bengals (Week 16) and Miami Dolphins (Week 17).
The prospect of Ford seeing 20 touches per game in an offense that had previously looked functional makes him a top waiver wire add this week, and gives him the edge as the No. 1 add for Montgomery fantasy managers who are now in need of a replacement.
ESPN Ownership: 32.4%
Yahoo! Ownership: 43%