Fantasy Football Week 14 WR Waiver Wire: How to replace Tank Dell before 2023 playoffs

Week 14 of the 2023 fantasy football is the final week before the start of the playoffs in most leagues. The majority of formats host their playoff bracket between Weeks 15 and 17, so many managers are making their final postseason preparations. Building the best lineup possible for this crucial stage of the fantasy season will often include making wise additions from the waiver wire.

With the trade deadline having already passed in most fantasy leagues, the waiver wire is basically the only tool available to improve rosters. It is also the best way to replace injured players or those struggling to post valuable fantasy scores. One of the most popular positions to target in this process is the wide receiver, as it is always the deepest position.

More players in this position are capable of posting useful fantasy output than in any other. As NFL teams continue to feature several WRs in their offensive schemes, new players emerge as lineup targets each week. This is magnified even further when fantasy stars suffer injuries, giving new players opportunities at expanded roles and creating more demand in fantasy football.

One of the most notable injuries during Week 13 is Tank Dell, who is unfortunately out for the remainder of the 2023 NFL season. He has been one of the biggest breakout stars of this fantasy football season. Amari Cooper, Christian Watson, and Marquise Brown also suffered injuries this week. Managers counting on any of them in the fantasy playoffs this year will now have to scramble for a replacement.

The following list of wide receivers makes for the best waiver wire targets in Week 14. They should be considered by all managers looking to replace injured players and those seeking to improve their overall rosters before the start of the 2023 fantasy football playoffs. All of these options are available in more than 50 percent of all leagues entering Week 14.

Top Fantasy Football WR Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14

Week 14 WR waiver wire

#1. Elijah Moore

The Cleveland Browns made another quarterback change for their most recent game when they named Joe Flacco their starter. He represents their fourth starting quarterback this season and third since losing Deshaun Watson to a season-ending shoulder injury. They are now dealing with an injury to their clear WR1 in Amari Cooper, who suffered a reported concussion last week.

The majority of players who have suffered concussions this season have been forced to miss at least one game, putting Cooper's availability in jeopardy. This makes Elijah Moore one of the best wide receivers to target in fantasy football this week, especially considering their lack of depth at the position. He also turned in one of his most productive games of the year last week, further improving his outlook.

In his first game with Flacco at quarterback, Moore set season-highs with 12 targets and 83 yards. He has already recorded at least seven targets in nine of his 12 games this year, so volume hasn't been the issue. Following a promising performance in Flacco's first game, paired with Cooper potentially missing time, Moore may finally be ready to break out of his disappointing season so far.

#2. Noah Brown

The Houston Texans received devastating news this week when Tank Dell suffered a season-ending injury. He has been one of the most explosive wide receivers in the NFL this year and has emerged as a fantasy star. He has been a reliable staple in many fantasy football lineups with a massive weekly upside, but he will now need to be replaced moving forward.

Fantasy managers should seriously consider replacing Dell with the same player that the Texans are likely to replace him with. Noah Brown received extended playing time earlier this season and is expected to do so again moving forward with Dell out of the lineup. Brown turned in massive fantasy football production in his previous opportunity, making him an attractive waiver wire target.

Noah Brown has only exceeded five targets in two games this season, but he made both of them count in a major way for fantasy football. Those two games resulted in the finishes of WR3 and WR6 in PPR leagues. This gives him incredible upside for the remainder of the 2023 season, with a more active role in one of the most high-powered passing offenses in the NFL this year.

#3. Demario Douglas

The New England Patriots have been desperate for playmakers in their offense this season, especially at the wide receiver position. This issue worsened when their top target, Kendrick Bourne, suffered a season-ending injury. Bourne was also their only wide receiver with fantasy football relevance this year, profiling as a WR3 on many rosters.

With the Patriots in need of a new WR1, Demario Douglas appeared to be solidifying himself in that new role. Prior to missing his most recent game with a concussion, he had recorded at least four receptions and six targets in each of his past five consecutive games. He also finished among the top 35 wide receivers in PPR leagues for four of those games, suggesting he directly replaced Bourne's vacant production.

With the Patriots owning one of the worst passing offenses in the entire NFL, Douglas' fantasy football upside is a bit limited. That doesn't mean he can't be a useful piece in many lineups, as he demonstrated by finishing in the WR3 range in four of his past five games. Managers in need of wide receiver depth can count on the high floor Douglas provides with his recently reliable volume.