Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 14: Giovani Bernard, Mike Davis among top pickups after prime-time showings

There's a familiar theme to our top Week 14 fantasy waiver wire pickups. At this point in the season, it's all about breakouts (Jimmy Garoppolo, Mike Davis), RB handcuffs (Giovani Bernard, Theo Riddick, Tion Green, Peyton Barber, Kerwynn Williams, etc.), and injury/suspension replacements (Trey Burton, Dwayne Allen), and you can bet plenty of these players will be snatched up when waivers clear around 4-5 a.m. ET in ESPN and Yahoo leagues on Wednesday morning. Of course, with roughly half of fantasy owners out of the running for the fantasy playoffs, there's less competition for both waiver pickups and free agent adds.

Our full free agent list has a ton of sleeper D/STs, plus a few TE streamers, but it's mostly full of potential starting RBs and WR3s. Check out our RB handcuff chart for additional backups who might come in handy over the final month.

It's also worth it to look ahead to Week 15, especially if you have a bye this week. Snatch up that D/ST or TE streamer a week early if you have the space.

MORE: Full Week 14 waiver wire list | RB handcuff chart

Top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 14

Unless otherwise noted, only players owned in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues considered.

Giovani Bernard, RB, Bengals. Bernard took over for a concussed Joe Mixon in the second quarter and finished Monday's game against Pittsburgh with 96 total yards on 15 touches. If Mixon remains out next week against the Bears, Bernard would see another 15-plus touches and have plenty of RB2/flex value.

MORE: Full Week 14 waiver wire list | How you could lose in fantasy in Week 14

Mike Davis, RB, Seahawks. Davis was used as Seattle's featured back in Week 11, then sat out Week 12 because of a groin injury. In Week 13, it was as if he didn't miss a beat, running 16 times for 64 yards and adding another 37 yards on four catches. Seattle is always unpredictable with how it uses its running backs, but it appears Davis will continue to be the primary ball carrier going forward.

WEEK 14 RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Trey Burton, TE, Eagles. Last time Zach Ertz missed a game, Burton caught two of four targets for 41 yards and a score, and he had seven targets in Week 13 after Ertz exited. With Ertz "questionable" for this week's game against the Rams because of a concussion, Burton could find himself in the spotlight again. It's not a great matchup, but the Eagles rely heavily on the TE spot in their high-powered offense, so if your regular TE is hurt, suspended, or facing a bad matchup of his own, Burton could be a decent pivot.

WEEK 14 DFS: Yahoo GPP lineup | Y! cash | DFS lineup builder

Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, 49ers. Is Garoppolo really worth a pickup over all the handcuff RBs (see below) who could be starting this week? No, he's not, but he's at least in the discussion if your regular QB has a tough matchup. Garoppolo proved his worth against the Bears, throwing for 293 yards while completing over 70 percent of his passes. The Texans have one of the worst pass defenses in football, so Garoppolo is a sneaky sleeper this week.

Check out our full waiver wire list for more potential pickups, like Peyton Barber, Kerwynn Williams, Tion Green, and much more.