At this late point in the season you are not going to find a ton of difference makers on the waiver wire. Whether it's attempting to find someone that can get you through the next round of the playoffs or actually into the championship round, the time surely has passed to add top-end difference makers.
With that said, there are a few different options here to help you navigate through the remainder of the fantasy season, no matter where your specific league is at on its calendar.
Here are some of the top options.
Teddy Bridgewater, Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings
All but forgotten around the fantasy football world after putting up nine total touchdown passes in the first 13 games, Bridgewater broke out big time Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
He completed 17-of-20 passes for 231 yards with four touchdowns en route to the third-best fantasy performance among quarterbacks for the day.
The good news here for those of you looking to add Bridgewater is that he's going up against a New York Giants defense that just yielded five touchdown passes to Cam Newton and has given up the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks on the season. Heck, Bridgewater is a potentially solid QB1 option in standard 12-team contests this upcoming week.
Kirk Cousins, Quarterback, Washington Redskins
In a season that has been full of career performances from Cousins, he put up his best overall outing Sunday against what had previously been a darn good Buffalo Bills defense.
Cousins completed 22-of-28 passes for 319 yards with five total touchdowns and zero picks. It represented the third time this year that Cousins has racked up three-plus touchdowns — all over the course of the past eight games.
The only real issue with picking up Cousins is that Washington's final two games are on the road. Including Sunday's outing, the signal caller has put up 20 touchdowns compared to two interceptions at home compared to a 7/9 split on the road.
Though, it must be noted that Cousins will be taking on a Philadelphia Eagles defense that ranks 30th in the NFL against fantasy quarterback next week.
Christine Michael, Running Back, Seattle Seahawks
Is it possible that Seattle has found its top dog in the backfield until Marshawn Lynch returns, whenever that might be? Well, Michael — signed just a few days back — put up 84 yards on 16 rushes against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
In what was supposed to be a backfield by committee approach, Michael attempted seven more runs than Bryce Brown in a game that also saw Derrick Coleman touch the ball just five times.
We have no idea what Pete Carroll's plans are for the running back position moving forward. What we do know is that Seattle is taking on a St. Louis Rams defense that has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to running backs next week. That makes Michael a borderline RB2/FLEX option.
James White, Running Back, New England Patriots
Whit isn't really much of a factor in standard scoring leagues. He is, however, a PPR stud right now. The former Wisconsin standout caught seven of the eight passes thrown in his direction for 71 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. That brings White's three-game total to 21 receptions.
It's readily apparent that White is taking on the role previously filled by the now injured Dion Lewis. If that's the case, he's going to continue being relevant in PPR contests.
Cameron Artis-Payne, Running Back, Carolina Panthers
The idea of picking up Artis-Payne has more to do with the working knowledge that an undefeated Carolina team might sit an injured Jonathan Stewart to get him right for the playoffs.
While Ron Rivera's squad surely wants to close out the potentially historic season with two more wins, it's more important for Stewart to get back to 100 percent from the sprained MCL he suffered back in Week 14.
As it is, this rookie from Auburn put up 93 total yards on 16 touches against the New York Giants on Sunday. Not great numbers, but something he might be able to build on when Carolina takes on an Atlanta Falcons defense that ranks 30th in the NFL against fantasy running backs next week.
Kamar Aiken, Wide Receiver, Baltimore Ravens
If you have been following these articles on a weekly basis and haven't attempted to pick up Aiken yet, shame on you. It's absolutely insane that he's still available in over half of the leagues on Yahoo! Sports. That's not acceptable, at least in this one scribe's mind.
As it is, Aiken tallied eight receptions for 128 yards and a score against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. He did this with the third Ravens quarterback of the season, Jimmy Clausen, tossing him the rock.
Aiken has now put up 43 receptions for 531 yards and three touchdowns over the past seven games. Heck, he's now a top-end FLEX option heading into Week 16. Yeah, take advantage of that right now.
Markus Wheaton, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers
Following a sixth-catch 62 yards performance that saw him also score a touchdown against an elite Denver Broncos defense on Sunday, Wheaton has now racked up double-digit fantasy points in four consecutive games. During that span, the third-year receiver has tallied 22 receptions for 382 yards and three touchdowns.
It's also important to note that Wheaton received 11 targets on Sunday, which is an indication that he's building a nice little relationship with Ben Roethlisberger.
With Pittsburgh set to take on bad pass defenses in the form of the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns to end the regular season, Wheaton promises to continue putting up fantasy relevant numbers.
Will Tye, Tight End, New York Giants
Tye found a way to put up a fifth consecutive solid performance in New York's narrow loss to the Panthers on Sunday. He compiled five receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. This represents the fourth time in five games that Tye has tallied five-plus receptions. With the way the tight end position has performed from a fantasy aspect, this is nothing to ignore.