Fantasy Football: Week 16 Waiver Wire
Championship Week is here! Check out today’s Week 16 Waivers & QB Streamers podcast for the full breakdown.
Wide Receivers
Widely Owned (but worth checking)
NYG Sterling Shepard (71% owned)
LAR Robert Woods (75% owned)
PIT Martavis Bryant (56% owned)
Week 15: 4/59/1 on 6 targets
Weeks 16-17: @Hou, Cle
With Antonio Brown likely done for at least the rest of the regular season, Marty McBry is now the WR3 for the Steelers (Bell, Juju and then Bryant). Tough to complain about this matchup though. The Texans can’t cover anyone. Most recently they have been victimized by Keelan Cole and Marquise Goodwin. If you need to fill a void left by Antonio in your lineup, you won’t have to look far.
JAX Keelan Cole (5% owned)
Week 15: 7/186/1 on 9 targets
Weeks 16-17: @SF, @Ten
Fresh off his aforementioned thrashing of the Texans, Cole is generating a lot of hype. If Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns cannot get back on the field, Cole should be a decent option for desperate owners. He has scored in 3 straight weeks to go along with 334 receiving yards in that span.
JAX Dede Westbrook (44% owned)
Week 15: 2/21/0 on 2 targets
Weeks 16-17: @SF, @Ten
Before his Week 15 dud, Westbrook had three consecutive games with 3 or more targets. He was ‘Keelan Cole’ for the Jaguars before it was cool.
GB Randall Cobb (53% owned)
Week 15: 7/84/1 on 14 targets
Weeks 16-17: Min, @Det
Rodgers is back and Adams is out. Not sure what more I need to say about Cobb. He’s a target monster who scores a fair amount of TDs for a slot WR. He’s my favorite add on this list.
Jason Miller / Stringer
BAL Mike Wallace (40% owned)
Week 15: 6/89/0 on 10 targets
Weeks 16-17: Ind, Cin
The Colts defense isn’t great and the Bengals defense is mailing it in. So if you can stomach starting a Ravens offensive player not named Alex Collins, Mike Wallace is your guy.
LAC Tyrell Williams (38% owned)
Week 15: 3/31/0 on 7 targets
Weeks 16-17: @NYJ, Oak
Keenan Allen is dealing with yet another injury and it appears Hunter Henry has caught the injury bug too. With Allen’s status unknown and Henry on the shelf, T. Williams is in a prime position to pick up the slack.
Running Backs
Widely Owned (but worth checking)
CLE Duke Johnson (74% owned)
NYJ Bilal Powell (58% owned)
Week 15: 13/44/1– zero catches on 1 target
Weeks 16-17: LAC, @NE
I know the Chargers and Patriots are giving up truckloads of points to opposing RBs, but no matchup is good enough for me to endorse starting a Jets RB in your championship week. Tread lightly.
TB Peyton Barber (33% owned)
Week 15: 13/53/0 — 3/15/0 on 3 targets
Weeks 16-17: @Car, NO
Barber drew the start on MNF against the Falcons and was actually the only RB to receive carries for the Buccaneers. Add in a handful of targets in the passing game and Barber has the makings of a feature RB. Not ultra-inspiring, but featured all the same.
Sam Greenwood / Staff
NE James White (51% owned)
Week 15: no rushes — 2/8/0 on 2 targets
Weeks 16-17: Buf, NYJ
If you want to dial up a Patriots RB for your shot at a #FootClanTitle you better start making your deals with the devil. His name is Belichick.
NE Mike Gillislee (27% owned)
Week 15: nothing
Weeks 16-17: Buf, NYJ
See James White above.
ARI Kerwynn Williams (35% owned)
Week 15: 17/61/0
Weeks 16-17: NYG, @Sea
Williams has been the volume play for the Cardinals since Adrian Peterson‘s neck landed the veteran on IR. However, Kerwynn suffered a leg injury in his game against Washington. Check his status.
ARI Elijhaa Penny (0% owned)
Week 15: 10/45/0 — zero catches on 1 target
Weeks 16-17: NYG, @Sea
This is a glory play. Good luck.
JAX Chris Ivory (27% owned)
Week 15: 17/42/0
Weeks 16-17: @SF, @Ten
The matchups are so juicy for the Jaguars as they look to secure a first-round bye. If only Leonard Fournette was healthy. In his place, Ivory will be the between the tackles runner in the committee with Yeldon.
JAX T.J. Yeldon (12% owned)
Week 15: 7/27/0 — 4/25/0 on 5 targets
Weeks 16-17: @SF, @Ten
In any sort of PPR format, Yeldon would be my preferred start in the Jacksonville backfield if Fournette misses more time.
Tight Ends
Widely Owned (but worth checking)
CAR Greg Olsen (73% owned)
DET Eric Ebron (43% owned)
Week 15: 5/33/1 on 7 targets
Weeks 16-17: @Cin, GB
Something has clicked for Ebron over the last two weeks. His combined 15 receptions for 127 yards and a score on 18 targets over that timespan is almost enough to make owners forget how disappointing he had been this season up to this point. Almost.
Joe Robbins / Contributor
BUF Charles Clay (32% owned)
Week 15: 5/68/0 on 9 targets
Weeks 16-17: @NE, @Mia
Mr. Necessary is just a waiver claim away if you need him.
TB Cameron Brate (62% owned)
Week 15: 4/49/0 on 5 targets
Weeks 16-17: @Car, NO
Brate has an obvious connection with Jameis Winston. However, both Brate and fellow TE O.J. Howard suffered injuries during the MNF contest. You will want to monitor this situation throughout the week. If one of them were to miss time, the other could fall into a huge target share.
WSH Vernon Davis (51% owned)
Week 15: 2/18/0 on 4 targets
Weeks 16-17: Den, @NYG
It does not get better than the next two opponents for Vernon Davis, but he has just 6 receptions total in the last 4 weeks.
LAC Antonio Gates (14% owned)
Week 15: 1/10/1 on 3 targets
Weeks 16-17: @NYJ, Oak
Who knew that it would be Hunter Henry who needed to get injured to make Antonio Gates relevant again. He’s probably a TD or bust play though against the Jets.
PIT Jesse James – (24% owned)
Week 15: 2/7/0 on 5 targets
Weeks 16-17: @Hou, Cle
No Antonio Brown means that the Steelers will be looking for someone to step up on offense. It could be Jesse James… or it could be somebody else.