We’re on to the semi-finals! Statistically, only about 35% of fantasy teams are still alive…and here you are, reading an article about fantasy football waiver claims. That means you’re one of a lucky few, or you have FAR too much time on your hands. Regardless, we appreciate the clicks. Now, let’s assume you’re in the final four, and it’s time to put you in the Top 2!
Here are the best fantasy football waiver claims for Week 16. As always, everyone mentioned today will be available in around 50% or more Yahoo leagues.
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Quarterbacks
Justin Fields (74% Available)
Trusting any waiver wire QB with your playoff hopes is a tough pill to swallow. You might as well lean on the tried and true Konami Code. Rushing QBs provide better fantasy value. Fields has rushed for over 350 yards in his last seven games. That’s a five-point bonus every week that other QBs don’t provide. He also has a pretty decent schedule.
Playoff Schedule: @ SEA, vs NYG
Jared Goff (93% Available)
At one point last year, I stopped referring to Goff by name. Like a Dark Lord, he was creating a Horcrux every time he killed one of my Stream of the Week lists. Thus, he became “He Who Must Not Be Named.” Now that I’ve lost any non-Harry Potter readership, let’s answer the $1,000,000 galleon question: Can you trust him now? Probably not, as he just entered COVID protocol, but if he is back, he is coming off of a three-TD performance and playing the lowly Atlanta Falcons. If you’re in a pinch, you can do worse.
Playoff Schedule: @ ATL, @ SEA
Jimmy Garoppolo (59% Available)
Slow and steady wins the race. Jimmy G is just about a lock for two TDs in any week, no more, sometimes less. He’s scored at least one TD in every game this season and has eight two-TD games on the year. He’s not going to win you a matchup, but it is unlikely that you’ll ever get a single-digit performance from him either. So if you’re stacked at other positions but just need 15 points from your QB, Garoppolo is your guy. To make matters better, his playoff schedule is “chef’s kiss!”
Playoff Schedule: @ TEN, vs HOU
Running Backs
Ronald Jones (66% Available)
Lots of sketchy names this week. Jones has burned many fantasy managers in the past, so I get the trepidation. However, volume is king, and with Leonard Fournette set to miss a few weeks, Jones is the guy in Tampa Bay. If he sees 15-20 touches per game, there is no better option on waivers. Blow every dime of FAAB you have left, even if it’s just to keep him from your opponents.
Playoff Schedule: @ CAR, @ NYJ
Ameer Abdullah (92% Available)
Pass-catching is the name of the game, and that is where Abdullah plays for Carolina. Since Week 8, Abdullah has been targeted 28 times. Chuba Hubbard has 30 targets on the season. No matter the QB, Abdullah will be relevant, and he just scored a receiving TD in Week 15.
Playoff Schedule: vs TB, @ NO
Craig Reynolds (87% Available)
Who? I get it. Why would you play a guy that you didn’t even know existed two weeks ago? For starters, what he has done in those two weeks cannot be ignored. Reynolds came in and dropped 195 yards for the Detroit Lions while D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams missed time. Dan Campbell strikes me as a guy who will reward that effort. I have no insider info, but I won’t be surprised if the Lions shut their injured starting-RBs down and give the reins to Reynolds. If that happens, his schedule makes him a potential league winner.
Playoff Schedule: @ ATL, @ SEA
Wide Receivers
Amon-Ra St. Brown (71% Available)
You want targets? The Sun God will give you targets. Over the last three weeks, St. Brown has led the Lions with 35 targets and is tied for 3rd in the entire NFL over that span. He’s tied with Cooper Kupp. One of those guys is the best WR in fantasy football. The other is on waivers and has a CUPCAKE fantasy schedule. Fix that.
Playoff Schedule: @ ATL, @ SEA
Russell Gage (50% Available)
If you’re reading this, chasing wide receiver, and haven’t caught on to the fact that Gage is a must-add, you deserve to lose. I’ve been touting him for five straight weeks, and he is just now hitting 50% rostership. It should be twice that. Since Week 9, Gage has been a top-15 fantasy WR. Since Week 10, he’s been pushing top-10. He’s averaging eight targets per game over his last eight games. Add this man before he ends your playoff run.
Playoff Schedule: vs DET, @ BUF
Tyler Johnson (99% Available) / Antonio Brown (32% Available)
In case you somehow missed it: Tampa Bay lost Chris Godwin for the season, and Mike Evans is likely to miss a week or two. Antonio Brown might be out on some wires, and he is a must-add. Brown is likely to take over Evans’s big-play role, leaving Godwin’s high-volume slot role for Tyler Johnson. Johnson was highly-touted coming out of college but has been buried on the depth chart. If he can see eight targets per game, he can make some noise in the fantasy playoffs.
Playoff Schedule: @ CAR, @ NYJ
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (59% Available)
I stand by my assertion that there is little consistency to be found at WR in Green Bay unless your name is Davante Adams. However, I’m no fool, and MVS has been targeted 31 times in four games. That kind of volume is solid and even better when it’s coming from Aaron Rodgers. Valdes-Scantling has turned two of those four games into great fantasy outings. The other two were duds. He’s a gamble, but probably one worth taking.
Playoff Schedule: vs CLE, vs MIN
Gabriel Davis (81% Available)
With four TDs in his last three games, Gabriel Davis is putting on a repeat performance from his 2020 end-of-season. Chasing TDs is risky, but Davis has a better chance to score than most as long as Emmanuel Sanders is out. His TD streak started against the Patriots three weeks ago, and they are his Week 16 opponent.
Playoff Schedule: @ NE, vs ATL
Jamison Crowder (71% Available)
You’re never going to feel great about starting Crowder, but the fact of the matter is that he is the Jets’ #1 WR. He has 55 targets going back to Week 7, for an average of six per game. He isn’t doing a ton with them. But chasing volume is never a bad thing.
Playoff Schedule: vs JAX, vs TB
Tight Ends
James O’Shaughnessy (98% Available)
There are two options when it comes to streaming TEs: Chase volume or chase TDs. Jacksonville targets their TEs about six times per game, and that volume has carried over from Dan Arnold to James O’Shaughnessy. He’s no comparison to Kelce or Kittle, but he is flirting with the back of the Top 10 every week.
Playoff Schedule: @ NYJ, @ NE
Albert Okwuegbunam (99% Available)
If chasing TDs is more your thing, Albert O is your guy. Yes, he’s only scored twice and is the TE2 on his own team. But, don’t worry about that. His final two games are against teams that bleed points, to TEs, and with Drew Lock, the Broncos may start throwing down the field more. Okwuegbunam is a physical freak and is still averaging three targets per game over his last seven outings, even with Noah Fant ahead of him. That schedule makes him worth the risk.
Playoff Schedule: @ LV, @ LAC
Jared Cook (50% Available)
Cook is another TD chaser. He has a steady target volume but nothing to write home about. Over the last four games, he’s scored two TDs and just missed on another in Week 15. With Donald Parham likely out for the season, Cook may even see a slight uptick in volume.
Playoff Schedule: @ HOU, vs DEN
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