Reading a Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 16 piece means you won your playoff matchup. Congratulations on advancing. Now, there are just two more wins to get.
At this point, FAAB no longer applies. Waivers are strictly a do-or-die proposition. Let’s look at the free agents you should be targeting ahead of Week 16.
Note: 11 NFL games are scheduled on Saturday in Week 16. Only 3 games take place on Sunday.
FAAB denotes Free Agent Acquisition Budget
Zack Moss (RB) Indianapolis Colts – After Jonathan Taylor exited Week 15’s loss with an ankle injury, Moss racked up 24 carries. Taylor is expected to miss the rest of the season. That puts Moss in line to lead a committee backfield. However, Moss only averaged 3.4 yards per tote and received a single target. Moss is definitely worth an add but expectations should be tempered.
Juwan Johnson (TE) New Orleans Saints – After a 2-week absence (one was a bye) Johnson housed two more touchdowns and hauled in 4-of-6 targets for 67 yards on Sunday. Johnson now ranks second among all NFL tight ends with seven TDs. He also enters Week 16 as the overall TE8 in PPR leagues but is still widely available on waiver wires.
Khalil Herbert (RB) Chicago Bears – Chicago opened the 21-day window for Herbert to return from IR. Before injuring his hip in Week 10, Herbert was averaging 10.7 fantasy points per game. That’s a top-35 figure in PPR leagues. If Herbert’s usage picks up where it left off, he can be an immediate difference-maker in the playoffs.
Deon Jackson (RB) Indianapolis Colts – PPR teams might want to target Jackson over Zack Moss. Jackson was in on 31.5% of Indy’s snaps and got 14 opportunities, including a 1-yard TD grab. When Taylor missed time earlier this season it was Jackson who led the Colts’ backfield. There’s a chance that he and Moss split snaps evenly. However, the pass-catching work should favor Jackson.
Chris Moore (WR) Houston Texans – As long as Nico Collins and Brandin Cooks remain sidelined, Moore looks like Houston’s clear WR1. On Sunday, Moore was in on 87.3% of the Texans’ snaps and led the wideouts with a 16.4% target share. Up next, the Texans face a Tennessee secondary that allows an NFL-worst 41.8 PPR points per game to wide receivers.
Gardner Minshew (QB) Philadelphia Eagles – Jalen Hurts is dealing with a shoulder injury and could sit out this week’s NFC East slugfest with Dallas. If Hurts misses the game, Minshew is more than capable of filling in as a dual-threat option. In two spot starts last season Minshew tossed two scores and accumulated 10-plus rushing yards in each game. Minshew Mania could be back for one week as this game has the highest over/under in Week 16.
Rashid Shaheed (WR) New Orleans Saints – Shaheed has quietly been very productive since debuting in Week 6. The undrafted rookie has also topped 50 yards in the Saints’ last three. Plus, he’s logged an over 50% snap rate in each of those games.
K.J. Osborn (WR) Minnesota Vikings – Don’t overreact or overspend based on Osborn’s career-best game. However, Osborn has been in on 75% of Minnesota’s snaps this season. Also, he has topped double-digit fantasy points in consecutive games and caught multiple passes in 5-of-6. The solid 47-point over/under for this week’s Giants/Vikings tilt suggests Osborn could be plenty involved once again.
Chigoziem Okonkwo (TE) Tennessee Titans – Over his past three games, Okonkwo is averaging 11.3 fantasy points per game. That figure is a top-5 mark for tight ends. Okonkwo has also topped 30 receiving yards in seven consecutive games. The fourth-round rookie is an excellent streaming option this week against Houston’s bottom-10 fantasy TE defense.
Royce Freeman (RB) Houston Texans – As expected, the Texans utilized an ugly committee to replace Dameon Pierce. But, what wasn’t expected was Freeman earning a 38.1% snap share and taking over 45% of the attempts. Freeman turned 12 touches into 56 yards and was the only Houston running back who was productive. However, the Texans travel to Tennessee to take on a Titans defense that allows the third-fewest fantasy points to running backs. Any FAAB bid on Freeman should be used with caution.
Zach Wilson (QB) New York Jets – Very few playoff teams likely need a quarterback, but Wilson can factor in for Superflex and DFS squads. Wilson reclaimed the starting job and threw for 317 yards and a pair of scores against Detroit. With Mike White (ribs) likely to miss this game on a short week, Wilson is a solid streaming option facing a Jaguars defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing QBs.
Tennessee Titans (DST) – The Titans are a middling overall fantasy defense with just 36 sacks and 4 fumble recoveries. However, the Titans have picked off 11 passes and get a Week 16 home date with Houston. The Texans have allowed a league-high 6 combined DST touchdowns. Houston’s 30th-ranked offense isn’t much of a threat to put up a ton of yards or points, either.
Also, check out our Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds Week 15 or more free agents that can help you punch your playoff ticket!
