X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Deeper Sleepers for Fantasy Football (Week 16)

It's (probably) your championship week and you might have some issues if, for instance, you're an Antonio Brown owner in a deep league. That's why Rotoballer is here: to help you through this final week of your fantasy season.

Because so many of our readers are done after this week, none of these targets take Week 17 into consideration. I know there are a few of you that have Week 17 championships, so I'll be back here next week to help y'all out. Also, though, stop having Week 17 championships, because the randomness involved in those is not indicative of your fantasy team's strengths and weaknesses.

Anyway, let's look at deeper waiver wire targets and sleepers for Week 16, players whose ownership is currently under 20% and are likely available in many of your leagues. Note: All ownership percentages are for Yahoo leagues.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

Deeper Waiver Wire Targets for Week 16

QUARTERBACKS

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens - 18% owned

Flacco makes this list for a second consecutive week, which surprises me a little because he was 14% owned coming into this past weekend and was playing Cleveland, so I expected him to be streamed a little more than he was. If you're still in need of a quarterback for this upcoming week, check out Flacco, who has three strong fantasy games in a row and a match-up with a Colts defense that's allowed the ninth-most points to opposing fantasy quarterbacks. A knee injury to wide receiver Jeremy Maclin could hurt his upside a little bit, but he's worth a shot.

Mitch Trubisky, Chicago Bears - 6% owned

How desperate are you? Trubisky has a good match-up on paper against the Cleveland Browns (i.e. the team that Flacco put up big numbers against in Week 15), but he's a little scary to trust because of the Jordan Howard factor. Howard could see almost thirty carries against a bad Browns defense, which obviously limits Trubisky's upside, but if the game stays close or Chicago gets behind, there's an exploitable Browns secondary for Trubisky to carve up. He's a risk, but if for some reason you're in need of a starting quarterback this week and he's there, don't be too afraid.

 

RUNNING BACKS

Wayne Gallman, New York Giants - 5% owned

Running back is kind of a wasteland this week, but there a couple of reasonable dart throws. Wayne Gallman looked immensely better than Orleans Darkwa in New York's loss to the Eagles, rushing eight times for 39 yards to Darkwa's nine carries for seven yards, though Darkwa did find the end zone. Gallman was also a factor in the passing game, hauling in six catches for 40 yards. The Arizona Cardinals have a good run defense, but if you have a spot on your bench and need a running back then Gallman is worth a grab. Monitor reports out of New York over the course of the week and see if anything gets said about Gallman starting over Darkwa. If he does, he's got flex consideration in deeper leagues.

Tion Green, Detroit Lions - 3% owned

I really like Tion Green this week for a few reasons. First, he's overtaken Ameer Abdullah on the depth chart. Second, he's a better option in short yardage situations than Theo Riddick. Finally, THE BENGALS RUN DEFENSE. Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon combined for 100 yards this past week, and Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen combined for over 200 rushing yards in Week 14. If Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict (concussion) is out again, the Lions could actually have a good day on the ground. Really!

 

WIDE RECEIVERS

Keelan Cole, Jacksonville Jaguars  - 5% owned

There is a whole lot to like about Keelan Cole this week. He's got a touchdown in three straight games, he's playing against the 49ers passing defense, and Marqise Lee (ankle) is expected to be out in Week 16, allowing Cole to claim an even larger role in the offense. If you lost Antonio Brown and don't have receiver depth, Cole gives you a reasonable shot at finding the end zone. He's definitely worth a look for receiver-needy fantasy owners.

Kendall Wright, Chicago Bears  - 4% owned

I'm a big believer in tracking targets, because they can be good predictors of future success. Wright's targets over the past two games? 11 in Week 14 (10 catches for 107 yards) and 12 in Week 15 (7 catches for 81 yards). As mentioned above, the Bears get to play a weak Browns defense. He's a good option in deeper formats this week, though there's always some bust potential with Bears wide outs--remember when Dontrelle Inman was the next big thing? Still, if the usage holds up then Wright is a solid floor play in a week where you might need someone who can be that person, especially if you're trying to replace any injured receivers.

Damiere Byrd, Carolina Panthers  - 0% owned

Byrd found the end zone twice in Week 15. The Panthers are thin at wide receiver right now and Devin Funchess doesn't appear to be at 100%. The reemergence of tight end Greg Olsen hurts Byrd's upside, but this past week proved that Cam Newton isn't afraid to look his way with the ball near the goal line. He's risky, but at this point most players still on waivers are risky.

 

TIGHT ENDS

Benjamin Watson, Baltimore Ravens - 14% owned

I suggested Flacco above and I'm going to suggest his tight end here. The tight end position has been hard to predict this year, so if you're looking for a deep league streamer this week you could do worse than Watson against the Colts. He's found the end zone in two of Baltimore's last three games, though that other game is worrisome--no catches in the Ravens high-scoring loss to the Steelers. But if you're willing to ride out the potential bust factor, Watson could have a strong day against an Indianapolis defense allowing the 11th-most points to fantasy tight ends this season.

 

More Weekly Lineup Prep

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Ben Sheppard11 mins ago

Misses A Third Consecutive Game
Anfernee Simons18 mins ago

Returns To Action Friday
Ja Morant19 mins ago

Considered Doubtful For Saturday
Jerami Grant22 mins ago

Ready For Action Friday
Marcus Smart26 mins ago

Questionable For Saturday
Deandre Ayton28 mins ago

Remains Out On Friday
Yves Missi34 mins ago

Will Not Play On Friday
Stephen Curry46 mins ago

Available Versus Pelicans
Scoot Henderson49 mins ago

Absent On Friday
Giannis Antetokounmpo54 mins ago

Good To Go Friday
Coby White56 mins ago

Available On Friday
Joel Embiid1 hour ago

To Miss Friday's Game
Dorian Finney-Smith1 hour ago

Will Play Friday
Miles Bridges1 hour ago

Out At Least One Week
Nicolas Claxton1 hour ago

Back In Action Friday
CJ McCollum1 hour ago

Remains Unavailable On Friday
Rashod Bateman2 hours ago

Added To Week 12 Injury Report
Vince Dunn2 hours ago

Could Be An Option For Kraken Next Week
Cade Cunningham2 hours ago

Ruled Out For Saturday
TOR2 hours ago

Alexander Nylander Joins Maple Leafs On One-Year Deal
George Kittle2 hours ago

Cleared For Week 12
Joel Embiid2 hours ago

Considered A Game-Time Decision
Jason Dickinson2 hours ago

Expected To Play On Saturday
Jerami Grant2 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Cam York2 hours ago

Expected To Return Saturday
Al Horford2 hours ago

Unavailable On Friday
San Francisco 49ers2 hours ago

Nick Bosa Won't Play Against Packers
Mason McTavish2 hours ago

Remains Out On Friday
Brock Purdy2 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 12
Tage Thompson2 hours ago

Continues To Sit On Friday
Kevin Hayes3 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Kris Letang3 hours ago

Might Return On Friday
Ladd McConkey3 hours ago

Returns To Practice On Friday
CeeDee Lamb3 hours ago

Cleared To Play In Week 12
Sam LaPorta3 hours ago

Off The Injury Report, Cleared For Week 12
Jake Ferguson3 hours ago

Ruled Out With Concussion
DeVonta Smith4 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 12
Brock Purdy4 hours ago

Not Seen At Friday's Practice
T.J. Hockenson4 hours ago

Expects To Be More Involved In Week 12
Alexander Mattison4 hours ago

Zamir White Doubtful To Face Broncos
Nico Collins4 hours ago

Set For Increased Workload Against Titans
Mike Evans4 hours ago

Officially Listed As Questionable
Malik Nabers5 hours ago

Questionable For Week 12, Intends To Play
Coby White5 hours ago

Listed As Probable On Friday
Sam Darnold5 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
D'Andre Swift5 hours ago

Gets Questionable Tag For Week 12
Keenan Allen5 hours ago

Lands On Injury Report, Questionable For Week 12
Isiah Pacheco6 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 12
CeeDee Lamb6 hours ago

Practices Friday, Expected To Play Sunday
Tyjae Spears6 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 12
Shohei Ohtani7 hours ago

In Early Stages Of Recovery From Shoulder Surgery
Tabatha Ricci7 hours ago

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Yan Xiaonan7 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Muslim Salikhov7 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Chris Sale8 hours ago

To Have Normal Offseason
Garrett Crochet8 hours ago

Drawing Plenty Of Interest
Song Kenan8 hours ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Zhang Mingyang8 hours ago

Set For His Second UFC Fight
Ozzy Diaz8 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Macau
MacKenzie Weegar11 hours ago

Notches Three Assists Against Rangers
Macklin Celebrini11 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Thursday's Loss
Nikita Kucherov11 hours ago

Comes Up With Three Assists Versus Blue Jackets
Sean Monahan11 hours ago

Finishes Thursday's Win With Four Points
Zach Werenski11 hours ago

Enjoys Career Night With Five Points Against Lightning
Jack Hughes11 hours ago

Posts Three Assists Versus Hurricanes
Joonas Korpisalo12 hours ago

Records 21-Save Shutout Versus Utah
Carlos Ulberg23 hours ago

Looking To Cement Himself As A Title Contender At UFC Macau
Volkan Oezdemir23 hours ago

Eyes Another Knockout At UFC Macau
Gabriella Fernandes23 hours ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Macau
MMA23 hours ago

Cong Wang Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UFC Macau
Deiveson Figueiredo23 hours ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC Macau
Petr Yan23 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Shohei Ohtani1 day ago

Named National League MVP In 2024
Aaron Judge1 day ago

Wins American League MVP Award
Alex Ovechkin1 day ago

To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Fractured Fibula
Zach Hyman1 day ago

Expected To Miss 4-7 Days
Kent Johnson1 day ago

Back For Blue Jackets Thursday
Yaroslav Askarov1 day ago

Makes Sharks Debut Thursday
Mikael Granlund1 day ago

Good To Go Thursday
Alexandar Georgiev1 day ago

Returns To Action Versus Capitals
Cody Bellinger1 day ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
1 day ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Chris Sale2 days ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal2 days ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Austin Eckroat2 days ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg2 days ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Si Woo Kim2 days ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy2 days ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole2 days ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
3 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers3 days ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
3 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Jose Siri3 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
3 days ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
3 days ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
3 days ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
3 days ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
3 days ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
Luis Gil4 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Paul Skenes4 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brady Singer4 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
Charles Oliveira4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler4 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva4 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy4 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
James Llontop5 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig5 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal5 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic5 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP