Should I Pickup Tyjae Spears or Tank Bigsby? Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16

The running back position is quite scarce in fantasy football, and due to injuries to star RBs like David Montgomery (knee) and Alvin Kamara (groin), teams advancing in the playoffs may already be looking for replacements. There could also be managers who need more depth at the position, just in case.

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears and Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby are two options you could consider. Depending on the size of your league and other options on your bench, you may even need to consider starting them in Week 16.

So, which of the two are good pickups? Let's compare and break it down.

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Tyjae Spears Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook

Spears has been an interesting player to follow this year. In the offseason, Titans head coach Brian Callahan clearly indicated that he wanted the backfield to be a 50/50 split between the second-year pro and newly-signed back Tony Pollard. That hasn't panned out, but Spears has dealt with injuries this year.

#Titans HC Brian Callahan on whether he still wants a 50/50 split between Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears:

“I do feel the same way. I feel like I would still like to get more touches for Tyjae… I see Tyjae as a really impactful player and a guy that we have to make sure has his… pic.twitter.com/ySoeJhG4fc

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) September 19, 2024

Even after the season started, Callahan stuck with what he said his initial plan would be. While that hasn't been the case, it was encouraging to see Spears used so much as a pass-catcher. That's really his strength, anyway, and in shootouts, he definitely has value there.

This is vintage Tyjae Spears, reminds me of him running all over USC a few years ago.

Big time 43 yard gain in garbage time. pic.twitter.com/m73nAiFmfs

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) December 15, 2024

Now that he's healthy, he's worth picking up. Pollard has dealt with an ankle issue for some time now, and if he misses time because of that, Spears will have a very valuable role in the backfield.

Tank Bigsby Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook

Bigsby is on one of the worst teams in the league, and the presence of fellow RB Travis Etienne Jr. makes it difficult to see him getting a bigger role. He was actually out-snapped, out-carried, and out-targeted by Etienne, which doesn't bode well for his future scoring prospects.

Travis Etienne 🫣
pic.twitter.com/PwUBXsgJDm

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) November 3, 2024

ETN's season has been filled with miserable plays like the one above, but he dealt with plenty of injuries, so it could be that he's been viewed as worse than he actually is. Bigsby will likely stay in his complementary role, which doesn't include many pass-catching opportunities.

Should I Pickup Tyjae Spears or Tank Bigsby For Fantasy Football?

Spears should be added in all leagues if you have bench space for him. His PPR upside is huge, and he scored 27.2 PPR fantasy points in Week 15. He's a highly talented player who hasn't gotten going yet because of bad injury luck.

Bigsby is less appealing. He's fine as a handcuff to Etienne, but most teams that drafted him probably aren't in the playoffs anyway. Spears' role has a much higher upside, and he has league-winning potential if Pollard gets hurt. He's the better guy to target.

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