Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups & Adds

December 17, 2019

Pierre Camus' fantasy football waiver wire pickups, adds and sleepers ahead of Week 16 of the 2019 NFL season. Running backs (RB), wide receivers (WR), quarterbacks (QB) and tight ends (TE) to target or bid on.

Kenyan Drake, Mike Boone, Breshad Perriman, Anthony Miller, Ryan Tannehill, and Tyler Higbee were all freely available on waivers at some point this season, if not last week. These are the type of players that become unexpected league-winners and this is why you never stop playing the wire up until the curtain is drawn on the fantasy football season. If you're heading to the championship in one of your leagues, you've undoubtedly put together a good team. But don't assume that one of the players listed below can't help you pull out one last victory. Good luck!

Each week, we will advise you which players to consider picking up on waivers that are owned in approximately 35% or fewer of Yahoo leagues so that you can make an educated decision about how to improve your fantasy football team. This list is not meant to be exclusive of all add-worthy players. For a more comprehensive list, check out our weekly Waiver Wire Lightning Round by position, ordered by priority. If higher-owned players not listed here are available in your league, feel free to treat them as higher-priority pickups.

As always, keep checking back here for updated waiver recommendations and always keep tabs on our NFL Player News feed. Be sure to also check out our weekly rankings and analysis columns, with in-depth analysis for all options heading into the coming week.

Quarterbacks - Waiver Wire Options

Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts - 37% owned

The second half of the year hasn't been nearly as kind to Brissett as his outstanding first half. Much of that is due to the absences of T.Y. Hilton, Eric Ebron, and nearly every other receiver at some point. They didn't fare very well on Monday night either. That said, Carolina's defense has been a train wreck since their bye, allowing 32.5 points per game over the past eight games. They've allowed 290+ passing yards in four of the last five games. If Hilton can stay healthy enough to play in Week 16, Brissett at least enters the streaming conversation in 14-team leagues.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami Dolphins - 25% owned

How fitting would it be if Fitzmagic won some folks a championship? He wasn't expected to even play much this season, as the Dolphins are rebuilding and made a draft-day trade to acquire Josh Rosen. Much like Han Solo traversing an asteroid belt, Fitzpatrick doesn't care what the odds are. He's averaging 285 passing yards per game over the last five and now gets to face the Bengals. It wouldn't be crazy to roll with Fitzpatrick for the final win of your season.

Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals - 8% owned

I understand nobody is realistically considering Dalton outside of two-QB leagues after being benched for a fourth-round pick earlier this year and then throwing four INT this past week. At least take into account that his recent terrible outing came against the Patriots, who lead the league in interceptions by far. He now faces the Dolphins, who have given up the second-most passing touchdowns on the year and haven't held an opponent under 250 passing yards since Week 10. There's not much of a ceiling here but in deep-enough formats, Dalton could serve a purpose.

Dwayne Haskins, Washington Redskins - 2% owned

If you roll with Haskins after his recent promising performance, are you just asking to be Lock-ed? We saw rookie Drew Lock throw for 309 yards and three touchdowns a week ago, only to do absolutely nothing in Week 15 (209 yards, zero TD). Haskins enjoyed his best day as a pro, throwing for 261 yards and two TD in Week 15. He now gets a bottom-10 pass defense in Giants. In his first matchup with them, he threw three picks and completing 9 of 17 passes for 107 yards in relief of Case Keenum. That marked his very first NFL action though, so he could be looking for payback.

Others to consider: Mitch Trubisky, Chicago Bears (23% owned); Drew Lock, Denver Broncos (6% owned)

Running Backs - Waiver Wire Options

Kerryon Johnson, Detroit Lions - 38% owned

Bo Scarbrough's injury makes it all the easier for Johnson to slide back into his starting job, assuming he is activated for Week 16. He's been a full go at practice but there is the obvious question of how many snaps he would see in a meaningless late-season game after missing eight weeks. Monitor practice reports and beat writer feeds out of Detroit in order to get a sense of whether Johnson is worth actually playing in fantasy. Even if you have no need for him, at least try to add him to block your opponent from getting a possible advantage.

Darwin Thompson, Kansas City Chiefs - 13% owned

His 38 yards were enough to lead the team in rushing on a day where the passing game took over for the Chiefs. Of course, that's most days for them. Thompson faces a Bears Defense that's just middle of the road in terms of stopping running backs this year. Spencer Ware is cutting into his touches, which is a clear sign that Andy Reid doesn't completely trust Thompson yet. He still has the most upside in that backfield at the moment based on speed and pass-catching acumen.

Mike Boone, Minnesota Vikings - 1% owned

Alexander Mattison was supposed to be the handcuff to own! Those who have been stashing him all year were undoubtedly bashing their heads on tables during Week 15. The rookie was declared out before this game and Dalvin Cook injured his chest area mid-game, so it was Boone helping absolutely nobody with his two touchdowns and 56 yards. Cook may play in Week 16 but if so he'd probably be limited. Mattison is very iffy with his ankle injury. Cook owners should be looking to stash Boone while everyone else should do their best not to overreact to his performance. He is worth an add but isn't automatically going to replace Cook's production.

Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins - 0% owned

Finally, Gaskin got the touches I was expecting a couple of weeks ago. He carried nine times for 43 yards and caught a pair of passes for 29 yards against the Giants. He's clearly more talented than Patrick Laird but hasn't been given the opportunity to show it until now. A matchup with Cincinnati and their bottom-five run defense could be his coming-out party.

Others to consider: Nyheim Hines, Indianapolis Colts (24% owned); Chris Thompson, Washington Redskins (15% owned); Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens (11% owned); ); Rex Burkhead, New England Patriots (5% owned)

Wide Receivers - Waiver Wire Options

Anthony Miller, Chicago Bears - 26% owned

Four straight weeks of 13+ fantasy points (full PPR), 10.6 targets, 6.6 receptions, and 86.2 yards per game over the last five, and a 118-yard game in Week 15. It seems like an open and closed case for adding Miller in every league possible, as he's been a top-10 WR for the past month.

Danny Amendola, Detroit Lions - 25% owned

Marvin Jones moving to IR opened up more targets for this veteran slot receiver and it showed in Week 15. He tied his season-high with eight catches and 13 targets, finishing with 102 yards. It should be more of the same in Week 16. Although the Broncos are far stingier to receivers than Tampa Bay, slot receivers have had much more success. Amendola can be played as a WR4 in PPR leagues.

Chris Conley, Jacksonville Jaguars - 22% owned

It proved to be Conley, not Dede Westbrook, who took over D.J. Chark's target share. His eight targets were double of Westbrook's four and more than any other Jaguar. Conley also scored twice, rewarding anyone who chose to stream him in a plus matchup. The Falcons are on deck next week and they allow just as many fantasy points to WRs as Oakland, so expect similar numbers and hope that he can reach the end zone again.

John Ross, Cincinnati Bengals - 14% owned

Here's your sleeper pick for Championship Week. Ross did nothing, predictably, against the Patriots' top-ranked pass defense. He is back in the starting lineup though, as one of the few healthy options for Andy Dalton. Ross could easily turn in a big play against the Dolphins, who just gave up a 51-yarder to Golden Tate.

Breshad Perriman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 9% owned

Pick him up now and spend every last dollar you have to do it. End of story.

Just in case you weren't paying attention Sunday, Perriman was the player that everyone will curse for not picking up sooner or keeping on their bench after he went off for 113 yards and three touchdowns. His value is even higher now because Chris Godwin and Scott Miller also suffered hamstring injuries during the game (is it contagious?). It looks like Perriman is the clear WR1 in an offense that leads the NFL in passing yards, is second in pass attempts, and does not care to pretend to establish a ground game. It doesn't really matter the opponent, but Houston was just gashed by A.J. Brown and has struggled in the secondary all year.

Justin Watson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 6% owned

Add Watson too. As mentioned above, Godwin and Miller could join Mike Evans on the sidelines with hamstring injuries. That makes Watson the WR2 on the pass-happiest team around. He was disappointing this week with just two grabs for 17 yards but the week before (when Miller was out), he caught five of eight targets for 59 yards and a touchdown. If you miss out on Perriman, don't be disappointed if you land Watson instead.

Greg Ward, Philadelphia Eagles - 1% owned

First off, I'd like to give Ward props for transitioning from QB to WR and then from the AAF to the NFL. That said, his production was a result of the fact that the Eagles literally have no healthy wide receivers other than rookie J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, who is still learning the game as evidenced by his penalties and drops. Ward's last-minute touchdown made for a nice fantasy day but it's the fact he's seen nine targets in consecutive weeks that gives him value. It's not ideal to see him square off against Dallas next week but he could be a fourth or fifth WR in deep leagues.

Steven Sims Jr., Washington Redskins - 0% owned

Lately, Sims has emerged as much more than a kick returner. He's seen his offensive snap rate climb for four straight weeks, up to 71% in Week 15. He parlayed that into a season-high five catches for 45 yards. Not too impressive except that he also scored a touchdown and saw a team-high 11 targets, which is more than double that of Terry McLaurin's five. Sims is another sneaky streamer that could pay off huge in Week 16 with a cake matchup against the Giants secondary.

Albert Wilson/Isaiah Ford, Miami Dolphins - 0% owned

One of these receivers could pop against the Bengals but the Dolphins receiver situation is starting to get convoluted. This week, it was Wilson putting up reception numbers, last week it was Ford, the week before it was Hurns. All can be considered but none can be trusted.

Others to consider: James Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers (32% owned); Mecole Hardman, Kansas City (26% owned); Kenny Stills, Houston Texans (16% owned); Demaryius Thomas, New York Jets (7% owned); Allen Hurns, Miami Dolphins (5% owned)

Tight Ends - Waiver Wire Options

Noah Fant, Denver Broncos - 31% owned

The Broncos couldn't get anything going on offense in the Kansas City snow. Fant came away with two catches for 56 yards in Week 15, which isn't too bad when you consider that the team accumulated 251 net yards on the day and he missed much of the second quarter after landing hard on his shoulder. Fant should have an easier time in Week 16 against the Lions if he's close to full health.

Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins - 28% owned

Over the past two weeks, Gesicki has combined for 53 yards and hasn't scored. You have to follow the targets though and he's compiled 13 in those two games. In fact, he hasn't seen fewer than five targets since Week 8. As bad as the Bengals are, they're actually allowing the seventh-fewest points to tight ends, so Gesicki is more of a high-end TE2.

Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans - 13% owned

Even with Delanie Walker on IR since Week 7, Smith has done almost nothing of relevance in fantasy leagues. In a week that nobody started him, Smith caught five passes for 60 yards and took one rush attempt for 57 yards. It's only the second time this year that Smith has posted five receptions in a game. Tennessee's offense is clicking and Smith is athletic enough to be a weapon but his usage is too inconsistent to trust beyond a desperation streamer.

Others to consider: Kaden Smith, New York Giants (2% owned); Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5% owned)

Team Defense - Waiver Wire Options

Los Angeles Chargers Defense - 40% owned

You can't blame the defense for their 39-10 loss to the Vikings at home. The Chargers coughed it up seven times, putting the defense in bad positions all afternoon. Things won't be as tough against a Raiders team that is in the bottom-10 in sacks and interceptions. Derwin James is back and playing well, so expect a bounce-back as they take on their divisional foe for a second time this year.

Denver Broncos Defense - 23% owned

Another defense looking to rebound after a rough week, anything has to be easier than facing Patrick Mahomes in the snow at Arrowhead. This unit hasn't been outstanding but they have forced at least one turnover in five straight games since their bye, after starting the year without a single turnover in the first four games. Conversely, their Week 16 opponent, Detroit, has turned it over 10 times in the last four games, including three to the Bucs. Playing at home, the Broncos should be favored as a DST streamer in leagues where INTs count heavily.

Washington Redskins Defense - 5% owned

With Josh Norman and Ryan Kerrigan on the bench, the Washington defense yielded 31 points to Philly (their last touchdown was a fumble return). Not a great effort but they were facing a team that desperately needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. This week, they get the Giants. Eli Manning is still behind center, so it's almost certain that the Skins can come away with two or three INT.

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