Hello good people! If you’re reading this, you’re still vying for a fantasy football title, or perhaps you’re living vicariously through your 14-1 cousin, Samantha. Either way, finding a startable player on the waiver wire carries more urgency than ever. Which mostly unrostered fantasy football players should be targeted off the waiver wire ahead of Week 16?
Fantasy Football Week 16 Waiver Wire Targets | QB, RB
If you need fantasy help at QB or RB, here are a couple of options available in most leagues. Roster share is based on Fleaflicker fantasy league data.
Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions (61% available)
Do you remember where you were when Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn declared that Jared Goff would probably throw deep more often? At the time, the team’s backfield was seemingly in shambles, as D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams were both out. Meanwhile, a hand injury threatened to derail T.J. Hockenson’s season (which it did).
But Goff somehow has persevered, thanks in large part (it seems) to gelling with his receivers. The recent signing of longtime teammate Josh Reynolds certainly helped.
Goff has 3 touchdowns in two of his last three games. In his last four games, his sacks have dropped from 2.6 per contest to 2.0. Additionally, his completion rate (69%) has crept upward.
And just as importantly, if not more so, Detroit has won two of three games, including Sunday’s shocking upset over the heavily favored Cardinals. Goff’s next two games are against the very beatable Falcons and Seahawks. Although he was added to the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday, he has a decent chance to play on Sunday. Goff is worth an add in most leagues.
Justin Jackson, RB, Los Angeles Chargers (82% available)
The reasons are obvious and more obvious. Justin Jackson has propelled himself into a handcuff role. That’s not a small feat, given where things stood in August when Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree also made claims as Austin Ekeler’s backup. A former seventh-round pick, Jackson has performed gallantly throughout his four-year career, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and catching an impressive 54 balls on 66 targets.
He also hasn’t scored since 2018, which is quite a feat since it was 178 touches ago. That happened in his first NFL start — one of three times he’s been tasked with playing a high-volume bell-cow role. In each instance, he’s played big.
With Houston up next and Ekeler on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Jackson has a chance to shine. Even if you’re set at RB, add him off waivers so your opponent can’t get him. And with COVID sidelining numerous NFL players without warning, you’ll be glad to have an insurance policy if one of your RB starters is a last-minute inactive.
Fantasy Football Week 16 Waiver Wire Targets | WR, TE
If you need fantasy help at WR or TE, here are a couple of options available in most leagues.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions (53% available)
Folks, what are you waiting for?! Last week, I pushed Amon-Ra St. Brown in this column when he was available in 59% of leagues. Only 6% listened. We can do better!
When Tyrell Williams was knocked out for the season in Week 1, St. Brown was supposed to take center stage alongside the more established Swift and Hockenson.
In a perfect world, all three could help elevate Goff to something approximating his former glory. Swift remains sidelined with a shoulder injury, and Hockenson is out for the year after thumb surgery.
A fourth-round rookie, St. Brown is now more important to this offense than ever, and he’s seized the opportunity with 8+ receptions and 73+ yards on 11+ targets in each of his last three games. Furthermore, he’s scored twice in that span. There’s nothing temporary about this outburst. St. Brown is a legitimate NFL talent in a perfect situation. He should be rostered in your league.
C.J. Uzomah, TE, Cincinnati Bengals (56% available)
To be clear, I’m not completely sold on C.J. Uzomah, who crushed it in fantasy during Weeks 4-7. During that stretch, he collected 217 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. That said, despite a snap share that usually exceeds 70% or even 80%, he’s the No. 5 or 6 option in an offense that hasn’t done much through the air in recent weeks.
But at this stage, if you don’t have a TE1 on your roster, you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain adding a boom-bust option like Uzomah. Next weekend he faces one of the league’s top run defenses and worst pass defense — the Ravens. Assuming Baltimore bottles up Joe Mixon — or, if he’s required to step in, Samaje Perine — I’m expecting Joe Burrow to throw more than usual. If that means Uzomah has a 10% greater chance to score in the red zone, you might need to take those odds. Uzomah is a nothing-to-lose flier with massive upside when things break right.