Here are this week’s top Waiver Wire players who are owned in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues. Our favorite players are broken down in Top Targets and the best secondary options are in our Going Deeper sections. We’ll also list any players at the top of each position who are above the 50% threshold — or are household names — and are still widely available for those who might be in smaller leagues.
Be sure to check out our weekly Waiver Wire podcast for more analysis. We’ll also have Streaming articles every Tuesday that focuses on the top quarterbacks, tight ends, and defenses for the upcoming week(s).
Note: The initial Waiver Wire article writeup will be posted every Monday evening, followed by in-depth updates Tuesday, and continued additions/updates Wednesday.
Hansen’s Top-15 Options
Note: For these rankings, John Hansen leans on players who are available in at least 40-50% of Yahoo leagues and who also saw a favorable development for their fantasy values last week. Some players are better long-term pickups, and some are better for just this week or the short term.
- Ronald Jones (TB, 25%) — He stinks, but he can get it done with volume in this productive offense and great overall situation.
- Gabriel Davis (Buf, 18%) — He was my top WR add last week and he scored 2 TDs, so he continues to come on strong. Cole Beasley on the COVID list, which is good for Davis.
- Samaje Perine (Cin, 13%) — He'll be in line for 15-20 touches, including most of the receiving work, if Joe Mixon’s ankle injury is a problem, BUT Mixon did practice early in the week.
- Justin Jackson (LAC, 5%) — Eckler officially placed on COVID list on 12.22, so his status is up in the air. Jackson looked great in Week 15.
- Cole Kmet (Chi, 25%) — This offense is annoying, but he was all kinds of active in Week 16.
- Justin Fields (Chi, 24%) — Don’t watch him play in this ugly offense, but Fields is still a QB1 from Weeks 13-15.
- Craig Reynolds (Det, 13%) — He’s looked very good, but D'Andre Swift might be trending toward a return starting 12/22.
- Dontrell Hilliard (Ten, 37%) — Foreman did get hurt in Week 15 (ankle), so Hilliard is on the radar in case Foreman’s out or limited (Foreman’s expected to play).
- Ameer Abdullah (Car, 8%) — He’s officially a better start than Chubba Hubbard in all formats now.
- Kadarius Toney (NYG, 25%) — Risky, but I could see him working well with noodle-arm Jake Fromm, who will likely look for Toney a lot 10 yards and in.
- Dan Arnold (Car, 3%) — He’s back!
- Duke Johnson (Mia, 1%) — I’m not hopping on this bandwagon because it’s still a major RBBC, but Dookie did look great in Week 15.
- Allen Lazard (GB, 41%) — He’s annoying, but Marquez Valdes-Scantling landed on the COVID list so his status is very up in the air.
- Latavious Murray (Bal, 26%) — He’s not dead yet and probably back in the mix for 6-8 touches, so he could score any minute.
- Ke’Shawn Vaughn (TB, 0%) — Worth a shot if you’re digging deep, Ronald Jones does kinda stink.
Quarterbacks
Higher-owned Options
Taysom Hill (NO, 59%), Tua Tagovailoa (Mia, 47%), Carson Wentz (Ind, 51%)
Top Targets
Justin Fields (Chi, 24%) — Watching Fields and this offense is pretty painful, since Fields often looks like he picked a different career, but since he’s been running and throwing some nice passes on every 9-10 attempts, he’s producing for fantasy. In Week 14. Despite losing a fumble and throwing 2 INTs, Fields was still a QB1 for the week with 21.4 FP, thanks to his first multi-TD game passing of the season. In Week 15, Fields and the offense were flat and uninspired, yet Fields was still a QB1 with 17.9 FP. Matt Nagy is absolutely brutal, but we will have to put up with him for three more weeks, so Fields is still a shaky proposition overall. But his favorable schedule is appealing (@Sea, and vs. NYG) the next two weeks. It would help if he got Allen Robinson back for Week 16 in Seattle, but A-Rob may have had it up to here with the lame-ass Bears coaches. Fields still has Darnell Mooney, Cole Kmet, and some decent ancillary weapons. We have Fields as QB16 for Week 16 in our preliminary projections. Fields popped up on the injury report Wednesday with an ankle injury. If he’s able to work late this week, his status as a potential QB1 shouldn’t change much. UPDATED: 12/22
Going Deeper
Tyler Huntley (Bal, 4%) — Huntley’s run as Baltimore’s starting quarterback is likely over this week with Lamar Jackson (ankle) eyeing a return. However, Huntley is the top waiver-wire quarterback available if he would get one more start against the Bengals in Week 16. He’s also the best QB stash for the rest of the season in case Lamar has more issues. Huntley is the QB1 for Week 15, and he completed 28/40 passes for 215 yards (5.4 YPA) and two TDs and he added 13/73/2 rushing in a last-minute loss to the Packers. He previously posted 17.3 FP in 45 minutes of action against the Browns in Week 14 so he’s been a fantasy stud because of his rushing upside and his excellent connection with Mark Andrews. Huntley could be a worthless Week 16 proposition or a viable top-12 guy, depending on Lamar’s status. Lamar as of Wednesday night was still day to day, so stay tuned and check the projections. UPDATED: 12/2
Jimmy Garoppolo (SF, 41%) — Jimmy G is playing his best football of the season with San Francisco surging back into playoff contention, and Trey Lance will continue to stay glued to the bench for the remainder of the season barring an injury. Jimmy’s thrown for two TDs in five of his last seven games with George Kittle returning to the lineup and with Brandon Aiyuk coming back to life. The 49ers running game (which includes Deebo Samuel) has taken over lately, but he has the chance to be a fringe top-12 option when he’s forced to throw the ball 35 times or more. That didn’t happen in Week 15, as he completed 18/23 passes for 235 yards (10.2 YPA) and one TD in an 18-point victory over the Falcons. He has a relatively friendly upcoming schedule (@Ten, Hou, @LAR), and he could be forced to throw a little more with Elijah Mitchell (knee, concussion) missing another game in Week 16. We have Jimmy G as QB20 for Week 16 as of 12/22. UPDATED: 12/2
Jared Goff (Det, 7%) — Placed on the COVID-19 list on Monday afternoon, so p a pending update on that situation is first and foremost heading into Week 16. Goff finally picked up his first victory without Sean McVay in Week 15, and the Lions are actually 2-3-1 since their Week 9 bye. He’s shown life recently since the Lions added his old Rams teammate Josh Reynolds to the receiving corps, which has opened things up underneath for rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown. Goff is actually a QB1 the last three weeks, ranking inside the top-12 in PPG. Goff completed 21/26 passes for 216 yards (8.3 YPA) and three TDs in Detroit’s stunning 18-point victory over the Cardinals in Week 15, which gives Goff multiple TDs in three of his last four games. He won’t have stud TE TJ Hockenson, but he has some good matchups in the next two weeks (@Atl, @Sea, GB) to potentially keep the momentum going if you’re scrambling for help in two-QB/Superflex formats.
Mac Jones (NE, 33%) — Mac went from throwing an NFL-low three passes in New England’s victory over the Bills in Week 13 to throwing 45 times in their loss to the Colts in Week 14. He completed 26 of those attempts (57.8%) for 299 yards (6.6 YPA), two TDs, and two INTs for 19.2 FP in New England’s failed comeback bid against Indy. This is obviously still a run-heavy offense with a stout defense, which often caps Mac’s fantasy upside. But if you’re looking for a low-end option, it’s always nice to roll with a guy who's actually playing well. Jones has now posted 19+ FP in three of his last five games heading into the final three games of the season (Buf, Jax, @Mia). His matchup against the Bills this week is at least in NE, and it’s an easier matchup with top corner Tre'davious White.
Davis Mills (Hou, 3%) — Mills outdueled #1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence for a victory in Week 15, and the third-round pick has actually looked more like a first-round pick than some of his contemporaries from the 2021 QB class. Over the last two weeks, he’s outproducing guys like Dak Prescott and Kyler Murray with 16.8 FPG. He completed 19/30 passes for 209 yards (7.0 YPA), two TDs, and one INT in Houston’s victory over the Texans in Week 15. He’s looked calm and confident in the pocket since he took back over as the team’s starter in Week 14, and he could earn himself a starting job in 2022 with a strong finishing kick — the 2022 QB class is looking weak right now. HC David Culley has already announced that Mills will be the team’s starter for the remainder of the season, and the next three weeks will be telling for Mills’ future with some more challenging matchups looming (LAC, @SF, Ten). This week, the absence of DE Joey Bosa (covid) is good news for Mills and increases his chances of producing.
Ben Roethlisberger (Pit, 25%) — Big Ben hadn’t hit 18+ FP in each of his first eight games, but he’s done it three times in his last five games. He flopped in an ugly victory against the Titans in Week 15, completing 16/25 passes for 148 scoreless yards (5.9 YPA) and he added a rare QB sneak touchdown for 11.9 FP. His play has improved in recent weeks, and the Steelers need to play more “Big Ben Ball,” which entails Ben in the shotgun or pistol and getting rid of the ball quickly, usually to superstar Diontae Johnson. Lord knows they cannot run the ball. He has a relatively difficult closing schedule (@KC, Cle, @Bal) as he closes in on his 40th birthday, and there’s no doubt that he wants to end his final season with some respectable showings.
Cam Newton (Car, 22%) — Cam is hanging on by a thread with three different in-game benchings over two games in Weeks 12-14, but he does have a rushing touchdown in each of his first five games with the Panthers. HC Matt Rhule stuck with Cam for the entire game in a 17-point loss to the Bills in Week 15, and he turned in 24.3 FP with yet another rushing TD and a passing TD. He completed just 47.4% of his passes while averaging a miserable 4.1 YPA, but he’ll go down as one of the top fantasy QBs in Week 15. Over the last three weeks, he’s a QB1 with 20.1 FPG. We would love to push Cam up this list if we knew they’d stick with him for 60 minutes every week, but Newton could be pulled more in the future with the Panthers entering their final three games as underdogs (TB, @NO, @TB). And now Sam Darnold is back and he’s even expected to get playing time. Newton will start, though. Cam isn’t the easiest to trust since he’s posted 20+ FP just five times in his last 17 starts since 2020, but he can score rushing TDs with ease so he always has a chance. UPDATED: 12/2
Drew Lock (Den, 0%) — Teddy Bridgewater suffered a scary-looking head/neck in Week 15, which required him to be carted off the field. His status for the rest of the season (@LV, @LAC, KC) is very much up in the air, and Lock is definitely the next man up in Week 16 in this run-heavy offense. He stepped into the lineup in the third quarter and he completed 6/12 passes for 88 yards (7.3 YPA) and one TD against the Bengals. Lock has plenty of passing weapons at his disposal, but he has averaged 6.6 YPA with 23 TDs and 18 INTs over 18 career starts. As they did with Teddy, they will lean heavily on their running game, so he’ll be a low-end option in two-QB/Superflex leagues while he’s starting for Bridgewater in the coming weeks. There is a speck of upside, but they’re always downside with Lock.
Baker Mayfield (Cle, 29%) — Mayfield is playing through a fracture in his non-throwing shoulder in addition to his torn labrum, but he’s battling through the injuries and playing slightly better in recent weeks. He completed 22/32 passes for 190 yards (5.9 YPA), two TDs, and one INT in their victory over the Ravens in Week 14. With just one performance with 19+ FP through 13 games, Mayfield is a poor desperation option in Superflex/two-QB formats (LV, @GB, @Pit, Cin), and that’s assuming he has some receivers to throw to and he’s out there himself with Baker, Jarvis Landry, and Austin Hooper missing Week 15 on Covid list. Hooper is off the list and we presume Baker and Landry are right behind him. UPDATED: 12/2
Matt Ryan (Atl, 41%) — Ryan has scored 15+ FP and he’s reached 2+ TD passes just once in his last eight games, but he’s still scrappy and he’s still trying like hell to get things done. He completed 19/32 passes for 236 yards (7.4 YPA) and one TD in their loss to the 49ers in Week 15. He’s hardly a priority option with one of the league’s worst receiving corps at his disposal, and he’ll be nothing more than a low-end QB2 in Superflex/two-QB formats even with an easier matchup this week against the Lions before finishing with two tougher matchups (@Buf, NO).
Jake Fromm (NYG, 0%) — Daniel Jones may not play again this season with his neck injury, and Mike Glennon has been downright dreadful as the team’s starting quarterback the last three weeks. That means it’s likely going to be Fromm’s offense for the final three games (@Phi, @Chi, Was) of the season. He played one series against the Cowboys, and he nearly matched Glennon in passing yards (99 to 82) in Week 15. Fromm will be a desperation option only in two-QB/Superflex formats, but he has already shown that he at least will be better than Glennon moving forward, which isn’t saying much. Fromm lacks any special qualities, but he played at a high level in the SEC and in huge playoff games ast Georgia. Fromm won’t have WR Sterling Shepard, but Kadarius Toney is expected to come off the Covid list and play in Week 16, so Fromm still has weapons. The Giants aren’t committing to Fromm as their Week 16 still, but we’re still expecting it.
Trevor Lawrence (Jax, 27%) — The first overall pick from last spring’s draft has struggled mightily for most of the season, and his struggles continued in Week 15 even with Urban Meyer getting kicked to the curb. He completed 22/38 passes for 210 scoreless yards (5.5 YPA) against the lowly Texans, but at least he didn’t turn it over after throwing four INTs in Week 14. He’s now finished with fewer than 11 FP in six of his last seven games. It’s so bad right now that Laquon Treadwell has been the team’s best receiver the last four weeks. He can’t be trusted in lineups even with a beatable matchup this week (@NYJ, @NE, Ind). Heading into Week 16, Brian Schottenheimer will take over the play calling duties. Oh joy. That’s good news for James Robinson, and perhaps he can push them to even a slight improvement. The team is also activating Dan Arnold from IR, earlier than expected, and he might even play Week 16. UPDATED: 12/2
Zach Wilson (NYJ, 7%) — Wilson took back the starting job in Week 12 after missing four games for a knee injury, and he’s looked like the same quarterback from before his injury over the last four weeks. He completed 13/23 passes for 170 scoreless yards (7.4 YPA) and he added 4/12/1 rushing in their loss to the Dolphins in Week 15. New York’s upcoming schedule features mostly difficult matchups for this limited passing attack (Jax, TB, @Buf), and he’ll be operating without Corey Davis for the rest of the season and without Elijah Moore for at least another game. Wilson is still a desperation option in Superflex/two-QB leagues until we see signs of significant improvement, and we’re quickly running out of time this season.
Running Backs
Higher-owned Options
Jeff Wilson (SF, 55%), D’Onta Foreman (Ten, 64%), Mike Davis (Atl, 54%), Mark Ingram (NO, 52%), J.D. McKissic (Was, 45%), Nyheim Hines (Ind, 51%)
Top Targets
Ronald Jones (TB, 25%) and Ke’Shawn Vaughn (TB, 0%) — RoJo had fallen out of favor in Tampa Bay and, despite scoring in Weeks 11-12, he’s yet to reach double-digit FP in any game this season. However, his only path to real fantasy reliability, Leonard Fournette missing time with an injury, may be upon us. Fournette left their Week 15 game with a hamstring injury after being limited by an ankle issue leading up to Week 15. Fournette could miss time, so Jones may be a playoff savior for a week or two if he can avoid any key mistakes. Giovani Bernard (knee, IR) is out for the rest of the regular season so he’d have just Ke’Shawn Vaughn to compete with if Fournette is out. Jones ended up playing 22 snaps and Vaughn played 19, but it was Jones who was the next man up once Fournette left the game. Jones ripped off a 30-yard run and finished with 8/63 rushing and 2/8 receiving on two targets. Vaughn had 3/19 rushing and did have two targets. Vaughn’s been buried on the depth chart, but he’s a solid back with nice potential if he got volume. He’s worth a stash in deep, deep leagues in case Jones starts fumbling, dropping passes, etc. The fact that they signed Le’Veon Bell is probably good news for Jones and Vaughn, since it’s a sign Fournette’s going to miss multiple games.
Going Deeper
Justin Jackson (LAC, 5%) — Austin Ekeler is playing through an ankle injury in the final weeks of the season, and Jackson clearly established himself as the back to own in this backfield behind him with his performance (13/86 rushing) in Week 15. He’s never looked better, actually. Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree, to a lesser extent, would also be involved behind him if Ekeler is unable to play down the stretch. Jackson is also on the radar because Eckler was JUST placed on the COVID list on 12/21, so he is no lock to play Week 16. He needs to be owned in case he’s in line for 15-20 touches this week with a pristine matchup against the Texans. UPDATED: 12/2
Craig Reynolds (Det, 13%) — The Lions elevated the Kutztown product from their practice squad to the active roster in Week 14, and he’s been busy in Detroit’s backfield the last two weeks with D’Andre Swift still nursing his shoulder injury. With 12.3 FPG, he’s been an RB2 the last two weeks. He finished with 26/112 rushing and he caught his only target for five yards while playing 65% of the snaps in their shocking victory over the Cardinals in Week 15. Reynolds is ahead of Godwin Igwebuike (who has lost fumbles in consecutive games) and Jermar Jefferson moving forward, and the Lions haven’t exactly been in a rush to get Swift back on the field with their season all but over. However, both Swift and Jamaal Williams (COVID) returned to practice on 12/22, so this backfield is in major flux. But we can’t believe that Swift is a lock here on 12/22, so Reynolds still looks like a good WW grab with 20+ potential. UPDATED: 12/2
Samaje Perine (Cin, 13%) — Perine is the primary handcuff for Joe Mixon, who already had an injury scare earlier this season when he went down with an ankle injury. He went down with another ankle injury late in Cincinnati’s victory over the Broncos, but he did work on 12/22, which assuaged a lot of the concerns with him and lowered Perine’s impact potential. But this ankle has been a lingering issue for Mixon, so Perine is still a good stash for now. Perine has had just one chance to dominate the work in Cincinnati back in Week 5 when he posted 11/59 rushing and 4/24/1 receiving on 61% of the snaps against the Packers. Mixon has seen 17+ carries in five straight games since their Week 10 so Perine would see enough volume to be an RB2 option if Mixon misses time in the future (Bal, KC, @Cle). Third-string RB Chris Evans has been a non-factor in this backfield in recent weeks, so there’s even a chance Perine could be used as a true bellcow back if Mixon is out. Even if Mixon is able to play, Perine’s snaps should increase to the point at which he’s a decent reach play. UPDATED: 12/2
Dontrell Hilliard (Ten, 37%) — Keep an eye on D’Onta Foreman’s health this week as he had his foot rolled up on Tennessee’s final drive in their loss to the Steelers in Week 15. Foreman returned to action after missing a few plays, but the Titans have a quick turnaround to play the 49ers on Thursday Night Football. It wouldn’t be shocking if Foreman’s foot/ankle would hold him out this week after the adrenaline has worn off. Hilliard actually started the game in Week 15 playing 36% of the snaps, and he would be the next man up as the team’s top runner with Jeremy McNichols (29% of the snaps) also mixing in primarily in passing situations.
Ameer Abdullah (Car, 8%) — Rookie Chuba Hubbard may be the lead runner and early-down back, but since Abdullah is going to play in passing situations because they do not trust Hubbard in pass protection, AA is the better play as long as Cam Newton is a threat to vulture short TDs from Chubba. The Panthers’ coaching staff has also been impressed with Abdullah this season, and he looks fast and explosive in Carolina. Hubbard finished with 8/40 rushing with a one-yard catch on his only target 47% of the snaps against the Bills while Abdullah led the backfield for a second straight week with 53% snap share with the Panthers playing from behind for most of the game. He caught all four of his targets for 48 yards and a TD and he added 4/7 rushing for 15.5 FP. The snap distribution is notable since the Panthers will be underdogs against good run defenses in each of their final three games (TB, @NO, @TB). Abdullah is going to be on the field more than expected as their receiving back, and he could sneak into the flex conversation if his QBs continue to check it down to him 4-6 times per game.
Jordan Howard (Phi, 9%) and Boston Scott (Phi, 19%) — Good luck navigating this Eagles’ backfield on a week-to-week basis with four backs in the mix and injuries galore to Miles Sanders (ankle), Howard (knee), and Scott (illness). At least this backfield has produced plenty of rushing production since they dedicated themselves to running the rock starting in Week 8, but HC Nick Sirianni is committed to rotating his backs. Howard should be back in the mix starting in Week 15, and he was used ahead of Scott before his injury. Rookie Kenneth Gainwell is the #4 option in this backfield, and he’s worth considering if Sanders and/or Howard aren’t ready to play coming out of their bye.
Duke Johnson (Mia, 1%) — Our best advice is to avoid the Dolphins’ backfield unless you’re truly desperate, but Dookie posted one of the best performances we’ve seen in this backfield this season in Week 15, albeit against the league’s worst defense against RBs. After seeing just four carries all season long, Johnson hung 22/107/2 rushing and 1/20 receiving for 25.7 FP on a 58% snap share against the Jets. Dookie got elevated to the top spot because Myles Gaskin saw just one practice after a week’s layoff on the COVID list. HC Brian Flores will be choosing between Johnson, Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed, Phillip Lindsay, and Malcolm Brown moving forward, and their OC said early this week it would remain an RBBC. But at least Johnson has staked a claim to get the first crack at touches moving forward. The Dolphins will go from the easiest RB matchup in the league (NYJ) to the two toughest RB matchups (@NO, @Ten) in the next two weeks, so it might be best to let someone else chase production in this backfield. That’s why Johnson isn’t higher up on this list.
Rex Burkhead (Hou, 10%) — Chasing fantasy production in this Houston backfield has been a fruitless endeavor this season, but Burkhead has been the closest thing to a fantasy-relevant option in Houston’s Week 10 bye. He led Houston’s backfield in touches (17), scrimmage yards (47), and snap share (64%) in their victory over the Jaguars in Week 15. Houston’s coaching staff trusts Burkhead the most to play next to their rookie quarterback, but good luck trying to pry fantasy production out of anyone in this backfield.
D’Ernest Johnson (Cle, 23%) — Kareem Hunt injured his ankle in the first quarter of Week 14, and he was never seen again in their victory over the Ravens. Hunt’s injury elevated Johnson into the #2 RB role behind Nick Chubb, and he managed 4/22 rushing while catching his only target for seven yards against Baltimore. Johnson will be on the radar in deeper formats as the secondary option in this backfield for as long as Hunt is out of the lineup, and HC Keven Stefansky said Monday that Hunt is unlikely to be ready for Saturday’s game, so Johnson is a viable hail mary play with a juicy matchup against the Raiders. The team plays Saturday, and Hunt did not practice Tuesday, so he’s almost certainly out. Johnson ended up playing 22% of the snaps to Hunt’s 20%, so there should be 30% of the snaps (possibly more) for Johnson this week.
Peyton Barber (LV, 3%) — He looked decent in Week 15 with 5/34 rushing and a nice 12-yard catch, and his value would skyrocket if Josh Jacobs went down. He might even have some standalone value on the low-end if 6-7 points will make you happy. If Jacobs is out, he’s a top-20 fantasy back with 20+ touches likely.
Latavious Murray (Bal, 26%) — Murray isn’t dead yet, and he got meaningful snaps and touches in Week 15. Devonta Freeman was sluggish and had been playing a lot, so he was down to 56% with Murray at 41%. Murray looked decent and outproduced Freeman with 7/48 rushing and 1 catch for 3 yards on three targets. Murray is always a threat to score, so his increased role makes him a little more appealing as a desperation play.
Best Handcuff Stashes
Devontae Booker (NYG, 24%) — Booker is the running back to own behind Saquon Barkley in this Giants’ backfield. He scored double-digit FP in each of his five games with Saquon out of the lineup in Weeks 5-9, and he’s been getting some weekly work behind Barkley since he returned to the lineup after their Week 10 bye. In fact, he’s scored more than nine FP in three straight games in Weeks 13-15.
Khalil Herbert (Chi, 15%) — David Montgomery is back and dominating touches and playing time in Chicago’s backfield, but Herbert asserted himself as his handcuff during Montgomery’s four-week absence. He averaged 21.8 touches and 97.0 scrimmage yards per game in Weeks 5-8 so he’s a viable RB2 if Montgomery misses more time.Damien Williams did play in Week 14, but he was a non-factor in Week 15 and Herbert caught a couple of balls late in the game.
Wide Receivers
Higher-owned Options
Antonio Brown (TB, 62%), Russell Gage (Atl, 50%), K.J. Osborn (Min, 45%)
Top Targets
Gabriel Davis (Buf, 18%) — Davis is once again the top WR waiver wire addition this week after he scored his third and fourth touchdowns in the last three weeks, which was his first full contest with Emmanuel Sanders (knee) out of the lineup. Davis stepped into a more prominent role with a team-best 5/85/2 receiving on seven targets (21% share) in a tough matchup against the Panthers in Week 15. Davis ran a route on 89% of Josh Allen’s dropbacks in Week 15, and he’s reached double-digit FP in three straight games. The Bills’ RBs can’t run on air right now so this offense will skew heavily towards the pass in their final three games (@NE, Atl, NYJ), and Davis has earned the right to be the #2 WR moving forward. The 34-year-old Sanders is limping toward the finish line, and Davis should stay in front of him even if Sanders does return in the next week or two. Also, Cole Beasley landed on the COVID list early this week and he’s famously unvaccinated, so he’s screwed for at least Week 16. That only helps Davis. Sanders, however, has a chance to play Week 16. Davis is still a good play right now. UPDATED: 12/22
Amon-Ra St. Brown (Det, 29%) and Josh Reynolds (Det, 10%) — The rookie St. Brown has 4+ catches in nine of his last 10 games, and he’s rung up 15+ FP and 11+ targets in three straight games. He finished with 8/90/1 receiving on 11 targets against the Cardinals, which gives him 26/249/2 receiving on 35 targets for 63.6 FP in Weeks 13-15. Reynolds has been elevated into the top perimeter WR spot since arriving on the scene five weeks ago. He’s posted 3+ catches and 50+ receiving yards in four straight games after catching all six of his targets for 68 yards and a TD against the Cardinals in Week 15. Jared Goff has been groping for any kind of help at WR all season long, and the contributions from Reynolds and St. Brown have given Goff some stability at the position. Obviously, these WRs would have a lot less fantasy potential if Goff cannot get off the COVID LIST.
Donovan Peoples-Jones (Cle, 14%) — DPJ has been hampered by a groin injury for much of the last two months, but he looked rejuvenated coming out of their Week 13 bye. Operating as the team’s top perimeter WR, he posted a team-best 5/90 receiving on seven targets (22% share) and a 92% snap share in their victory over the Ravens in Week 14. DPJ did all he could do in Week 15 playing with backup Nick Mullens, and he was very active with eight targets and 4/48 receiving. He’s a fairly volatile option moving forward playing with Baker Mayfield in a run-heavy attack, but he’s clearly been their #1 receiver and the Browns will take weekly shots to him moving forward since he actually gives them some juice on the perimeter. UPDATED: 12/21
Allen Lazard (GB, 9%) — With Marquez Valdes-Scantling landing on the COVID list, the Lazard King may be in business in Week 16. Lazard had a big game in Week 14, so if MVS is out of the mix, Lazard is worth having around in the fantasy playoffs (Cle, Min, @Det). UPDATED: 12/21
Going Deeper
Kendrick Bourne (NE, 31%) — Bourne has been playing behind Nelson Agholor all season, but he has the most chemistry with Mac Jones out of all the Patriots receivers. Agholor suffered a concussion in New England’s Week 15 loss, which led to Bourne’s second-highest snap share of the season at 71%. The increased playing time resulted in 3/44 receiving and 2/19 rushing in New England’s comeback attempt against the Colts. Bourne is averaging career-bests in YPR (14.8) and in catch rate (80.4%), and Bourne could take on an increased role against the Bills in Week 16 if Agholor misses.
Kadarius Toney (NYG, 25%) — Toney has been a major buzzkill in the second half of the season as he hasn’t even played since Week 11 because of an oblique injury. He also landed on the COVID list last week, but he’s expected to be removed from the list and is finally looking like a go for the final three games of the season (@Phi, @Chi, Was). The Giants lost Sterling Shepard (Achilles) to yet another injury at the end of Week 15, and Toney should be the primary slot receiver moving forward. If you have enough trust in Toney, he has the chance to be active playing with the noodle-armed Jake Fromm leading the offense.
Robby Anderson (Car, 35%) — The Panthers have come out slinging it to Robby in their first two games after firing OC Joe Brady during their bye in Week 13. He turned 12 targets into a season-high 21.4 FP in Week 14 against the Falcons, but he couldn’t quite keep it up in Week 15 with just 3/29 receiving on eight targets (21% share). He at least added 33 rushing yards to finish with 9.2 FP in a difficult matchup with the Bills. It’s a little scary playing Robby right now knowing there are lumps of coal throwing him the ball, but at least the Fantasy Santa has been spotted once again with the change of offensive coordinators. The Panthers will also be playing in pass-heavy scripts (TB, @NO, @TB) to end the season to give Robby a chance to stick around as boom-or-bust WR3.
Laquon Treadwell (Jax, 2%) — You know it’s been a weird fantasy season when Treadwell has worked his way into fantasy relevance. He’s now led the Jaguars’ WRs in receiving in four straight games with four consecutive performances with four catches and 50+ receiving yards. He finished with 6/57 receiving on nine targets in Jacksonville’s loss to the Texans in Week 15. Treadwell isn’t the most trustworthy fantasy option since he has a long history of failure and he’s playing in one of the league’s worst offenses, but he deserves to be on the radar for stringing together four solid performances in a row.
Jamison Crowder (NYJ, 29%) — Crowder has been tough to trust playing with a struggling rookie quarterback, and that didn’t change in Week 15 even with Elijah Moore (quad, IR) and Corey Davis (core, IR) out of the lineup. He mustered 5/40 receiving on a team-best 33% target share against the Dolphins, and no other Jets’ receiver saw more than three targets. Davis isn’t returning this season and Moore will sit out at least one more game (Jax) so Crowder should see targets if you’re digging deep for PPR help.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (GB, 41%) — MVS was added to the COVID list on 12/21, so he could be out this week. If he’s in, keep in mind he led the Packers in receiving with 5/98/1 receiving on seven targets (23% share) in Green Bay’s victory over the Ravens in Week 15. MVS has now led the Packers in targets in three out of the last four games, and he’s produced 20+ FP in two of those games. MVS is the definition of a boom-or-bust WR3. If you’re willing to embrace his volatility, he has the kind of weekly upside that could help you win a week in the fantasy playoffs (Cle, Min, @Det). UPDATED: 12/21
Tight Ends
Higher-owned Options
Hunter Henry (NE, 65%), Jared Cook (LAC, 56%), Tyler Conklin (Min, 47%)
Top Targets
Cole Kmet (Chi, 25%) — Kmet had been trending in the right direction since Week 6 with 3+ catches in six of his last seven games. But he put up only 3/41 receiving on seven targets (17%) against the Cardinals in Week 13, and he was worse in Week 14 with only 3/17 on five targets. Jimmy Graham stole a TD for a second consecutive games heading into Week 14, but the good news is Kmet was back in a big way in a tougher matchup against the Vikings. Kmet led the way with nine targets and 6/71. Kmet has shown chemistry with Justin Fields earlier in the season, and Fields is locked in as the starter the rest of the way. UPDATED: 12/21
Going Deeper
James O’Shaughnessy (Jax, 1%) and Dan Arnold TE (Jax, 3%) — O’Shaughnessy made some noise in Jacksonville’s season opener with 6/48 receiving before going down with a high ankle injury in Week 2. He returned to the lineup at the right time in Week 12 with Arnold going down with a knee injury. He finally made some noise in Week 15, catching all four of his targets for 60 yards in their loss to the Texans. On the downside, Arnold was surprisingly activated from IR on 12.22, and he may play. They have a great matchup in Week 16 (Jets) so if Arnold is out then O’Shaughnessy is a great streamer option. If Arnold is in, assuming we get some info on this playing time, he’s then a very good reach play as well, and one with more upside than O’Shaughnessy. UPDATED: 12/2
Gerald Everett (Sea, 35%) — Everett sure is happy to see Russell Wilson back in action with three double-digit FP performances since Russ returned to the kitchen in Week 10. Everett had a truly miserable performance in Week 13 with three plays that resulted in turnovers, but he bounced back with 2/15/1 receiving with a 13-yard carry for 10.8 FP against the Texans in Week 14. He’s established himself as the third option in this passing attack, but he needs Russ to improve over the final month if he wants to be a reliable fantasy option.
Evan Engram (NYG, 31%) — Engram has been a mostly worthless fantasy option this season, but he's on the radar this week with a matchup looming against the TE-friendly Eagles’ defense. He also could be a little more involved moving forward if Jake Fromm takes over as the starter for the final three games of the season, and Sterling Shepard will be out of the picture after suffering an Achilles injury late in Week 15. He’s coming off yet another unimpressive performance (4/33 receiving) against the Cowboys and he’s unlikely to score a touchdown with New York sporting one of the league’s worst offenses, but he has the chance to catch 3-5 passes if you’re dying in a PPR format.
Nick Vannett (NO, 3%) — Adam Trautman (NO, 5%) — Trautman returned from IR in Week 15 and he played a decent 57% of the snaps, same as Vannett. Trautman had only 2 targets and 1 catch for 4 yards, but Vannett got only 1 target, and Trautman’s role should grow in the coming weeks. He scored 8.7, 8.2, and 16.8 points Weeks 9-11 and was the TE8 in that span just before going on IR. However, he also landed on the COVID list on 12/22, so we have no idea if he’ll play. They also placed TE Jawan Johnson on the COVID list, so if those two were out, then Vannet would be a solid desperation play. UPDATED: 12/22
Place Kickers
Higher-owned Options
Mason Crosby (GB, 25%) - Crosby has been up and down all season. The Packers clinched their division in Week 15, but are still seeking the top seed in the NFC. Crosby should get at least two field goal attempts at home against the Browns. So, he is worthy of a player this week based on volume.
Top Targets
Jason Myers (Sea, 12%) - Going into his Tuesday night postponed game, Myers has been inconsistent. He hit on multiple field goals in Week 11 and 14 but failed to hit a field goal in the two weeks in between. Myers has at least one field goal in five of his six home games and attempted two or more field goals in two of his last four home outings.
Going Deeper
Riley Patterson (Det, 0%) - Detroit is coming off a huge upset over Arizona. They are actually playing with confidence and have been in most of their games this season. Patterson hit all three of his field goal attempts in Week 15 with one of them from the bonus range,
Defense/Special Teams
Higher-owned Options
Chiefs (KC, 60%), Saints (NO, 53%), Packers (GB, 71%)
Top Targets
Chargers (LAC, 50%) — The absence of Derwin James midway through their Week 15 contest against Kansas City was disastrous. It’s no coincidence that Travis Kelce — who had been muted for the first part of the game — exploded after James left the field. Before that, the Chiefs had just 10 points. HC Brandon Staley said James didn’t do any further damage to his balky hamstring, and they have a 10-day break between games. The Chargers might not even need James for their Week 16 matchup against the Texans, though. Yes, Davis Mills is playing better, but everyone looks good against the Jaguars. The Texans have 3 wins and 2 of them are against Jacksonville. Houston remains a top-5 target for opposing DSTs, ranking near the bottom in points, yards, and 1st downs. The Chargers have yet to go sackless in a game and have turned up their big-play production as of late. Over their last four games, the Chargers have 9 sacks, 4 INTs, 4 fumble recoveries, and a TD.
Going Deeper
Seahawks (Sea, 35%) — This is being published before their Week 15 game against the Rams, but prior to their upcoming tough matchup, the Seattle D has quietly put together a string solid of performances. Their offense is another story, but the Seahawks have allowed no more than 23 points in eight straight games (Week 15 pending, obviously). They've been an above average unit that would probably show better if their offense got things going. Their Week 16 and Week 17 opponents are ripe for the picking: Two home games vs. Chicago and Detroit. Both teams are top-10 in FPA to DSTs.
