Week 16 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire & FAAB Tool

It is playoff time. But just because your team made it to the dance, doesn’t mean you should stop trying to make improvements. Things change every week in the fantasy football landscape, which means you should remain as active as ever on the waiver wire.

At FTN Fantasy, we have a Waiver Wire Tool that ranks the top waiver adds of the week and also recommends the amount of FAAB you should use on each player. And every Tuesday, I’ll break down the top five players listed in the tool, giving you the best case for each highly ranked player. With all of the key injuries impacting fantasy rosters, being able to add key players off waivers is as crucial as ever.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 16

1. Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns

Yahoo! 43%, ESPN 32%

With the return of Nick Chubb, Ford had returned to his third down/complementary role in the Cleveland backfield. And that continued Sunday until Chubb left with a foot injury. The All-Pro running back has been diagnosed with a broken foot, ending his season, which paves the way for Ford to return to a lead role. During the first six weeks of the season with Chubb sidelined, Ford averaged nearly 12 touches, 3.3 receptions and 10.2 PPR points per game. Those numbers won’t wow you, but a few of those games were also blowouts, and he also played just 7% of the snaps in Week 6. If you remove that game, he is averaging closer to 14 touches and 12 PPR points per game. Fantasy rosters that have to replace David Montgomery might not find a better option than Ford.

2. Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints

Yahoo! 11%, ESPN 8%

Speaking of running back injuries, Alvin Kamara hurt his groin last week and could miss Sunday’s game. Enter Miller, who returned in Week 14, totaling 19 carries during that span, including a solid stat line of 9-46 last week. If Kamara is sidelined, Miller would be in line for 17-20 touches against a Raiders defense that is allowing the fourth-most yards after contact per attempt (2.7) in all of football. But even if Kamara can play Sunday, Miller isn’t a bad player to have on your bench to end the season.

3. Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans

Yahoo! 44%, ESPN 43%

Spears exploded for two touchdowns last week, though his fantasy line was ultimately helped by garbage time. On the final drive of a three-score game, Spears caught a 43-yard pass and a 7-yard pass, though it is good to see him return to his usual role the last two weeks. The Titans are obviously a bad team, making it likely we see similar game scripts to end the season. And if Mason Rudolph starts at quarterback, he’ll be more likely to check the ball down than Will Levis. In PPR formats, Spears is worth a look off waivers.

4. Jalen McMillan, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Yahoo! 9%, ESPN 10%

The rookie has now found the end zone three times over the past two weeks, emerging as the clear WR2 behind Mike Evans. He has a solid 13 targets during that span, while recording a catch of at least 20 yards in each of his last three games. McMillan has solid matchups with the Cowboys and Panthers to end the season, giving him plenty of flex potential in deeper leagues.

5. Brenton Strange, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars

Yahoo! 2%, ESPN 2%

In the first game without Evan Engram, Strange stepped in and immediately played a large role. He caught 11-of-12 targets for 73 yards against the Jets, as Mac Jones continues to target the tight end position at a very high rate. Expecting 12 targets each week obviously isn’t wise, but Strange could easily be the second option in this passing game behind Brian Thomas Jr., while the tight end position in fantasy is starting to lose reliable starting options.