Week 16 fantasy football waiver wire rankings

It’s time for the Week 16 fantasy football waiver wire. Fantasy waivers can often make or break your season. Making the right decision on which players to add and drop is crucial, so we have you set up with a deep list of potential waiver wire adds for Week 16.

We cast a wide net every week in our waiver wire advice. Below you’ll see this week’s fantasy football waiver wire rankings. These recommendations are listed in order of priority and the suggested auction budget percentage is in parenthesis.

Keep in mind that some leagues may be more aggressive or conservative in terms of bidding, so know your league tendencies. Regardless of the size of your league, it’s suggested that you work your way down the list and prioritize the top players in your waiver claims for this week.

Also, be aware that there are some widely-owned players who would be prioritized above those on this list. Likewise, if your league mates got a bit overzealous and dropped someone who shouldn’t be on waivers, those players should be above the listed players as well.

1. Ronald Jones, TB RB (100%) – Leonard Fournette’s hamstring injury will cost him at least one week, positioning Jones as the feature back in Tampa. With the Buccaneers being as banged up as they are, Jones figures to see a heavy workload in relief duty. Better yet, his legs are relatively fresh thanks to a light workload so far this season.

2. Jeff Wilson, SF RB (50%) – With Elijah Mitchell’s Week 16 status very much up in the air, it’s a good idea to scoop up Wilson if he’s still available. He’s coming off of an impressive performance in Week 15 with 21 carries for 110 yards and a score. Of course, he does have to face a Titans defense that just shut down Najee Harris.

3. Justin Jackson, LAC RB (25%) – Austin Ekeler’s status is a bit confusing as of this writing. He was widely reported to have landed on the COVID list on Monday, but that news was not correct. However, he also did not practice on Monday. Ekeler could very well be still feeling the lingering effects of the injury that hobbled him last week. Let’s hope that’s the case. Regardless, it’s worth scooping up Jackson.

4. Gabriel Davis, BUF WR (15%) – With no Emmanuel Sanders, Davis ended up being the big fantasy hero last week. While we can’t expect a garbage-time touchdown every week, Davis still figures to be a big factor with Sanders looking iffy for this week.

5. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET RB (15%) – St. Brown has been on a roll over the last three weeks, with a hefty 35 targets over that span. This outburst has not so coincidentally corresponded to T.J. Hockenson’s absence. Hockenson will not return this season, so St. Brown should continue to be a focal point of the offense. Of course, things can’t be that easy in 2021. Jared Goff landed on the COVID reserve list on Monday. If he’s unable to test out, St. Brown does not have fantasy appeal.

6. Duke Johnson, MIA RB (15%) – An RB1 finish from Johnson last week was a little bit too on the nose. The veteran went from practice squad afterthought to fantasy standout in the span of a few days. While it’s tempting to jump on this train full force, it’s tough to like any Miami back against a stout Saints run defense.

7. Craig Reynolds, DET RB (15%) – The pride of Kutztown has taken advantage of his opportunities over the last two weeks and earned himself a spot on the Lions’ 53-man roster. Jamaal Williams is back, but Reynolds figures to have a role this week.

8. Russell Gage, ATL RB (12%) – It’s tough to trust much of anything in the Falcons’ passing game, but Gage is coming off of a solid week and remains the clear No. 1 option among the Atlanta wide receivers. 

9. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, GB RB (12%) – It’s been a bit of a roller coaster ride with Valdes-Scantling over the last month, but the highs have been lofty for fantasy purposes. He comes with some fantasy juice as a flex-plus option.

10. Tyler Johnson, TB WR (10%) – The Bucs are going through it right now at wide receiver. Tampa will be without Chris Godwin for the remainder of the season and Mike Evans is very much up in the air to play this week. Antonio Brown comes off of suspension, but he’s far from a lock to play given Bruce Arians’ comments about the veteran wideout. With all of those moving pieces, Johnson is in an interesting position and has a decent shot of being the No. 1 wideout for Tom Brady in Week 16.

11. Samaje Perine, CIN RB (10%) – Joe Mixon is dealing with an ankle injury, but Bengals head coach Zac Taylor claims he’ll be fine. Regardless, it’s a good idea to scoop up Perine just in case Mixon can’t play.

12. Marquez Callaway, NO WR (8%) – While he didn’t necessarily have the breakout season some of us hoped he’d have, Callaway is coming off of one of his better performances of the year.

13. Dontrell Hilliard, TEN RB (7%) – D’Onta Foreman was dinged up toward the end of last week’s contest. While Foreman did play through the injury, it’s wise to snag Hilliard just in case.

14. Devontae Booker, NYG RB (5%) – Saquon Barkley remains the clear lead back, but Booker showed some pop in the lineup last week.

15. Ameer Abdullah, CAR RB (5%) – As we suspected, Abdullah served as the passing-down back for Carolina last week and scored a touchdown in the process. 

16. Joshua Kelley, LAC RB (5%) – Kelley really only has value if Austin Ekeler is going to miss time. As of right now, we really lack clarity one way or the other.

17. Justin Fields, CHI QB (5%) – It’s slim pickings if you need a quarterback in 1QB formats, but Fields is coming off of one of his better passing performances of the season. He also has a high ceiling and gets a favorable draw against Seattle.

18. Cole Kmet, CHI TE (3%) – The Bears tight end has seen 32 targets over his last four games and is coming off a six-catch outing on Monday where he posted 71 yards.

19. Foster Moreau, LV TE (3%) – With a Darren Waller return nowhere in sight, Moreau is in play as a streamer. He posted seven catches for 65 yards in Week 15.

20. Tyler Huntley, BAL QB (2%) – Lamar Jackson figures to be back this week, but it’s worth scooping Huntly just in case. Jackson’s understudy was excellent in Week 15, posting a surprise No. 1 fantasy finish.

21. Drew Lock, DEN QB (1%) – With Teddy Bridgewater highly unlikely to play, Lock is now an option in 2QB/superflex leagues.

22. Davis Mills, HOU QB (1%) – The rookie wasn’t bad last week. Of course, he did face the Jaguars. Still, he’s an option in 2QB/superflex formats.

DST Streamers for Week 16

Before we dive into this week’s streamers, you do not need to stream if you currently have any of the following defenses:

• Dallas Cowboys vs. WAS
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. CAR
• San Francisco 49ers vs. TEN
• Miami Dolphins vs. NO
• Kansas City Chiefs vs. PIT

If you have one of those defenses set it and forget it. However, any other defense can be dropped for one of this week’s streamers:

Philadelphia Eagles vs. NYG – The Eagles have flashed major upside this season and will likely get to face Jake Fromm.

Los Angeles Chargers vs. HOU – Even without Joey Bosa, the Chargers offer big-time takeaway potential against Davis Mills.

Denver Broncos vs. LV – These two squads are battling for position in the AFC playoff race, so there’s upside with a good Denver defense.

Green Bay Packers vs. CLE – The Browns should be closer to full strength on Saturday, but we’re going to continue to pick on them.

New York Jets vs. JAX – Oh boy. Yes, the Jets are actually an option this week against the putrid Jacksonville offense.