Who you should be targeting ahead of your semifinal playoff matchups
Jacob Camenker shares his top waiver wire picks that are worth adding as we dive into Week 16 and the fantasy football playoffs.
As the fantasy football playoffs wind down, even minor injuries can be season-ending − whether it’s for individual players or their fantasy teams.
We saw several brutal examples this past week, most prominently with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffering a torn ACL as he was trying desperately to keep his team’s playoff hopes alive. Other injuries to key players such as Davante Adams and Woody Marks could also have crushed fantasy managers’ hopes of advancing.
But if you’re still alive, you still have an opportunity to strengthen your roster and advance to your league’s championship game. Continue to secure backup running backs such as Blake Corum and Kenneth Gainwell. And fill any remaining holes with these players:
Due to the wide variance in types of leagues and individual team needs, the players listed here include their availability rates in Yahoo leagues, which may or may not match rates on other platforms. Since this week marks the semifinal round in most fantasy football league playoffs, the bar for picking up players is considerably higher with only four teams still alive. Spend whatever you must to get the players you need.
Fantasy football players to add for Week 16WR Tutu Atwell, Los Angeles Rams (0% rostered)
A classic “break glass in case of emergency” pickup, Atwell is just getting over a hamstring injury that forced him to miss six games. He only got on the field for four snaps on Sunday, but was still targeted twice. If Davante Adams (hamstring) isn’t healthy enough to play on Thursday night, Atwell would likely move into the starting lineup opposite Puka Nacua at Seattle. Many targets would follow. (Recommended FAAB bid: 75% if Adams is out)
TE Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins (37% rostered)
Waller looked in midseason form Monday night, catching seven of his eight targets for 66 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Before he spent five weeks on injured reserve with a pectoral injury, Waller seemed to be catching TD passes left and right. Though his production had been meager in the two weeks since returning, he blossomed against the Steelers, who allow the second-most fantasy points to tight ends. Waller will face the only team worse than the Steelers this week, the Cincinnati Bengals. (FAAB bid: 60%)
TE Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams (4% rostered)
Parkinson has emerged as a late-season scoring machine. He has three or more catches in four consecutive games, and he has at least one touchdown in five of the past six. With Davante Adams (and his league-leading 14 TD receptions) likely unavailable on Thursday, Parkinson could see even more red-zone looks. (FAAB bid: 55%)
WR Jalen Nailor, Minnesota Vikings (2% rostered)
Nailor provided the red-zone hammer for QB J.J. McCarthy on Sunday night against the Cowboys, catching a pair of touchdown passes on five targets. The Vikings’ passing game seems to have been revitalized over the past couple weeks, but it may have just been due to the quality of opponents. The trend will continue, however, with the Giants and Lions are up next. (FAAB bid: 40%)
QB Gardner Minshew, Kansas City Chiefs (0% rostered)
What a cruel blow to fantasy managers who have ridden the coattails of Patrick Mahomes (the QB2 on the season) to a playoff berth. His season-ending knee injury thrusts Minshew into the starting lineup for the Chiefs. Should he replace Mahomes in yours? There may be better options available in many leagues, but MInshew should provide a solid floor if the rest of your starting lineup is championship-caliber. He’s facing the Titans defense, which has given up the eighth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. (FAAB bid: 40%)
Among quarterbacks available in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues, here’s how I’d rank them this week:
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans vs. Las Vegas (48%)Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay (18%)Gardner Minshew, Kansas City Chiefs at TennesseeJ.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants (36%)Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit (27%)WR Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers (6% rostered)
Coker has touchdown catches in back-to-back games after hauling in a pretty 32-yarder against the Saints. As QB Bryce Young has improved his game recently, Coker has become a greater part of the offense. He has at least 50 receiving yards in three of the last four and could thrive at home against Tampa Bay this week. (FAAB bid: 35%)
RB Jawhar Jordan, Houston Texans (0% rostered)
Jordan saw his first NFL action in his two seasons on the Texans roster when Woody Marks left Sunday’s game early with an ankle injury. The 2024 sixth-rounder made the most of his opportunity, carrying the ball 15 times for 101 yards. The Texans said Marks could have returned to the blowout win over the Cardinals, so he should be good to go this week against the Raiders. But just in case … (FAAB bid: 30% but only if you also have Marks)
RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Chris Rodriguez Jr., Washington Commanders (48%, 33% rostered)
Which Commanders back you prioritize depends on Rodriguez’s status entering Saturday’s game against the Eagles. He had been the most productive of the group until he missed Week 15 with a groin injury. Croskey-Merritt picked up the slack by rushing for 96 yards and a touchdown. Philly’s defense has been surprisingly generous to running backs this season, so we can only hope for some clarity early in the week. (FAAB bid: 20%)
RB Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals (6% rostered)
Being a running back for the Cardinals seems almost like being a drummer for Spinal Tap (RIP Rob Reiner). Bam Knight was the latest to exit with an injury when he suffered a sprained ankle against the Texans. Carter took over the majority of the workload and produced 94 total yards. With James Conner and Trey Benson out for the season, Carter figures to be the lead back against the Falcons on Sunday. But after putting up mediocre stats all season, don’t expect him to spontaneously catch fire. (FAAB bid: 10%)
RB Audric Estime, New Orleans Saints (0% rostered)
A consideration only in very deep leagues, Estime received the bulk of the backfield touches when Devin Neal left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury. He’s the team’s best option running or receiving if Neal and Alvin Kamara can’t play this week. The Saints face a Jets team that just got blown out by the Jaguars, so there’s at least some breakout potential for Estime. (FAAB bid: 5%)