You have (hopefully) made it through the first round of your fantasy football playoffs and you are planning for the second round – or you had a bye in the first round. Regardless, your Week 16 waiver wire pickups are the most important transactions you have made so far this season, as it dictates if you are moving on to play for your league championship.
As always, the following list includes players that are rostered on fewer than 50 percent of all ESPN rosters, making the chances you can pick them up pretty high. You can never have too much talent on your fantasy football roster, which makes your Week 14 waiver wire pickups that more important.
1. Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings – RB
45.9% Rostered
For the second week in a row, Ty Chandler should be your top target in your waiver wire pickups. After stepping in as the starting running back for the Vikings with Alexander Mattison out with an injury, Chandler did more than his fair share for your fantasy football roster.
Chandler earned 26 touches In Minnesota’ overtime loss to the Bengals, but he did his part, accounting for 167 total yards and finding the end zone on the ground. Chandler looks like the better back when compared to Mattison, so even if his counterpart returns for Week 16, expect Chandler to carve out a larger role for the rest of the year.
2. Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals – QB
36.7% Rostered
It was an easy take to say that the Cincinnati Bengals were left for dead when Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending injury, but Jake Browning has had plenty to debunk that claim. Helping lead Cincy to an overtime win over the Minnesota Vikings, Browning excelled, throwing for 324 yards, two TDs, and one interception.
While he has thrown three interceptions across his five appearances, Browning makes up for that with both his arm and his legs – he has found the end zone on the ground twice this season and has at least two carries in every game.
3. Noah Brown, Houston Texans – WR
40.0% Rostered
With Case Keenum at the helm in a must-win game for the Houston Texans, he found Noah Brown early and often in their overtime win. 11 targets, eight receptions, 82 yards, and a touchdown for Brown helped him put up solid numbers for your fantasy football team this week – if you dared to play him.
With a home matchup with the Browns next up for Houston, all eyes will be on the health of flourishing rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud as he looks to return from a concussion. While Brown has shown a rapport with both, his ceiling is higher with Stroud throwing him passes.
4. Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders – WR
42.3% Rostered
The Washington Commanders offense saw two quarterbacks take snaps in their Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, with Sam Howell getting the start and Jacoby Brissett coming in during the second half. While Howell was forced into a lot of tough situations by his offensive line, Brissett came in and targeted Curtis Samuel and Terry McLaurin – heavily.
While late scores from Washington helped make this game close, it wasn’t enough. However, it was encouraging to see Samuel, who found the end zone twice this game on nine targets, continue his streak of five-plus targets in four of his last five games.
5. Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens – TE
36.1% Rostered
Ever since stepping in for the injured Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely has looked like a superb option for Lamar Jackson in the passing game. Three consecutive games of six-plus targets has helped keep Likely firmly in the TE1 discussion, as did his 5/70/1 game against Jacksonville.
Baltimore will continue to utilize their tight ends heavily, and Likely is the main beneficiary of this, so fire him up as your starting tight end for the rest of the year.
6. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – QB
49.1% Rostered
It certainly wasn’t expected to see Baker Mayfield put up a perfect passer rating at Lambeau Field in their Week 15 win, but it has been a season of unexpected performances from the former Browns quarterback.
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With Tampa Bay essentially controlling their own destiny to win the NFC South division, Mayfield has been playing like a signal caller who wants to stay in Tampa. Facing the Jaguars and Saints next helps keep Mayfield firmly on QB2 radars, but he has enough upside to sniff QB1 weeks upcoming.
7. Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders – RB
7.3% Rostered
In as the replacement for the injured Josh Jacobs, Zamir White earned 20 touches in Las Vegas’ blowout win over the hapless Chargers on Thursday Night Football. 85 yards and a rushing score gave White a solid showing in his biggest workload of the season, but temper your expectations with Jacobs potentially returning.
If White remains the starter and Jacobs misses another game, a RB2 game would be in his expected outcomes against the Chiefs.
8. Jerick McKinnon, Kansas City Chiefs – RB
37.0% Rostered
Benefitting from a slight uptick in work with Isiah Pacheco missing time, Jerick McKinnon broke out the bag of tricks in Sunday’s win over the Patriots with a passing touchdown. But his real value comes in how many touches he regularly earns in the passing game, which will continue even with Pacheco’s forecasted return in Week 16.
With Clyde Edwards-Helaire likely going back to a reserve role against the Raiders, McKinnon’s impact should be mostly untouched, helping keep him firmly as an RB3 with a solid PPR ceiling.
9. Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers – WR
3.2% Rostered
The second of two Packer options on this list is rookie wideout Dontayvion Wicks, who led Green Bay in receiving in their Week 15 loss to the Buccaneers. Fighting for snaps along with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and fellow rookie Jayden Reed, Wicks has shown some real promise in the youngest offense in the league, and his floor for your fantasy football team is pretty solid.
While the Green Bay offense goes through its fair share of bumps and bruises, Wicks’ role has grown as the season has progressed. With the Panthers next up, Wicks could be in line for another big game.
10. Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers – TE
3.4% Rostered
Helping kick off our Week 16 waiver wire pickups is the first of two Green Bay rookies, Tucker Kraft. With fellow rookie tight end Luke Musgrave uncertain to return this year, Kraft has stepped into the starter’s role and really looked like a solid prospect over the past few weeks.
Three consecutive weeks of four-plus targets, with two of those weeks being six targets, Kraft is quickly becoming a solid target for Jordan Love. Sunday was Kraft’s best all-around performance on the year, as he earned four receptions (on six targets) for 57 yards and a score.
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