Fantasy Football 2024 Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickup Advice
Is your fantasy team in need of new blood? Each week I’ll bring to you the best pickups to make ahead of the waiver deadline. All the players I list will be rostered in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the roster percentages coming from Yahoo.com.
Immediately Useful
Jerome Ford, RB, Browns (43% Rostered): Ford has been the best back in Cleveland all season, but now he’s back to being the clear lead dog with Nick Chubb suffering another injury. Chubb left Sunday’s game with a broken foot, leaving Ford, once again, as the bell cow. Ford has not set the world on fire in 2024, and this offense is inconsistent at best. To make matters worse, when it is firing on all cylinders, it’s because Jameis Winston is throwing the ball all over the place, not handing it off. Still, volume is always valuable, and Ford will see a bunch of it rest of season. He has been efficient in his limited work, averaging 5.2 yards per carry this year, and he has the breakaway speed to rip off chunk plays. Ideally, he’s not starting for you in a fantasy playoff game, but things happen.
Kendre Miller, RB , Saints (11% Rostered): Miller is more of a handcuff, but he’s up here for two reasons. First, he is getting more work weekly than a typical handcuff. He’s in more of a timeshare, but a decidedly unequal one, with Alvin Kamara. Second, Kamara is undersized to be a lead dog, he’s old-ish for a RB, and he hurt his groin last week playing for a team that’s been eliminated from contention for weeks. It would be very silly for the Saints to risk Kamara’s health for next season playing out the string in this one. So Miller will get a good deal of work down the stretch, making him playable, and he could be the lead dog if the Saints decide to shut Kamara down. This isn’t a good offense, and we don’t know yet if Miller’s even good. But he will get work.
Romeo Doubs, WR, Packers (38% Rostered): The chance to get Doubs cheaply has now passed. He’s back, and he’s Jordan Love’s top guy now. It’s unclear why the torch was taken away from Jayden Reed, who continues to be electric when he’s got the ball, but Doubs is the first read in this suddenly run-heavy offense, and he’s the preferred target in the end zone. He has the Saints and the Vikings the rest of the way, very favorable matchups for opposing passing games, and he’s probably the most intriguing playoff start on this list. He’s behind Ford and Miller because of RB positional scarcity, but if I were debating Doubs vs. either back in a FLEX spot, the nod goes to Romeo.
Quentin Johnston, WR, Chargers (41% Rostered): Johnston is the next best bet if you whiff on Doubs, or don’t have the FAAB to be involved. Johnston’s skill set is not like other top WRs, but sometimes role outweighs skill. Johnston’s big, he’s fast, and he’s getting reliable target share from Justin Herbert, a truly elite NFL QB. That means he’s going to be productive. His ceiling has been five receptions; Johnston has caught five passes three times this year, and has not caught more than that in any game in 2024. He has caught four touchdowns in those three games, and has found the end zone in seven of his 12 games. I’ve billed him this year as a boom-bust deep threat, but I have to admit I’ve been a bit wrong about that. He does have four scores of 25+ yards, but he’s also reliably putting up 45-50 yards. He is a step above your Marquez Valdes-Scantlings and Alec Pierces, and if you’re bumping along with an underachieving big name like, say, Deebo Samuel, and you’ve survived it might not be the worst idea to kick the tires on Johnston.
Tim Patrick, WR, Lions (3% Rostered): Patrick has to make the list! He’s scored three times in the last two games, and has four or more catches in three of his last four games. The Lions offense is on fire lately, and as teams are loading up for their vaunted running game, Jared Goff has taken advantage. Now, be warned…the floor is low. Patrick is still well behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams in this passing game, and TE Sam LaPorta is still an elite talent. Mix that in with both RBs being involved as pass-catchers, and you’re looking at a genuine doughnut possibility. However, as the Lions’ passing volume ticks up, Patrick seems like a good bet now for a handful of catches and yards, with some TD upside.
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Jets (35% Rostered): Rodgers looked vintage on Sunday, and all it took was one of the worst defenses in football. He’s up against the Rams this week, who are definitely better than Jacksonville and actively in the mix to win the NFC West. But numbers-wise, they’re also a friendly pass defense, and with the weapons at Rodgers’ disposal, he can put up stats. It’s definitely risky, but some people are desperate and looking for ceiling. We just saw Rodgers’ ceiling on Sunday.
Russell Wilson, QB, Steelers (49% Rostered): Wilson’s approach of just throwing bombs all game and waiting for George Pickens to catch some of them doesn’t work so well when Pickens is out. If Pickens misses again this week, forget about Mr. Unlimited. But if Pickens does return, Wilson gets to take on a Ravens defense that, while it’s gotten better as the season’s progressed, has had some rough games against opposing QBs. We’ve seen Wilson throw for three touchdowns twice this year, so when it’s clicking, it’s quite good. You’re taking a big swing with him, but we’re currently seeing much more rostered QBs get played and not possess the upside, with as much, or more downside.
Noah Gray, TE, Chiefs (19% Rostered): Gray is consistently getting 4-5 targets every week now, and this week it paid off with a score. He won’t be great shakes until Travis Kelce is gone from this offense, but Gray’s an ascendant TE with a reliable floor. Losing Patrick Mahomes (potentially) for any length of time is brutal, but at the same time his role really will not change much. If Mahomes misses games, Gray’s ceiling comes down considerably, but I still believe his floor is mostly unchanged.
Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots (49% Rostered): Henry scraped his floor this week with a four-catch, 25-yard showing against the Cardinals. Of course, that’s not a good game. But that’s as bad as it gets for Henry these days, as he’s more typically in the 45-65 yard range with five or six receptions. Should Mahomes miss Week 16, Henry would be a preferred add over Noah Gray.
Speculative/Deep Cuts
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, WR, Titans (33% Rostered): Westbrook-Ikhine has turned back into a pumpkin, as we all knew he would, but I can still see the vision for him in very, very deep leagues due to his playoff slate. The Titans are at Indianapolis, and at Jacksonville, a slate that is tantalizing and, honestly, wasted on a passing offense this inept. Still, Westbrook-Ikhine has shown all year that all he needs is one good bomb and these two defenses will provide ample opportunity.
Pure Handcuffs
Sincere McCormick, RB, Raiders (44% Rostered):
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Falcons (32% Rostered)
Blake Corum, RB, Rams (15% Rostered)
Ray Davis, RB. Bills (19% Rostered)
Jaylen Wright, RB, Dolphins (5% Rostered)
Tyjae Spears, RB, Titans (43% Rostered)
Justice Hill, RB, Ravens (`7% Rostered)
Cam Akers, RB, Vikings (15% Rostered)
Trey Benson, RB, Cardinals (20% Rostered)
Kimani Vidal, RB, Chargers (12% Rostered)
Isaiah Davis, RB, Jets (17% Rostered)Da