Tag: week 16 waiver wire

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 16

Check your waiver wire for these IDP Week 16 pickups.

We’re one week into the fantasy playoffs, and you’ve either had your bye or staved off your first opponent. Now what? Let’s divulge…

Each week, we’ll highlight diamonds in the rough or some players that just need to be rostered in more leagues on the defensive side of the ball. Keep in mind your scoring system and roster restraints when heading to the waiver wire to grab these IDPs.

Defensive linemen

DE Chauncey Golston, Dallas Cowboys

Micah Parsons looks healthy for the first time in a long time with 5 1/2 sacks in the last four games. That has opened up Gholston opposite of him as he had five tackles and a sack in Week 15. He’ll match up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week in a good matchup to continue his audition for next year.

DT Adam Butler, Las Vegas Raiders

They were running without stud DE Maxx Crosby, but the 30-year-old Butler stepped up with six tackles, a sack, and a PD in Week 15. He has at least a half-sack in three straight games and four of five. He’ll be chasing Jacksonville Jaguars QB Mac Jones around this week and is a sneaky play.

Linebackers

LB Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay Packers

After a three-game absence, Cooper returned in a big way Sunday night with seven tackles, an INT, a sack, and two PDs. He has great matchups against the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings upcoming and should be a really good play the rest of the way if he’s out there.

LB Christian Harris, Houston Texans

Also returning from injury in Week 15 was the 2022 third-round pick. Harris, who missed the entire season up to this point, had eight tackles in Week 15. He figures to be a highlighted play as he rounds into form and could face a backup quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16.

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LB James Williams, Tennessee Titans

He’ll play second fiddle to Kenneth Murray Jr., but Williams still delivered eight tackles last week. The 21-year-old former seventh-round pick is auditioning for a spot on next year’s roster and could be a deep-league option.

Defensive backs

SS Dane Belton, New York Giants

The 24-year-old from Iowa opened eyes with 15 tackles, a sack, and a PD in Week 15. He’ll have some run down the stretch in a starting spot, and even if he can’t repeat that monstrosity, Belton worthy of a pickup.

S Geno Stone, Cincinnati Bengals

He had a Pick-6 in Week 15, but he also made five tackles. That made two straight weeks with five tackles, an INT, and a PD. He has fantastic matchups the next two weeks against the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos.

CB Ugo Amadi, New Orleans Saints

The 27-year-old is binging in fantasy right now. He had nine tackles and a PD in Week 13. Amadi went for eight tackles and two PDs in Week 14 before tallying seven tackles, a sack, and a PD last week. He faces the Green Bay Packers and Las Vegas Raiders the next two weeks.

Fantasy football waiver wire: Week 16 free-agent forecast

Here are the top waiver wire targets for fantasy football entering Week 16.

The majority of fantasy football leagues enter the second round of playoffs, while others are likely just beginning their postseason. There are still some big moves that can be made on the waiver wire.

We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo, using the 75% rostered mark (at least 25% availability) as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!

We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 16

Check your waiver wire for these IDP options ahead of Week 16.

The fantasy football playoffs are underway, or if you’re in a full-season league, these last three weeks will decide it all. Rosters are mostly set, but injuries occur. We’re here to provide options if the bad bounce comes your way.

Each week, we’ll highlight diamonds in the rough or some players that just need to be rostered in more leagues on the defensive side of the ball. Keep in mind your scoring system and roster restraints when heading to the waiver wire to grab these IDPs.

Defensive linemen

DT Zach Sieler, Miami Dolphins

It’s not often we recommend 300-pound tackles, but Sieler has played at the level of his size. He has sacks in three of four games and had a fumble recovery and a pass defense to go with his sack in Week 15. He also had four tackles each in Week 13 and 14.

DE Tanoh Kpassagnon, New Orleans Saints

The 29-year-old has been off the fantasy radar all season, but he certainly busted the door open in Week 15. He had six tackles and three sacks against the New York Giants. The Saints had a couple of injuries on the ends to open up the playing time for Kpassagnon, and you’ll need to monitor that. But how can you sit a guy after three sacks and four QB hits?

Linebackers

LB Khaleke Hudson, Washington Commanders

One way to come out of a late-season bye week is with … 14 tackles! He had 22 on the season before that game. The job on the weak side is his, and ebbs and flows should be expected. However, when you can acquire a player who delivers 14 tackles in a game this late in the season – it can be a game-changer.

LB Christian Rozeboom, Los Angeles Rams

Rozeboom had a solid first half of the season, and he kind of went in the tank after the Week 10 bye. He had just two tackles in each of the Week 13 and 14 games. He had five tackles and a pass defense in Week 15. With the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants on the docket the next two weeks, he’s worth the speculative grab.

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LB Mack Wilson, New England Patriots

At least one “Mac”k has worked out this season for New England. Wilson has sacks in two straight games. He’s not going to wow you with tackles as he has four, three and two the last three weeks. However, Wilson had three straight games with a pass defense before Week 15, and he’ll sprinkle a little in those three categories.

Defensive backs

SS Brandon Jones, Miami Dolphins 

Injuries in the secondary gave Jones another window, and he has taken advantage. He had seven tackles, a forced fumble and a pass defense in Week 14. Last week, Jones had five tackles, two INTs, and two pass defenses. He has a potential shootout against the Dallas Cowboys this week.

SS Ifeatu Melifonwu, Detroit Lions

The 2021 third-round pick wowed the judges with nine tackles, a forced fumble a sack, and two pass defenses last week. He has a good matchup against the Minnesota Vikings this week and then plays a pass-heavy Cowboys team in Week 17.

SS Andrew Wingard, Jacksonville Jaguars

The veteran Wingard has a stretch every season it seems where he stands out on the fringe. Eleven tackles in Week 15 will definitely put you over the edge. He had a seven-tackle game earlier this season, but this one was by far his biggest. So temper expectations, but Wingard has a solid floor.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 16 free-agent forecast

Week 16 waiver wire targets to help you advance to the championship round.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated. FAAB $ amounts are based on a $100 budget.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Bye weeks: none

Fantasy football waiver wire targets

Priority free agents

1) RB Ronald Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Leonard Fournette suffered an ankle injury and is expected to miss a game or two, which thrusts Jones into a prime situation. The Buccaneers are down Chris Godwin (knee) for the rest of the year, and Mike Evans (hamstring) is iffy this week. Who knows what to expect with Antonio Brown (ankle, suspension ending) … the overall matchup in Week 16 at Carolina isn’t ideal on paper, but Jones is a strong candidate for a TD, and he could even catch a few balls from the backfield with Giovani Bernard also out. The Week 17 trip to the New York Jets is about as tasty as they come, and the Bucs close with a home game vs. Carolina once again.

Availability: 65%
FAAB: $42-45

2) RB Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Mixon (ankle) left last week with an injury, and while nothing is official yet, a FOX Sports medical correspondent suggests we’re talking about up to three weeks without the star back. Perine filled in admirably for him already this year by acting as a complementary option when Mixon wasn’t at full strength, posting 18.3 PPR points vs. Green Bay in Week 5 and 14.5 against Baltimore in Week 7. Cincinnati faces KC in Week 17. Cincinnati heads to Cleveland for the Week 18 finale.

Availability: 87%
FAAB: $38-40

3) WR Gabriel Davis, Buffalo Bills: He appeared in this spot as a one-week play last week after showing up a few times prior to that throughout recent months, and Davis should be treated as a mainstay at this point. The Bills have Emmanuel Sanders (knee) battling an injury at 34 years old, and Cole Beasley has struggled to consistently matter in fantasy over the last two months. Single coverage opposite Stefon Diggs, combined with a penchant for finding paydirt, makes Davis a must-own commodity. Facing New England and Atlanta over the next two weeks makes him a borderline WR3.

Availability: 81%
FAAB: $22-24

4) WR Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs will be without Chris Godwin (knee) the rest of the way. Mike Evans escaped a significant hamstring injury by the looks of things but still isn’t a lock for Week 16, and Antonio Brown (ankle, suspension) is available to return to the team as of Monday. Rob Gronkowski still exists, but Leonard Fournette is expected to miss some time, which opens up a bunch of targets. Johnson can play inside and outside, and he has Tom Brady’s trust. Tampa has a cake schedule the rest of the way, with a trip to the Carolina Panthers in Week 16, then a visit to the New York Jets, and followed by the home finale vs. Carolina once more. If Evans also is out, look to Scotty Miller as a worthwhile gamble from the wire.

Availability: 99%
FAAB: $13-14

5) RB Duke Johnson, Miami Dolphins: Even though Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed returned in time for Week 15 after being on the COVID list, both of them took a back seat to Johnson. It really could have boiled down to conditioning or their lack of practice time. The veteran journeyman has a hint of staying power after his 22-carry, 107-yard, two-TD performance. Miami is inconsistent about utilizing RBs in the passing game as most short-area work has gone to WR Jaylen Waddle and TE Mike Gesicki. Johnson seeing only one target in Week 15 is mildly concerning for the idea of his role over the rest of the year, and his body of work profiles as anything but the guy we saw run roughshod over the hapless New York Jets. Tread carefully here. The allure of a workhorse back this late in the season may be too great to prevent some owners from overspending, but there’s little confidence that we’ll see Johnson maintain a primary touch-share percentage, and the Dolphins face a brutal Week 16 opponent in New Orleans.

Availability: 98%
FAAB: $11-12

6) RB Craig Reynolds, Detroit Lions: Detroit has no incentive to rush back D’Andre Swift (shoulder), but he should be nearing the expected end of his prognosis. The Lions also have Jamaal Williams, who has missed two games with COVID-19, so there’s no telling if he’ll be 100 percent upon his return. He was activated Monday. At a minimum, it will be worth rostering Reynolds just to see if he has a role with Williams on the field and to potentially block any opponents. Detroit faces an extremely exploitable Atlanta in Week 16 and closes the fantasy season with another cupcake in Seattle.

Availability: 87%
FAAB: $11-12

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One-week plays

RB Justin Jackson and Joshua Kelley, Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans: These two were included last week, and Jackson should be the top guy on the list, but Kelley is a decent consolation prize. Early reports said the Chargers would placed running back Austin Ekeler on the COVID-19 list Monday, but when the team landed six players on the reserve, Ekeler wasn’t among them. He still could be added at any time. While he still may play in Week 16, gamers cannot risk it. If Ekeler indeed goes on the list, add these two, particularly Jackson, like your fantasy season depends on utilizing them … because it just might.

Availability: 94% (Jackson) & 99% (Kelley)
FAAB: $38-40 (Jackson) % $9-10 (Kelley)

WR Josh Reynolds, Detroit Lions: QB Jared Goff was placed on the COVID reserve list Monday, so it’s unclear if he will play. Presuming he is cleared in time, we’re optimistic about Reynolds’ worth to fantasy lineups.

It’s a little surprising Reynolds isn’t rostered in more leagues right now. He has at least 10.9 PPR points in three of the last four games, scoring twice along the way. As former Los Angeles Rams, he and Goff have an established chemistry, and it’s visible to the untrained eye. Furthermore, the scrappy group from Motown has a feeble defense, which results in more passing. It doesn’t hurt that the Lions face Atlanta in Week 16 — a defense tied for the seventh-most fantasy points per game allowed in PPR. The schedule gets risky beyond this upcoming contest as Detroit heads to Seattle before a Week 18 home stand against Green Bay.

Availability: 90%
FAAB: $4-5

RB Ameer Abdullah, Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Consider the former Viking and Lion as a desperation PPR play in the flex spot vs. a defense that has given up the fourth-most catches on the year. The position struggles to run against Tampa Bay, and it’s common for pass-catching backs to use this as an extension of the ground game. As a result, 11 RBs have at least four catches vs. the Bucs in 2021. Abdullah should become the 12th, regardless of the man at quarterback.

Availability: 92%
FAAB: $3-4

QB Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals: The overall body of work by QBs vs. the Bengals isn’t the driving factor here as much as Lamar Jackson (ankle) managed to produce 25.7 fantasy points in the Week 7 meeting and threw only one TD pass in the process. Huntley is coming off a total of four scores to his credit vs. the Green Bay Packers and could once again draw the start if Jackson’s ankle isn’t ready. Think about Huntley as a No. 2 in superflex or a brazen flier in playoff leagues if you’re without Lamar or have a struggling star, such as Dak Prescott.

Availability: 96%
FAAB: $1-2

TE C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens: Defending the position has been an issue for the Ravens all year, and this unit had no answer for Uzomah in Week 7’s meeting. He scored twice and posted 91 yards on just three grabs. He has done effectively nothing since, highlighting just how volatile he is as a fantasy play. Low-volume, TD-centric upside is the only reason to play him, but there’s hope if the Bengals need to throw more after RB Joe Mixon suffered an ankle injury in Week 15. Only three clubs have given up more TE touchdowns in 2021.

Availability: 84%
FAAB: $1-2

PK Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens: He has staying power after posting 12 or more fantasy points in four of five games since the Week 10 bye. In Week 7, the rookie was good for 13 fantasy points against the Ravens, and this matchup once again profiles as a favorable day for the young kicker. Ten of the 21 total three-point attempts vs. Baltimore have come in the last five games.

Availability: 75%
FAAB: $1-2

PK Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions: Winter weather won’t be a factor here, and Koo has seen a little bit of an uptick in fantasy rewards over the last two games, averaging 10 points in those contests. He faces the friendliest unit for allowing field goal tries, and the Lions have yielded three-plus attempts in half of their 2021 outings.

Availability: 57%
FAAB: $0-1

Philadelphia Eagles D/ST vs. New York Giants: Regardless of how Philly performs Tuesday night vs. Washington, this defense is a strong contender off the wire vs. Mike Glennon/Jake Fromm. The Eagles should be able to harass this backfield all day long as the Giants have turned it over seven times on the last three games while allowing a pair of sacks in that span.

Availability: 51%
FAAB: $2-3

Eligible-to-return tracker

The following fantasy-relevant players are eligible to return from the Reserve/Injured list and could be on waivers, but inclusion below doesn’t guarantee coming back in the upcoming week. The date when the player was placed on IR is in parentheses.

  • TE Dan Arnold, Jacksonville Jaguars (11/30)

Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 16

It’s time to find those IDP gems on the fantasy football waiver wire in Week 16.

Ring the alarm – it’s championship week in a lot of leagues. Let’s find those diamonds in the rough to help decimate the competition and bring home that hardware.

Defensive linemen

DE Jeremiah Attaochu, Denver Broncos

The 27-year-old journeyman has made a name for himself with sacks in the the last three games. He has eight total tackles in the last two games, which adds to his value. He’ll face the Los Angeles Chargers this week, which presents a midrange matchup.

DE Dawuane Smoot, Jacksonville Jaguars

The former third-round pick has also made a statement the last four weeks with 10 tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles. The Chicago Bears are a tough matchup in terms of sacks, but their backs are active enough to compensate with tackles or potential turnovers.

Linebackers

OLB Kenneth Murray, Los Angeles Chargers

Murray was hit or miss for a big portion of the season, but he has been ablaze the last three games. He has 28 tackles and a sack during the stretch. He’s only owned in 63 percent of leagues, and he should be universally rostered.

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ILB Anthony Walker, Indianapolis Colts

Walker has flirted with double-digits in fantasy points for three weeks straight. He has 25 tackles, a fumble recovery and a pass defensed during the stretch. He’s still available in almost 80 percent of leagues and should be owned for his tackle prowess.

Defensive backs

CB Kenny Moore, Indianapolis Colts

Moore has put together one the best stretches of his career and been a top option at the position the last three weeks. He has 20 tackles, four passes defensed, two picks and a forced fumble. He faces the suddenly struggling Pittsburgh Steelers this week in search of more.

SS Karl Joseph, Cleveland Browns

The 27-year-old has been flying around the field for the 10-win Browns. Joseph has 17 tackles and two passes defensed the last two games. The lowly New York Jets are on the docket this week, and it could be another chance at a big day for the safety.