Ivan Herrera 
As Week 15 of the NFL season has come and gone, fantasy football managers are already looking to make adjustments to their rosters. Injuries, surprising performances, and emerging talents often prompt the need for some shrewd waiver wire pickups. Here, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 Week 16 fantasy football waiver wire pickups, along with a few honorable mentions to keep an eye on.
1. Ty Chandler, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Heading into the fantasy semi-finals, Chandler has built up momentum after a great performance against the Bengals on Saturday. Chandler ran for 132 yards on Saturday, which was a Vikings season high, as no Viking player had broken the 100-yard mark in the first 14 weeks of the season. He also added three receptions for 25 yards in the game. He gets a tough matchup against a solid Lions rush defense this week but finishes the fantasy season against Green Bay, who has not been good against the run. Chandler is a RB2 play this week, but if you can get to the final, he is an RB1 option, especially if Mattison continues to remain out.
2. Trey Sermon, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Sermon came in for the injured Zack Moss on Saturday and showed flashes of what made him a successful college running back. The Colts are currently struggling with injuries in the RB room, as starter Taylor is doubtful with a thumb injury and backup Moss is dealing with the arm injury that kept him from finishing Saturday’s game. If Moss and Taylor are ruled out, then Sermon is a strong RB2 play this week against the Falcons.
3. Jake Browning, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Browning has been a great fantasy QB, as he has now finished with three straight top-eight QB performances. In his four starts after taking over for Burrow, Browning’s worst finish was QB18, which came against a strong Pittsburgh pass defense. Browning has the weapons to keep finding success in the passing game and improve on his QB18 finish against the Steelers in their rematch this week. With the Bengals fighting to make the playoffs, expect Browning to continue to put up performances in what is left of the fantasy year.
4. Joshua Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Palmer was involved in one of the worst games of the season on Thursday, where the Raiders destroyed the Chargers. But not everyone on the Chargers struggled, as Palmer finished the game as the WR12, scoring 21.3 points in PPR leagues. With no Keenan Allen, Palmer was the main threat in his first game since week eight. The Chargers get a difficult game against the Bills this week, but the script should call for a lot of passing attempts for the Chargers as they should be down all game.
5. Noah Brown, WR, Houston Texans
Brown was the starting WR for the Texans on Sunday, with Collins missing the game due to a calf injury. Brown saw a season high in targets with 11 and was able to catch eight of those targets for 82 yards and his second touchdown of the season. The eight catches he had were a season high for him this year. Collins is listed as questionable heading into week 16, but even if Collins is able to go, Brown is still a solid flex play as he averages 5.8 targets this season, so even as the WR2 for the Texans, he’ll still see plenty of targets.
6. Zamir White, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
White played a huge role in the Raiders’ win over the Chargers on Thursday, as starter Josh Jacobs missed the game. White saw a season high of 70% snaps on Thursday and was able to turn that into 85 total yards and a touchdown on 20 total touches. Obviously, White’s production was in large part due to Jacobs missing the game, but with the Raiders out of contention and Jacobs battling an injury, White can still see a solid workload. If Jacobs is ruled out, I’ll have White as a fantasy starter, but if Jacobs is back, depending on your options, White could be a lower-end flex play.
7. Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore Ravens
If Edwards wasn’t owned in 70+ percent of leagues, he would be much higher on the list, but we keep him lower because he is a well-known player. But the injury to Keaton Mitchell is going to put Edwards back into the starting role with the Ravens. Over the past three games, Edwards has had loss snaps to Mitchell as the rookie has outsnapped him 82-67. Edwards should get the bulk of the carries left over from Mitchell’s injury, which puts him as a RB1 option going into the final games of fantasy.
8. Justice Hill, RB, Baltimore Ravens
The other Ravens RBs should see an uptick in workload. Hill became the RB3 for the Ravens once Mitchell broke out as the main back. But he’ll return to his RB2 role for the remainder of the season, as Mitchell is done for the year. Prior to Mitchell becoming the starter, Hill averaged nine touches per game. Hill is a flex option going into Week 16 as the Niners have a strong defense.
9. Ezekiel Elliot, RB, New England Patriots
Elliot was the best fantasy RB this week, and with Stevenson out for the year, he should continue to play a huge role for the Patriots. Elliot should be picked up in every league where he is available, as he is a starting RB in all fantasy formats.
10. Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have no idea what they are doing on offense, but it’s been working in Allgeier’s favor. Allgeier finished as the Falcons main back on Sunday, having seven more carries than rookie star Bijan Robinson. The Falcons get a great matchup against a Colts side that has been terrible against RBs, allowing the fourth most points per game. Allgeier is a starter in deeper leagues, as it seems the Falcons want to split the backfield instead of relying on their rookie.
Honorable Mentions:
- Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
- Demarcus Robinson, WR, Los Angeles Rams
- D’onta Foreman, RB, Chicago Bears
In the world of fantasy football, being proactive on the waiver wire can often be the difference between success and failure. These Week 15 waiver wire pickups should help you strengthen your roster as the season progresses. Make sure to prioritize your team’s specific needs and potential long-term upside when making your choices.
Make sure to hop in our Expert Discord Chat for FREE! Ivan (idrago15) will be there answering questions all day and all night! Follow Ivan on Twitter @idragol15 and be sure to be on the lookout for future articles at https://windailysports.com/nfl/
