Fantasy Football Week 16 Waiver Wire

Good day fantastic readers of LAFB Network. This week of football was loaded with outstanding performances for our fantasy football teams. Lamar Jackson tore it up and broke a record on Thursday night football. Jameis Winston lit up the Lions like it was the 4^th of July and had his man Breshad Perriman finish the day with 3 TDs through the air.

This week of football is the most important week for those of you in the championship round. If you’re not in the fight for the crown, don’t fret. Life isn’t over. Daily fantasy is a thing so forget about the season-long commitment. Get some cash week to week.

If you are in the championship round though, good job. Your hard work has paid off. This is the week where men are born and boys are destroyed. As you all know, we’re going to go off of the ESPN Fantasy Football App, going off of players that are 50% rostered and less, and written before the Monday night showcase so adjust where needed.

Fantasy Football Week 16 Waiver Wire

Quarterback

(MIA) Ryan Fitzpatrick vs Cincinnati Bengals

Owned in 15.7% of fantasy leagues

In Sunday’s game between the New York Giants, Ryan Fitzpatrick had himself a nice little game. He went 23 for 41 for 279 and 2 TDs; he even recorded 33 rushing yards, giving him 98 rushing yards in the past two games. Fitzpatrick might be available in 84.3% of fantasy leagues because of the team he’s on but in some cases, it ends up working in that player’s favor.

Take Jameis Winston for example, the Bucs have been less than great for a few years but Winston’s numbers are great. This is primarily the reason that fantasy football is so fun. A team that might be bad in the win column can still have players who have great performances. Fitzpatrick has that same kind of action happening right now in Miami, he’s on a sinking ship yet still he chugs on.

(CHI) Mitchell Trubisky vs Kansas City Chiefs

Owned in 21.4% of fantasy leagues

Speaking of a sinking ship, the Bears and Mitchell Trubisky were defeated this week against the Packers. This is the second loss to their division rival this season but I think there’s interesting information if we were to compare the outcomes from Trubiskiy on both occasions.

The first time they met, the Bears scored 3 points and Trubisky had 12.5 fantasy points: 26 of 45 for 228 and an interception, plus 11 rushing yards. This time the Bears scored 13 and he finished with 23.6 fantasy points: 29 of 53 for 334, a TD, an interception and 29 rushing yards.

At the beginning of the season, the Bears and Trubisky weren’t exactly playing on the same field. Trubisky was hit and miss, literally going from 20-23 point performances to 6.8 point weeks in flux. Since Week 10 Trubisky and the Bears have been jelling with our buddy averaging 25.1 fantasy points a week.

Running Back

(TB) Peyton Barber vs Houston Texans

Owned in 37% of fantasy leagues

At this point in the season, if you have to look to the Tampa Bay backfield you might be in trouble. I want to talk about Barber this week, not because of his rushing abilities, but because of the opportunities that I think might present themselves to him.

Last week we saw the Bucs lose Mike Evans for the year. This week it is looking like Chris Godwin might be done as well. That means more targets being shared in the Tampa Bay offense. Ronald Jones is the starter but Barber has still been involved with the rushing game logging at least 10 carries the past four weeks. It’s not pretty. Barber is a speculative add.

(MIN) Mike Boone vs Green Bay Packers

Owned in 0.2% of fantasy leagues

(DET) Wes Hills @ Denver Broncos

Owned in 0% of fantasy leagues

I wanted to loop these two players together because I think that their virtual nonexistent ownage in fantasy football might spook some of you fantasy folk. I don’t want to say that it shouldn’t because it is very keen on you but I do think that they are worth chatting about.

Boone is on the Viking who have been dominating the rushing game with Dalvin Cook. Cook, this past weekend, didn’t end up finishing the game against the Chargers because of a shoulder injury. And because Alexander Mattison was already out with an injury, Mike Boone got the carries. Will Boone be as effective as Cook if Cook misses Week 16?

Hills, on the other hand, got the start because Bo Scarbrough ended up being sidelined for Sunday’s game. Scarbrough is, of course, replacing Ty Johnson, who replaced Kerryon Johnson. The Lions were officially branded a Band-Aid team when Matt Stafford was put on IR but I digress.

Hills and Boone are in this purgatory for us fantasy goers. They both have the opportunity to achieve greatness but the task would involve a lot of hoops being jumped through. Personally I would prefer Boone because of the team’s success in the running game but that would only be if Dalvin Cook doesn’t return to the field.

Wide Receiver

(TB) Breshad Perriman vs Houston Texans

Owned in 9.1% of fantasy leagues

As I mentioned both in the intro and the RB section, Tampa Bay is suffering. Barber has a little benefit from it but Perriman is without a doubt being served the meat of the ball. With no Godwin, Perriman catapults to WR1. Snatch Perriman in all formats.

(DET) Danny Amendola @ Denver Broncos

Owned in 16.6% of fantasy leagues

Since Week 13, Amendola hasn’t recorded a game with less than 8 targets. This week surpassed that by 5, giving Amendola the highest target share in the Detroit offense. Amendola was probably the only piece of the Detroit offense that actually had any traction during the game. Kenny Golladay finally turned back to a pumpkin with his rookie QB throwing him the ball and Wes Hills scored all the TDs.

The Detroit offense is indeed a mess but his target share is very appealing. Even with a rookie QB, it looks as if the Lions are still willing the throw the ball around. Unfortunately, targets from rookies are hard to determine because of their freshness to the league. Golladay had like 9 targets last week but 3 catches. Amendola, on the other hand, looks to be the only WR that is on the same page with his QB.

(PHI) Greg Ward Jr. vs Dallas Cowboys

Owned in 3.0% of fantasy leagues

Once it was Nelson Agholor now it is Greg Ward. Whoever it is, they will be the WR1 on the Philly offense. The WR corps for that team has been depleted by injury so the next man up has got to be the best viable option. This week it was literally Greg Ward and JJ Arcega-Whiteside lining up on the ends of the field for the Eagles. THAT’S IT. Ward has some playability, will you take the shot?

(JAC) Chris Conley @ Atlanta Falcons

Owned in 19.2% of fantasy leagues

(CHI) Anthony Miller vs Kansas City Chiefs

Owned in 24.9% of fantasy leagues

Both Conley and Miller have been mentioned before in previous LAFB Network Waiver articles so I don’t want to waste your valuable reading time. But, Conley looked to be the WR1 in Jacksonville with DJ Chark in a walking boot and Miller, again, tore it up for the Bears with 9 catches for 118 yards and a TD. Both players are most likely available in your league so scoop them up. Preferably Miller since he has had consistent success.

Tight End

(CIN) Tyler Eifert @ Miami Dolphins

Owned in 11.4% of fantasy leagues

It has definitely been a tough week for the Bengals since they went against the Patriots and got destroyed. Scratch that, it has been a tough season for the Bengals in general. QB changes, a lack of a rushing attack until as of late, injuries of course, when will it all cease? In a couple of weeks actually.

But Tyler Eifert has given us fantasy coaches a bad taste in our mouths because of his once-prominent success with Andy Dalton seasons ago, to now a barely functional relationship. There’s no denying that Eifert’s stats were a tad bit better with Ryan Finley under center, but could these past weeks begin a change?

Both weeks he’s finished with more than 40 receiving yards and at least 4 targets. It looks like the Bengals might be trying to get Eifert a little more involved on the tail end of the season but pick him up wearily.

(LAR) Tyler Higbee @ San Francisco 49ers

Owned in 39.0% of fantasy leagues

(MIA) Mike Gesicki vs Cincinnati Bengals

Owned in 25.7% of fantasy leagues

Both Higbee and Gesicki have been talked about before in other Waiver articles but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still highlight their greatness at a low roster ownage level. Higbee continues to torch opposing defenses with Jared Goff’s constant use of him. This week he totaled 12 receptions for 111 yards. Jaw-Dropping.

Gesicki didn’t have quite that game but finished the week with 8 targets, 4 receptions and 47 yards. This would give Gesicki three out of four weeks of fantasy relevance while being on the Dolphins. In this head-to-head pickup scenario, I think going with Higbee would be the safer option because of his recent consistency.

D/ST

Indianapolis Colts vs Carolina Panthers

Owned in 29% of fantasy leagues

The Colts themselves aren’t the reason why I want the defense on my team. Their opponent is the reason why I would want the Colts defense on my team. Kyle Allen has been a defense’s best friend this year and this past week was no different. Seattle played Allen like a fiddle with a sack and three picks. Seattle was primarily defeated on the ground by Christian McCaffrey but the Colts have a better rushing defense so things could look up rounding out the last week of fantasy leagues.