Top Waiver Wire Targets for Fantasy Week 16 feat. Sincere McCormick, Jerome Ford, and more
This is it. Two more weeks to go. Whether you enjoyed a first-round bye or survived and advanced to Week 15, all of our championship aspirations are on the line this week. It's not too late to optimize our lineups, and Sportskeeda is here to help.
We will prioritize our top 10 fantasy players while featuring the best options in each position to assist you with your waiver wire decisions and FAAB suggestions before Week 15. We cast a wide net of potential targets, considering all the players under a 70% ownership threshold on popular platforms like ESPN and Yahoo! Sports.
Week 16 Waiver Wire Priority Adds Ranked
Top Fantasy Football Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups
Waiver Wire RB adds for Week 16
#1 Sincere McCormick | Las Vegas Raiders
ESPN 33% | Yahoo! 44% | FAAB Range 50-100%
Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce kept his word when he made Sincere McCormick the starting running back for Week 15. McCormick has filled in with Zamir White on injured reserve and Alexander Mattison, who missed the previous three weeks. McCormick had earned his touches with three straight productive performances for this forgettable Las Vegas offense.
Since Week 12, McCormick had turned 36 touches into 187 scrimmage yards before heading into Monday night's clash with a visiting Atlanta squad. The 24-year-old back had two receptions in the previous two games, and two catches in the first half against the Falcons.
However, McCormick left in the second quarter with an ankle injury and was ruled out at halftime. The severity of the injury has yet to be reported at the time of this publication. But if McCormick bounces back in time for next week, he should be considered one of the top waiver options for the semifinals.
#2 Jerome Ford | Cleveland Browns
ESPN 32% | Yahoo! 43% | FAAB Range 50-100%
Nick Chubb can't catch a break. Actually, that's exactly what happened to him in Week 15 when he suffered a broken foot. Once considered one of the best backs in fantasy football, Chubb will now have to come back from another significant injury that will keep him sidelined for the rest of this season.
Jerome Ford should be the primary benefactor and the favorite to take over as the featured back from Cleveland's remaining games this season. With the increase in touches, fantasy managers should be prepared to spend their remaining FAAB on the third year back.
Ford turned in a season-high 84 yards last week and scored a touchdown for an RB7 overall finish in half-PPR leagues. Ford will be a popular option for those who lost David Montgomery to add depth for the fantasy playoffs.
#3 Kendre Miller | New Orleans Saints
ESPN 8% | Yahoo! 11% | FAAB Range 50-100%
Unfortunately, we may have lost another star for the fantasy playoffs — this time in New Orleans with Alvin Kamara. The All-Pro back is currently the overall RB5 in half-PPR leagues this season but could miss the final two games with a groin injury.
Kendre Miller, who had been in the doghouse for former head coach Dennis Allen, will be in line to take over most of the running back touches in the Saints backfield. The second-year back had only appeared in four games this season and was locked into a backup role last Sunday until Kamara came out in the fourth quarter. Miller immediately became the primary benefactor with nine touches after Kamara left the game and finished with a season-high 46 rushing yards.
It's not typical to see three backs widely available in the fantasy playoffs, so you may have a legitimate chance to land McCormick, Ford, or Miller in this round of waivers. You can't carry that FAAB over to next season, so spend what you have to land on one of these three.
Waiver Wire WR adds for Week 16
#1 Jalen McMillan | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
ESPN 10% | Yahoo! 8% | FAAB Range 15-30%
With his recent play in the previous two games, Jalen McMillan is emerging as a flex option in the fantasy playoffs. With Tampa Bay in the hunt for a playoff spot, McMillan turned six targets into five receptions for 75 receiving yards and a touchdown. The rookie wideout has caught three touchdowns for 134 yards in the last two games playing opposite star Mike Evans.
It could be a better week for available wide receivers on the waiver wire; however, McMillan will have an enticing matchup against a struggling Dallas defense on Sunday Night Football in a must-win game for the Buccaneers. You may have better options, especially if you're a high seed, but McMillan should be considered for depth or blocking your opponent if they need help at wide receiver this week.
#2 Romeo Doubs | Green Bay Packers
ESPN 40% | Yahoo! 38% | FAAB Range 7-15%
The Packers are tricky. It would help if you found out what head coach Matt LaFleur is cooking up in the weekly game plan. But Romeo Doubs appeared to be heavily involved in his first game back after missing the previous two recovering from a concussion.
Doubs didn't receive most of the targets but took advantage of the five he got with three receptions for 40 yards and two touchdowns. One of the most impactful plays on Sunday night came at the end of the first half, as Doubs was targeted on a 34-year pass interference that resulted in points. Later, he caught one of the best touchdowns of the season with a 22-yard catch in the back of the end zone that appeared nearly impossible to secure.
The question will always be the same with this Packers offense every week. Will quarterback Jordan Love have enough passing attempts to carry multiple pass catchers? Love has only thrown more than 30 attempts in a single game once all season, but Green Bay should have a favorable matchup next week against a Saints team in a lost year.
#3 Rashod Bateman | Baltimore Ravens
ESPN 19% | Yahoo! 25% | FAAB Range 5-10%
Lamar Jackson added to his MVP resume last week with five touchdowns — two of which went to veteran Rashod Bateman. It was only the second time all season that Bateman had led all Ravens pass catchers in receiving yards, as he made the best of his three receptions against a poor Giants defense last Sunday.
The fourth-year receiver is still a boom-or-bust flex option for the last two remaining games, so he should be lower on your priority list this week, especially with a heavyweight showdown with a solid Pittsburgh defense in the semifinals of the fantasy playoffs starting this Saturday.
Waiver Wire TE adds for Week 16
#1 Brenton Strange | Jacksonville Jaguars
ESPN 2% | Yahoo! 2% | FAAB Range 10-20%
Brenton Strange was a popular pickup Sunday morning, but if he remained on your waiver wire after Week 15, the second-year tight end should be the best available tight end in the fantasy playoffs. Veteran Evan Engram will miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury, which left an opportunity for Strange to be elevated into a starting role.
The 23-year-old took advantage of his newfound touches with 11 catches for 73 receiving yards playing with back quarterback Mac Jones. The Jacksonville offense still has some appeal despite being one of the worst units in fantasy football this season.
Rookie Brian Thomas Jr. has emerged as one of the best rookie pass catchers in fantasy football lately, but that second option remains a mystery. Could Strange be that guy? It will take upward to 20% of your remaining FAAB to find out. You might want him in your lineup against a Raiders team with only two wins all season.
#2 Stone Smartt | Los Angeles Chargers
ESPN 0% | Yahoo! 0% | FAAB Range 7-15%
With Will Dissly's status murky heading into Week 15, third-year tight end Stone Smartt could again find himself as one of the primary pass catchers for this Chargers offense. Smartt received six targets and turned them into five catches for 50 yards on Sunday. Smartt was a bright spot on an otherwise forgettable day for Los Angeles' offense, as he only trailed rookie Ladd McConkey in receiving yards. Smartt could be a nice streamer for the semifinals next week, but you must make that decision in a short week as the Chargers face divisional rival Denver on Thursday night.