Fantasy
12/16/24
4 min read
2024 Fantasy Football: NFL Week 16 Waiver Wire Targets
The first week of the fantasy football playoffs is in the books.
Hopefully, your team survived and advanced to the semi-final round—one step closer to the ultimate prize! Week 15 certainly provided many surprises but also witnessed a few unfortunate injuries.
While it’s never good to see athletes get hurt, other teammates behind them on the depth chart are potentially vaulted into positions to be difference-makers. Those are precisely the kinds of players fantasy managers are looking for on the waiver wire, especially this time of year.
The Week 16 waiver wire includes five players, including some injury beneficiaries, that managers should flock to their smartphones or computers to snag.
Let’s begin:
NFL Week 16 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets
Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns
- ESPN Rostership: 32.4 percent
- Yahoo Rostership: 42 percent
A relatively popular handcuff, Jerome Ford is the highest priority add in fantasy right now.
Teammate Nick Chubb broke his foot in the third quarter of Sunday’s contest against the Kansas City Chiefs, effectively ending his season. Managers will remember that Ford led the Cleveland Browns backfield early in the year and most of last season in Chubb's absence, who suffered a multi-ligament knee injury in Week 2 of 2023.
According to 4for4, Ford has averaged 13.5 touches per game with 62.6 scrimmage yards and 11.7 fantasy points per game in point-per-reception (PPR) scoring in 21 games without Nick Chubb since last year.
We’re not talking about a bonafide superstar RB1 here, but Ford is capable of serving as a reliable secondary option or even a flex for any playoff contender.
Make sure you check the wire for Ford before anyone else.
Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints
- ESPN Rostership: 8 percent
- Yahoo Rostership: 11 percent
Don't worry too much if Jerome Ford is already rostered in your league. There’s one running back on the New Orleans Saints who is a more than acceptable consolation prize.
Fantasy stalwart Alvin Kamara sustained a groin injury late in Week 15 vs. the Washington Commanders and opened the door for second-year back Kendre Miller to shoulder the load for most of the fourth quarter.
Miller had already been garnering some interest as a stash, considering he’s accounted for 27.9 percent of the Saints’ backfield carries during the past two weeks, per FantasyData.
But now that we’re in a position where the lead duties are possibly up in the air, it’s time to strike.
Jalen McMillan, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- ESPN Rostership: 10.2 percent
- Yahoo Rostership: 8 percent
Apologies to folks who wasted a roster spot on Sterling Shepard.
I’d mentioned the veteran wideout as the hip Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass-catcher to pick up and stash, but his efforts have faded in the last couple of weeks. There’s a young rookie on the roster who’s accounted for 6.5 targets, 4.5 catches, and 67 receiving yards per game during the past two weeks, and his name is Jalen McMillan.
Now that TE Cade Otton has fallen to the wayside in the Bucs’ passing attack, McMillan has stepped up admirably as the secondary option to Mike Evans.
It’s also worth noting that, according to TruMedia, the first-year slot specialist from the University of Washington ranks fifth among 40 wide receivers with at least 10 targets in EPA per target (0.79) over the past two weeks.
It’s feasible Baker Mayfield has finally found himself a suitable Chris Godwin replacement. Fantasy managers ought to take this small breakout seriously.
Stone Smartt, TE, Los Angeles Chargers
- ESPN Rostership: 2.4 percent
- Yahoo Rostership: 6 percent
On the flip side of Week 15’s matchup between the Bucs and Los Angeles Chargers, we find a young tight end with a decent opportunity to continue producing without teammate Will Dissly (shoulder).
Stone Smartt concluded Sunday’s contest with a co-team-leading 5 receptions on 6 targets for 50 receiving yards. Including his Week 14 contributions in which he had to step up without Dissly, the former UDFA is averaging 4 catches, 52 receiving yards, and an average of 8.2 PPR points per game that ranks 24th among all tight ends in that span.
Like Ford, Smartt isn’t necessarily classified as a no-doubt league winner. Still, he could be a reliable contributor for folks struggling with tight end injuries or a lack of a quality one to begin with.
Brenton Strange, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
- ESPN Rostership: 2 percent
- Yahoo Rostership: 2 percent
We close by discussing one of my favorite adds for redraft managers, but also someone that I implore dynasty players out there to consider grabbing.
Now that Jacksonville Jaguars TE Evan Engram is out for the season with a torn labrum, we’ll get an even greater extended look at second-year pass-catcher Brenton Strange. The former Penn State standout has already performed well in starting opportunities this year, too.
In five games without Engram in tow (Week 2-5, Week 15), Strange has posted an average of 4.6 receptions, 38.6 receiving yards, and 10.9 PPR points per game. For context, if we extrapolate those 10.9 points per game across the whole season, that would be enough for Strange to rank as the TE7 in 2024.
Already facing surgical recovery and a potential out in his contract in 2025, Engram and his $14.75 million salary might not be worth Jacksonville paying. It becomes even more of a possibility that the two could part ways when you remember that Engram will be entering his age 31 season next year.
So, season-long managers can go ahead and do their thing on waivers here. But you dynasty heads out there, Strange is currently valued as the TE34 on KeepTradeCut, around a similar value to a 2027 third-round rookie pick.
Invest now on the off chance that Strange isn’t just some injury fill-in fluke moving forward. It’s cheap enough to do, so why not?
