Early Week 16 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire
Anthony Miller was targeted 15 times in the Bears' loss to the Packers on Sunday.
Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
If you’re reading this article, congratulations! With most leagues concluding their postseason in Week 16, it’s likely that you’re in the championship game if you’re already looking ahead to next week.
Stay tuned for our full waiver-wire post, but I’ve highlighted a few players that could help you secure a fantasy title next week.
[Note: All players referenced in this post are available in more than half of Yahoo! leagues as their ownership levels are all below 50 percent. All references are based on half-PPR scoring.]
Here are a few waiver-wire options to consider heading into Week 16 (Yahoo! ownership in parenthesis):
Anthony Miller, WR, Chicago Bears (26% owned)
Extending his streak of double-digit fantasy points to four games on Sunday, Miller was targeted a team- and season-high 15 times, which he converted into nine catches for 118 yards and a score against the Packers. Miller now has a minimum of six catches and nine targets in four of his past five games. Over that five-game span, he has converted his 52 targets (10.4 per game) into a 33/431/2 line.
Miller and the Bears will face the Chiefs next week. While Kansas City has limited the position to the fourth-fewest fantasy points this season (through Week 14), the Bears could find themselves throwing it more often, like today (53 pass attempts), to keep pace with the high-powered, Patrick Mahomes-led offense.
Mike Boone, RB, Minnesota Vikings (1% owned)
With Alexander Mattison (ankle) out in Week 15, it was Boone and Ameer Abdullah that began the game as Dalvin Cook’s backup(s). Unfortunately for Cook owners, he left Sunday’s matchup against the Chargers with a shoulder injury and didn’t return. And based on how the injury looked, it would be reasonable to be concerned about his availability.
If Cook is out and Mattison doesn’t return next week, Boone would become a fantasy must-add. The second-year back had 13 carries for 56 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Cook in Week 15. The Vikings will face the Packers in Week 16, and their division rivals have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.
Breshad Perriman, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9% owned)
With Mike Evans (hamstring) done for the season, Perriman had the game of his life on Sunday—five catches for 113 yards and three touchdowns. Of course, fantasy owners should not expect that type of production from Perriman in Week 16, or perhaps ever again, but a more consistent role in the offense with Evans out bolsters his outlook throughout the rest of the season. Perriman now has 70-plus receiving yards in three consecutive games. The Buccaneers have a plus matchup in Week 16 as they'll host the Texans.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Miami Dolphins (25% owned)
Fitzpatrick completed 23 of 41 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday against the Giants. He now has multiple passing touchdowns and 20-plus fantasy points in three of four games. If you’ve made your league’s title match by streaming quarterbacks, Fitzpatrick will be one of the better options in Week 16 with a matchup against the Bengals. Cincinnati has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.
Patrick Laird, RB, Miami Dolphins (45% owned)
Laird didn’t have a great outing against the Giants, managing to total only 54 yards from scrimmage on his 14 touches. But another soft matchup in Week 16 will keep him in the flex mix. The Dolphins face the Bengals, who have surrendered the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. Cincinnati entered Sunday’s games with the league’s worst-ranked run defense (156.7 yards per game).
The undrafted rookie out of Cal now has a minimum of 14 touches in three consecutive games as the team’s lead back. While he had only eight yards on two receptions on Sunday, he had five more targets and has now been targeted at least five times in three consecutive games and four of his past five.
Kevin Hanson joins SI for the 2019 season. His fantasy rankings have placed him in the Top 20 in each of the past two seasons among all the industry experts tracked by FantasyPros.com, and he has been in the Top 25 in six of the past eight years.
