With just Monday Night Football still to happen, now is that glorious time of the week when we turn our attention to Week 16 and attack the fantasy football waiver wire.
Hopefully Week 15 was a success for you and you’re continuing to play meaningful fantasy football this season. If not, waiver wire still can be important so you don’t finish last.
To be as helpful as possible to you dear readers, I’ve listed my top 5 players at each position, ranging from a little over 50% rostered in Sleeper leagues to well under the 30% mark. No matter your league size, there’s someone in here for you. Check back Tuesday after MNF to see my full waiver wire rankings.
Let’s begin!
Quarterbacks
1. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (57% rostered): How Lawrence isn’t higher than 60% rostered is beyond me. Lawrence has scored at least three touchdowns in three of his last four games and has been the QB3 since Week 12.
2. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos (46%): Wilson was cleared to play Sunday but was held out. He’ll play the Rams, Chiefs, and Chargers to finish the season.
3. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (11%)
4. Mac Jones, New England Patriots (22%)
5. Zach Wilson, New York Jets (15%)
Running Backs
1. Jerick McKinnon, Kansas City Chiefs (53%): Um, you should be rostering McKinnon everywhere you possibly can. His 1.09 PER rating ranks top 3 among RBs this season (as of Week 14).
2. Zack Moss/Deon Jackson, Indianapolis Colts (5%/9%): Jonathan Taylor suffered an ankle injury early Sunday. Moss was the primary back, playing the majority of early downs and third downs. Jackson scored a touchdown through the passing game. If Taylor misses serious time—which he might simply because the Colts are bad—both backs have fantasy value heading into the final stretch of the season.
3. Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons (36%): Allgeier led the Falcons’ backfield in touches and yards, rushing for 139 on 17 carries. He’s now seen double-digit attempts in each of his last three games.
4. Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers (40%): Hubbard saw his biggest workload of the season vs the Steelers. He dominated third down and two minute drill work and was effective through the air, catching 3 balls for 57 yards.
5. Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens (43%)
Wide Receivers
1. Zay Jones, Jaguars (45%): Jones has seen eight-plus targets in four of his last five games. He’s also had at least 68 yards receiving in those four games. He’s been the WR6 in .5PPR since Week 10.
2. Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders (38%): The rookie has returned to his touchdown-scoring ways, finding the end zone in each of his last two games. He’s also seen the second-most targets on the team during this stretch.
3. Chris Moore, Houston Texans (9%): With injuries decimating the Texans’ receiving room, Moore has been Houston’s top wideout, seeing nine-plus targets in each of his last two games.
4. Elijah Moore, Jets (38%)
5. K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings (17%)
Tight Ends
1. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders (69%): If Waller was dropped in your league, he’s a must-add. He returned to the Raiders’ starting lineup and instantly scored a touchdown.
2. Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (16%): Since Week 7, Johnson has found the end zone in all but two games. He’s a reliable red zone threat in New Orleans.
3. Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans (20%): Okonkwo ranks top 5 among TEs in PER, averaging 1.76 points per target (as of Week 14).
4. Jordan Akins, Texans (2%)
5. Tyler Conklin, Jets (26%)