2024 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 16: Aaron Rodgers, Jerome Ford, More

It’s fantasy football playoff time folks. No more messing around. If you are on a bye week - congratulations - you can think ahead. For the rest of us all that matters is the six inches in front of our face. If we don’t win this week, it’s over.

Getting the right guys off the Week 16 fantasy football waiver wire (or blocking your opponent) can make all the difference. As always, we’re going to write three articles. This one will focus on the best odds for this week with perhaps a little consideration given to the next couple weeks. 

The Streamers article will have some deeper cuts. And the Stashes article will focus on handcuffs and Weeks 16 and 17 (please try not to have your championships in Week 18). So, let’s get to it!

2024 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 16 Top Targets

If this 2024 fantasy football waiver wire for Week 16 is your first time seeing this series, here’s a little idea of how we break it down. 

There are too many articles out there that don’t take into account YOUR team's needs. Whether you just want the best player, you want someone to start now, or you are loaded and you want the best upside stashed, we have you covered. And we break it down like this:

• 2024 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 16: This is the current article where we focus on the best waiver wire picks for any format or team needs. Guys that can potentially be started now but also have season-long upside.
   
• 2024 Fantasy Football Streamers Week 16: These are players that are decent starts for Week 16 but might not have great long-term upside (perhaps it’s just a good matchup or the starter has a short-term injury, for instance).
   
• 2024 Fantasy Football Stashes Week 16: These are players that are very difficult to trust in a lineup right now. But we believe in the talent and the possibility of upside down the stretch. Every year there are certain rookies or backups that get a big opportunity and run with it at some point - like Trey McBride last year.

The 2024 fantasy football waiver wire for Week 16 you are currently looking at is free for everyone. The Week 16 waiver wire stashes and Week 16 waiver wire streamers articles are for Fantasy Alarm members only. 

If you aren’t a Fantasy Alarm member yet, you can not only get 40% off your annual membership if you sign up right now or 50% off your first month with promo code LETSGO, but we are offering a 7-day free trial RIGHT NOW! You can check out everything we have to offer this week and decide if it's right for you!

P.S. At the very bottom of this article, I will update my Yin & Yang Tight End chart each week!

NFL Week 16 Waiver Wire Quarterbacks

Drake Maye - New England Patriots, Yahoo: 13% | ESPN: 16% | Sleeper: 24%

The official statistics will show Drake Maye playing in 10 games. But, in one game, he came in late in relief of Jacoby Brissett and, in another, the first Jets game, he left with an injury after attempting 6 passes.

In those other 8 games, he has quietly averaged ~17 fantasy points per game which would put him right behind Jordan Love (17.1) and ahead of guys like Tua Tagovaloa (16.9), Patrick Mahomes (16.7), and Kyler Murray (16.6). And the fewest points he has scored in those games is 12.76 (depending on your scoring, of course). And that’s the beauty of the mobile quarterback.

Much like Bo Nix (17.2 PPG), Maye is running just enough to keep that floor high. They have no shot of winning these games, but he stays in there, he keeps throwing, and he’s willing to run. If your league has huge penalties for turnovers then maybe you stay away from the rookie mistakes. But in normal leagues where it’s -1 or -2 for interceptions, you could do a lot worse than Maye.

They are going to lose to the Buffalo Bills this week, but they’ve been losing all season and that hasn’t stopped Maye from being a guy that gives you 15-20 fantasy points most weeks. In fact, his worst two games this year were the two that they won. I know it’s been against much better teams, but the Bills defense has allowed 40 points in back-to-back weeks now.

• Waiver Priority: Low or Free Add
• FAAB: 0-5% (more if he starts for you right away)

Aaron Rodgers - New York Jets, Yahoo: 35% | ESPN: 15% | Sleeper: 37%

The Arizona Cardinals game was a complete nightmare for Aaron Rodgers. He scored 4 fantasy points. But, outside of that abomination, he’s scored at least 15 points the other 8 of his last 9. This past week I think it finally hit him that he might end up out of his job and even potentially out of this league if he doesn’t kick it into gear down the stretch. 

So, what does he do? He goes out and throws for 289 yards and 3 TDs on his way to a 30 bomb in fantasy. This week he gets the Los Angeles Rams who haven’t been able to stop anyone. 

And, in championship week, he gets the Buffalo Bills who have been a shoutout factory as of late. That last game will be on the road in Buffalo though Rodgers is no stranger to playing in cold weather. This week he should be a solid start once again.

• Waiver Priority: Low or Free Add
• FAAB: 0-5%

NFL Week 16 Waiver Wire Running Backs

Jerome Ford - Cleveland Browns, Yahoo: 44% | ESPN: 33% | Sleeper: 43%

There are so many moving parts to the decision between Jerome Ford and Kendre Miller as the top waiver add. But, as of this moment, I have to skew Ford. And the reasoning there is quite simple. We know that Nick Chubb is done for the season with a broken foot.

We don’t know if Alvin Kamara will miss Week 16 yet, let alone Week 17. I believe that both players are startable in fantasy when the starting RB is out. We’ve seen it earlier this year with Ford. 

The quarterback and general productivity of the two offenses in Cleveland and New Orleans are not materially different with Derek Carr injury and Jameis Winston potentially benched. I would put bids in on both players but I’m giving Ford the priority. Especially if your remaining opponents are shaking at RB. 

• Waiver Priority: High or first priority
• FAAB: 25-50%

Kendre Miller - New Orleans Saints, Yahoo: 12% | ESPN: 8% | Sleeper: 16%

Alvin Kamara is dealing with an adductor/groin issue that caused him to leave this week’s game. Alvin Kamara initially said it “felt minor” but Darren Rizzi declined to say whether it was minor or not, per reporting by Katherine Terrell. The Saints are technically still alive in the playoff race but technically is a fairly strong word. 

Ever since Dennis Allen was fired and Darren Rizzi “let him out of the doghouse”, Kendre Miller has run hard and looked good with his opportunities. Like we said above in the Jerome Ford section, we are putting in bids/claims on both Ford and Miller with the possibility of them starting this week and/or next week. 

As they say, can’t hold anything back now. At least he’s rostered in far fewer leagues than Ford so he might be your only option. 

• Waiver Priority: High or first priority
• FAAB: 25-50%

NFL Week 16 Waiver Wire Wide Receivers

Romeo Doubs - Green Bay Packers, Yahoo: 38% | ESPN: 40% | Sleeper: 52%

Romeo Doubs was dropped in a lot of leagues while he was injured, despite our insistence not to do so. He rewarded those who held him by resuming his full-time job as the X receiver for the Green Bay Packers on the outside and scoring two touchdowns.

The Packers do spread the ball around but, when everyone is healthy, it’s Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson on the outside with Jayden Reed in the slot and Dontayvion Wicks as the “next man up”. Doubs has led this team on a per game basis and we like Jordan Love as a passer so he’s the most trustworthy WR option that is actually available in less than 50% of leagues.

• Waiver Priority: Medium to late priority
• FAAB: 10-15%

Jalen McMillan - Tampa Bay Buccaneers Yahoo: 10% | ESPN: 10% | Sleeper: 15%

We’ve mentioned many times in these articles that we try not to chase touchdowns, especially receiving touchdowns. It’s not that touchdowns are necessarily a bad thing. But they are flukey and can mask poor deployment and production. That isn’t the case with Jalen McMillan.

Yes, Sterling Shepard and Cade Otton are threats to get targets in some of these games. But Jalen McMillan is the full-time wide receiver opposite Mike Evans with Chris Godwin out. Over the last four games since McMillan returned from injury, Mike Evans has played 204 snaps, Jalen McMillan has played 197.

Over the last two games, McMillan has garnered 13 targets. He’s also scored 3 touchdowns, which is a nice bonus. If you chase the snaps and the targets, the touchdowns will come.

• Waiver Priority: Late or free add
• FAAB: 0-5%

NFL Week 16 Waiver Tight End + Yin & Yang TE

Brenton Strange - Jacksonville Jaguars: Yahoo: 2% | ESPN: 2% | Sleeper: 7%

Look, no one was predicting 12 targets for Brenton Strange. And we aren’t expecting that to happen again. He’s never had more than 6 in a game. But earlier this year when Engram was out from weeks 2-5, Strange was giving you 3-6 targets a week. Plus, he jumped right into that Engram role with an 82% snap share this week, just as he did during those early weeks.

When we compare Stone Smartt to Brenton Strange, Smartt has the better quarterback. But the Jaguars lost their slot guy in Christian Kirk while Ladd McConkey just returned from injury. Plus, Denver is rated as the toughest matchup for TEs per DVOA over at FTN Fantasy while the Raiders are top five easiest. I might have Smartt ranked ahead in Week 17 vs. NE but this week is what matters most so Strange is likely to be the better start here. 

• Waiver Priority: Late or free add
• FAAB: 0-5% 

Stone Smartt - Los Angeles Chargers, Yahoo: 5% | ESPN: 2% | Sleeper: 6%

Honestly, we said pretty much what needs to be said about Stone Smartt in the section above. It’s no secret that I’ve been a huge “truther” on Stone Smartt. And we like what we saw this week in terms of alignment, aDot, targets, etc. 

I’m still comfortable starting Smartt for as long as Dissly is out. But Brenton Strange is probably the safer start this week given the disparity in matchups. Simple as that.  The only argument for Smartt over Strange this Thursday is if you really do not trust Mac Jones but he just delivered 12 targets to Strange and he caught 10. 

• Waiver Priority: Late or free add
• FAAB: 0-5%

Week 16 Rest Of Season Tight End Rankings

At this stage in the season, we are gearing up for playoffs. You may still be hanging onto two tight ends using our Yin & Yang tight end strategy, but we will increasingly be focusing on having one guy we can trust for the three weeks of fantasy playoffs. 

With that in mind, we’ll be going with a linear set of “rest of season” rankings for the next few weeks before we start focusing on actual playoff matchups.