What happened this week? It was like we were living in the Upside Down with several studs deciding to take the week off and others coming on out of nowhere. If you’re still lucky enough to be in the fantasy postseason, you’ll have to make some moves to keep that momentum going, with injuries to Ja'Marr Chase, Keaton Mitchell, Trevor Lawrence, and more creating some holes in your rosters.

As I said last week, even if you don’t need someone, now is the time to trim the fat from your roster. If you’re not ever going to put them in your lineup and they haven’t been producing, get aggressive on the waiver wire to make sure your opponents don’t snipe someone and use them against you. You want an example? I picked up Zamir White last week despite being full-up at running back just to prevent my opponents from using him, and that helped me win some matchups. Keep that energy going into Week 16; don’t let your opponent catch you lacking. Now, let’s check out some of the available options going into Week 16

 

Waiver Wire Quarterbacks

Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals (Available in 63% of ESPN leagues, 53% of Yahoo leagues, 57% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 10-15%

I have to admit, I was not a full believer in Jake Browning, and even up until the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game, I wasn’t. Oh, how wrong I was. He finished the game with over 300 yards and two touchdowns yet again, and that was with Ja'Marr Chase going out at a critical time. Over the past three weeks, he’s the overall QB2, and his upcoming schedule is pretty favorable for the remainder of the fantasy playoffs. They get the Pittsburgh Steelers, then the Kansas City Chiefs for Week 17, and while the Chiefs defense has been good, you’ve seen opposing quarterbacks work their magic against them recently. At this point of the season, you’re likely streaming quarterbacks anyway, and with both safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Damonte Kazee out next week, the Steelers are a great matchup.

Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns (Available in 89% of ESPN leagues, 75% of Yahoo leagues, and 69% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid:  5-10%

Much like Jake Browning, I was a little hesitant on Flacco, but he at least showed up in the waiver article last week. I was nervous after he threw for three interceptions early in the game, but after the rain moved out, he exploded for over 300 yards and came back to win the game. You can never count out a veteran against a slew of young quarterbacks at this point, and as I said last week, he gets some matchups against the Houston Texans and New York Jets over the next two weeks. Although the Jets have been good, they did just give up 30 points to the Miami Dolphins, and they may just be gassed by Week 17. They have also been susceptible to the tight end, and with Flacco’s chemistry with tight end David Njoku, his numbers could be much better than expected.

Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts (Available in 84% of ESPN leagues, 75% of Yahoo leagues, and 72% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 5-10%

Minshew has been on the menu for the last few weeks, and yet he’s still available in a ton of leagues. He’s likely not going to get you a ceiling game like some of the others available, but he’s has a very consistent floor, so at least he shouldn’t lose you your matchup. Over the next two weeks, he gets the Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders, and while the Raiders did just crush the Los Angeles Chargers and Easton Stick, Minshew is a semi-proven veteran who should fare much better against them.

Waiver Wire Running Backs

Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals (Available in 92% of ESPN leagues, 80% of Yahoo leagues, and 68% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 15-20%

Chase Brown showed up in last week’s waiver article due to the split he’d taken away from Joe Mixon, and although it was slightly lower this week because he did spend some time in the injury tent, you still have to like what you’re seeing from him. He has explosive ability in both the rushing and passing game, and with Ja'Marr Chase likely out for an extended period of time, there are extra targets to go around. Mixon was also seen on the sideline getting his hamstring stretched out, so if you’re looking at a potential defensive move/handcuff, you have to pick him up.

Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens (Available in 91% of ESPN leagues, 87% of Yahoo leagues, and 87% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 15-20%

After Keaton Mitchell went down with a season-ending injury, the Baltimore Ravens are down to only Gus Edwards and Justice Hill. Do I love Justice Hill? No, let’s temper those expectations. However, do I think he’ll get more work than most of the other options on the waiver wire? Yes. The Ravens have also run the ball at a higher rate than anyone else in the league, and even if he is rotating time with Edwards and quarterback Lamar Jackson, he should still see enough volume to be a worthy option.

Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders (Available in 93% of ESPN leagues, 84% of Yahoo leagues, and 78% of Sleeper leagues)  

FAAB Bid: 15-20%

While White had a great week against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football in Week 15, he falls a little further down on the list due to the fact that we don’t yet know if Josh Jacobs is returning to the lineup. If he doesn’t, yes, White is a great option, but if he does, White will fall back into that backup role.

Jerick McKinnon/Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs (Available in 63% and 67% of ESPN leagues, 59% and 60% of Yahoo leagues, and 52% and 54% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 12-15%

I’m giving you a two-fer here, but I have some cautionary tales to send to you. Yes, it was CEH who led the Kansas City Chiefs in snaps this past weekend, but it was McKinnon who threw for the touchdown and caught the passes. News is that primary running back Isiah Pacheco will be back in the lineup, so that should reduce Edwards-Helaire’s role going forward. At least McKinnon should have some passing value even with Pacheco back. However, that’s not to say CEH shouldn’t be rostered in case Pacheco has a setback after his shoulder surgery.

*Quick Note on Trey Sermon

If you’re desperate, please, by all means, look at Trey Sermon. However, I don’t feel good about adding him after news that Zack Moss is doing well and that Jonathan Taylor should also return to the lineup this week. This could be a trap that should be left to others in your league.

Waiver Wire Wide Receivers

Noah Brown, Houston Texans (Available in 60% of ESPN leagues, 60% of Yahoo leagues, and 54% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 20-25%

Noah Brown is another player who has been on the list for several weeks, but after his performance this week with a backup quarterback, he’s a player who has to be rostered. We still don’t know whether or not Nico Collins will return to the lineup next week, along with C.J. Stroud, and we at least saw Brown perform with Case Keenum under center. The Texans are fighting for a playoff spot, so they can’t afford to sit back and relax, so expect a continued high-volume passing game, with Brown at the center.

Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals (Available in 57% of ESPN leagues, 51% of Yahoo leagues, and 43% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 15-18%

With Ja'Marr Chase going down with a separated shoulder, Tyler Boyd becomes an immediate part of this Bengals passing game. He’s been in the backseat for the majority of the season, but there’s only so much production the tight ends can give to them. Boyd has stepped up and performed in the absence of star receivers before, and expect him to do it again.

Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers (Available in 97% of ESPN leagues, 96% of Yahoo leagues, and 93% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 15-18%

We don’t really know the extent of Jayden Reed’s toe injury that took him out of Week 15 or Christian Watson’s hamstring, but even when Reed was in the lineup, Wicks saw plenty of snaps and targets. He finished Week 15 playing 47 snaps,  was second on the team in targets, and was the team’s leading receiver. As widely available as he is, he should be a priority pickup, especially for those with little remaining FAAB.

Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers (Available in 80% of ESPN leagues, 71% of Yahoo leagues, and 61% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 12-15%

I’m not so sure how I feel about Joshua Palmer with Easton Stick and with the possibility of Keenan Allen possibly coming back, but you can’t deny the production he saw on Thursday night. Yes, most of his points came due to his yards after the catch, but if he is the leading receiver on a team, you have to put in a bid on him and just hope a game script situation will lead to some points.

Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals (Available in 96% of ESPN leagues, 94% of Yahoo leagues, and 87% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 10-12%

Marquise Brown left the game early yet again after aggravating a heel injury that he’d been dealing with all week prior to Week 15, and if he’s unable to go next week, Michael Wilson should become the primary receiver. Yes, tight end Trey McBride is the focal point of this offense, but he can’t be the only piece. Wilson ran 65 of the team’s 74 snaps, and although he only saw three targets, you can’t argue with the participation he saw. If Brown is unable to go, his production should increase in the next two weeks.

Waiver Wire Tight Ends

Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers (Available in 97% of ESPN leagues, 90% of Yahoo leagues, and 86% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 8-10%

We already talked about it with Dontayvion Wicks, but the absence of Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Luke Musgrave has really benefited Tucker Kraft. In Week 15, he played 58 of the team’s 60 snaps (and probably would have played them all had he not tried to hurdle a defender that knocked the air out of him), ran 39 routes, and saw six targets. He also caught a touchdown and has a fairly favorable schedule over the next two weeks against the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings. Tight end is a wasteland, but you can’t argue with his usage.

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (Available in 82% of ESPN leagues, 76% of Yahoo leagues, and 80% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 5-8%

Contrary to Kraft, Hunter Henry hasn’t played a ton of the snaps, but he has been a target magnet in the end zone. Had it not been for a penalty that called the play back, he would have four touchdowns over the last two weeks. There are severe issues with the New Englands Patriots wide receiver room, and Henry has been one of the constants in the passing game with Bailey Zappe under center. It is a little of a dart throw, but you can’t argue with the production.