Waiver Wire Watch: Week 16

Dec 19, 2016

Editor's Note: We're happy to have Brandon Niles on the Waiver Wire Watch this year. He'll work in conjunction with Senior Editor John Paulsen to compile the weekly list of pickups and generate recommended prices for FAAB leagues.

Here is a look at the top waiver wire pickups for Week 16. To be eligible for discussion, the player must be owned in 50% or fewer Yahoo leagues, though we’ll stretch the rules a bit for the RB position, which is usually very thin. We’ll also include suggested bid prices (with a $100 budget) for those leagues that use Free Agent Acquisition Budgets (FAAB). Of course, player value depends on league characteristics and team needs. Players are listed by position in order of importance. For extremely shallow or extremely deep leagues, be sure to review our Rest-of-Season Rankings (updated every Tuesday) to get an idea of how to value players not on this list.

Quarterbacks

Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers ($2)

Kaepernick only had 183 yards passing against the Falcons on Sunday, but he threw for two touchdowns and added 21 yards on three rushing attempts. Those aren’t big numbers, but he has the ability to put up solid fantasy numbers in any given week. This week, he’ll face a Rams team that just got torched by Russell Wilson and the Seahawks and should be vulnerable to Kaepernick’s dual-threat attack. While it’s hard to trust him at this stage of the fantasy playoffs, Kaepernick should be one of the better streaming options available in most leagues.

Next up: @ Rams, Seahawks

Matt Barkley, Chicago Bears ($1)

Barkley has shown some moxie in his stint as the starter in Chicago, and while he threw three picks in a loss to Green Bay on Sunday, he had 362 yards and a pair of touchdowns as well. Barkley is a risky option, but with a great matchup against Washington this week, he’s worth considering as a low-end streaming option. He’s also definitely worth picking up in keeper and dynasty league formats in case he winds up starting next year. This isn’t an elite QB class in the upcoming draft, which will make it hard for Chicago to find an upgrade in the offseason.

Next up: Redskins, @ Vikings

Sam Bradford, Minnesota Vikings ($1)

Bradford wasn’t impressive in a cushy matchup against the Colts on Sunday, throwing for 291 yards and a pick as the Vikings got crushed. Bradford still has some upside this week in a divisional matchup against the Packers though. Green Bay gave up 362 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Matt Barkley on Sunday and have injuries in the secondary that have made them vulnerable against the pass. I hate to count on Bradford, but if you need a streaming option and are looking to matchups, he’s a nice, low-cost rental.

Next up: @ Packers, Bears

Matt Moore, Miami Dolphins ($1)

Moore had a great game against the Jets on Saturday night. He threw for 236 yards and four touchdowns with only one interception on a mere 18 attempts. This week, he’ll face a top-10 Bills pass defense, which makes it unlikely he’ll repeat his performance, but since he’s a veteran player with some weapons around him, he might be worth considering in very deep leagues as a streaming option. More importantly, in leagues that last through Week 17, Moore will be facing the Patriots who may not be playing for anything.

Next up: @ Bills, Patriots

Tom Savage, Houston Texans ($1)

If Brock Osweiler remains the starter, then I’m not interested in him. Savage on the other hand, had 260 yards and a led the Texans to a come-from-behind victory on Sunday against the Jaguars. Savage isn’t a safe option, but if he gets the start this week against the Bengals, then he has some upside as a new guy with some excellent weapons in the Houston offense.

Next up: Bengals, @ Titans

I’m not buying: I might like Jared Goff a little against the 49ers if he weren't in the league's concussion protocol. If healthy though, he has some upside if you’re desperate due to the matchup. I still like Carson Wentz in dynasty and keeper leagues, but he has a tough schedule to close out the season and there should be better streaming options available in most leagues. Those Pittsburgh-Baltimore games are usually pretty ugly, so I’m not counting on Joe Flacco in Week 16. Alex Smith had a rushing touchdown on Sunday against the Titans, but his prospects against Denver this week don’t look good. Trevor Siemian looked pretty bad against the Patriots on Sunday, and I don’t think he’ll look any better against the Chiefs this week. I might be interested in Robert Griffin III, but early reports are unclear as to whether or not he’ll start next week.