NFL Waiver Wire: Week 16 Pickups

This column is geared toward "standard" 12-team leagues and based upon a $100 free-agent budget. Please, please adjust for your league based on both the number of teams (I'm in a 24-team league, for example) and budget. This column will run every Tuesday to, hopefully, accommodate the various waiver schedules. I'll update it in the comments section during the week; please keep in mind a lot can change from Tuesday to Sunday.

QUARTERBACK

Secondary Targets

Matt Barkley, CHI - It's been a mixed bag of fantasy results for Barkley who has two good games under his belt and two bad ones. The two good ones are the 300-yard and two-touchdown ones while the bad ones were 402 passing yards and only one touchdown combined. On the plus side, he has a nice group of receivers he seems to have developed chemistry with, and it's a good matchup for him this week. The Redskins will be on a short week, have to travel to Chicago and have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. FAAB: $4-$8

Hail Mary

Tom Savage, HOU - Kudos to Houston coach Bill O'Brien for benching his $72 million quarterback in an interest to give his team the best chance to win. Savage put up respectable numbers against the Jaguars and, most important, didn't throw an interception. Savage showed a higher level of intelligence than Brock Osweiler by targeting his best receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, 17 times (a season high). It's unlikely you'll pick up him and start him for your championship but in two-quarterback/Super Flex leagues he could be useful. FAAB: $2-$4

RUNNING BACK

Primary Targets

Ty Montgomery, GB - Montgomery exploded for 163 yards from scrimmage with two touchdowns and firmly has control over the lead running back spot in Green Bay. He's available in 40 percent of Yahoo leagues, so chances are someone already has him. If not, here's your top target this week. FAAB: $100

Secondary Targets

Dion Lewis, NE - It's hard to predict outside of LeGarrette Blount which Patriots running back to use week to week, between Lewis and James White. Perhaps New England picked up something on film about the Denver defense because Lewis was used immediately as a ball carrier Sunday. Lewis finished with 18 carries, Blount with 17 and White had three, while Tom Brady finished with his second-fewest pass attempts (32) of the season. Lewis might be in line for about 10 carries a game, but expecting 18 again seems far-fetched, as does Brady throwing so little. Still, a piece of the New England offense is typically fruitful for fantasy purposes. FAAB: $6-$10


Hail Mary

Paul Perkins, NYG - Here's a case where real football is impacting fantasy football. According to some advanced metrics, Rashad Jennings is one of the league's best pass-protecting running backs. As a result, he still plays a lot of snaps despite averaging 3.2 yards per carry. Perkins is doing a little better with 3.8 yards per carry and passes the eye test as the more explosive player. Perkins also has never gotten a full workload (only once more than 11 carries) to show if he needs volume to develop a rhythm. But it's apparent the Giants will use Jennings more than Perkins, so it's tough to trust Perkins. FAAB: $1-$2

WIDE RECEIVER

Secondary Targets

Cameron Meredith, Deonte Thompson, CHI - Stacking the Bears' receivers with Matt Barkley would have been a heck of a DFS squad that would have been ridiculously cheap on any site. The problem with feeling too good about these guys is they probably won't be in a shootout again like last Sunday. Still, there's some upside with both, and Meredith is the preferred target of the two. FAAB: Meredith $5-$10, Thompson $2-$4

TIGHT END

Primary Targets

Charles Clay, BUF - Clay has struggled with injuries all season but finally appears healthy enough to make a fantasy contribution. He's scored two weeks in a row, adjusting on an underthrown ball and making a nice catch in the end zone Sunday. It's important to keep in mind that he had his big game against the winless Browns. It's also important to the Bills' receiving tree is very narrow and after Sammy Watkins, Clay is the next best target. FAAB: $6-$12

Secondary Targets

Ryan Griffin, HOU - Griffin became a solid play Sunday once C.J. Fiedorowicz was ruled out. He finished with eight catches for 85 yards and almost found the end zone. Griffin's value is directly tied to the availability of Fiedorowicz and is minimal when Fiedorowicz is active. Therefore, only deploy him if it looks like Fiedorowicz is sidelined once again. FAAB: $4-$8

Hail Mary

Dion Sims, MIA - Four touchdowns the last four weeks by Sims have been nice, but there are a few red flags. Until these last four weeks he hadn't scored all season (with Jordan Cameron healthy early) and has never had more than four targets or 53 receiving yards in a game. He's a risky play who's dependent on converting red-zone targets. Otherwise, he has a really low floor. FAAB: $1-$2