Roman Bruno
Content Contributor
Week 15 of the NFL season was full of fantasy football excitement, disappointment, and everything in between. There were also plenty of injuries, and fantasy teams are certainly looking to either find replacements as we get deeper into the fantasy playoffs. Here are 5 players on the fantasy radar as waiver wire pickups for Week 16 (percentages according to ESPN):
RB Tyler Allgeier (ATL) – 34% Rostered
The rookie had a career day in Atlanta’s loss to New Orleans on Sunday. Allgeier had career highs in rushing attempts (17) and rushing yards (139). This was Allgeier’s fifth game this season with 13+ attempts, so the Falcons clearly trust him to handle that volume. Coincidentally, rookie QB Desmond Ridder was making his debut. Correlation, perhaps? Allgeier should continue getting more work alongside Cordarrelle Patterson. The rookie was a deep fantasy sleeper heading into the season, but now he looks to make a strong case as the Falcons RB1. He is readily available in most leagues, so consider him one of the top waiver wire pickups this week. Hopefully he can continue producing, in addition to a cheeky touchdown or two to boost his fantasy stats.
Tyler Allgeier is good at football
📺 FOX || NFL+ pic.twitter.com/Japl40BcZW
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 18, 2022
RB Zack Moss (IND) – 0.8% Rostered
With Jonathan Taylor landing on IR, ending his 2022 season, trade-deadline acquisition Zack Moss will serve as the next man up for the Colts. Moss will seemingly share time with Deon Jackson, but Moss should have the early edge. Moss ran for 81 yards on 24 attempts in Indy’s tragic comeback loss against Minnesota. The Colts are not an offense that will put up 30 points in a game consistently. However, the Colts have found success on the ground, so Moss will have a much bigger role ahead of him. Moss has league-winning upside if things fall into place. Keep an eye out for any moves the Colts make, if they choose to bring in a third running back. Things could get murky, but Moss is a nice add in the meantime.
WR Chris Moore (HOU) – 17% Rostered
Chris Moore has been making a name for himself these past few weeks. With both Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins sidelined with injuries, Moore has had to step up in a massive way. Moore caught four balls for 42 yards on Sunday against Kansas City, a step down compared to his 10-124 performance in Week 14. He has been a hot pickup on the wire these last couple weeks, yet he is still available in over 80% of leagues. The return of either Cooks or Collins would take a hit to Moore’s target share, but the 8-10 target range provides some intrigue. Consider Moore to be a better waiver add compared to some streaming options.
WR Jahan Dotson (WAS) – 26% Rostered
After having a lackluster middle-of-the-season stretch, including a visit to the IR, Dotson had a career-high in receiving yards (105) against the Giants on Sunday night. This included a ridiculous 61-yard catch over a Giants defender early in the fourth quarter. Dotson has fabulous fantasy upside, especially if Taylor Heinicke continues to be Washington’s QB. The rookie is a spark plug with big play potential, especially near the endzone. Dotson’s improved play as of late makes him an interesting FLEX option this week against the Niners. He is proving to fantasy managers why you rostered him at the beginning of the season in the first place.
JAHAN DOTSON WHAT A CATCH 😳
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/0mBvYVa0sg
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 19, 2022
TE Juwan Johnson (NO) – 16% Rostered
Since Week 7, Johnson has been the TE5 in fantasy. He has racked up seven touchdowns in his last seven games, two of which just came on Sunday against the Falcons. Johnson is getting targets to back it up. Johnson had six targets on Sunday, the fourth game this season with six or more. He has been a very serviceable fantasy TE over this stretch. Pick him up if you need a weekly starter and continue to start him until he proves otherwise. Johnson will continue being one of the top red zone targets for the Saints.
Honorable Waiver Wire Pickups: RB Deon Jackson (IND), RB JaMycal Hasty (JAX), WR Elijah Moore (NYJ), TE Taysom Hill (NO), QB Jared Goff (DET)
Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
