High-Upside Waiver Wire Bench Stashes - Fantasy Football Pickups for Week 16

December 17, 2025

Our favorite high-upside waiver wire bench stashes, fantasy football sleepers for Week 16 of 2025. Waiver wire stashes include Tank Bigsby, Isaiah Davis, Brian Robinson Jr., more.

Even though the fantasy football playoffs are officially underway, managers should still be looking to stash high-upside lottery tickets on their bench.

This week, we will spotlight several handcuff running backs who would be must-start RB2s in the event their starter misses time. In addition, an emerging rookie WR is also seeing his fantasy stock increase, making him a viable target for deeper leagues.

Who should we be stashing this week? Let's dive in!

High-Upside Waiver Wire Bench Stashes

Only players rostered in fewer than 30% of fantasy football leagues are considered potential streamers.

Tank Bigsby, RB - PHI
10% Rostered

One of the top handcuffs in fantasy to roster is Tank Bigsby of the Eagles. During their demanding victory over the Raiders, Bigsby was given 17 carries during the second half as the Eagles carried a substantial lead. On these carries, the former Jaguar tallied 57 yards.

Seeing him operate as the lead back with Saquon Barkley out of the game suggests he could see nearly 20 carries per game if Barkley misses time. Managers who roster the reigning RB1 should keep Bigsby on their bench for the final weeks of the season, as he would hold high-end RB2 upside if Barkley suffers an injury.

Brian Robinson Jr., RB - SF
20% Rostered

The other elite handcuff to stash in fantasy is Brian Robinson Jr. of the 49ers. Leading up to their Week 15 contest, the top option on the depth chart, Christian McCaffrey, popped up on the injury report with a back injury. While he eventually moved past the injury and returned to his typical workload, this scare showed the upside Robinson would have.

Through 15 weeks of action, Robinson has been the only running back on the roster to log a carry, suggesting the 26-year-old would have elite three-down upside if McCaffrey faces any setback. Similar to Bigsby, if you roster the often-injured McCaffrey, Robinson should be viewed as a priority stash, given that he nearly missed last weekend's contest.

Isaiah Davis, RB - NYJ
10% Rostered

The final "RB2" we will spotlight this week is Isaiah Davis of the New York Jets. Davis, like Robinson, has been deployed as the clear RB2 behind workhorse Breece Hall. While he has shown minimal standalone upside, he is coming off a strong showing in Week 15, where he took nine carries for 58 yards and a score.

This was the first time this season that he logged more than seven carries in a single game. He also logged a hefty 38% of the snaps, marking just the fourth time this season he saw more than 35% of the total snaps. While Hall will continue to operate as the lead back, Davis has shown the ability to operate in a three-down role, suggesting he would carry RB2 upside in PPR formats if Hall misses time over the final weeks.

First rushing TD of the season for Isaiah Davis 💪

NYJvsJAX on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/213HMro9dC

— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025

Pat Bryant, WR - DEN
5% Rostered

The final player we will spotlight this week was actually sidelined in Week 15. During their contest against the Packers, the rookie wideout was unable to suit up due to a hamstring injury. However, leading up to this game, Bryant was gaining traction in this offense and was even slowly growing into the No. 2 WR role.

In Week 13 and Week 14, Bryant logged more snaps than Troy Franklin in each game. During these two games, Bryant caught seven of his 11 targets for 74 yards, while Franklin saw 10 targets over this stint. While Franklin is coming off an 85-yard effort in Week 15, Bryant was beginning to see his fantasy stock soar. Managers in deeper 14-team leagues who require three WRs should look to hold Bryant on their bench.

What a throw
What a catch@Broncos score before the half on Pat Bryant's first career TD 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xkfJcqnBRu

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 26, 2025

If he can return to the starting lineup in Week 16 and once again take on his No. 2 role, he could carry sneaky flex upside in a Week 17 matchup against the Chiefs.

Read more player news and updates for Week 16

Other High-Upside Bench Stashes

• Emanuel Wilson, GB
• Ray Davis, BUF
• Sean Tucker, TB
• Jalen Coker, CAR

Who to Pick Up For Fantasy Football Week 16?

Waiver wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league -- depending on the league size. Quarterbacks and defenses (D/ST) are grouped at the bottom of the list:

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