Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Streamers: Start 'Em for Week 16 Playoffs

December 17, 2025

John's fantasy football waiver wire streamers and start 'em, sit 'em lineup picks for Week 16 of 2025. These waiver wire pickups and could win playoff matchups.

'Tis the season to be jolly here at RotoBaller -- and nothing puts me in a better mood than decking the fantasy halls with a big, juicy playoff win. No time to speculate, it's do or die. Cut the fat from those rosters, add anyone with a pulse who could help you, or your opponent, for that matter. Block your friends and family without hesitation.

Elevated stress levels aside, what's better than sweating a fantasy playoff matchup while holiday festivities are going on around you? Plus, that means there's usually something nearby to drink if things go sideways, but you didn't hear that from me.

So, this is it. Now or never. For those of you who managed to squeak by as an underdog in your postseason matchups, I've got your best nuclear option at each position to stream in a pinch.

Quarterback Waiver Wire Streamer

Kirk Cousins, ATL at Arizona Cardinals

Stay hot! No time for trendlines or hoping long-term trajectories will magically mature -- give me all the best signals this instant. And no one's jumping off the page as a top stream more than Kirk Cousins. Few QBs are running hotter than Kirko Chainz right now; his 373 passing yards against Tampa Bay last weekend just led the league.

It's even plausible that his lower body injuries are finally showing signs of healing, two full years removed from occurrence. Could the $35M/year quarterback Atlanta initially paid for be back on track to finish strong? If last Thursday was any indication, it's a resounding yes from me.

Cousins spent all day slicing and dicing the Bucs secondary, due mostly to Atlanta's brass understanding its own personnel. We know Cousins can make any throw on the field given the opportunity, but at this point needs schematic help creating them -- his days of viable mobility or even as a rollout threat have gone the way of the dodo.

However, this time around, the Falcons coordinators decided to lean into the same almost exclusively shotgun-aligned approach deployed for Michael Penix Jr. all season ... and it paid off big time. Cousins posted his best performance by a country mile with all the underpinning metrics to back it up: +0.31 EPA/dropback, 73.0% completion rate, 5.4% off-target rate, 125.7 passer rating, 8.6 yards/attempt.

Maybe I'd be more reticent about rolling with the veteran shot-caller in a tougher spot, but I currently have Arizona's pass defense ranked below Tampa Bay. The Jacoby Brissett story has been a garbage-time fantasy folk tale playing out in front of our eyes, though it's certainly doing its job, masking just how awful this team is currently playing.

Losers of six straight, the Cardinals' hobbled defensive unit ranks 30th or worse during that span in success rate (48.2%), EPA/dropback (-0.21), opposing passer rating (116.1), completion rate allowed (69.9%), yards after catch per reception (6.2), +20-yard completions (21), and passing TDs (14). That's a mouthful -- and a great sign for a second straight breakout performance from Cousins.

3rd and 28.
4th and 14.
Game-winning FG.

With 1:50 left, Kirk Cousins led a crazy drive for an @AtlantaFalcons win 🙌 pic.twitter.com/l7tCkVZlFX

— NFL (@NFL) December 12, 2025

Running Back Waiver Wire Streamer

Michael Carter, ARI vs. Atlanta Falcons

Hi-ho, the derry-o ... the cheese stands alone. And this weekend, that cheese is Arizona's Michael Carter. Face it; with everyone hoarding tailbacks like crazy, finding RB production from streamers and bench players alike has been an abject disaster all season. 

Sometimes, it boils down to volume when opportunities are the game's most liquid commodity. First, it was James Conner who got shelved in Week 3. Then, Trey Benson went down with a knee injury, with early hopes of a 2025 return despite a Week 5 meniscus procedure. Well, his practice window opened and closed without a return to action, effectively ending his season. 

Already experiencing a lack of depth in the RB room, next-man-up Bam Knight dominated touch share -- until he too was carted off the field early in the first quarter of Sunday's tilt with Houston. After departing, Carter assumed a bell-cow position in a dual-threat role: 75% RB-touch share, 72% route participation, and 100% of the back red-zone opportunities. Not too shabby.

Yes, I get Carter's efficiency is likely going to stink, but think of it this way: If the Cards can hang 20 points and three offensive touchdowns even on the Texans backups, they should have a field day against these Falcons. If Arizona's defense keeps providing negative game scripts, Carter's going to continue feasting as a PPR scam -- he's sixth among all RBs in targets earned since returning to action in Week 10 (ahead of Christian McCaffrey!).

So, no, it won't be pretty, but ask yourself this. Can you really say no to 18+ touches with a minimum of five targets and a possible goal-to-go carry if you really have nowhere to turn? Desperation is a stinky cologne...

Jacoby Brissett avoids a sack and then Michael Carter avoids a defender for a first down 😳

JAXvsAZ on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/1kfDfi1nj4

— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2025

Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Streamer

Jalen Coker, CAR vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Never wrong, just early ... that's what I always say. Check the videotape; I stood among the crowd of preseason Coke-heads, fiending for a breakout from the second-year UDFA out of Holy Cross this summer.

Sadly, those hopes were instantly dashed and laid to waste when a serious quad injury during August camp cost the WR nearly two months of action. They say the season's a marathon and not a sprint for a reason -- we're heading into Week 16 with the Panthers tied for first in the season's first semi-playoff game. All hands on deck.

Carolina is far from the most prolific passing offense in the game, though its willingness to adjust its attack plan to its opponents' vulnerabilities gives me some serious hope for this weekend. It's simple enough. If and when the Panthers can run the ball effectively, they're going to choose that path 100 percent of the time without deviation. However, in the few instances Dave Canales removed the offense's regulator, they've gone off in the box score.

Funny Bryce Young stat incoming. Through 13 games played, he's finished precisely zero games above 210 but below 325 passing yards. Stop and read that again. How is that even possible? Talk about all or nothing -- which is why I'm hesitant to post any broad statistics to force the point. The fulcrum of the argument is pass volume, and if we see dropbacks dialed up against the Bucs' run funnel defense, Jalen Coker gets home easily.

Missing a couple of starters in the secondary, Tampa Bay has gotten shredded through the air for the past month and a half. Only Tyler Shough failed to eclipse 270+ yards in that time frame against a Bucs secondary ranking bottom-5 in EPA/dropback (-0.20), opposing passer rating (103.3), passing yards/game (271.0), yards per reception (12.7), 20-yard+ completions (21), and passing TDs (13).

TB has also been especially vulnerable defending the slot (7.7 receptions/game, 98.5 yards/game), where Coker's done the majority of his damage. Great chance to keep his streak of at least four catches, 60 yards, and a touchdown going.

Bryce Young with a DIME to Jalen Coker to extend the @Panthers lead!

CARvsNO on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/hNjCsR7fa9

— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025

Tight End Waiver Wire Streamer

Darren Waller, MIA vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Just one year ago, Darren Waller was laying down deep rhymes on the 2024 cult classic "Internal Warfare: This Too Shall Pass." Now, it's not even 2026 yet, and he's already one of only six tight ends to score multiple TDs in multiple games this NFL season. What a story.

Clearly a featured part of Mike McDaniel's offense when healthy (20.5% target/route), Waller produced at a fantasy-relevant clip (1.91 yards/route, 11.5 fantasy points/game) while earning an elite level of high-value opportunities (1.0 end-zone targets/game).

Plus, Miami plays Cincinnati, the league's worst team at defending the position. No one's allowed more fantasy points to tight ends, and at least one's gone over 93 yards in five of its last eight contests. Where do I sign?

Tua to Waller x2

MIAvsPIT on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/p6rO8BixZn

— NFL (@NFL) December 16, 2025

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