Assuming your league's championship round concludes in Week 16, now is not the time to be looking for "depth." Instead, this last week of the waiver wire is to find an emergency starter, typically for an injury replacement.

Whether you lost Antonio Brown or are crossing your fingers waiting on Keenan Allen, anyone you add this week should be within starting consideration. That is unless of course your league extends into Week 17, but the majority of leagues out there will wrap up this week.

Either way, think "would I actually need to start this guy this week?" when reading the names listed. Here are some deeper PPR-league sleepers for Week 16. All ownership percentages are from Yahoo leagues.

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) rankings
• Quarterback (QB) rankings
• Tight end (TE) rankings
• Defense (D/ST) rankings
• Kicker (K) rankings
• FLEX rankings
• Dynasty rankings

Deeper PPR Sleepers For Week 16

Wayne Gallman - RB, New York Giants (5% Owned)

Not only has Wayne Gallman surpassed Orleans Darkwa on the depth chart the last few weeks, but Gallman has also been a nice surprise in PPR formats. In fact, part of me regrets not featuring Gallman sooner. Nevertheless, his production over the last two games warrants paying attention to. Gallman hasn't topped more than 59 rushing yards over that span, but it's his receiving numbers that stand out. He had six receptions in Week 15 and seven in Week 14, both of which amassed 40 yards a piece. That's rock solid production as a low-end RB2/flex piece in PPR.

Keelan Cole - WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (7% Owned)

Keelan Cole had a massive outing this past Sunday to the tune of 186 yards and a score. In fact, it was actually his third straight game with a touchdown, giving a banged up receiving corps a much needed boost. With both Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns ailing, Cole is in line for another heavy workload against the San Francisco 49ers on Christmas Eve. Cole should be one of the week's top adds in deep-leagues for owners looking for an Antonio Brown replacement.

Antonio Gates - TE, Los Angeles Chargers (14% Owned)

Sometimes the obvious answer can be the right one. Hunter Henry sustained a lacerated kidney, effectively knocking him out of the last two games of the season. Long-time veteran Antonio Gates will step back up into the starting role, one he can easily still contribute toward. If anything, the potential absence of Keenan Allen only helps matters for Gates Week 16 prospects. Gates did haul in a touchdown this past week, but admittedly hasn't done much of anything prior. Such is life when a young tight end takes the starting gig. The waiver wire might be a little too thin to do better than Antonio Gates at this point.

Kendall Wright - WR, Chicago Bears (4% Owned)

Kendall Wright has strung together two strong games in a row for the Bears, putting him back on the fantasy radar to close out the year. Wright followed up a 107 yard showing with an 81 yard performance. Perhaps more importantly, Wright had double digit targets (11, 13) in each of those games. The Bears draw the Cleveland Browns in Week 16, a great matchup for sure. Wright is another player to consider as a desperation replacement at wide receiver.

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