Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 16: Top Free Agent Adds Include Ty Chandler, Zamir White, Chase Brown, Clyde Edwards-Helaire

December 20, 2023

Phil Clark's fantasy football running back waiver wire pickups for Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season. His free agent RBs to add, stream, and stash off waivers.

We have now progressed into planning for the second week of fantasy postseason matchups. Congratulations to all of you who successfully navigated the numerous obstacles of this unique season. You have maintained your highest level of flexibility while persevering through injuries to critical players, disappointing performances, and unexpected absences. Now, this diligence has placed you on a pathway toward your league's championship.

This critical week provides the opportunity for you to focus on constructing lineups that will advance through the remainder of the playoffs. It is highly recommended that you examine all remaining matchups in both Weeks 16 and 17 for any backs that you are considering or are currently contained on your rosters. This maximizes your planning process by establishing which backs will encounter difficult matchups, and which runners have an opportunity to perform against vulnerable defensive units.

This article will help you with the difficult decisions that await you by locating the best running backs to target on your waiver wire. These recommendations will appear in three tiers -- beginning with the most enticing and progressing to runners that are available if you are contending with desperation. You will also find a group of backs that can be considered droppable in order for you to secure your replacements. Good luck to all of you in your Week 16 matchups.

Week 15 Rushing Leaders 

Frontrunners - Week 16 Waiver Wire Running Backs

These backs should be your top priorities among the options that are available on most waiver wires.

Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings - 52% Rostered

Ty Chandler’s involvement within Minnesota’s backfield has increased significantly since Week 10. Chandler has now played on 161 snaps during the Vikings’ last five outings while assembling 293 rushing yards (58.6 per game) with his 64 attempts (12.8 per game). He has also run 48 routes while collecting 11 of 13 nine targets.

Those results during Chandler’s ascending involvement have been fueled by the career-best numbers that he constructed when Minnesota traveled to Cincinnati in Week 15.

Spins and in!@Channdler_35 puts the #Vikings on the board early.

📺: @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/jxEg0xSYbD

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 16, 2023

Chandler operated with a career-high 23 attempts while exploding for a career-best 132 yards and generating a touchdown. He also averaged 5.7 yards per attempt, ran 17 routes, and captured three of his four targets.

Chander was functioning as the Vikings’ lead back, while Alexander Mattison was sidelined with an ankle injury. However, Chandler performs with a higher degree of explosiveness than Mattison. That supplies the prospects of Chandler sustaining an extensive workload regardless of Mattison’s status moving forward. Chandler is still available in nearly 50% of all leagues and should be contained on all rosters when Minnesota hosts Detroit on Christmas Eve.

Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals - 21% Rostered  

Chase Brown entered Week 13 with a total of eight snaps, two rushing attempts, and six rushing yards. However, he soared onto the fantasy landscape during his performances in Cincinnati’s last three games, while maximizing his opportunities in an expanding role.

Brown has accumulated 41 snaps since emerging in the Bengals’ backfield rotation during their Week 13 matchup at Jacksonville. He has also carried 24 times while generating 109 rushing yards and averaging 4.5 yards per attempt.

Chase Brown Over 6.5 rec yds ✅

That was fast 😅 pic.twitter.com/IOxATesdHV

— Sean Koerner (@The_Oddsmaker) December 16, 2023

Brown has also accumulated 13 routes while capturing all six of his targets, along with assembling 108 yards and a touchdown. Brown is not a candidate to leapfrog Joe Mixon as Cincinnati’s lead back during the Bengals' remaining matchups, even though Brown operates with a level of explosiveness that Mixon currently lacks.

However, Brown has demonstrated the ability to erupt for sizable gains. That will keep him involved in a backfield rotation when the Bengals travel to Pittsburgh and Kansas City during their next two contests. Brown would also deliver RB2 output if Mixon is sidelined during your postseason matchups.

Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders- 16% Rostered

Second-year back Zamir White entered Week 15 having accumulated 91 offensive snaps, 37 rushing attempts, and 114 rushing yards during his tenure with Las Vegas.

However, Josh Jacobs’ troublesome knee forced him to the sideline during the Raiders’ Week 15 matchup with the Chargers. That elevated White into lead-back responsibilities for Las Vegas.

White easily secured career-highs in snaps (45), rushing attempts (17), and rushing yards (69). White also ran 21 routes, collected three of his four targets from Aidan O'Connell, and assembled 16 receiving yards.

ZAMIR WHITE PUNCHES IT IN!!!#LACvsLV | 📺 @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/xFNGct7R5e

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) December 15, 2023

Ameer Abdullah played on 17 snaps, carried six times, and produced 32 yards on the ground. He also ran nine routes and captured both of his targets. Jacobs’ status should be monitored as the week progresses.

However, that should not prevent you from adding White. He should be rostered in all leagues and will operate as the Raiders’ early-down back if Jacobs remains unavailable. Las Vegas travels to Kansas City in Week 16 before visiting Indianapolis in Week 17.

In The Running - Week 16 Waiver Wire Running Backs

These backs remain available on the waiver wire and could become resources for your rosters.

Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans - 45% Rostered

The ongoing recommendation to seize Tyjae Spears from all waiver wires continues this week as he remains available in 55% of all leagues.

The explosive rookie has operated as a dynamic weapon within Tennessee’s offense throughout the season, as he provides the potential to erupt for sizable yardage on any given play. He would also become an enormous asset if Derrick Henry’s workload is reduced for any reason during the Titans’ remaining matchups.

Spears has functioned as the Titans' RB2 behind Henry. However, he has now accumulated 443 snaps, while securing a 53.1% snap share since Week 1. He has also generated 388 rushing yards with his 82 attempts, while easily leading Tennessee’s backfield in routes run (249), targets (55), and receptions (40). That includes his involvement in Week 15, when Spears played on 33 snaps and ran 18 routes. He also accumulated 10 touches and assembled 37 total yards.

The primary enticement for securing Spears remains his prospects of igniting for significant production if his home run capabilities are deployed with greater frequency during Tennessee’s upcoming matchups. The Titans will host Seattle in Week 16 and travel to Houston in Week 17.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs - 33% Rostered

This recommendation arrives with the caveat that Isiah Pacheco is now expected to reemerge when Kansas City hosts Las Vegas in Week 16. Pacheco’s two-game absence had fueled an increase in the workloads for Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon.

That also provided Edwards-Helaire with an opportunity to recapture relevance, in what had previously been a forgettable season for the fourth-year back. He had entered Week 14 with a 15.6% snap share/112 snaps, had carried 40 times (3.8 per game), and had generated 140 rushing yards (12.7 per game).

What a snag from Clyde Edwards-Helaire 🔥

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/MQoB6icp51

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 17, 2023

However, Edwards-Helaire has now accumulated 70 snaps, 24 rushing attempts, and 76 rushing yards since Week 14. He has also run 34 routes while assembling 93 receiving yards and a touchdown with his six receptions.

That includes Edwards-Helaire’s numbers when the Chiefs traveled to New England in Week 15. He played on 40 snaps while operating with 17 touches and generating 101 total yards. Pacheco’s status should be monitored throughout the week.

Pacheco should confiscate lead-back duties for Kansas City if he returns as expected. However, Edwards-Helaire’s performance during the Chiefs’ last two contests supplies your incentive to add him. He would become a roster asset if Pacheco encounters another health issue.

Jerick McKinnon, Kansas City Chiefs - 41% Rostered

The shoulder injury that has affixed Isiah Pacheco to the sideline in Weeks 14-15  launched Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire into expanded roles within Kansas City’s reshaped rotation.

McKinnon had entered Week 14 with a 30% snap share and a 7.1% target share. The eighth-year back had also averaged 1.9 receptions and 15.5 receiving yards per game. That represented a sizable decline when contrasted with his numbers in 2022 when he was ninth among all backs in targets (71/4.2 per game), ninth in receptions (56/3.3 per game), and fourth in receiving yards (512/30.1 per game).

LIFTOFF.@JetMckinnon1 + #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/Ua7nf2s5C1

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 17, 2023

However, McKinnon played on 50 snaps during Kansas City’s last two matchups. McKinnon ran 32 routes, collected all six of his targets, and generated 37 receiving yards and a touchdown. He also carried eight times while generating 30 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

Pacheco appears destined to resurface for Kansas City’s matchup with the Raiders on Christmas Day. However, that should not deter you from securing McKinnon, as he should sustain a role as a pass-catching presence during the Chiefs’ remaining matchups.

Dark Horses - Week 16 Waiver Wire Running Backs 

These backs should be considered if you are searching for players who could eventually emerge in your lineups.

Trey Sermon/Tyler Goodson, Indianapolis Colts –  (Sermon- 0% Rostered), (Goodson- 0% Rostered)

The arm issue that was sustained by Zack Moss in Week 15 could provide yet another lineup challenge for fantasy managers. Moss had commandeered responsibilities as the Colts' workhorse back prior to the injury.

However, it is likely that Indianapolis would distribute touches to both Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson in a rotation if Moss is unavailable during the Colts’ Week 16 matchup at Atlanta.

Tyler Goodson followed Big Q to glory#Colts#ForTheShoe#Steelers#PITvsIND pic.twitter.com/Fjxwx6imRb

— Stampede Blue (@StampedeBlue) December 16, 2023

Sermon played on 30 snaps following the departure of Moss. He also led the reconstructed backfield in rushing attempts (17) and rushing yards (88) while averaging 5.2 yards per attempt. Goodson accumulated 18 snaps, 11 carries, and 69 yards on the ground while averaging 6.3 yards per attempt.

Sermon led the tandem in routes run (nine/six), but Goodson collected both targets that were distributed by Gardner Minshew after Moss was forced to the sideline.

It will be important to track updates surrounding the health of Moss as we proceed toward the Colts' Week 16 kickoff. However, Sermon and Goodson have now vaulted among this week’s viable roster additions. They should also be prioritized at the top of this week’s waiver wire targets if you have been utilizing Moss in your lineups.

Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons - 51% Rostered

While it is justifiable to question Arthur Smith’s usage of Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier’s continued involvement in Atlanta’s backfield rotation also provides an opportunity to secure him for your rosters. Particularly if you are searching for an additional flex option.

Allgeier has played on 307 snaps since Week 1. He has also accumulated at least 10 carries during eight different matchups, while also eclipsing 13+ in six contests throughout the season.

That includes Allgeier’s workload when the Falcons visited Carolina in Week 15. Allgeier led Atlanta’s backfield with 14 rushing attempts, while Robinson carried seven times and Cordarrelle Patterson also registered five attempts.

Allgeier also leads Atlanta with 31 red zone carries since Week 1, which easily surpasses the number of attempts that have been attained by Robinson (17) and Patterson (five).

Smith should continue allocating carries to Allgeier during the Falcons’ upcoming matchups. The second-year back’s workload would expand even further if Robinson is forced to the sideline. Allgeier and Patterson would share opportunities if that scenario develops, but that would still provide Allgeier with a sizable role within an Atlanta offense that ranks fourth in run play percentage (48.2%).

Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles - 28% Rostered

Kenneth Gainwell has operated with a 40.7% snap share, although his rushing and receiving numbers are uninspiring. The third-year back is only averaging 5.7 attempts and 21.3 rushing yards per game. He has also run 191 routes but is averaging 2.2 targets/1.8 receptions/10.0 receiving yards per game.

However, Gainwell is included among this week’s recommendations as he is contained within the cluster of backs who provide fantasy managers with handcuffs that will reduce the impact of a sudden absence of their starting backs.

In Gainwell’s case, he would become the beneficiary of an expanded workload if D'Andre Swift would be unavailable at any point during Philadelphia’s upcoming matchups.

Swift has averaged 15.1 attempts/68.9 rushing yards per game (46/25), and receiving yards (209/110) during that sequence.

Gainwell would instantly confiscate a significant percentage of Swift’s current workload if Swift is impacted by an injury. He would also benefit from favorable matchups when the Eagles host the Giants and the Cardinals in Weeks 16-17. That elevates him among this week’s viable handcuff options.

Also - It Is Time To Say Goodbye

These running backs can be dropped to secure an RB with greater potential to bolster your scoring during the year.

Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans - 58% Rostered

The fact that Dameon Pierce is still rostered in nearly 60% of all leagues underscores the reluctance that many managers still maintain surrounding the prospects of dropping him from their rosters. However, the unfavorable combination of season-long inefficiency and an evaporated workload should eliminate any further delay in eliminating him from all rosters.

Pierce has averaged 2.9 yards per attempt from Weeks 1-15. That includes eight matchups in which he did not exceed 3.45 per attempt, along with six different contests in which he has failed to surpass 2.8.

Pierce’s snap share has plunged to 19,2% since Week 12, as have his averages in attempts (6.3) and yards per game (16.8). That includes his minuscule numbers in Week 15 when he was relegated to career lows in snaps (four), carries (one), and rushing yards (three).

The degeneration in Pierce’s usage and output has coincided with the substantial rise in Devin Singletary’s involvement. Singletary has secured a 66,5% snap share since Week 6 while averaging 15.5 carries/68.4 yards per game.

Pierce’s diminished role and his ongoing ineffectiveness should preclude you from ever starting him. That also supplies the rationale for extracting him from your rosters.

Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears - 48% Rostered

Projecting the distribution of touches within Chicago’s backfield has been an arduous task throughout the regular season. Fantasy managers have been presented with weekly results that were unpredictable as the workloads for Khalil Herbert, D'Onta Foreman, and Roschon Johnson evolved on a continual basis.

Herbert had secured a 58.8% snap share from Weeks 1-5 while pacing the backfield in attempts (51/10.2 per game) and rushing yards (272/54.4 per game). However, he sustained an ankle injury that sidelined him from Weeks 6-10. He has now played in four games since returning from his five-game absence but has not reclaimed his previous role in Chicago’s backfield rotation.

He has now averaged just 5.0 attempts and 13.3 rushing yards per game since Week 12 while running 15 routes and collecting all three of his targets during that span. He was also limited to 17 snaps, seven touches, and 12 total yards when Chicago traveled to Cleveland in Week 15.

There is no discernible evidence that Herbert’s underwhelming usage and production will expand during the Bears’ remaining matchups. That removes all rationale for retaining him on your rosters.

Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears - 23% Rostered

Even though this recommendation shifts the spotlight toward Roschon Johnson, you can elude the risk of absorbing an infinitesimal scoring total by avoiding all members of Chicago’s congested backfield.

Johnson commandeered lead back duties when the Bears visited Minnesota in Week 12. This was encouraging for anyone who had retained him on their rosters throughout an unpredictable rookie season in which the workloads within Chicago’s backfield had been under continual modification.

Johnson easily led the Bears’ backfield in snap share (75%), rushing attempts (10), targets (five), receptions (five), and receiving yards (40). However, it remained unclear whether Johnson would sustain that level of involvement as D'Onta Foreman was sidelined against the Vikings with an ankle injury.

Foreman ultimately confiscated that role in Week 14 -- after the Bears returned from their Week 13 bye. Johnson was limited to 20 snaps, relegated to just one rushing attempt, and failed to register a target.

All three backs were involved in the allocation of touches once again in Week 15. Johnson played on 37 snaps and registered five attempts while Khalil Herbert and Foreman both carried six times. Johnson also collected four of his six targets but was operating as the third-down back.

The restrictions of Johnson’s role in a crowded backfield should compel you to replace him with an alternative option from this week’s waiver wire.

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