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Should I pickup Jayden Reed or Matthew Golden as fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 16 of 2025? Read our fantasy football waiver wire outlooks.
The Green Bay Packers went all-in in the 2025 offseason, adding Micah Parsons to an already formidable roster. Unfortunately, Parsons tore his ACL in Week 15, and it's all up to Jordan Love and the rest of the offense if they want to bring a championship back to Titletown.
Luckily for Love, he has enough pieces around him to help him get the job done in his age-27 season, the same age as Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers when they brought the Lombardi trophy back home. Rookie Matthew Golden has shown a few flashes of greatness, while Jayden Reed has looked sharp since his return from injury in Week 14.
Should you pick up Reed or Golden in the waiver wire ahead of Week 16? Let's dive in.
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Jayden Reed Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook
After recording 1,650 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first two seasons, Reed was looking to have a huge 2025 season to secure a big payday. Unfortunately, he suffered a foot injury in the offseason.
There are 18 wide receivers with a 20% target per route rate and 2.00 yards per route run, with a minimum of 10 targets.
Per-route kings:
-Luther Burden III
-Jayden Reed pic.twitter.com/tUkA2RNjKC— Corbin (@corbin_young21) December 16, 2025
Considering the competition for his spot in the Packers' WR room, Reed made the unusual but understandable decision to continue playing without getting surgery.
He had 45 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, but he broke his collarbone in Week 2. That injury was a blessing in disguise, as it also allowed him to undergo foot surgery and prevent serious potential injuries in the future.
He missed the Packers' next 10 games, but came back 100% healthy in Week 14. Reed has racked up 108 yards from scrimmage in two games since making his return.
The injury-prone Christian Watson suffered yet another injury in Week 15, and the team is reportedly uninterested in extending Romeo Doubs' contract, which gives Reed the perfect opportunity to prove he's worthy of an extension with his play in the coming weeks.
Matthew Golden Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook
Golden hasn't taken the world by storm, unlike fellow rookie wideouts Emeka Egbuka and Tetairoa McMillan, but he has shown a lot of promise in a competitive Packers WR room.
This catch was Golden ⭐️
GBvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/qRervXoynK
— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2025
Golden averaged 11.5 PPR points from Week 3 to Week 6, but several factors, such as the returns of Watson and Reed, and a wrist injury that has caused him to miss two games, have prevented him from showing consistent production.
Week 15 was Golden's best showing since that early-season stretch, as he caught three of four targets for 55 yards in a loss to the Broncos.
Should I Pickup Jayden Reed or Matthew Golden For Fantasy Football?
Golden has all the tools to succeed, and the absence of Watson (at least for the short term) will help him get a few more targets down the stretch.
Golden is an intriguing fantasy option, but he will likely continue to play second fiddle to Reed. Reed has been targeted 10 times in the last two games, which is more than any other Packers receiver. He will continue to be a focal point of the offense as he chases a contract extension.
The Packers will have a rematch with the Bears' favorable pass defense in Week 16, though their final two games against the Ravens and Vikings will be more challenging, at least from an offensive standpoint.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2025 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, Michael Carter, Colby Parkinson, Emari Demercado, Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland, and Blake Corum. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2025. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pick up... all free! Make the right decisions.
2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, Michael Carter, Colby Parkinson, Emari Demercado, Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland, and Blake Corum. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool, but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Recent Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2025. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, Michael Carter, Colby Parkinson, Emari Demercado, Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland, and Blake Corum:
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