X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 16 Deeper Waiver Wire Sleepers: Standard Leagues

Matt Terelle's deeper standard league sleepers & Week 16 NFL waiver wire pickups for the 2016 fantasy football season. These RBs, WRs & TEs and D/STs should be added as sleepers.

What's up RotoBallers. Welcome to my deeper standard league sleepers column for Week 16 of the NFL season. In this weekly article we are going to take a look at some deeper waiver wire options for standard leagues, who could help out your team in this upcoming week.

For reference's sake, we are looking at standard scoring leagues and will be using ownership percentage data from Fleaflicker. In order to qualify as a deep sleeper, a player must be 20% owned or less.

Let's get to the picks!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

Editor's Note: Once you're done here, be sure to read about even more Week 16 waiver wire recommendations, for all fantasy-relevant positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - CUTS

 

Quarterback

Matt Barkley (CHI) vs. Washington Redskins

(Ownership: 6%)

Barkley continues to turn in productive fantasy outings for the Bears, throwing for six touchdowns and five interceptions over his past four games. Those numbers would be even better if it weren't for the snowy game against San Francisco, which saw the Bears lean heavily on the running game to pick up the win. Granted, Barkley's turnovers aren't ideal, but he offers more multi-touchdown upside than any of the other quarterback options who are less than 20% owned. A matchup against the Redskins shouldn't be much of an issue for Barkley, as Washington's pass defense is ranked just 22nd in the league through Week 14. Barkley makes for a solid streaming option in very deep leagues, and is fine as a QB2 in two-quarterback formats.

 

Running Back

Robert Turbin (IND) @ Oakland Raiders

(Ownership: 8%)

It's getting hard to ignore Turbin's usage as a red zone threat for the Colts. The veteran running back has only 38 carries this season, but he's leveraged those looks into six rushing touchdowns. Operating as the team's preferred red zone back, Turbin has 16 attempts from inside the 20-yard line this season, just 10 fewer than starting running back Frank Gore. The Colts will take on a Raiders defense that can be run on, ranking just 26th in the league in DVOA before Week 15's action. When looking for a deep sleeper at running back, chasing touchdowns is usually the way to go, which makes Turbin a solid choice.

 

Wide Receiver

Eli Rogers (PIT) vs. Baltimore Ravens

(Ownership: 14%)

Rogers turned in a big game for the Steelers in Week 15 against the Bengals. The rookie slot receiver caught 5-of-6 targets for 75 yards and a touchdown. As a fourth or fifth option in the Steelers' passing offense he is subject to inconsistencies, but when searching for a deep sleeper it's worth targeting an explosive offense such as Pittsburgh's. The Steelers will take on the Ravens in Week 16 in a big game that could wrap up the AFC North for Pittsburgh. Rogers runs the majority of his routes from the slot, meaning he will avoid coverage from solid corners Jimmy Smith and Tavon Young. Instead, he will face off against slot corner Jerraud Powers, who has been the weak link in Baltimore's secondary this season.

 

Tight End

Jermaine Gresham (ARI) @ Seattle Seahawks

(Ownership: 10%)

Gresham just keeps putting up solid, if unspectacular, numbers at the tight end position. As a result of the eroding skills of Carson Palmer, the veteran tight end has become a major part of Arizona's passing offense over the past six games. Gresham has been leaned on in short and intermediate routes, which has played well with the diminished arm strength that Palmer has been displaying. In his six games since Week 10, he now has 24 catches for 245 yards and a touchdown. Considering the state of the tight end position in fantasy this year, those numbers put him in the low TE1 conversation. A matchup against the Seahawks is up next for Gresham and the Cardinals. While Seattle sports an excellent defense, it has been susceptible to tight ends over the past few seasons.

 

Defense/Special Teams

Tennessee Titans (TEN) @ Jacksonville Jaguars

(Ownership: 14%)

The Titans pull a plus matchup against a Jaguars offense that has been one of the best units in the league to target with opposing fantasy defenses. Jacksonville, mostly thanks to the interception-prone Blake Bortles, has been allowing the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses. The Jaguars have been quite generous in takeaways, allowing 16 interceptions and 10 lost fumbles on the year. Tennessee is installed as an early -4.5 point road favorite against a Jags team that is in disarray, having just fired Gus Bradley on Sunday following their most recent loss.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Harold Fannin Jr.

Active Against Jets
Aaron Jones Sr.

Active for Week 10 Against Ravens
Tetairoa McMillan

Suiting Up Against Saints in Week 10
Garrett Wilson

Officially Active Against Browns
Alvin Kamara

Active for Week 10 Against Panthers
Daniel Jones

Colts Plan to Offer Daniel Jones a Long-Term Extension
Micah Parsons

Prohibited From Being Traded Back to NFC East?
Cooper Kupp

Still Up in the Air for Week 10
Jayden Daniels

Will be Re-Evaluated During Bye Week
Scott Laughton

to Miss Sunday's Action
Ryan McDonagh

Exits With Injury Saturday
William Karlsson

Out Day-to-Day
Warren Foegele

Ready to Rejoin Kings Lineup Sunday
Jalen Chatfield

Out Indefinitely
Dougie Hamilton

to Miss at Least One Week
Harold Fannin Jr.

Likely Good to Go Against the Jets
Cedric Tillman

Anticipated to Play on Sunday
Tetairoa McMillan

Likely Playing on Sunday
D'Andre Swift

Anticipated to Play Against the Giants
Garrett Wilson

Expected to Suit Up in Week 10
Luke Kennard

Out On Saturday Night Against Lakers, Will Miss Second Straight Game
Maxi Kleber

Will Make Season Debut Saturday Night Against Hawks
Dean Wade

Questionable For Saturday Night Against Bulls
Larry Nance Jr.

Listed As Questionable For Saturday Night Against Bulls
Jared McCain

Available For Saturday Night Against Raptors
Ryker Evans

Comes Off Injured Reserve
Bilal Coulibaly

Officially Out For Saturday Night Against Mavericks
Joey Daccord

Kraken Place Joey Daccord on Injured Reserve
Jordan Kyrou

Rejoins Blues Lineup Saturday
Anthony Cirelli

Won't Play on Saturday
Casey Mittelstadt

Misses Meeting With Maple Leafs
Charlie McAvoy

Sits Out Saturday's Game
Sean Monahan

a Game-Time Decision Saturday
Tetairoa McMillan

Trending Towards Playing in Week 10
Jamal Murray

Listed As Questionable For Saturday Night Against Pacers
Aaron Gordon

Questionable For Saturday Night Against Pacers
Norman Powell

Listed As Probable For Saturday Night Against Blazers
Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Listed Questionable For Saturday Night Against Blazers
Bam Adebayo

Ruled Out For Second Straight Game
A.J. Brown

Off Final Injury Report, Set To Play Monday Versus Packers
Jalen Johnson

Questionable For Saturday Night Against Lakers
Saquon Barkley

Cleared From Final Injury Report, Good To Go For Monday
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Listed As Questionable For Saturday Against Lakers
Ayo Dosunmu

Listed As Probable For Saturday Night Against Cleveland
Jakob Poeltl

Ruled Out For Saturday's Matchup Against Sixers
Justin Fields

Set to Start in Week 10 Against Browns
Aaron Jones Sr.

Expected to Play Sunday Against Ravens
Kristaps Porzingis

Ruled Out Versus the Lakers
Darius Garland

Resting on Saturday Night
Kyshawn George

in Danger of Missing Another Game on Saturday
Dereck Lively II

Not Expected to Face the Wizards
Daniel Gafford

on the Injury Report for Saturday Night
Anthony Davis

Questionable to Play Versus the Wizards
Brock Purdy

Could Return in Week 11
Jayden Daniels

Could Return After Three Weeks
Artemi Panarin

Ends Dry Spell With Three-Point Outing
Marcus Johansson

Extends Point Streak to Eight Games
Spencer Knight

Posts First Shutout of the Season
Matt Duchene

to Remain Out Saturday
Zayne Parekh

Expected to "Miss a Little Bit of Time"
Frank Nazar

Day-to-Day Following Friday's Early Exit
Aaron Judge

Headlines AL Silver Slugger Award Winners
William Eklund

Moved to Injured Reserve
Gustav Nyquist

Expected to Remain Out Friday
Shohei Ohtani

Headlines List of NL Silver Slugger Winners
MLB

Munetaka Murakami Officially Being Posted on Friday
Randy Brown

Set For UFC Vegas 111 Main Event
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Joseph Morales

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 111
Matt Schnell

Set For UFC Vegas 111 Co-Main Event
Uros Medic

Aims To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Muslim Salikhov

Looks For His Fourth Consecutive Win
Chris Padilla

Looks To Remain Unbeaten In The UFC
Ismael Bonfim

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Marco Tulio

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Christian Leroy Duncan

Set To Open Up UFC Vegas 111 Main Card
Kyle Tucker

Headlines List of 13 Players to Receive Qualifying Offers
Pete Fairbanks

Becomes a Free Agent
CFB

Luke Fickell Will Return as Wisconsin's Head Coach in 2026
Bo Bichette

Blue Jays Extend Qualifying Offer to Bo Bichette
Craig Stammen

Named Padres New Manager
Jorge Polanco

Declines his 2026 Option to Become a Free Agent
Chris Sale

Braves Picking Up Chris Sale's 2026 Option
Michael Thorbjornsen

Poised to Continue Hot Play in Mexico
Davis Riley

Struggling to Find Form Ahead of World Wide Technology Championship
Taylor Montgomery

Leaning on Putter at World Wide Technology Championship
Stephan Jaeger

Offers Strong Value at World Wide Technology Championship
Ben Griffin

Looks to Stay Hot at El Cardonal
Nick Dunlap

Looking to Find His Game at El Cardonal
Wyndham Clark

Searching for Consistency at El Cardonal
Michael Brennan

Aims to Extend Fairytale Start at El Cardonal
Shane Bieber

Staying in Toronto for 2026
Salvador Perez

Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Royals
Trevor Story

Opts in for Remaining Two Years on his Contract
Yu Darvish

to Miss All of 2026 Following Flexor-Tendon Surgery
Shota Imanaga

Becomes a Free Agent
Luis Robert Jr.

White Sox Pick Up 2026 Option on Luis Robert Jr.
CFB

LJ Martin Expected to Play in Top-10 Matchup Against Texas Tech
PGA

LIV Golf Expanding To 72-Hole Format In 2026
Atlanta Braves

Braves Hire Walt Weiss as Their Next Manager
Kris Bubic

Cleared to Begin a Throwing Program
Brandon Woodruff

Declines Mutual Option for 2026
Freddy Peralta

Brewers Exercise 2026 Option on Freddy Peralta
Lucas Giolito

Declines his 2026 Player Option
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Sixth at Procore Championship
PGA

Matti Schmid Finishes Tied for 46th at Baycurrent Classic
Keith Mitchell

Finishes Tied for 10th at Baycurrent Classic
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied for 21st at Genesis Championship
Mackenzie Hughes

Misses The Cut at Sanderson Farms Championship
Max Greyserman

Finishes Second at Baycurrent Classic
Austin Eckroat

Finishes Tied for 56th at Baycurrent Classic
Luke Clanton

Finishes Tied for 56th at Bank of Utah Championship
Pete Alonso

Officially Opts Out of his Contract With Mets
Kyle Larson

Wins His Second NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix
Ryan Blaney

Concludes the 2025 Season with A Win at Phoenix
William Byron

Strong Championship Effort Ends With Late-Race Flat-Tire Crash
Denny Hamlin

Overtime Four-Tire Call Costs Denny Hamlin the Championship

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP