Week 16 Playoffs Waiver Wire - Wide Receivers (WR)

December 17, 2013

RotoBaller Matt Hartman breaks down some Week 16 waiver wire pickups for wide receivers (WRs) for your fantasy football championship.

Now that the first week or two of your fantasy football playoffs have concluded I'm sure some of you are feeling all sorts of emotions. Personally, I have a lot of hatred for my new public enemy number one: Jamaal Charles. He knocked me out in 3 leagues practically on his own. If you were one of those who drafted Charles I'm sure you're quite happy right now. I digress... wherever you are in the fantasy football playoffs don't forget that injuries can and do happen so you must put yourself in the best position possible. In this championship week, you've got to be strategic with your use of waivers and matchups vs your opponent. As I've done all season I'll continue to recommend waiver wire wide receivers and defenses that are nice streamer choices based off the matchup for the week. With that said, lets get to it..

Week 16 (Playoffs) Waiver Wire Pickups - Wide Receivers (WR)

Greg Jennings, WR, - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add Immediately (10+ teams PPR, Standard)
ANALYSIS: This week I'm throwing out all my rules as this is championship. If you happen to be in a league where someone dropped Greg Jennings now is the time to consider picking him up. Why? Its simple, the Vikings new starting QB, Matt Cassel, has been targeting and throwing the ball a lot Jennings way. The last 3 weeks Jennings has seen 32 targets (~10 targets/game). If you are in a PPR league you can't deny those numbers considering last week Jennings caught 11 passes. If you happen to be in a league where he's on waivers, he's a must add for week 16.

Andre Caldwell, WR, DEN - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in deeper leagues (12+ teams PPR, Standard)
ANALYSIS: Last week the Denver Broncos were without Wes Welker as their slot receiver due to a concussion. During that time I was projecting that Jacob Tamme would be filling in...sadly I was wrong and it was Andre Caldwell who stepped in. He shined with 6 catches, 59 yards & 2 TDs. At this time there is some unknown if Welker will be cleared to play this week, so Caldwell is a decent option to consider given that he has Peyton Manning as his QB. If you are looking for a nice waiver option Caldwell could be a nice target.

Previously Mentioned Players: Kendall Wright, WR, TEN; Andre Holmes, WR, OAK; Michael Crabtree, WR, SF; Santana Moss, WR, WAS

Honorable mention: Robert Woods, WR, BUF

Players I recommend beyond rules (above 25% ownership or previously recommended). Add these WR players immediately if they are available in your leagues (in priority order):

• Josh Gordon, WR, CLE - salvaged last weeks game with a td
• Keenan Allen, WR, SD - Only had two catches but both were tds...not bad
• Julian Edelman, WR, NE - monster game with 13 catches and 139yrds & a TD. His value will continue to increase with Gronk being out for the season.
• Michael Crabtree, WR, SF - had his best week of the season with 5 catches and a td. He's got a nice matchup vs ATL this week.
• Emmanuel Sanders, WR, PIT - had his td streak stopped and had an average week with 5 catches. Has a nice bounce back matchup this week vs GB
• Harry Douglas, WR, ATL - had an ok week with 5 catches and 37 yards. His value has gone down as White's health has increased
• Golden Tate, WR, SEA - Not a great week with only 2 catches...he's a borderline WR option at best

Week 16 (Playoffs) Waiver Wire Pickups - Defenses (DEF)

No Brainer Defense Options: TEN (vs JAX), SEA (vs ARZ)

CLE, DEF - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in Standard Leagues (12+ teams)
ANALYSIS: The NY Jets are a team that loves handing out points to opposing defenses - they have given up the most fantasy points in 2013. On the season the NY Jets have a -19 turnover ratio which is the worst in the NFL. On top of that the Cleveland defense is ranked 8th best in the NFL. I expect that the Browns will get some turnovers in this game and capitalize. If you are looking for a defense to stream the Browns are as close to a slamdunk option as you could ask for.

MIA, DEF - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in Standard Leagues (12+ teams)
ANALYSIS: Last week the Miami Dolphins defense had a decent game against the Patriots limiting them to 20 points and pulling off a W. This week the Dolphins will have a much easier test against the Buffalo Bills who have been inconsistent offensively throughout the season. On the season Buffalo's given the 8th most points to opposing defenses. In the past 3 weeks the Bills have had 9 turnovers (3 per game). If you want to increase your chances of a TD for your defense (and really, who doesn't?), this could be a good play this week.

Optional Defense consideration (sneaky pick): STL (vs TB)

Lavonte David, IDP - RLB, TB - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in Standard Leagues (12+ teams IDP Leagues)
ANALYSIS: I'm throwing my 'rules' out the window and recommending Lavonte David. Why? Because if this guy is available in your league, you gotta pick him up! The last 4 weeks he's had 30 tackles, 9 assists, 1 sack and 4 interceptions. If you are in an IDP league, that's golden! That's an average of 7.5 tackles & 1 interception a week. If you are looking for a solid contributor who's as consistent as they come, David is a an ideal choice for your waiver wire target this week.

Other optional IDP option: Alec Ogletree, LB, STL