Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups - Top Fantasy Football WR Adds for Week 16 include Joshua Palmer, Jameson Williams, Dontayvion Wicks

December 20, 2023

Justin Carter's fantasy football WR waiver wire pickups for Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season. His free agent wide receivers to add, stream, and stash off waivers.

With last week in the rearview, it's time to look ahead to Week 16 with our wide receiver fantasy football waiver wire pickups. You're in the heart of the fantasy football playoffs right now, so who can help you get that title?

Below, you'll find some wide receivers that you should be targeting on the fantasy football waiver wire ahead of Week 16. Not all of these waiver wire options are the same. Some players may be better in PPR or deeper leagues, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all comparison. Use your best judgment when deciding which of these players is the right fit for your roster.

Be sure to also check out our Waiver Wire Adds for Week 16 for help at all the skill positions. All players on this list are around 50% rostered or below.

Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 16

Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers - 29% rostered

The Los Angeles Chargers have no motivation to win at this point. The team has lost five of its last six. Easton Stick is the QB. Keenan Allen missed Week 15 with a heel injury, and there's not really any incentive to rush him back into the lineup.

Joshua Palmer served as the team's No. 1 receiver in Week 15, catching all four of his targets for 113 yards and a score. It was his first game back after a six-game IR stint. With rookie Quentin Johnston struggling, Palmer could be in line for another strong game in Week 16 against the Bills.

Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions - 22% rostered

So far, Jameson Williams' NFL career has been a lot of boom and a lot of bust. He's made some big plays at times, but he hadn't really had a game where he saw serious volume. Before Week 15, he had more than three targets just once all season, and that game was a disaster as he failed to bring in any of his six targets in Week 7 against the Ravens.

That changed a little this week. Williams set new season-high marks in targets and receptions with seven and four, respectively. He finished with 47 yards, his third-best mark of the year. There's a lot of mouths to feed in Detroit, but Williams' growing volume makes him an appealing play if you need an injury replacement in Week 16.

Noah Brown, Houston Texans - 40% rostered

With Nico Collins out due to a calf injury, Noah Brown operated as Houston's top receiver. After two extremely disappointing games in a row that saw him targeted a total of seven times but bring in exactly zero of those for catches, Brown saw 11 targets from backup quarterback Case Keenum on Sunday, catching eight of those for 82 yards and a score.

C.J. Stroud missed the game with a concussion. If Stroud is back next week and Collins is held out again, Brown theoretically has fantasy appeal, though his floor will be very low because Houston faces one of the NFL's best pass defenses, the Cleveland Browns.

Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders - 37% rostered

Curtis Samuel had another strong showing on Sunday, catching five of his nine targets for 41 yards and two touchdowns. That now marks three strong showings in a row for Samuel -- nine catches for 100 yards back in Week 12 and four for 65 in Week 13. Samuel has had some really poor games this season, but he's on a hot streak right now. I hate that his matchup next week is against the Jets, though. He'd be at the top of this section if he didn't have such a tough Week 16 opponent.

Wide Receiver Deeper League Pickups For Week 16

Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers - 3% rostered

Christian Watson missed his second game in a row on Sunday, which led to another game where Dontayvion Wicks saw increased targets. Back in Week 14, his six targets didn't turn into much as he finished with two catches for 20 yards. This week, it was a different story. Wicks saw a season-high seven targets, catching six of those for 97 yards. He's a deep league flex option next week if Watson is held out again.

Demarcus Robinson, Los Angeles Rams - 8% rostered

After getting targeted 10 times last week, Demarcus Robinson saw a sharp drop in targets this week down to three, but the production was still there as he found the end zone for the third game in a row. He has a tough test against the Saints next week, but if you need a boom-or-bust play at wide receiver in a deep league, Robinson's in play.

Darius Slayton, New York Giants - 2% rostered

Look, no one should trust the Giants' passing game, but Darius Slayton might have some Week 16 appeal against a beat-up Eagles pass defense. He was targeted eight times on Sunday against the Saints, twice as much as any other wide receiver on the team, and caught four passes for 63 yards. I don't love playing him, but there's a good chance that at least one Giants pass-catcher has a huge game against Philly.

Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns - 1% rostered

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman continued to see his role increase this week, with the rookie getting eight targets, a new career high. He hauled in four of those passes for 52 yards, the second time in the past four games that Tillman's had over 50 receiving yards. A Week 16 matchup with Houston could be a good spot for Tillman if you're really desperate for a receiver in a 16-team league.

D.J. Montgomery, Indianapolis Colts - 0% rostered

Michael Pittman Jr. exited Saturday's game with a concussion, which led to an increased role for D.J. Montgomery, who was targeted four times, catching two passes for 48 yards and a touchdown. One of those missed targets was a dropped touchdown. If Pittman misses next week's game against the Falcons, I could be persuaded to start Montgomery in a 16-team league. I wouldn't feel great about it, but I could be persuaded!

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