Some waiver wire thoughts heading into Week 16, with an eye toward contrarian, deeper-dive thinking rather than "Oh sure, pick up Jerick McKinnon."
I'll get into this more tomorrow, but at QB I'm all in on Zach Wilson this week, just as I was heading into last week. Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and even Josh Allen struggled in their first 14 to 20 starts. Wilson is up to #21, I believe. He's more likely to figure it out than not, especially in favorable matchups. He's available in 93% of ESPN leagues.
I'd also lean into Kenny Pickett (92% available) if he returns, and if you don't have a locked-in top-14 QB lined up. The opposing Raiders have been awful against the pass on nearly every important metric: seventh most passing yards, fourth fewest sacks, second fewest interceptions, etc. Pickett is a raw rookie. He's also very talented with a strong supporting cast.
At RB, there aren't many low-rostered guys worth starting, unless you're truly desperate. Marlon Mack (94% available) probably can't be trusted on the road against the Rams. The same goes for Kyren Williams (77% available). For a bigger boom, I'd suggest (for the first time all season) Gus Edwards, who's available in 66% of ESPN leagues. The problem? He doesn't catch passes. The plus side? He's the clear #2 RB in an offense with few reliable playmakers, facing a Falcons defense surrendering the fifth most red-zone RB touches, as well as a healthy 15 rushing scores.
At WR, Corey Davis (84% available) is expected to return. Don't count him out. When healthy, he's had solid 80-yard upside. And assuming Treylon Burks (54% available) re-takes the field, you could do worse than start a talented rookie who's clear-and-away Ryan Tannehill's best option.
At TE, with wideout Devin Duvernay on the shelf, Isaiah Likely (92% available) should get a bump. Remember him? Yeah, it's been a while. But it's not as if he's tanked in a vacuum. The whole passing game has struggled. Against Atlanta, it should at least somewhat bounce back. And Chig Okonkwo (85% available) will be on of the most popular pickups today, I believe. The Texans have been statistically sub-par against tight ends. Okonkwo is becoming an offensive mainstay.
I'll get into this more tomorrow, but at QB I'm all in on Zach Wilson this week, just as I was heading into last week. Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and even Josh Allen struggled in their first 14 to 20 starts. Wilson is up to #21, I believe. He's more likely to figure it out than not, especially in favorable matchups. He's available in 93% of ESPN leagues.
I'd also lean into Kenny Pickett (92% available) if he returns, and if you don't have a locked-in top-14 QB lined up. The opposing Raiders have been awful against the pass on nearly every important metric: seventh most passing yards, fourth fewest sacks, second fewest interceptions, etc. Pickett is a raw rookie. He's also very talented with a strong supporting cast.
At RB, there aren't many low-rostered guys worth starting, unless you're truly desperate. Marlon Mack (94% available) probably can't be trusted on the road against the Rams. The same goes for Kyren Williams (77% available). For a bigger boom, I'd suggest (for the first time all season) Gus Edwards, who's available in 66% of ESPN leagues. The problem? He doesn't catch passes. The plus side? He's the clear #2 RB in an offense with few reliable playmakers, facing a Falcons defense surrendering the fifth most red-zone RB touches, as well as a healthy 15 rushing scores.
At WR, Corey Davis (84% available) is expected to return. Don't count him out. When healthy, he's had solid 80-yard upside. And assuming Treylon Burks (54% available) re-takes the field, you could do worse than start a talented rookie who's clear-and-away Ryan Tannehill's best option.
At TE, with wideout Devin Duvernay on the shelf, Isaiah Likely (92% available) should get a bump. Remember him? Yeah, it's been a while. But it's not as if he's tanked in a vacuum. The whole passing game has struggled. Against Atlanta, it should at least somewhat bounce back. And Chig Okonkwo (85% available) will be on of the most popular pickups today, I believe. The Texans have been statistically sub-par against tight ends. Okonkwo is becoming an offensive mainstay.