Pigskin Papers Waiver Wire - Week 16
Mr. Jones and Me, Look into the Future
(Posted December 21, 2021)
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Welcome to {almost} Week 16, and Round 2 of the Fantasy playoffs! It’s Tuesday, but we aren’t done yet with the NFL’s most chaotic week of the season. I’d prefer to wait until the week is over to run a Waiver Wire column, but most leagues process waivers on Tuesday night, so here we are. Hopefully you’ve already advanced to Playoffs round 2 - but I suspect that a lot of playoff matchups hinge on tonight’s results. What do you need tonight? Good luck.
Before we move to the Waiver Wire, I’ll repeat some playoff strategy advice from last week:
Here are 3 things to bear in mind:
1. Don’t stare at the Horizon. You’re no longer looking for a combination of short- and long-term help for your roster - focus only on specific players that can bolster your chances of winning for this week and possibly 1 more week, max. That means that focusing on matchups this week (and potentially, next week) takes on added importance when assessing free agents.
2. Cut the Fat. Get rid of fringe players you aren’t going to need, or who aren’t likely to get back on the field in the next 2 weeks - there are a variety of things you might be looking for as replacements, but one good use of those roster spots is to grab any handcuff or backup RBs that could be a measure of protection for one of your starting RBs - or even for someone else’s.
3. Stream! If you don’t have a clear top starter at either PK or DST, streaming to take advantage of specific matchups can be the difference between advancing or going home. Avoid getting too cute, but if you can get a decent DST that’s going up against one of the NFL’s bottom offenses, you should be interested. As for PKs, not only matchups but the weather can be a big factor in December, so watch for that also if you’re thinking of streaming. Dome games at this time of year are always a plus.
QB: There isn’t much to see here folks - move along. Lamar Jackson is the only top-tier QB dealing with injury issues (and it is more likely than not that he will return this week), but if you need a streamer, here are 3 options:
Tyler Huntley leads all fantasy scorers through the first 14 games of the weekend. If Lamar can’t make it back onto the field this week, Huntley’s upside is intriguing.
Matt Ryan hasn’t had a big game in a long time, but he did have a few of them early in the season and is still capable. This week, at home against Detroit, he has an opportunity to put up some numbers.
Jared Goff is on the COVID list - but if he can play this week, the Falcons are a good matchup, and he is coming off what was probably his best game of the year.
RB: There’s a lot more to talk about at this position.
Ronald Jones is a priority pickup this week. It sounds like Leonard Fournette (hamstring) will miss 1 week and maybe more, and we’ve seen what the lead back in this offense can do. This week’s opponent (Carolina) isn’t a great matchup, but Jones should get volume as the Bucs try to bounce back from being blanked.
Joe Mixon left Sunday’s game in the 4th quarter with a leg injury and didn’t return. The Bengals haven’t said much, and hopefully Mixon is fine, but Samaje Perine is worth a pickup. Cincinnati is at Baltimore this week - not a great matchup, but Perine would be in line to start if Mixon is out.
Craig Reynolds had an impressive 100 yard day on the ground for the Lions on Sunday. We don’t know when or if D’Andre Swift is coming back, and you’d expect Jamaal Williams (COVID) to return this week, but even if Williams is back, the coaching staff might want to continue riding Reynolds, and this week’s matchup with Altlanta is a very good one.
Jeff Wilson made the most of his starting opportunity this past week against the Falcons, going over 100 yards and finding the end zone. It sounds like it will be an uphill battle for Elijah Mitchell to make it back from multiple injuries by Thursday, so Wilson is definitely worth a pickup. This week’s matchup at the Titans is no picnic (they’ve allowed the fewest fantasy points to RBs this year), but the 49ers can run it on almost anyone.
Duke Johnson’s stat line this week came out of nowhere - it was one of the most unforeseen performances of the year, albeit against the Jets. But I’d avoid the Miami backfield entirely this week - with your playoff life on the line, it’s just too uncertain. It’s really hard to know how snaps will be divided among Duke Johnson, Myles Gaskin and Philip Lindsay. Brian Flores learned from the best, didn’t he? Not to mention, they’re going from playing the Jets to playing at the Saints, who’ve allowed the second fewest fantasy points to RBs.
Rhamondre Stevenson didn’t do much with his opportunity this past week - the game script was very unfavorable as the Patriots fell behind by a lot. He’s yet another back that could get another start this week, if the player ahead of him on the depth chart can’t return. Buffalo is a bad matchup, but still, a starter is a starter, so he’s worth the roster spot.
Austin Ekeler has landed on the COVID list. With the new protocols, if he is vaccinated then he has a good chance of playing this week. Of his backups, I like Justin Jackson best, and he is a decent add. The matchup at the Texans is an excellent one.
Two other names to consider, if you’re needy: Ameer Abdullah and Jordan Howard.
WR:
What can St. Brown do for You?
Amon-Ra St. Brown was in this column last week, and he needs to be rostered everywhere. He has double digit targets in 3 straight games and has become Jared Goff’s favorite target. This week - at the Falcons!
Gabe Davis was also on my list last week, and he delivered an excellent game (7-85-2). The Patriots are a bad matchup, and Emmanuel Sanders could return, but Allen has rediscovered Davis and that makes him intriguing.
If Elijah Moore got dropped in your league, pick him up. He should be back this week, to face the Jaguars.
Breshad Perriman, Tyler Johnson and Scotty Miller all figure to see a nice increase in snaps and targets with Chris Godwin out for the rest of the regular season, and Mike Evans (hamstring) iffy to return this week. Assuming Perriman gets off the COVID list, that’s how I’d rank them.
MVS had a solid game this week and continues to get a decent target share, but more than that, he’s the deep shot guy for Aaron Rodgers. Pick him up.
TE: Gerald Everett has been getting goal line looks the last few weeks and given the state of the TE position, is not a bad pickup if you’re desperate. Evan Engram has the Eagles this week - that alone is reason to pick him up. And another name to consider is James O’Shaughnessy of Jacksonville, in a nice matchup this week at the Jets.
Good luck this week - make sure to check out my Rides and Fades column on Thursday.
DH
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