The 15th week of the 2016 regular season is just about coming to a close, with only the Monday Night Football game remaining. Most fantasy football leagues will run their waiver wires late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but we are here to help you get a jump on the best options to consider.
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We will be ranking the top players likely to be available in your league at each of the major positions. Some weeks there might not be many good options available, but we’ll scour for the best we can find. Additionally, throughout the week, we will update each of these articles as ownership percentages change (via Yahoo!) and news arrives.
Waiver wire wide receiver rankings, Week 16
1. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks (43 percent owned)
Lockett received more playing time than Jermaine Kearse and impressed with the opportunity. The Seattle wide receiver caught seven passes for 130 yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks’ win over the Rams. Lockett’s performance likely justifies a permanent increase of playing time, and he also has some potential to produce in the running game as well.
2. Cameron Meredith, Chicago Bears (33 percent owned)
The Chicago Bears have been a much more productive offense than initially expected when Matt Barkley took over, and Meredith has been a significant contributor for most of that time. The Bears wide receiver caught nine passes for 104 yards in Chicago’s loss to Green Bay. Meredith will face a beatable Washington defense next week.
3. J.J. Nelson, Arizona Cardinals (27 percent owned)
Nelson is a clear benefactor to the release of Michael Floyd from Arizona. The Cardinals receiver caught five passes for 38 yards and a touchdown in Arizona’s loss to New Orleans. While he was outperformed by John Brown in Week 15, Nelson received almost twice as many targets as his fellow wide receiver. Both would be worthy of pick ups this week. Arizona faces a tough Seahawks defense in Week 16, but Nelson will have some upside in his expanded role.
4. Brandon LaFell, Cincinnati Bengals (25 percent owned)
The Bengals are out of playoff contention, and are now playing for pride. If A.J. Green returns next week, it’ll likely be in a limited capacity, leaving LaFell to dominate much of receiving game for the Bengals. The Cincinnati receiver caught seven passes for 91 yards in the Bengals’ loss to the Steelers. LaFell should have a moderately high floor next week against the Texans.
5. Robby Anderson, New York Jets (seven percent owned)
You may not feel comfortable starting Anderson with the current situation on offense in New York, but he has proved over the past three weeks that he can produce in terms of fantasy despite the inconsistent play of Bryce Petty. The Jets receiver caught four passes for 80 yards and a score in New York’s loss to Miami. The initial x-rays on Petty came back negative in regards to a significant injury, and barring any bad news, Anderson should continue to see a steady diet of targets moving forward.
