Welcome to our Week 16 Waiver Wire article at Fantasy In Frames for the 2023 fantasy football season!
Are you moving on in your playoffs, or are you trying to stave off that last-place punishment from your league? It doesn’t matter; Fantasy In Frames and I are here for you with all the waiver claims you will need for the bleak Week 16 Waiver Wire! Even if you aren’t the one to make the sacrifice play and lay down on a wire, I am willing to do it and find some claims for you. Let’s get into it!
Joe Flacco – 31% rostered on Sleeper
Joe Flacco continues to have massive questions playing behind a patchwork offensive line being pressured constantly, and throwing picks.
Despite all that, Flacco consistently throws the ball over 40 times per game and hits that 300-yard and multiple-touchdown mark. He may not be perfect, and you might need a shower afterward, but he will get the job done.
Nick Mullens – 6% rostered on Sleeper
Nick Mullens has shown to be a capable NFL quarterback; while not great, I am going to trust the offensive prowess of Kevin McConnell.
After having the opportunity to be a starter for a whole week, Mullens showed marked improvement. Regardless of the game’s outcome, Mullens ran this Vikings offense well.
He completed 79% of his passes for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. Mullens gets another good matchup in Minneapolis against the Lions. The Lions have consistently allowed nearly 30 points per game, not including last week.
Gardner Minsher – 28% rostered on Sleeper
I was surprised to see Gardner Minshew with such a low rostered %, but here we are.
Minshew has been solid since he took over as a full-time starter in week 6, being the QB22 in points per game and QB15 overall.
Minshew has a solid floor against the Falcons in week 16 and a ceiling. He has achieved 300+ yards and 2+ touchdowns in multiple games in the last nine weeks.
Roschon Johnson – 32% rostered on Sleeper
What a mess of a run game this Chicago Bears offense is. Roschon Johnson, Khalil Herbert, D’Onta Foreman, and Justin Fields all had five or more rush attempts this past week.
However, with Roschon, I am betting on talent and passing game opportunities.
The workload has been inconsistent for Roschon, but he is the best back on this team, and he switches between zero and six targets in the passing game each week.
He is not a clear start, but this is a bleak running back waiver wire, and Roschon is your best bet toward volume and scoring opportunities with a generous week 16 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
Chase Brown – 32% rostered on Sleeper
Chase Brown has carved out a role for himself in this Jake Browning-led Bengals offense. His rush attempts in the past three weeks have been 9,8 and 7.
More importantly, Chase Brown has been showing off his athleticism in the screen game, gaining the coaches’ trust as they draw up plays for him weekly.
Brown has had three targets in the last two weeks and should continue that pace in a week 16 matchup against the Steelers.
Rico Dowdle – 15% roster on Sleeper
Dowdle has become a necessity in this offense, with the relative ineffectiveness of Tony Pollard as a clear number one.
Dowdle has received at least six opportunities in five of the last six weeks, clearing double-digit opportunities three of those five times.
Noah Brown – 46% rostered on Sleeper
Noah Brown has been nothing short of a revelation this year, putting up three top-ten weekly finishes.
Brown finished as the WR9 with Case Keenum under center, and should be getting CJ Stroud back this week and remains the defacto number 1 without Nico Collins on the field
While Brown might be in for a rough one this next week against a tough Browns defense, he has a generous championship matchup against the Tennessee Titans
Joshua Palmer – 39% rostered on Sleeper
We’re back baby! “But it was garbage time” I couldn’t care less.
Palmer was emerging as a franchise building block at the wide receiver position for the Chargers before he went down with a knee injury in week 8.
Palmer picked right up where he left off on his return game, finishing as the WR12 overall, and with a very real chance Keenan Allen misses more games, Palmer could be in for a truckload of volume.
Dontayvion Wicks – 7% rostered on Sleeper
The case for Wicks starts with the availability of Christian Watson, who didn’t get a single practice last week. We will learn more about his availability as the week goes on, but keep an eye on this.
In the last two weeks, not only has Wicks’ snap % gone from the mid-thirties up to 63, then up to 78 last week against the Bucs, but Romeo Doub’s targets have decreased.
We could see Wicks staking his claim to a starting role in this offense with his 7 target, 6 reception, and 97-yard performance last week.
Gerald Everett – 47% rostered on Sleeper
Gerald Everett is likely rostered in your league, but it is worth a look.
With Easton Stick under center the last two weeks, Everett has compiled 16 targets, equal to his total target volume in weeks seven through thirteen.
Hunter Henry – 20% rostered on Sleeper
Like Gerald Everett, Hunter Henry has benefited greatly from a change at the QB position.
Hunter Henry received nine targets and had seven receptions last week against the Chiefs, with one being a touchdown. This was good enough to finish as the TE4 on the week and be Henry’s biggest game since week 13 of the 2020 season.
Tucker Kraft – 14% rostered on Sleeper
Tucker Kraft entered the starting role when Luke Musgrave went down in week 11 and hasn’t looked back.
He has been the TE8 overall on those four weeks and has run fewer routes than only Evan Engram, David Njoku, and Travis Kelce.
I would say Tucker Kraft is a must-start top 10 tight-end option the rest of the way.
Cincinnati Bengals – 34% rostered on Sleeper
The Bengals defense hasn’t played inspiring ball for the last several weeks. However, they get to take on the Moribund Steelers offense with Mason Rudolph under center.
That’s all I’ve got…did you need more?
Denver Broncos – 36% rostered on Sleeper
Before the beatdown the Lions handed the Broncos this past week, the Broncos were the number 2 DST in points per game from week 8 to week 14.
I am betting on the Lions game being the exception and not the rule as the Broncos host the visiting Bailey Zappes, I mean New England Patriots.
Green Bay Packers – 39% rostered on Sleeper
The Packers are yet another underachieving defense on this list, similar to the Bengals, who have a great matchup against the Steelers.
The Packers get to take on the even MORE-ibund (shut up, it works) Panthers offense in what is likely to be another half-empty stadium.
