On paper, the Monday night game had the makings of a bust. Geno Smith had been battling a groin injury and was a game time decision and Jalen Hurts had been battling the flu. Minutes before the game started it was announced that Drew Lock would lead the Seattle Seahawks against the Philadelphia Eagles. One would think that the 10-3 Eagles who were fighting for the number one seed would blow out the injured 6-7 Seahawks who were on a four game losing streak. That however was not the case. After a relatively quiet first half from both teams, the Eagles headed into the half up 10-3. The Seahawks would respond in the second half with some dominant running from Kenneth Walker who practically put the team on his back to get them back in the game. In the waning minutes of the fourth quarter Drew Lock put on a QB clinic, connecting with D.K. Metcalf repeatedly to drive down the field. Down by 4 and with 28 seconds left on the clock, Lock connected with rookie Jackson Smith Njigba for a 29 yard TD. With the ball back in his hands, Jalen Hurts threw his 12th interception of the season to close out the game.
With the fantasy playoffs in full swing, here are my top waiver wire targets heading into week 16.
Waiver Wire Targets:
Zamir White (Rostered in 7.3% of ESPN leagues)
With the absence of Josh Jacobs, Zamir White saw most of the running work for the Raiders. He was on the field for 70% of their offensive snaps and even saw some work in the passing game. If Jacobs continues to miss time, White is worth considering.
Chase Brown (Rostered in 8.3% of ESPN leagues)
Chase Brown remains as one of the premier running back handcuffs heading into week 16. For managers trying to make a deep run, RB depth can never hurt.
Tyjae Spears (Rostered in 40.1% of ESPN leagues)
Same kind of note as Brown, Spears is one of the best handcuffs in the league right now. With questions about if Derrick Henry will stay with the Titans next year, Spears may see more work to end the year as the Titans are pretty much out of playoff contention and Henry not having much reason to risk his body.
Noah Brown (Rostered in 40% of ESPN leagues) Genius Pick of the Week
Brown had a tremendous week 15 against the Titans recording 8 receptions on 11 targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. That performance was good for 22.2 fantasy points, his third 20+ point game this year. With Nico Collins in and out and Tank Dell out for the year, Brown is a top target in the Texans offense. Brown is a must add.
Joshua Palmer (Rostered in 19.7% of ESPN leagues)
In an absolute unexpected beatdown by the Raiders, Palmer still managed to put up 21.3 fantasy points in his first game back from IR. If Keenan Allen sits the rest of the year, Palmer is a proven WR who can get you solid points. When healthy, he sees a lot of targets. With the aftermath of the Brandon Staley firing, Palmer could be a sneaky add heading into week 16.
Zay Jones (Rostered 34.5% of ESPN leagues)
While Jones did not repeat his 14 target week, he still had 8 targets sent his way in the loss to the Ravens. I still like Jones as a WR2 with the absence of Christian Kirk and there should be better days ahead. I think the Ravens defense did a quality job of holding the Jaguars to only 7 points but softer defenses like the Buccaneers, Panthers and Titans lie ahead to close out the year.
Tyler Boyd (Rostered in 42.5% of ESPN leagues)
According to Ian Rapoport, Ja’Marr Chase is likely to miss some time due to a shoulder injury suffered against the Vikings. This opens the door for Tyler Boyd to get more looks. Boyd is a proven wide receiver in a surprisingly potent offense. When given more targets, Boyd has shown fantasy value.
Hunter Henry (Rostered in 17.5% of ESPN leagues)
I had Henry on this list way early in the season but the rails fell off for the Patriots offense and his value plummeted. With Bailey Zappe at the helm, it looks like Henry is one of his preferred targets. Over the last 2 weeks, Zappe and Henry have connected for 3 touchdowns. Against the Broncos, it doesn’t hurt to ride the hot hand.
Joe Flacco (Rostered in 11.4% of ESPN leagues)
Flaco is back baby. The longtime Ravens QB has brought his talents to Cleveland after the Browns lost Deshaun Watson for the year. In his short 3-game stint, Flaco has shown fantasy relevance by scoring 16+ points in each outing. Supported by quality pass catchers in Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore and led by a strong defense, a cerebral QB like Flaco (Thanks Ronnie) has the ability to provide streaming value for fantasy managers in this week’s matchup against the Texans.
Derek Carr (Rostered in 21.5% of ESPN leagues)
Ok hear me out… What if I told you that Derek Carr is worth rostering for the remainder of the season? You are probably sitting there thinking I am crazy and that Carr has done pretty much nothing for fantasy managers all year. You would be kinda right. However, it is important to note that Carr has struggled through injuries this year and hasn’t been playing his best. What makes him enticing as a fantasy prospect is that he faces a super easy 3-game stretch to close out the year (Rams, Buccaneers, Falcons). These teams could easily be exploited making Carr a streaming kind of QB.
*Point totals mentioned assume full point PPR scoring
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