Losing Antonio Brown in your Fantasy playoffs was a massive punch in the gut. Having Rex Burkhead and Marqise Lee get hurt early in their games didn't help, and Davante Adams' departure could continue to sting in Week 16.
Balancing that out was a massive game from Todd Gurley that surely helped all his Fantasy owners bring home a W, along with incredible efforts from Michael Thomas, Rob Gronkowski, Zach Ertz, Cam Newton and Le'Veon Bell – right when we needed them the most.
If you're marching on to Week 16, congratulations! The challenge is just beginning, but there are waiver wire gems worth mining to help you put your mitts on your league's trophy.
Early Waiver Wire Targets
| 55% | 
Dede Westbrook
Jacksonville Jaguars WR
|
| Assuming Lee doesn't play at the 49ers in Week 16, everyone in Jacksonville's pass attack has a chance to make a difference. San Francisco's pass defense isn't great – they just allowed the struggling Marcus Mariota to have a nice game against them – and Jacksonville's air attack has come on strong over the last four weeks. Westbrook should be solid as an outside wideout to replace Lee, but he isn't alone. Keenan Cole's (2 percent owned) matchup in the slot combined with his explosiveness makes him a very attractive add off waivers. Jaydon Mickens (0 percent) would need both Lee and Allen Hurns to remain sidelined to have a realistic chance at contributing, despite his two-touchdown performance in Week 15. | |
| 53% | 
Martavis Bryant
Pittsburgh Steelers WR
|
| With Brown on the shelf and JuJu Smith-Schuster already owned in 95 percent of CBS Sports leagues, all eyes will be on Bryant as Fantasy owners try to capitalize on the opportunity in the Steelers' passing game. On one hand, Bryant has been a major disappointment – he has one game with more than 11 Fantasy points and 10 games with four or fewer. That is gross, but he's about to be the No. 1 outside threat for the Steelers, and he plays at Houston and their crummy defense in Week 16. It's totally understandable to fall in love all over again with Bryant. | |
| 39% | 
Kerwynn Williams
Arizona Cardinals RB
|
| Williams' 61 yards at Washington weren't enough to make Fantasy owners happy, but no one could argue with the workload. Thanks to his 17 carries, the rusher has topped 15 carries and 16 touches in each of his last three games. If we can set our watch to the number of totes and grabs he gets then he's a champion-maker for Week 16 when the Cardinals host the lowly Giants in Week 16. | |
| 29% | 
Chris Ivory
Jacksonville Jaguars RB
|
| Ivory started Sunday's game against the Texans and had three goal-line carries but couldn't score and got hurt on the third one. T.J. Yeldon (15 percent) took over much of the running back duties until the game was way out of hand, which is when Corey Grant (0 percent) got some playing time and eventually scored in garbage time. We're going to have to wait and see if Leonard Fournette comes back to practice next week, and if he doesn't, we'll then have to see if Ivory's hand is okay. A lot of moving parts here but adding Ivory and Yeldon while we wait for the dust to settle isn't a bad idea, especially if you are a little thin at running back. | |
| 37% | 
Javorius Allen
Baltimore Ravens RB
|
| I don't understand the Ravens' infatuation with Allen, but Fantasy owners have to live with it. Alex Collins started and even got some goal-line carries and receptions (five for 33!), but it was Allen who led the Ravens in carries and rush yards. The Ravens have a fantastic home matchup next Saturday versus the Colts, one that should result in a bunch of carries for Collins and Allen. If you're desperate for a running back, Allen should carry a floor of seven Fantasy points regardless of format. | |
| 44% | 
Eric Ebron
Detroit Lions TE
|
| The stars are aligning for Ebron. In Week 14 he had 10 catches for 94 yards. This week he caught five passes for 33 yards with a touchdown. His Week 16 opponent, the Bengals, gave up receiving scores to tight ends in two straight. It sure seems like Ebron is re-emerging in the Lions' game plan at just the right time. He's the best tight end you can snag off waivers this week. | |
| 21% | 
Benjamin Watson
Baltimore Ravens TE
|
| Watson has done well in easy matchups this season, and Week 15 was proof of that. He helped torch a bad Browns defense for a score on four catches and second-best-on-the-season 74 yards. It's unlikely he'll be even close to as good in Week 16 against the Colts, but he could be an end-zone buddy of Joe Flacco's on a couple of grabs, with maybe 15 to 25 yards. | |
| 3% | 
Garrett Celek
San Francisco 49ers TE
|
| For the second week in a row, Celek caught just a few passes but turned them into over 60 yards with a touchdown. Those stats will draw a lot of attention this week off waivers, but a very tough matchup against the Jaguars awaits Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers in Week 16. Despite Celek's pretty stats, Fantasy owners would be better off going in another direction. | |
| 39% | 
Nick Foles
Philadelphia Eagles QB
|
| Was it Foles who slayed the Giants defense, or was it the Giants defense that allowed Foles to have a four-touchdown game? We could debate it, or we could just look at Foles' incredibly favorable Week 16 matchup at home against the Raiders and make him a priority to add. It's a perfect spot to ride Foles to a Fantasy championship – exactly what we deserve after losing Carson Wentz to a torn ACL last week. | |
| 36% | 
Joe Flacco
Baltimore Ravens QB
|
| Remember when even the thought of starting Flacco in Fantasy would make your skin crawl? Welp, get crawlin'! Over the past three weeks, he's been better than Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Matthew Stafford. Though he's still a little bit off target a handful of times per game, Flacco's improved play has come when his O-line gelled and when the Ravens run game has thrived. It sure helps when he has easy matchups, which is going to be the case in Week 16 at home against the Colts. Need a quarterback and can't get Foles? Flacco's your man. | |
| 51% | 
Tyrod Taylor
Buffalo Bills QB
|
| Looking for Jimmy Garoppolo or Eli Manning after their big games? Go ahead and chase them if you want but don't expect much since both have tough matchups in Week 16. Taylor has a big challenge himself, playing at New England, but the Patriots defense has proven to be flawed and Taylor rebounded for a two-score, 24-Fantasy point outing on Sunday at home against a Dolphins defense that shut down Tom Brady a week prior. You could do worse than Taylor in Week 16. | |
