On Sunday afternoon, I got a text message from a friend, who was so excited because he advanced to the championship of his Fantasy league. But it might not be a happy ending given the status of his roster.
"I lost Dalvin Cook and Chris Godwin, what do I do?" was the follow-up text message.
Panic. Cross your fingers. Pray to the Fantasy gods.
Or just play the waiver wire and hope for the best.
The latter is the likely scenario for many of you, whether you could be without Cook, Godwin or just need a starting option in Week 16. Thankfully, there are some good players on the waiver wire available for your championship week.
Cook could also still play in Week 16 against the Packers. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Monday "it feels good today" about Cook's shoulder injury, and we'll see what his status is in practice this week. With Alexander Mattison (ankle) banged up, you should still add Mike Boone (0% ownership) in case he's the starter for the Vikings against Green Bay.
As for Godwin (hamstring), Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said "it doesn't look good," meaning Godwin is likely out in Week 16 against Houston. With Mike Evans (hamstring) also likely out, Breshad Perriman (17%) is a priority to add, if you didn't pick him up already once Evans first got hurt.
We'll get into other options at running back and receiver to add below, as well as some quarterbacks and tight ends you should consider picking up. And we'll have streaming options at DST and kicker as well.
Don't fret if you don't have Cook or Godwin in Week 16, or any other player who could be out (Evans, D.J. Chark, JuJu Smith-Schuster, etc.). There are guys on the waiver wire who could help you still lock up a Fantasy title this week.
Editor's note: For this waiver wire column, we are only looking at players owned in less than 65% of CBS Sports leagues.
Week 16 Waivers
WAIVER WIRE
Quarterbacks
- Injuries of note: Daniel Jones (ankle), Matthew Stafford (back)
- Priority list: Ryan Fitzpatrick (42 percent ownership), Gardner Minshew (24 percent), Andy Dalton (15 percent), Drew Lock (13 percent), Eli Manning (18 percent), Daniel Jones (48 percent), Mitchell Trubisky (29 percent), Dwayne Haskins (8 percent), Will Grier (1 percent)
- Check to see if available: Ryan Tannehill (83 percent). Tannehill continues to impress as a Fantasy quarterback, and he's scored at least 22 points in seven of eight games as a starter, including at least 28 points in his past two outings. He's a top-10 quarterback again for Week 16 against New Orleans.
- Drop candidates: Josh Allen (87 percent), Baker Mayfield (87 percent), Derek Carr (70 percent). You can't start any of these guys unless you're stuck in Week 16 since all of them have bad matchups (Allen at NE, Mayfield vs. BAL and Carr at LAC).
Week 16 Priority List
Fitzpatrick just scored at least 24 Fantasy points for the third time in his past four games with his performance against the Giants in Week 15. The one down outing was Week 14 at the Jets when he scored 13 Fantasy points, but DeVante Parker suffered a concussion in that game and couldn't finish. This week, against the Bengals and with a healthy Parker, Fitzpatrick should have the chance to be a top 10 Fantasy quarterback again. While Cincinnati hasn't allowed a quarterback to score more than 17 Fantasy points in the past four games, the Bengals still allow an average of 21.1 points per game for the season.
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The Falcons defense was great in Week 15 against the 49ers, holding Jimmy Garoppolo to 14 Fantasy points, which is the second-lowest total against Atlanta this year. I'll still take my chances with Minshew this week as a low-end starter since the Falcons allow 22.9 Fantasy points against opposing quarterbacks for the season. Minshew just scored 22 Fantasy points at Oakland in Week 15, and he's averaging 21.0 Fantasy points in the road this season in five games.
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Dalton gets Miami this week. It's that simple. The Dolphins are No. 5 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and four of the past five opposing quarterbacks against Miami have scored at least 20 Fantasy points. Dalton could get A.J. Green (ankle) back this week, but even without Green, it's worth using Dalton as a low-end starter in all leagues.
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Lock struggled as expected in the snow at Kansas City in Week 15, but he should rebound this week against the Lions at home. Detroit allows the third most Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, and eight of the past 10 quarterbacks against the Lions have scored at least 22 Fantasy points. It's tough to trust Lock in Week 16, but he did score 29 Fantasy points in Week 14 at Houston, and it could happen again in this matchup.
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We don't know if Manning or Jones will start for the Giants this week, but either one has the chance for a good game in Week 16 at Washington. Three of the past six opposing quarterbacks against Washington have scored at least 26 Fantasy points, and you can use the Giants starter as a low-end Fantasy option in deeper leagues. Jones started the first game against Washington in Week 4 but scored just 14 Fantasy points.
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I'm concerned about Trubisky facing the Chiefs defense this week given how well that unit has played of late. Kansas City has held the past four opposing quarterbacks to 14 Fantasy points or less, including Philip Rivers, Derek Carr, Tom Brady and Drew Lock. That's not exactly the most elite group of Fantasy quarterbacks, but this defense definitely looks improved from earlier in the season. Trubisky has scored at least 17 Fantasy points in four games in a row, so he should be considered a low-end starter this week at home in deeper leagues.
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Haskins is obviously risky, but he has a dream matchup against the Giants. They have allowed seven quarterbacks in a row to score at least 20 Fantasy points. Haskins just had a season-high 22 Fantasy points against Philadelphia, and hopefully he can build off that performance this week. He's worth a look in the deepest of leagues given the matchup with New York.
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Grier could be an option in two-quarterback and Superflex leagues this week if he starts as expected for the Panthers. He's facing a Colts defense that has allowed four of the past five opposing quarterbacks to score at least 21 Fantasy points.
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WAIVER WIRE
Running Backs
- Injuries of note: Dalvin Cook (shoulder), Josh Jacobs (shoulder), Jordan Howard (shoulder), Damien Williams (ribs), Bo Scarbrough (ribs), Alexander Mattison (ankle), J.D. McKissic (ankle) and Bilal Powell (ankle)
- Priority list: Mike Boone (0 percent ownership), Alexander Mattison (63 percent), DeAndre Washington (48 percent), Kerryon Johnson (31 percent), Boston Scott (24 percent), Patrick Laird (55 percent), Darwin Thompson (21 percent), Wes Hills (0 percent), Myles Gaskin (4 percent)
- Check to see if available: Adrian Peterson (75 percent). In the first game without Derrius Guice (knee) in Week 15 against Philadelphia, Peterson had 16 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown, as well as three catches for 35 yards on three targets. He now has seven games with at least 13 carries, and he has at least 11 PPR points in six of those outings. He's a quality starting option in all leagues in Week 16 against the Giants.
- Drop candidates: Tevin Coleman (84 percent), Jordan Howard (81 percent), David Johnson (77 percent). Coleman is clearly behind Raheem Mostert, and you can't trust Coleman in Week 16 against the Rams. Who knows when Howard is going to play again, and he's well behind Miles Sanders now. And Kenyan Drake is by far the best running back in Arizona, which makes Johnson expendable.
Week 16 Priority List
For the third week in a row, we find ourselves in the same spot with a running back who could be awesome as an injury replacement, but with a starter who might end up playing. It started with Cook when he first hurt his shoulder in Week 13, and we thought Mattison would be the guy in Week 14, except Cook was fine. Heading into Week 15, there was a chance DeAndre Washington would be a star for the Raiders, only Josh Jacobs played through his shoulder injury. And here we are with Cook again. Initial comments from Zimmer indicate Cook could play Monday night against the Packers. And we don't know the status of Mattison, who was out in Week 15 at the Chargers. But if Boone starts against Green Bay with Cook and Mattison out, he will be a league winner. I'm still going to prioritize that caliber of player over everyone else. Boone had 13 carries for 56 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers, and he would be a top 20 running back in all leagues against the Packers. Also keep an eye on Mattison because if he plays he should be added ahead of Boone.
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There's a chance the Raiders could shut down Jacobs because of his shoulder injury, which makes adding Washington a priority. Should Jacobs sit in Week 16 at the Chargers, Washington would be a must-start Fantasy running back in most leagues. As we saw in Week 14 against Tennessee when Jacobs was out, Washington had 14 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown, as well as six catches for 43 yards on seven targets. Washington would be facing a Chargers defense that has allowed four touchdowns to running backs in their past four games.
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If you want to avoid the Vikings and Raiders mess, just pick up Johnson and hope he's fine for Week 16 at Denver. He's been out since Week 7 with a knee injury, but he's eligible to return against the Broncos. He said Friday that he hasn't experienced any setbacks since undergoing surgery in November to repair a torn meniscus, but it's unknown how the Lions will treat Johnson when they have nothing to play for. Now, if he does return, he'll be considered a potential starter in all leagues. Before getting hurt, he scored at least 13 PPR points in three of his first five games. If Johnson isn't back against Denver, look at Wes Hills in deeper leagues. With Scarbrough out in Week 15 against Tampa Bay, Hills had 10 carries for 21 yards and two touchdowns, as well as two catches for 1 yard on two targets.
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Scott continues to be a nice complement to Sanders for the Eagles, and he should remain a fixture in the passing game with the injuries to Philadelphia's receiving corps. He's a great flex play in PPR in Week 16 against Dallas. In his past two games, Scott has 16 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown, as well as 13 catches for 108 yards on 13 targets. He's scored at least 12 PPR points in consecutive games, and he could be the best running back to add in PPR if Cook is fine and Johnson remains out.
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Both Dolphins running backs could be available depending on the size of your league, and I like Laird as a flex option in all leagues, with Myles Gaskin as someone to consider in deeper formats. Laird has at least 11 PPR points in three of his past five games, and he has at least 14 total touches in three games in a row. Gaskin just had a season-best nine carries for 43 yards, as well as two catches for 29 yards on three targets in Week 15 at the Giants, and he could be headed for more work. Miami has a good matchup in Week 16 against the Bengals, who have allowed five running backs to either score or gain at least 100 total yards in the past two games.
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There's a chance Damien Williams could return in Week 16 against the Bears, which would likely make him the lead running back in Kansas City. But if Williams remains out for the fourth game in a row, maybe we start to see Darwin Thompson take on more work away from LeSean McCoy. Thompson had nine total touches for 39 total yards, while McCoy had six carries for 16 yards and no catches. Now, Spencer Ware also had nine total touches for 35 yards, but I would love the see the Chiefs just give Thompson a big workload to see what he could do. It's not an easy matchup in Week 16 at Chicago, but Thompson could be a desperation play in deeper leagues.
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WAIVER WIRE
Wide Receivers
- Injuries of note: Chris Godwin (hamstring), Julian Edelman (knee), Mike Evans (hamstring), D.J. Chark (ankle), JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee), A.J. Green (ankle), Taylor Gabriel (concussion), Nelson Agholor (knee), Demaryius Thomas (hamstring), Scott Miller (hamstring)
- Priority list: Anthony Miller (35 percent ownership), Breshad Perriman (17 percent), Danny Amendola (40 percent), Chris Conley (16 percent), Greg Ward (1 percent), Mohamed Sanu (64 percent), Justin Watson (7 percent), James Washington (62 percent), N'Keal Harry (19 percent), Diontae Johnson (29 percent), Keelan Cole (1 percent), Jakobi Meyers (3 percent)
- Check to see if available: Terry McLaurin (83 percent), Will Fuller (82 percent), Jamison Crowder (79 percent), Mike Williams (75 percent), Sterling Shepard (70 percent). I like all of these guys as low-end starters in Week 16. McLaurin has scored a touchdown in consecutive games, and he has at least 12 PPR points in three of his past four outings. Fuller is facing a Tampa Bay defense that allows the second-most touchdowns to receivers with 21. Williams has scored a touchdown in consecutive games, and the Raiders are No. 7 in Fantasy points allowed to receivers. Shepard just scored 20 PPR points in Week 15 against Miami, and he had 16 PPR points against Washington in Week 4. And Crowder just had 27 PPR points in Week 15 at Baltimore in the first game without Thomas or Ryan Griffin (ankle), although he has another tough matchup in Week 16 against Pittsburgh.
- Drop candidates: Chris Godwin (100 percent), JuJu Smith-Schuster (90 percent), Mike Evans (87 percent), Sammy Watkins (81 percent), Zach Pascal (76 percent). It's easy to drop Godwin and Evans, who are both expected to miss Week 16. Watkins has been miserable since Week 1, and Pascal isn't worth using as long as T.Y. Hilton is healthy. Smith-Schuster also can be dropped since it appears like he'll be out again in Week 16.
Week 16 Priority List
Miller is someone we've been talking about for weeks, and he continues to be a star. He's scored at least 11 PPR points in five games in a row, including at least 23 PPR points in two of his past three outings. He scored a touchdown in consecutive games, proving his worth in non-PPR leagues as well, and he should stay hot in Week 16 against Kansas City. The Chiefs have allowed at least one receiver to score at least 13 PPR points in three of the past four games.
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With the Buccaneers down Evans, Godwin and Scott Miller, it should mean big things for Perriman and potentially Justin Watson in Week 16 against Houston. Perriman already went off in Week 15 at Detroit with Evans out with five catches for 113 yards and three touchdowns on six targets. He's actually scored at least 13 PPR points in three games in a row, and he's a borderline must-start receiver in all leagues against the Texans. Watson is an option in deeper leagues with the hope of additional targets. He had five catches for 59 yards and a touchdown on eight targets in Week 14 against the Colts, but he took a step back against the Lions with two catches for 17 yards on two targets. Still, the Buccaneers need Watson with their depleted receiving corps, and Houston is in the top 10 in touchdowns allowed to receivers with 16 for the season.
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Over the past three games, Amendola has 29 targets. By comparison, Kenny Golladay has 20 targets, so it's clear David Blough is leaning on Amendola, especially with Marvin Jones (ankle) and T.J. Hockenson (ankle) out. Week 15 against Tampa Bay was the first game without Jones, and Amendola had eight catches for 102 yards on 13 targets. In Week 16 against Denver, Golladay could be stuck dealing with Broncos top corner Chris Harris, so Blough might lean on Amendola once again. He's a No. 3 receiver in PPR, with his value lower in non-PPR leagues.
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In the first game without Chark in Week 15 at the Raiders, we saw Conley lead the Jaguars in targets with eight, finishing with four catches for 49 yards and two touchdowns. Keelan Cole had three catches for 76 yards on six targets, while Dede Westbrook was left with two catches for 14 yards on four targets. The target leader in Jacksonville will likely change on a weekly basis with Chark out, and there's even a chance Chark could return in Week 16 at Atlanta. But if Chark is still out, I would look at Conley as the No. 1 receiver in Jacksonville, making him a No. 3 Fantasy receiver against the Falcons.
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In the first game without Alshon Jeffery (foot) and Agholor, Ward stepped up as the leading receiver for the Eagles in Week 15 at Washington with seven catches for 61 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. Only Zach Ertz (10) had more targets, and Ward can be a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week against the Cowboys. That would change if Agholor is back, but Ward could be a solid option this week with the Eagles desperate for help at receiver.
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The Patriots could need help at receiver if Edelman is out, so Sanu, N'Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers are all worth a look in deeper leagues. It's a tough matchup in Week 16 against Buffalo, and Sanu might be the best option given his role as a short-area target for Tom Brady. In Week 15 at Cincinnati, Sanu led the Patriots in targets with eight, but he only managed two catches for 13 yards. Harry had two catches for 14 yards and a touchdown on four targets, and Meyers did nothing. I wouldn't want to start any of these guys in Week 16, but Sanu would likely be the safest option against the Bills if Edelman can't go.
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We don't know who will be the quarterback for the Steelers this week because Devlin Hodges could be benched in favor of Mason Rudolph. Either way, the top two receivers in Washington and Johnson could be options against the Jets, who are No. 5 in touchdowns allowed to receivers with 19, especially with Smith-Schuster still hurt. Washington has at least 13 PPR points in four of his past six games, including two touchdowns over that span. He's worth considering as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week. Johnson only has one game with more than nine PPR points in his past five outings, but the matchup makes him someone to consider in deeper leagues.
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WAIVER WIRE
TIGHT ENDS
- Injuries of note: Evan Engram (foot), Vance McDonald (concussion), Gerald Everett (knee)
- Priority list: Jacob Hollister (51 percent ownership), O.J. Howard (51 percent), Mike Gesicki (57 percent), Jonnu Smith (13 percent), Jason Witten (55 percent), Cameron Brate (21 percent)
- Check to see if available: Tyler Higbee (69 percent), Greg Olsen (67 percent), Dallas Goedert (67 percent). Higbee has become a must-start option as long as Everett is out, and he's scored at least 18 PPR points in three games in a row. Olsen is back after missing the past two games with a concussion, and we'll see if Grier leans on him against the Colts. Olsen is a low-end starter in deeper leagues. And Goedert remains in play with the Eagles banged up at receiver. He had 14 PPR points against Dallas in Week 7, and Goedert has scored at least 10 PPR points in three of his past five games.
- Drop candidates: Evan Engram (78 percent), Kyle Rudolph (76 percent). Engram could return in Week 16 against Washington, but it would be tough to trust him after being out for the past five games. And Rudolph loses value with Adam Thielen now back for the Vikings.
Week 16 Priority List
Hollister gets the free space this week against the Cardinals, who allow the most Fantasy points to opposing tight ends. He also could see a slight uptick in targets with Josh Gordon (suspension) out. In the first meeting with Arizona in Week 4, Will Dissly had seven catches for 57 yards and a touchdown on eight targets against the Cardinals, and hopefully Hollister will follow suit.
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With Tampa Bay now down Godwin and Evans, we should see Howard and Cameron Brate take on a bigger role. Perriman and Watson obviously benefit as well, but Howard has scored 11 PPR points in two of his past three games. And in Week 15 at Detroit, the first game without Evans and Godwin left with an injury, he had a season-high eight targets, finishing with four catches for 46 yards. Brate had seven targets against the Lions with three catches for 33 yards, so don't be surprised if one or both play big this week against Houston. In their past five games, the Texans have allowed 30 catches for 450 yards and three touchdowns on 37 targets to tight ends, with Mark Andrews and Noah Fant having big games over that span.
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Gesicki has struggled in the past two games with a combined nine PPR points against the Jets and Giants, but I'll still look at him as a low-end starter this week against the Bengals. He did have eight targets against the Giants and finished with four catches for 47 yards in Week 15, and prior to the past two games, he combined for 29 PPR points against the Browns and Eagles. The Bengals have only allowed one tight end to score in their past five games, but Gesicki could be useful in deeper leagues if he continues to be the No. 2 target in Miami behind DeVante Parker.
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Smith comes into Week 16 against the Saints with at least 11 PPR points in his past two games against Oakland and Houston. In Week 15 against the Texans, he had five catches for 60 yards on five targets, as well as a 57-yard run. It would be great if the Titans continued to find ways to get him the ball like that, but this is still a good week to consider him a low-end starting option in all leagues. In their past seven games, the Saints have allowed five tight ends to score at least 11 PPR points.
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Witten is on a little bit of a hot streak lately, scoring at least eight PPR points in three games in a row, including two outings with at least 13 PPR points. He's scored in two of his past three games, and he has 20 targets over that span. We'll see if he can keep it up in Week 16 against the Eagles, and he had seven PPR points against Philadelphia in Week 7 on four catches for 33 yards on four targets. The Eagles are No. 6 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to tight ends, so this isn't an easy matchup, but Witten will hopefully stay hot in Week 16.
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WAIVER WIRE
DST
- Chargers (vs. OAK) - 37 percent
- Chiefs (at CHI) - 62 percent
- Colts (vs. CAR) - 42 percent
WAIVER WIRE
KICKERS
- Younghoe Koo (vs. ARI) - 62 percent
- Ka'imi Fairbairn (at TB) - 48 percent
- Chase McLaughlin (vs. CAR) - 9 percent
