Each week I’ll list the best widely available free agents for fantasy football — I define “widely available” as being owned in around half of all ESPN or Yahoo leagues — and some guys who are probably better off in the free agent pool than collecting dust on your roster.
Follow me on Twitter @UTEddieBrown if you have questions throughout the week.
Here’s my best bets off the waiver wire for Week 16:
ADD
RB Ronald Jones, Buccaneers (ESPN: 23%; Yahoo: 36%): A hamstring injury will likely sideline Leonard Fournette for a few games, setting up Jones as a high-volume option with matchups against the Panthers and Jets the next two weeks.
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions (ESPN: 30%; Yahoo: 24%): St. Brown has at least 73 yards, 11 targets and eight receptions in three straight games and two touchdowns over that span.
QB Justin Fields, Bears (ESPN: 26%; Yahoo: 26%): Fields is playing the best ball of his rookie season with matchups against the Seahawks and Giants on the docket.
TE Hunter Henry, Patriots (ESPN: 48%; Yahoo: 65%): Henry was TE11 in standard leagues headed into Week 15. He finished with 77 yards on six receptions and two touchdowns against the Colts.
WR Gabriel Davis, Bills (ESPN: 13%; Yahoo: 19%): Emmanuel Sanders is currently classified as week-to-week with a knee injury giving Davis WR3/flex upside until he returns. Davis has 12 receptions (19 receptions) for 158 yards and four touchdowns the last three games.
BONUS: WR Breshad Perriman, Buccaneers (ESPN: 1%; Yahoo: 1%): Tom Brady has to throw the football to someone, right? Tyler Johnson (ESPN: 1%; Yahoo: 1%) will also have WR3/flex value if Mike Evans strained hamstring keeps him sidelined.
BONUS: RB Justin Jackson, Chargers (ESPN: 3%; Yahoo: 6%): Jackson leads Los Angeles in red-zone carries (nine) over the last two games. He also has 24 touches over that span compared to Austin Ekeler’s 32, who has been banged-up recently.
BONUS: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Packers (ESPN: 15%; Yahoo: 41%): Valdes-Scantling has at least four receptions, 50 yards or a touchdown in three of his last four games.
BONUS: RB Samaje Perine, Bengals (ESPN: 9%; Yahoo: 13%): Perine is a RB1 candidate if Joe Mixon’s ankle doesn’t heal enough to allow him to play against the Ravens this week.
BONUS: WR Laquon Treadwell, Jaguars (ESPN: 1%; Yahoo: 2%): Treadwell leads Jacksonville in targets (28) and receiving yards (240) over the last four weeks.
BONUS: RB Craig Reynolds, Lions (ESPN: 8%; Yahoo: 13%): There’s no guarantee D’Andre Swift or Jamaal Williams will return against the Falcons. Reynolds has shined the last two games with 195 yards on 37 carries (5.3 yards per carry).
BONUS: RB Ameer Abdullah, Panthers (ESPN: 7%; Yahoo: 8%): Abdullah is the clear receiving back in Carolina and will likely see enough targets against the Buccaneers to be relevant in deeper PPR formats.
BONUS: RB Duke Johnson, Dolphins (ESPN: 1%; Yahoo: 2%): Myles Gaskin was active and Johnson still ran for 107 yards on 22 carries and scored twice.
BONUS: D/ST Chargers (ESPN: 33%; Yahoo: 50%): It’s likely this up-and-coming unit was dropped last week with a matchup against the Chiefs. They have legit streaming value against the Texans.
BONUS: D/ST Jets (ESPN: 2%; Yahoo: 2%): Two subpar offenses matched up in fantasy usually put the defenses in play. So if you’re desperate or need a hail mary in your semifinal matchup, even the Jaguars (ESPN: 17%; Yahoo: 6%) have value this week.
DROP
WR Chris Godwin, Buccaneers: A torn ACL ended Godwin’s season.
RB Mark Ingram, Saints: Only 44 total yards on 22 touches his last two games doesn’t indicate much value, especially with Alvin Kamara healthy and upright.
WR Julio Jones, Titans: Jones’ hamstring just isn’t right and he can’t be trusted going forward.
QB Daniel Jones, Giants: The G-Men finally placed Jones on injured reserve with a neck injury that hasn’t improved.
WR Sterling Shepard, Giants: Shepard’s injury-plagued season is over after suffering a torn left Achilles.
