Top 5 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Running Backs (Week 16)

We will have you covered throughout the fantasy football season with our bevy of tools, including our Waiver Wire Assistant. Find the top available players and get detailed analysis on how potential fantasy football waiver wire adds will impact your team. Of course, our team of analysts will also have written advice each week. Check out some of our top Running Back fantasy football waiver wire targets for the week below. And check out all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Running Back

RUNNING BACKS

Written by Bo McBrayer

Sincere McCormick (LV): 43% rostered

• Next Opponents: JAX, @NO, LAC
• True value: $15
• Desperate Need: $25
• Budget-minded: $8

Analysis: The Raiders aren’t going anywhere again this season. It was the same story in 2023, when unheralded rookie Zamir White was given an ungodly share of the running back snaps under then-interim head coach Antonio Pierce. White was fabulous in the fantasy football playoffs and Pierce was retained. Pierce has seen what Sincere McCormick can do with his opportunities. The UTSA grad has “earned the starting role,” an endorsement that rings like music to our ears with games against the Jaguars and Saints left on the schedule. McCormick was more affordable weeks ago when I first hypothesized this sequence of events, but he’s every bit the potential league winner this week as then.

Jerome Ford (CLE): 42% rostered

• Next Opponents: @CIN, MIA, @BAL
• True value: $13
• Desperate Need: $20
• Budget-minded: $8

Analysis: While Nick Chubb‘s return to action this year was a nice story, he hardly returned to vintage form. When Chubb broke his foot on Sunday, we saw just how explosive Ford is. Ford had 102 scrimmage yards on only nine touches and pulled away from the Chiefs’ defense for a 62-yard touchdown run. Ford has been a mainstay in this column as a versatile, underrated playmaker. Now that Chubb is done for the year, we will likely see a return to RB2 territory for Ford.

Kendre Miller (NO): 11% rostered

• Next Opponents: @GB, LV, @TB
• True value: $9
• Desperate Need: $15
• Budget-minded: $5

Analysis: The theory was that New Orleans would be overly cautious with Alvin Kamara in a lost season and give talented sophomore Kendre Miller more run down the stretch. That didn’t happen. Kamara was the alpha dog again in Week 15, but he succumbed to a groin injury in the third quarter. Miller carried the ball nine times thereafter and averaged more than five yards. With a potential Kamara shutdown imminent, it will be interesting to see if Miller finds more of a role as a pass catcher going forward. It isn’t his strong suit, but neither the Packers nor Raiders have been world beaters against the run.

Tyjae Spears (TEN): 44% rostered

• Next Opponents: @IND, @JAX, HOU
• True value: $6
• Desperate Need: $11
• Budget-minded: $3

Analysis: It was brave of Tony Pollard to gut out his nagging ankle injury and play against the Bengals. He was obviously on a pitch count and hobbled around a great deal until Cincinnati built an insurmountable lead. From there, it was the Tyjae Spears show. Spears has dealt with his own injuries this season, but he looked incredibly explosive en route to 27.2 fantasy points in Week 15. It would serve the Titans well to continue to manage Pollard’s workload and let Spears flourish as the healthier player against the terrible Colts and Jaguars run defenses. If that happens, Spears has low-end RB1 upside. If not, he’s still a flex play I can see plugging into a championship lineup.

Kimani Vidal (LAC): 12% rostered

• Next Opponents: DEN, @NE, @LV
• True value: $3
• Desperate Need: $6
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: All offseason, the best-ball bros and dynasty nerds were gnashing at the bit to roster Vidal. The rookie from Troy had a massive learning curve and was a healthy scratch to begin the campaign. Through attrition, Vidal has suited up behind Gus Edwards of late. His first career touch was a beautiful touchdown catch on a wheel route, but it has been crickets ever since. His five touches in Week 15 reminded us that the trusty Gus Bus is still chugging down the line. I still have a candle lit for Vidal to give Jim Harbaugh a reason to run him out there more often. He is a fun player with a skill set coveted by other “boring” offenses. Grab him just in case.