With only a couple of weeks of the fantasy season left, fantasy rosters are struggling across the world, but fear not, here are the players rostered below 50% in Yahoo leagues that you can pick up now to bolster your depth or give you an excellent streaming option as the fantasy playoffs get underway.
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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Stashes Ahead of Week 16
Jameis Winston (QB – CLE): 34% Rostered
If you’re scraping around for a quarterback at this stage in the game or simply unhappy with your quarterback’s current Week 16 matchup, then starting with Jameis Winston is the most obvious choice to make. Winston plays the Bengals, who rank 30th in pass defense DVOA (FTNFantasy) and allow the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Winston has three top-eight finishes over the last six games, and the Bengals have allowed six finishes that high, including three since Week 10.
Jameis Winston's numbers from his 6 starts, extended over a full season:
5361 yards, 734 attempts, 34 TDs, 26 INT
It's beautiful.????
— Andy Behrens (@andybehrens) December 13, 2024
Will Levis (QB – TEN): 15% Rostered
Last week was less than ideal for Will Levis, putting up a miserable 7.0 points, the first single-digit performance he’s had since Week 6. This is magnified by the fact it was one of the easiest matchups possible against the woeful Jaguars pass defense. It might not feel comfortable rolling Levis out after that performance, but his upcoming schedule is undeniably soft, with games coming up against the Bengals, Colts and another matchup with the Jaguars. If you’re in a Cooper Kupp-shaped hole and need to swing for the fences, Will Levis isn’t the worst idea.
Sincere McCormick (RB – LV): 39% Rostered
The Raiders season has been over for a while now, and their lack of production in the running game has harmed their plans to punt the quarterback position this year. With good running backs, that might have been possible, but Alexander Mattison and Zamir White have helped the Raiders to league-worst numbers in total yards (1028), yards per carry (3.66) and ranking 31st in run offense DVOA. Sincere McCormick, meanwhile, has averaged over 5.0 yards per carry in both of the last two games when he’s seen carry totals of 15 and 12. The Raiders have two eyes on the future, and looking at a promising prospect like McCormick over the likes of Mattison and White makes sense for all involved.
#Raiders HC Antonio Pierce on whether Sincere McCormick is RB1 when Alexander Mattison returns:
“Yep. He’s deserved it. Last week, he was running his tail off. So, keep running it, keep pushing those numbers up, see if we can get him to 100.”
Pierce has an 80% reliability… pic.twitter.com/J8fnJNOvIm
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) December 11, 2024
Ray Davis (RB – BUF): 19% Rostered
James Cook saw a season-low eight touches for 29 yards in a game in which the Bills scored six touchdowns. Cook saw five touches in the first half, then had none during the third quarter, and three in the final quarter but with none in the final eight minutes and 30 seconds. Perhaps the Bills saw something that pushed them away from Cook, and it will only be a short-term thing, but Ray Davis showed out well enough with 12 touches for 67 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. If the Bills believe Davis is getting hot and wants to lean into the rookie, then he should be rostered heavily.
Isaiah Davis (RB – NYJ): 18% Rostered
Speaking of rookie running backs called Davis… Isaiah Davis had a bigger role than expected when Breece Hall missed Week 14. With Hall yet to have practiced as of Friday morning ahead of Week 15, his chances feel slim once more. Davis saw a near-even snap rate and workload with Braelon Allen but crucially scored a touchdown, helping him finish as the PPR RB15, his second-straight week as a top-24 option. The Jets face the Jaguars, Rams, and Bills to round out the fantasy football season, which is a very soft schedule for running backs. Davis is worth rostering in case the Jets decide Breece Hall‘s season is over.
Quentin Johnston (WR – LAC): 41% Rostered
The usual stone-hands Quentin Johnston disclaimers aside, what he’s doing does warrant attention. Johnston has six double-digit performances this year, including three over 15 points. There are only five wide receivers with more touchdowns than Johnston’s seven, and he routinely finds himself in high-value situations. The Chargers are chasing a playoff spot, Ladd McConkey continues to get banged up and struggle for health in his first season in the NFL, and the Will Dissly injury has further made Johnston’s role fantasy relevant.
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh on Quentin Johnston's contested catches vs. KC: "I've seen his confidence, his resolve, everything has been up there high. He's been ready to go every week. Very durable player, very strong player, very productive player."
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) December 11, 2024
Keon Coleman (WR – BUF): 40% Rostered
We’ve been waiting for several weeks for Keon Coleman‘s return, and it finally looks like it might happen in a prime matchup for the Bills against the Lions, who allow the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers. Amari Cooper‘s form has been patchy since his arrival, Curtis Samuel is completely anonymous and while Khalil Shakir has been good, his ceiling is somewhat lower and his role is limited. Coleman looked to be developing a bond with Josh Allen, particularly on high-value downfield passes before his injury and recapturing that would aid the Bills push for the number one overall seed in the AFC, as well as giving Allen more glitz plays that would help his MVP case.
Cedric Tillman (WR – CLE): 33% Rostered
The Browns have lost David Njoku for Week 15 but look set to get back Cedric Tillman, who returns from concussion. Jerry Jeudy has rightly deserved the plaudits he’s received for his play over the last few weeks, but it shouldn’t be forgotten how well Tillman has played. Tillman had three top-12 weekly finishes before a poor showing in Week 11 and the snow game in Week 12. Tillman is very much in play against a poor Chiefs secondary that ranks 17th against the pass in DVOA, but since week 10, has allowed the sixth-highest rate of completions over expected and the seventh-highest yards per attempt and that matchup should get him back on track ahead of a peach of a matchup with the Bengals in Week 16.
Hunter Henry (TE – NE): 48% Rostered
Over the three games leading up to the bye week, Hunter Henry boasted a target share of at least 18% in all three. Henry’s biggest barrier toward his ceiling has been a lack of touchdowns, with only one all season, but he does have 14 red zone targets, and sooner or later, variance can swing his way. The Patriots have tough games coming up, including the Bills, Chargers and Cardinals, which isn’t ideal on one level, but from another perspective, it means competitive teams who are chasing the playoffs, which will be good for pushing the passing volume coming from the Patriots.
Hunter Henry is top 5 in receptions for tight ends this year and it's like no one even cares
— Andrew Cooper (@CoopAFiasco) December 12, 2024
Juwan Johnson (WR – NO): 11% Rostered
Things could have been much more interesting if Derek Carr hadn’t broken a bone in his non-throwing hand last week, but Juwan Johnson still warrants some attention. Johnson had a season-high 15.0 PPR points as the Saints depleted pass-catching group struggled for options. That’s a situation that’s unlikely to change any time soon, and while the backup quarterback options are somewhat uninspiring, Juwan Johnson has shown enough ability to make him worth stashing as the tight end position across the league continues to take hits,
Jacksonville Jaguars (D/ST): 9% Rostered
The Jaguars face the Jets, Raiders and Titans to finish their season. They might not be the best unit, but their pass-rushing unit can get home, and these are not top-tier offenses they’re facing.
Las Vegas Raiders (D/ST): 4% Rostered
The Raiders face the Falcons with a spiraling Kirk Cousins, the Jaguars with Mac Jones and then the Saints with Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler unless Derek Carr can get back on the field. Maxx Crosby could be set for a big end to the season.
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