Did you win and advance? Are you still alive in your home leagues, Scott Fish Bowl 14, Football Guys tournament, and/or any other league/contest? Are you coming off a Playoffs bye ready to smash your competition? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then I have no doubt you are here to work on the final names to help your roster be what it needs to be to win the whole thing. Do not stop your analysis. Focus one game at a time unless except when considering defenses. I recommend looking at least one week ahead as defenses are considered. If your team feels right, there is no need to tinker unless you are playing defense to keep a player away from your competition. Sometimes frowned upon by others, this strategy is free game and should be employed when it benefits your team. If you are not going all in, are you really trying to win?
An additional, small consideration for you, the reader, as you move through my weekly columns is to understand that a waiver article is not a mandate from me to you to add/drop players each week. Sometimes the best move is the one you do not make. I fully understand that waivers and trades are top of the fun list in fantasy football but remember winning trumps all other fun things in fantasy football. Take the following names as options, considerations for your squad versus must-add players. Only add players when it makes sense for you and your team(s).
Be sure to check out the latest tools on Razzball.com: Slot vs. Wide PPG Allowed | WR Slot vs. Wide| DEF Targets Allowed | Home vs. Away | Wins vs. Losses | TD Tool
Do not forget the @Razzball NFL team of writers will be hosting our Sunday Morning Start/Sit podcast every week starting three hours before kickoff all the way up to the official start of the early games. Bobby – @BobbyLaMarco, Sky – @SkyGuasco, Derek – @Derek_Favret, and me/Matt – @stiles08, will be answering all your questions to help you win your weekly matchups. Come for the analysis and stay for the laughs!
WAIVERS:
ADD OF THE WEEK = Jerome Ford – 44% rostered It is sad to see and report, but Nick Chubb appears to be done for the 2024 season. In what is a completely lost season for the Browns, Ford was a bright spot in supplanting Chubb in Week 15 with 84 yards rushing and a TD on 7 carries while chipping in with two catches for 20 yards. You need volume in the playoffs and Ford should bring just that down the home stretch.
QB: Aaron Rodgers – 35% rostered. ARod and Davante brought back memories of Lambeau and their domination of the NFC. Rodgers went for 389 and two TDs against the work defense against QB (Jax). Look for Rodgers to have similar success against the Rams (8th worst against the QB position).
Honorable Mention/Cheaper Options:
Jameis Winston – 33% rostered (interceptions notwithstanding, dude just throws a lot, and we love volume
Bryce Young – 7% rostered (two tough matchups in a row; TB D to close the season looks nice)
RB: Kendre Miller – 12% rostered. Down goes Kamara for Week 15 and possibly longer. Week 16 is not looking promising even though the Saints have until Monday Night Football to nurse their star RB back to health. I would not count on Kamara playing again this season when the Saints are not going to the playoffs. There is one personal goal hanging out there for Kamara, and it is 1,000 rushing yards which he has surprisingly never done (sitting at 950 yards today). I doubt he will be rushed back to chase a seemingly meaningless number.
Honorable Mention/Cheaper Options:
Tyjae Spears – 44% rostered (certainly not the lead dog for TEN, but just proved his worth chasing a big deficit in Week 15)
Kimani Vidal – 12% rostered (the eye test shows me he is better than an aging Gus Edwards; not sure HC Harbaugh agrees with me)
Alexander Mattison/Ameer Abudullah – 37%/16% rostered (if you are starting either of these guys you are probably not winning your league)
WR: Jalen McMillan – 9% rostered. Another week, another TD. Gaining confidence. Baker appears to like him in the red zone. Targets are not elite (7, 6 past two games) but TDs are (2, 1 over same games). This will always be Mike Evans and Rachaad/Bucky offense first for Baker, but McMillan is getting a taste.
Honorable Mention/Cheaper Options:
Quentin Johnston – 41% rostered (another week, another TD; keep an eye on injured ankle with quick-turn Thursday game)
Romeo Doubs – 38% rostered (welcome back my beautiful Romeo with 5-3-40-2)
Elijah Moore – 21% rostered (awful Week 15, but excellent matchup in Week 16 at CIN)
TE: Brenton Strange – 2% rostered just popped for 12-11-73 starting for the injured Evan Engram (done for the season). JAX will have to throw to keep any game respectable. Expect Strange to deliver some numbers. Stone Smartt – 6% rostered turned in a solid 6-5-50 (fumble lost) in Week 15. Will Dissly appears to still be nursing an injury. Quentin Johnston also injured (see above). Smartt may be the beneficiary of those two injuries against a stout DEN D. If you need a deeper name than Stone Smartt, consider Chig Okonkwo – 5% rostered, who just saw 10 targets with the Titans chasing the Bengals in Week 15. Chig has two elite matchups in Week 16-17 (at IND, At JAX).
Remember, you do NOT have to make a move each week. If you look at your roster and a hole does not immediately jump out to you, then maybe your team is good to go for Week 16. If you see a hole (injury, bye, underperformance), then start looking at options to make your team better.
Follow me @stiles08 on X and send questions comments at the bottom of this article. Make sure you jump around the Razzball site for all your fantasy football needs. We have a ton of free content to include our Slot Versus Wide tool, our Win Versus Loss tool, and many more.
-Stiles-
Stiles you’re 100 percent right. The work is not done!
I have Tua in one league. Dolphins playing niners in miami. Waddle questionable. Would you start him or maybe pick up a qb like Stafford at jets, Richardson at home vs titans, Russell Wilson at baltimore,nix at chargers, bryce young at home vs arizona. Caleb williams at home.vs detroit.
Kinda like Stafford.
Also would you start otton tampa playing at dallas or would you pick up. Brenton strange playing at vegas, hunter Henry at buffalo. Tight end wire thin.
Also would you drop a guy like pacheco and add a 3rd defense like the colts to block a team from picking them up. My current rb are Hubbard chase brown aaron jomes pacheco and gurenedo. Thanks chief
Tua was a massive disappointment in Week 15. I can see moving away from him especially with Waddle being dinged and no semblance of a running game. Of the list provided, I too, prefer Stafford. The Jets defense is not what it once was. Backup plan is probably Nix.
I love Otton. I love the Bucs for fantasy. I think I prefer Strange this week. Otton has been cold of late, and the Dallas D has been on the come up.
I think I am holding Pacheco for now. Should have a bigger role with Mahomes probably missing Week 16. No need to throw that RB1 name to the wire for someone to pick up for free.
Other tight ends available henry at buffalo, ertz at home vs philly, Ferguson at home vs tampa, kmet at home.vs detroit. Still like B. Strange out of them.
Good point I can see pacheco having a bigger role this week with mahomes injury. Thing is the team I’m playing this week is stacked. He has arizona defense right now playing at carolina. His team and my team should probably be the championship game lol
Strange followed by Otton.
Penix starting for atlanta. Would you start him over stafford. Or too risky at this point of the year
No. Stafford for sure until we see what Penix brings.
Hey Matt! Onto week 16 aka the semis
Here we go!!
Lost Monty
Here are some moves I’m thinking of making on the wire
1.) drop Monty, add Kendre miller
2.) drop Monty, add Craig reynolds (he should have the Monty role)
3.) drop Ertz, add strange
4.) drop Ertz, add okonku
Thanks man & happy holidays!
Ertz isn’t my only TE; my starter is Otton
OK, you had your week off for the bye, so get back to work!
Monty injury is a killer. Hate to see that happen to the guy.
I lean Kendre over Reynolds.
I lean Strange but watch the Ertz news. He is currently in concussion protocol. Could come out of it and play Sunday. Otton is a fine starter against Dallas. He needs to get back to catching passes. Let’s go Baker!
Stiles. Question
Current line up
Rb-chase brown vs Cleveland
Rb-aaron jones at seattle
Wr-chase vs cleveland
Wr- metkalf at home vs minnesota.
Flex- Hubbard at home vs arizona
One concern is metkalf has been quiet lately. Would you switch anyone out for start guerendo at miami , Johnston at home vs denver, pacheco at home vs Houston, waddle at home vs san fran, your boy doubs at home vs new orleans
Also.which defense you like better buffalo at home vs pats or falcons at home vs gmen. Thanks boss
If you are a numbers person, then look only to the MIN defense for giving up the most points to WRs this season. That means numbers point to DK for a get right game. Miami defense is tough. Denver defense is borderline elite against WRs. Pacheco is a decent option but has not been getting the run we expected. Who knows what will happen with Mahomes Saturday? Waddle coming off injury scares me. I think GB runs early and often to shorten the game at home against NO. All of that leads me back to DK.
Falcons are coming off an elite performance on MNF but still have the fewest sacks in the league. Give me Buffalo.
What’s up Matt? Still alive. Only won by 1.2 points but still alive. I’ll be back later in week with another question but this one is for Thursday night. Would you start Nix or Tua. I survived Tua last week but can’t stomach that again. lol.
There is no difference today between 1.2 points and 100.2 points. You won and moved on! The better defense is LAC but SF is banged up all over the lineup and I like Tua for a bounce-back game with a huge game for Tyreek and Jonnu. The Dolphins simply cannot run the ball, so take the volume you get with Tua.
Stiles i have Stafford at jets, Tua at home vs san fran, and just picked up pennix at.gmen. Would i be nuts if I started pennix? I think he’s the real deal. I know he’s a rookie first game in the pros but he has the weapons and he’s playing a crappy gmen team. I feel like he’s gonna unload. Any thoughts? Also who would you start between q Johnston at home vs denver and guerrendo in miami McMillan at dallas in the flex? Thanks
I am starting Stafford of those three. Maybe Penix starts for me next week after I see what he does this week. I am not risking my playoffs chances with a rookie that has five total passes thrown in the NFL. I lean McMillan at Dallas.
Hey man!
I got strange off waivers but now I’m reading he’s dinged up
My other TE Otton is dealing with a knee issue
Brace yourself here’s the best available TEs:
– Okonkwo: @ Indy
– likely vs Pitt
– Michael Mayer vs jags
– foster Moreau @ GB
Do not panic. Strange will play. Otton will play. I lean toward Strange and am fine with playing Otton. You do not want to take the risk of any of the names you listed below Strange/Otton. You know better. Do not get cute here.
I was just thinking in case both of them were out but if they are both trending to play then sticking with that duo
Flip side & quite the pickle
Ken Walker is in my IR slot as He was out last week, I’ll need to activate him
Drop one of my two D’s;
I have bills home vs pats
Also packers d home on MNF where the low temp will be single digits playing a dome team with no kamara
Or stick with 2 D’s & drop one of
– Otton : another DNP today
– Strange
I don’t have anyone else to drop, it’s also nothing I have to decide now I can wait until Sunday
FYI week 17
Bills D gets the rejuvenated Aaron Rodgers in Buffalo
Packers d goes to Minnesota
Of course, if we find out tomorrow or Saturday that Otton is ruled out I can either drop him to activate k9, or move Otton to IR & put k9 to bench
Tough call again. I would drop defense at last possible minute unless Strange plays at which point you can drop Otton.
Good plan.