Week 16 Waiver Wire: Fantasy Football's Top Pickups and Breakout Candidates
Are you advancing in the playoffs in your fantasy league? Do you have the players you need to go all the way?
If not, fear not: There are some players likely available on waivers in your league who can break games wide open, and the cat is going to be out of the bag on most of them come Monday morning.
But if you can get your request in early and you have a favorable waiver position, you can possibly add someone like Green Bay's Ty Montgomery to your squad, who blew up the league in Week 15.
Here are some suggestions to guide you as you peruse the waiver wire ahead of the Week 16 matchups.
The following players are owned in fewer than 60 percent of Yahoo leagues and are worth considering for your lineup in Week 16.
| Colin Kaepernick | SF | @LA | 33% |
| Joe Flacco | BAL | @PIT | 29% |
| Ty Montgomery | GB | MIN | 59% |
| Derrick Henry | TEN | @JAC | 44% |
| Tyler Lockett | SEA | ARI | 43% |
| Travis Benjamin | SD | @CLE | 51% |
| Ladarius Green | PIT | BAL | 57% |
| Charles Clay | BUF | MIA | 12% |
Ty Montgomery, RB, Green Bay Packers
The Packers' Ty Montgomery is a true running back now, despite the No. 88 he wears. And he literally hit the ground running on Sunday in Chicago to prove to everyone what he can do.
In truth, Montgomery has been taking more snaps as a running back than a wide receiver for a few weeks now, but Packers coach Mike McCarthy has still seemed hesitant to feature him.
That wasn't the case on Sunday, as Montgomery had 16 carries for a whopping 162 yards. He also found the end zone twice.
His teammate Christine Michael, with whom he has been splitting attempts, carried the rock just four times, though he also had a score of his own.
Pro Football Focus' Gordon McGuinness had some details on just how dominant Montgomery's rushing performance was against Chicago, despite the fact that he doesn't even have a full season under his back as an NFL rusher:
At 59 percent ownership in Yahoo leagues, the secret is out on Montgomery, who just barely qualifies for inclusion in this article. Run, don't walk, to submit a waiver request for him in Week 16.
Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle's Tyler Lockett has had a mercurial season, coming in 54th in overall scoring among fantasy receivers this season, per Yahoo scoring.
However, some of those weeks he's fared much, much better than others. For instance, Lockett had 26 points against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15, which vaulted him into the top five in scoring among wideouts ahead of Sunday Night Football.
But he's had other weeks where he's only managed to put up four or five points.
It's always frustrating to own a player like Lockett, who is either lighting it up on your bench or stinking it up on your roster, and you never know which will happen from week to week.
But the Seahawk is definitely worth consideration heading into Week 16, when Seattle takes on the Arizona Cardinals. That's especially the case given the string of recent success Lockett has enjoyed; he scored 24.80 points just two weeks ago.
Charles Clay, TE, Buffalo Bills
Bills tight end Charles Clay was by far the highest-scoring tight end in fantasy in Week 15, earning 20.20 points thanks to his 72 yards on seven receptions and touchdown against the Cleveland Browns.
It was a bit of a surprise for Clay, who doesn't even crack the top 25 in fantasy points scored among tight ends this season.
But it was his second straight week with an above-average effort, coming off 14.20 points scored against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14.
It was also Clay's second consecutive week with a touchdown, though they are his only two scores of the season.
What caused the switch to flip on for Clay? Bills TV Network sideline reporter Mike Catalana joked that it was the Bills' plan all along to save Clay for December:
Whatever the reason, Clay has been one of the hottest tight ends in football this month and is definitely worth a look for Week 16.
Scoring stats and ownership stats via Yahoo Sports and current as of Dec. 4.
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