Fantasy Football Week 16: Waiver-Wire Pickups, Rankings and Stat Projections

For fantasy owners, Week 16 of the 2017 NFL season is the biggest of the year. This is the championship week, where all of your hard work and countless hours tinkering your starting lineup has finally paid off.

While it's important to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with family and friends, it's equally as important to make sure your starting lineup is updated each day and adjusted with new waiver-wire additions as seen fit.

Here, we'll take a look at each offensive positions Top 10 ranked players with their projections for Week 16, including each position's top waiver wire addition that you should look for in free agency.

This it, fantasy owners—don't give up hope for a league title. 

Note: Waiver-wire players were based on being owned in less than 60 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues. Stats and projections are based off standard Yahoo leagues.

1. Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) vs. Dallas Cowboys. Projected: 22.33 points

2. Tom Brady (New England Patriots) vs. Buffalo Bills. Projected: 21.69 points

3. Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Projected: 21.28 points

4. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) vs. Minnesota Vikings. Projected: 20.91 points

5. Philip Rivers (Los Angeles Chargers) vs. New York Jets. Projected: 18.78 points

6. Case Keenum (Minnesota Vikings) vs. Green Bay Packers: Projected: 18.69 points

7. Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) vs. Atlanta Falcons: Projected: 18.67 points

8. Jared Goff (Los Angeles Rams) vs. Tennessee Titans: Projected: 18.50 points

9. Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) vs. Seattle Seahawks: Projected: 18.50 points

10. Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) vs. Cincinnati Bengals: Projected: 18.09 points

Waiver Pickup of the Week: Nick Foles, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

It's not surprising Nick Foles didn't have a bad game in Week 15 as a replacement for the injured Carson Wentz, but it's a surprise he and the Eagles didn't miss a beat with under center.

No, seriously. Foles was fantastic this past Sunday against the New York Giants.

The former Pro Bowl MVP led the Eagles to their 12th win of the season in a 34-29 win over the 2-12 Giants, throwing for an impressive 237 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions while completing 24-of-38 passing attempts. 

Foles scored 25.48 fantasy points in standard leagues this week, the third-best fantasy quarterback performance as of Monday morning, trailing only the likes of Eli Manning and Cam Newton.

Foles is available in 26 percent of Yahoo leagues at the moment, so act quickly to scoop him up as he gets set to take on the Oakland Raiders. 

1. DeAndre Hopkins (Houston Texans) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers. Projected: 12.97 points 

2. A.J. Green (Cincinnati Bengals) vs. Detroit Lions. Projected: 11.10 points

3. Adam Thielen (Minnesota Vikings) vs. Green Bay Packers. Projected: 10.70 points

4. Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons) vs. New Orleans Saints. Projected: 10.65 points

5. Doug Baldwin (Seattle Seahawks) vs. Dallas Cowboys. Projected: 10.36 points

6. Brandin Cooks (New England Patriots) vs. Buffalo Bills. Projected: 10.27 points

7. Keenan Allen (Los Angeles Chargers) vs. New York Jets. Projected: 9.53 points

8. Michael Thomas (New Orleans Saints) vs. Atlanta Falcons. Projected: 9.52 points

9. Davante Adams (Green Bay Packers) vs. Minnesota Vikings. Projected: 9.49 points

10. Marvin Jones Jr. (Detroit Lions) vs. Cincinnati Bengals. Projected: 9.43 points

Waiver Pickup of the Week: Martavis Bryant, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

There's a good reason why Martavis Bryant is still a wide receiver in Pittsburgh and not elsewhere after some early-season drama: Bryant has serious game. 

The former Clemson Tigers standout might be overlooked in the Steelers offense at times, but he can turn a game on its head with his play and Week 15 was no exception.

Going up against the New England Patriots, Bryant hauled in 59 yards on four receptions and a touchdown, scoring 11.90 fantasy points.

Bryant will receive an uptick of field time in Week 16 as Antonio Brown is reportedly out injured with a torn calf muscle, meaning the high-flying Steelers offense will have to rely on Bryant to pick up the slack.

Owned in just 55 percent of Yahoo leagues as of Monday morning, Bryant could be the biggest sleeper in fantasy this week if given the playing time he's projected to receive next weekend.

Don't hesitate on using waiver priority on him; he won't let you down. 

1. Le'Veon Bell (Pittsburgh Steelers) vs. Houston Texans. Projected: 17.13 points

2. Todd Gurley II (Los Angeles Rams) vs. Tennessee Titans. Projected: 16.87 points

3. Alvin Kamara (New Orleans Saints) vs. Atlanta Falcons. Projected: 16.64 points

4. LeSean McCoy (Buffalo Bills) vs. New England Patriots. Projected: 15.85 points

5. Mark Ingram (New Orleans Saints) vs. Atlanta Falcons. Projected: 15.46 points

6. Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys) vs. Seattle Seahawks. Projected: 15.44 points

7. Kareem Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs) vs. Miami Dolphins. Projected: 12.32 points

8. Melvin Gordon (Los Angeles Chargers) vs. New York Jets. Projected: 12.29 points

9. Leonard Fournette (Jacksonville Jaguars) vs. San Francisco 49ers. Projected: 12.28 points

10. Devonta Freeman (Atlanta Falcons) vs. New Orleans Saints. Projected: 12.09 points

Waiver Pickup of the Week: Kerwynn Williams, RB, Arizona Cardinals

The waiver wire is thin at the running back position this late in the season, but that doesn't mean it's completely bare.

Picking up Kerwynn Williams and plugging him into your starting lineup could be a high-risk, high-reward scenario as he continues to share carries in Arizona's backfield with Adrian Peterson out for the rest of the season.

Since Peterson's injury, Williams has averaged 18 touches per game in the former MVP's three-game absence, scoring at least 6.10 fantasy points in each of the past three games. In Week 15, he rushed for 61 yards on 17 carries, outtouching fellow running back Elijhaa Penny 17-10.

Williams is owned in 35 percent of Yahoo leagues as of Monday morning, but his ownership has shot up 24 percent in the past day. He could be worth a look in a crucial championship week for your team. 

1. Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs) vs. Miami Dolphins. Projected: 11.02 points

2. Rob Gronkowski (New England Patriots) vs. Buffalo Bills. Projected: 10.46 points

3. Jimmy Graham (Seattle Seahawks) vs. Dallas Cowboys. Projected: 8.97 points

4. Zach Ertz (Philadelphia Eagles) vs. Oakland Raiders. Projected: 8.94 points

5. Greg Olsen (Carolina Panthers) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Projected: 8.80 points

6. Delanie Walker (Tennessee Titans) vs. Los Angeles Rams. Projected: 8.58 points

7. Evan Engram (New York Giants) vs. Arizona Cardinals. Projected: 7.59 points

8. Kyle Rudolph (Minnesota Vikings) vs. Green Bay Packers. Projected: 6.85 points

9. Hunter Henry (Los Angeles Chargers) vs. New York Jets. Projected: 6.73 points

10. Jack Doyle (Indianapolis Colts) vs. Baltimore Ravens. Projected: 6.72 points

Waiver Pickup of the Week: O.J. Howard, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There aren't many other fantasy players this season who force owners to pull their hair out in frustration more than rookie tight end O.J. Howard.

Howard appears to have all the tools to be a No. 1 tight end in fantasy even this early into his NFL career, but he's too inconsistent to be trusted on a weekly basis. But coming off an impressive Week 14 performance against the Detroit Lions, he is hard to pass over on the waiver wire. 

The former Crimson Tide standout hauled in 54 yards on four receptions with a touchdown, scoring 9.40 fantasy points. Howard has now recorded at least 50 yards and three receptions in three of his past four outings, scoring two touchdowns during that span.

Owned in 26 percent of Yahoo leagues, Howard will be a streaming option this week as fantasy owners struggle to find the answer at the tight end position this late in the game.

Howard could be worth a flyer in your starting lineup in Week 16 as he gets set to take on the Carolina Panthers in what could be a shootout. 

All stats and projections are courtesy of Yahoo Sports.