Week 16 Fantasy Football Quarterback & Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups: Taylor Heinicke Leads The Way!
Heading into Week 16, there are very few good free-agent options at tight end or quarterback. Taylor Heinicke of the Commanders has played pretty well since taking over as the team’s starter once Carson Wentz got injured. At tight end, Juwon Johnson just had a two-touchdown game on Sunday making him the tight end with the second-most receiving touchdowns (7 TDs) in the NFL this season behind Travis Kelce (12 TDs). They lead the way as we take a look at the best free-agent quarterbacks and tight ends to go after as we head into the semi-finals of the fantasy football playoffs!
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Week 16 Quarterbacks To Add
QB Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons (9.75% Owned)
The Falcons opted to play Desmond Ridder on Sunday against the Saints after Marcus Mariota was sent to Injured Reserve. The rookie had a rough game in which he completed just 50% of his passes for less than 100 yards and no touchdowns. Now that he is the starting quarterback for the Falcons moving forward, he could have some solid games in the weeks to come especially after getting his rough NFL debut out of the way against a very talented defense. Hopefully, Ridder can find a more comfortable footing in his next few games than he did in Week 15 against the Saints. That said, it was encouraging to see his chemistry with rookie wideout Drake London. The two rookies hooked up seven times for 70 yards. Ridder doesn't have a whole lot of options at his disposal with Kyle Pitts out for the season but we should see him get Cordarrelle Patterson more involved in the passing game. If that is the case, he could be a worthy free-agent pickup at quarterback as he gears up for a matchup against a Baltimore Ravens team that is currently favored to win by a touchdown. That means Ridder should be slinging the rock plenty. Ridder is now available from waivers in approximately 90% of fantasy football leagues.
QB Taylor Heinicke, Washington Commanders (20.48% Owned)
Since taking over at quarterback for the Commanders this year, Taylor Heinicke has been consistently solid. Despite their 20-12 loss to the Giants in Week 15, Heinicke threw for 249 yards and one touchdown. This season, he’s completed 61.4% of his passes for 16,93 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. He is the Commanders' best option at quarterback this season and will be their starter down the stretch. With Washington facing an incredibly difficult San Francisco defense that can get after the quarterback in Week 16, don't be surprised if Ron Rivera calls some quick outs to Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel. It also helps that Washington has a very strong one-two punch in the backfield with Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson, both of whom can run after the catch. The Niners are about as complete of a football team as there is but the one place they are exploitable is at the cornerback position. Look for Heinicke to air it out in a game where Washington will need to come from behind. Right now, he is available in approximately 80% of fantasy football leagues.
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Tight Ends
TE C.J. Uzomah, New York Jets ( <1% Owned)
Out of nowhere, Uzomah had 41 receiving yards and two touchdowns against the Detroit Lions this Sunday. The former fifth-round draft pick (2015 NFL Draft) out of Auburn University is now playing for the Jets and he was one of Zach Wilson’s primary end-zone targets in Week 15. Right now you can pick Uzomah up from waivers in virtually all fantasy football leagues heading into Week 16. Although Tyler Conklin is technically the TE1 on this team, Uzomah seemed to have great chemistry with Zach Wilson. If Mike White is forced to sit again, Uzomah could easily find some open space with the opposing defense focusing so much on rookie standout Garrett Wilson. The Jets have a matchup looming with a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that just allowed 34 points to the Dallas Cowboys and allowed Peyton Hendershot to find the end zone. It doesn't hurt that the Jags allow the ninth-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends this season. This is a bit of a dart throw but if you are desperate, Uzomah has shown his ability to find paydirt.
TE Juwon Johnson, New Orleans Saints (26.85% Owned)
The Saints’ tight end had a huge game on Sunday. He had four catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns. This season, the Saints’ TE has 416 yards and seven touchdowns. Right now, Johnson is only second to Travis Kelce’s 12 touchdowns among tight ends with the most receiving touchdowns in the NFL this season. While Johnson’s yard production hasn’t been all that great this season, New Orleans’ TE keeps on finding his way into the end zone consistently throughout 2022. The Saints are fighting for their playoff lives and although they are going up against a Cleveland Browns secondary that has been stingy against opposing tight ends, Johnson has shown that he is one Andy Dalton's favorite red-zone targets.
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