Replacements: Week 16

The weekly list of preemptive additions before their fantasy emergence and candidates who could contribute due to unexpected late-week events.

Matt Waldman's Replacements: Week 16 Matt Waldman Published 12/20/2024

© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images replacements

The Way This Works...

To see this article's purpose, please refer to the intro from Week 2.

If you are reading this and don't see recommendations for a player pictured above, you haven't signed up to be a Footballguys Insider with your email making that part of the article cut off from you. All you need to do is provide your email for free access to excellent news, analysis, and strategic advice.

The Running List of Past Recommendations

I'll update this throughout the season so you have a wealth of considerations beyond my weekly recommendations. I change their standing as developments occur.

Scroll past these running lists for new suggestions.

Add Nows 

Most of these players will not be available, but you'll get a sense of who has been recommended and who to snap up if they become available. 

Preemptive

These players may not give you production this weekend, but they are worth considering because there's potential for them to deliver due to injuries or personnel changes. 

Preemptive/Monitor

You can probably wait until a compelling event creates a potential need for these players. 

Monitor

These players have the talent to contribute to your lineup immediately if elevated to a starting role. If you can't find any talent with playing opportunities to have at the end of your roster, it's worth adding 1-2 of these options in case injury strikes, and you can beat the demand on the waiver wire. 

Forget (For Now...)

They have too many players ahead of them on their depth charts to earn an impact anytime soon. Or they suffered an injury. 

Add Now: WR Malik Washington, Dolphins

The Skinny on Washington: The rookie from Virginia is an excellent runner after the catch with enough speed to earn separation in the vertical game. Learning the slot and flanker roles in Mike McDaniel's offense isn't easy, so Washington's acclimation was slow this summer. 

As the year progressed, Washington managed to earn a steady 15-20 snaps between Weeks 4-10. In recent weeks, those snaps have increased to 30-40 with Odell Beckham Jr out of the picture and Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle ailing. 

Recommendation: Waddle hasn't practiced this week and it could make Washington the third or fourth option in the passing game, depending on the play call. If he takes over Waddle's role, it could make him the first or second on enough targets that he earns a minimum of 4-6 targets, 3-5 catches, and 30-50 yards. 

Because Washington can break tackles, there's touchdown potential. If you're desperate, Washington could give you a reasonable floor of PPR value with a hint of high upside. 

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Photos provided by Imagn Images

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