Week 16 Waiver Wire: Fantasy Football's Top Pickups and Breakout Candidates

With two prime-time games left in the NFL season, Week 15 has continued to deliver exciting action, including the largest comeback in NFL history in the Minnesota Vikings' incredible win over the Indianapolis Colts, a duel in the snow between the division rival Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins, the Jacksonville Jaguars downing the Dallas Cowboys in overtime, and arguably the wildest final play of the NFL season in the Las Vegas Raiders' walk-off win against the New England Patriots.

Although fantasy managers competing in their league championships (or consolation brackets) may want to ride with the team that got them there, many may be searching the waiver wire for some last-minute additions to give them an edge over their opponents or provide injury support. That's why we're here to help.

We'll discuss three players who had impressive performances in Week 15 and could be considerations for managers as they make final roster adjustments.

For our purposes, for a player to be considered a breakout contender, he must be rostered in 40 percent of leagues or less.

Rostered: 37 percent

Week 15 stats: 17 att, 139 rush yds, 22.60 pts

While Week 15 was full of impressive performances, arguably no one made more of a splash than Tyler Allgeier.

Although the Falcons lost to the rival Saints, Allgeier took on the lead running back role with gusto, rushing for 139 yards on 17 carries with one rushing touchdown (his contribution through the air was less impressive, notching one reception on one target for minus-three yards). That was good for 22.60 points in PPR leagues.

The 2022 fifth-round pick has a tough matchup ahead of him as the Falcons take on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16. The Ravens defense has been stingy against the run, ranking fourth in average points per game allowed to running backs, per the Football Database.

However, the Falcons will be spending the rest of the season breaking in rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder, and Atlanta will likely be leaning on the run as it works to make Ridder more comfortable.

Starting running backs are hard to find this late in the season. If you're searching for a replacement at the position, Allgeier is likely to see the volume and opportunities that would make a pickup worthwhile.

Rostered: 2 percent

Week 15 stats: 24 att, 81 rush yds, 8.1 pts

Zack Moss is a name many fantasy managers haven't thought about in a long time. However, injuries may have made Moss relevant once again.

During Saturday's game between the Vikings and Colts, Indianapolis starting running back Jonathan Taylor left the game during the first offensive series with a right ankle injury. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game, and initial tests have indicated that he has a sprained ankle.

Following Taylor's injury, Moss took on the lead back role for the remainder of the game, rushing for 81 yards on 24 carries.

Taylor's status for Week 16 is unclear at this point; while a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the injury was "nothing major," he will need additional testing before his status is determined. The Colts running backs have a favorable matchup this week, however, against the Los Angeles Chargers, who rank fifth-worst in average points per game allowed to running backs, per the Football Database.

If Taylor is unable to play, Moss, who was the odd man out in the Buffalo Bills backfield prior to his trade to the Colts at the deadline this year, might be set up for a productive week. Consider picking him up and stashing him while you keep an eye on Taylor's playing status throughout the week.

Rostered: 2 percent

Week 15 stats: 6 rec, 49 rec yds, 2 TD, 22.90 pts

The Cowboys may have lost in stunning fashion Sunday, coughing up a large lead to the Jaguars before being shocked in overtime with a 40-34 loss, but all is not lost for Cowboys fans, especially in the eyes of fantasy managers.

While receiver CeeDee Lamb led the team in yards with 126 yards on seven catches (with seven targets), it was teammate Noah Brown who led the team in fantasy points, collecting 22.9 points with six receptions for 49 yards and two touchdowns. While that may seem like an aberration padded by the scores, Brown also led the team with nine targets, showing that he has quarterback Dak Prescott's trust.

Michael Gallup, the presumed WR2 for the Cowboys this year, has been working his way back from an ACL tear last year and has been overall ineffective since his return to the lineup in Week 4 (despite a two-touchdown outing in Week 13). On Sunday, he had one reception for two yards on two targets.

The Cowboys did sign T.Y. Hilton this week and are said to be in the running to sign Odell Beckham Jr. However, as the team works to integrate Hilton into the game plan, look for Brown to continue to see a larger share of targets while the Cowboys look to lock up a playoff berth in Week 16 against their division rival Philadelphia Eagles.

Scoring figures and rostered percentages via FantasyPros