Week 16 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Options at WR and TE: Joshua Palmer, Curtis Samuel, Noah Brown, Hunter Henry, Tucker Kraft and More

Week 15 of the NFL season is almost in the books, so it’s time to start looking ahead to waiver wire options for week 16.

Because a number of fantasy leagues have started the playoffs now, I’m going to bump the own percentage to 70 or below for this discussion. We’ll take a look at some options at wide receiver and tight end after looking at quarterbacks and running backs earlier today.

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Wide Receiver Options

This week, let’s take a look at Las Vegas Raiders’ Tre Tucker, Los Angeles Chargers’ Joshua Palmer, Washington Commanders’ Curtis Samuel, Houston Texans’ Noah Brown and Green Bay Packers’ Dontayvion Wicks.

Tucker hadn’t done much for the Raiders coming into week 15, but erupted for 59 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a lopsided win over the Chargers. He ended up catching 3-of-4 targets on the day.

Tucker had only topped 50 yards twice this season coming into the game, and the last time was in early November. He’d never finished with more than two catches in a game until this past week.

As the Raiders look toward the future, maybe Tucker is a guy they will try to involve more down the stretch. His next game will be against the Kansas City Chiefs. That’s a pretty tough matchup for Tucker.

Palmer was one of the few bright spots for the Chargers in their loss. Palmer finished with 113 yards and a touchdown on four catches and targets in his first game off the injured reserve list. Palmer’s day was boosted by a 79-yard touchdown.

The wideout topped 100 yards for the second time this season, and also scored his second touchdown.

Palmer might not have Justin Herbert throwing him the ball any longer, but the Chargers will probably pass a bunch down the stretch of the season because they are likely going to fall behind early. His next game is against the Buffalo Bills, which is a below-average matchup on paper.

Samuel had an average fantasy day boosted by a pair of touchdown catches in week 15. He finished with 41 yards and two scores on five grabs and nine targets.

Samuel matched his season total in touchdowns during the contest. He’s now had 18 receptions over the past three games.

The next matchup for Samuel is a really tough one, as the Commanders will be facing the New York Jets.

Down Nico Collins and Tank Dell, Brown took advantage in the Texans’ overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans. Brown finished with eight catches on 11 targets, going for 82 yards and a touchdown.

Brown hadn’t caught a pass across seven targets since returning from an injury in late November. It was his second touchdown grab of the season, and the eight receptions was also a new season high.

He’ll face the Cleveland Browns next, which is another tough matchup. 

Wicks turned in his best game as a pro, catching 6-of-7 targets for 97 yards on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He set new highs in catches, targets and yards during the loss.

Wicks took advantage of Christian Watson’s absence. The Packers might also be without Jayden Reed next week if his toe injury keeps him out. The Packers play the Carolina Panthers, which is another tough matchup on receivers.

A couple of these guys (Wicks, Brown) could have their fantasy outlooks greatly boosted if wideouts on their team miss time. It’s tough to say who will be in and out next weekend, so I’ll play things as safe as possible in my picks.

I’d take Palmer for my top pick - the possible return of Keenan Allen doesn’t scare me off Palmer. I’d roll with Brown next - he should have a role in the Texans’ offense even with Collins back.

I like Samuel next - he really should go higher, but his consistency scares me to taking him third. I’d take Wicks next - he appears to be emerging as a playmaker for the Packers, and I don’t think it’ll decrease too much when the team is at full health. That leaves Tucker - I simply haven’t seen enough from him to take him higher.

Tight End Options

At the tight end position, let’s check out New England Patriots’ Hunter Henry, Green Bay’s Tucker Kraft, Arizona Cardinals’ Elijah Higgins, Las Vegas’ Michael Mayer, New Orleans Saints’ Juwan Johnson, Indianapolis Colts’ Mo Alie-Cox and Cincinnati Bengals’ Tanner Hudson.

Henry had a second straight strong fantasy outing, catching 7-of-9 targets for 66 yards and a touchdown. He now has three touchdowns over the past two weeks, but just 106 total yards.

Henry and the Pats take on the Denver Broncos next, which sets up as a great matchup.

Kraft had another solid outing for the Packers, catching four passes for 57 yards and a touchdown on six targets. The rookie has at least three catches in each of the past three weeks, and has topped 50 yards the past two contests.

Kraft and the Pack take on the Panthers this coming week, which is a tough matchup for the TE.

Higgins easily had his best game of the season, making four catches on as many targets for 44 yards and a score.

Higgins had just four catches coming into the game, which had gone for only 49 yards. The touchdown was also his first of the year.

It’s tough for two tight ends to put up solid numbers in the same offense, and Trey McBride eats up a ton of looks in the passing game overall. The Cardinals lack a ton of consistent pass catchers, so maybe Higgins can be one down the stretch.

The Cards face the Chicago Bears next, which is a pretty average matchup on paper.

Mayer didn’t jump off the page in the team’s lopsided win over the Chargers, but he did haul in a touchdown. The rookie TE also had 39 yards on four catches and five targets. It was Mayer’s best game in about a month.

Mayer will look to keep things rolling against the Chiefs, which sets up as a tough matchup.

Johnson caught just two passes for the Saints in their win over the New York Giants, but scored once to deliver a decent fantasy outing. Johnson had 38 yards and the score on two catches and targets overall.

Johnson still has not topped 50 yards on the season, and remains pretty TD dependent in order to put up a decent amount of fantasy points. He’ll face the Los Angeles Rams next, which is a favorable matchup on paper.

Alie-Cox caught a touchdown for a second straight week, which pretty much means he’s been one of the better fantasy TEs the past two weeks. He finished with 21 yards and the score on two grabs and three targets in week 15.

Alie-Cox has not gone over 35 receiving yards in a game, but now has three TDs. His three targets this past week were a season high. He’ll go up against the Atlanta Falcons in week 16, which is another more favorable matchup on paper.

Hudson was solid again for Cincy in their overtime win over the Minnesota Vikings. He caught all five of his targets for 49 yards.

He hasn’t dazzled this season, but Hudson has pretty consistently had between 7.5-10 PPR fantasy points since week 9. Hudson and the Bengals take on the Pittsburgh Steelers next week, which is an average matchup.

This isn’t the greatest list of TEs, but they might be your only options. I’d prioritize their roles in their offense over a one-week showing.

I like Henry the best of the group, followed closely by Kraft. I think those two have the best chance to score next week.

Hudson is third for me, and then Mayer is after him. Those two have been more consistently involved than the final three guys. I’d take a gamble on Higgins next, and wrap things up with Johnson and then Alie-Cox.