Week 16 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Waiver Adds: Romeo Doubs, Jalen McMillan, Jalen Coker, Calvin Austin

Welcome to FantasySP’s Week 16 fantasy football wide receiver waiver wire breakdown! Even this late in the season, there are players emerging (especially young players) who could help you win in the fantasy football playoffs. We've got a couple of two-TD darlings in Romeo Doubs and Rashod Bateman, two rookie breakouts named Jalen in Jalen McMillan and Jalen Coker, and Pittsburgh's new WR1 in Calvin Austin. Let's break them all down! 

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Week 16 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Waiver Adds

Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers (45.2% Rostered)

The fact that Doubs is under 50% rostered is a mistake by the fantasy community as a whole. When healthy, Doubs has consistently paced the Packers’ crowded WR room in routes, leading the group in route participation rate in nine of his 10 healthy games. He did so again this week, his first week back from the concussion protocol, albeit finishing well below his season average at just a 68% route participation rate. 

Of course, the big issue with Doubs has been consistently scoring points. He may consistently lead the team in routes, but that doesn't mean is unaffected by the Packers’ abundance of receiving talent. Target competition, combined with the fact that Green Bay has one of the run-heaviest offenses in the league, has meant limited volume for Doubs, who has just one game above four receptions. However, this doesn’t mean he can’t produce — he showed that on Sunday, catching three of five targets for 40 yards and two touchdowns for 17.5 Half-PPR points. 

At this time of the season, it's important to consider the matchups of players you are targeting on the waiver wire — ask yourself if there is a scenario where you will confidently start them. For Doubs, next week against the Saints might be another low-volume game, but Week 17 in Minnesota’s dome sets up as a great spot for the Packers’ passing attack. He is absolutely worth adding in anticipation of that matchup (and he’s not entirely unstartable against New Orleans, either).  

Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens (23.9% Rostered)

Just like Doubs, Bateman caught three of his five targets and scored two touchdowns on Sunday, although he did have twice as many yards with 80. This was Bateman’s second week on the season with over 20 Half-PPR points. The issue is that he also has seven games below 7.0 Half-PPR points, including a complete donut when we last saw him prior to Baltimore’s Week 14 bye. He has averaged just a 14% target share, which isn’t enough to be a consistent producer on a run-heavy team.

If we’re looking for reasons to be optimistic about Bateman, the Ravens posted a pass rate 5.8% above expected on Sunday, as they kept passing even with a big lead. However, this was just one game. And, even if it does occur, a shift in philosophy in winning games might not help Bateman’s issues as much as we'd usually expect. Plenty of his duds have come in Baltimore’s five losses, in which he has averaged just 3.8 Half-PPR points per game. 

At the end of the day, Bateman is who he is: A boom-or-bust flex option. In deep leagues, that might be enough to make him rosterable, and startable if you are in a pinch. In shallower formats, I’d rather chase someone who has a more likely path to consistent production.

Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10.9% Rostered)

McMillan followed up his breakout two-TD game in Week 14 with another solid outing this week, catching five of six targets (a 22% share) for 75 yards and a touchdown. He also tied Mike Evans for the team lead with a solid 77% route participation rate, his third straight week at that mark. 

Of course, there’s a chance that this is just a two-game hot streak for the rookie, who failed to do much of anything for the first 13 weeks of the season despite getting an opportunity with Evans sidelined. But of all players, I’m willing to buy a late-season breakout from a rookie with third-round draft capital. Especially given that the Buccaneers love to get into shootouts and have two decent matchups coming up with the Cowboys and Panthers, McMillan is someone to consider if you are looking for WR help.

Calvin Austin, Pittsburgh Steelers (4.7% Rostered)

I featured Austin in last week’s article, calling him my favorite bet to step up with George Pickens sidelined. Now, Pickens has officially been ruled out for the rest of the season, and it appears as though the Steelers plan to give Austin a shot to step in as their WR1. He posted an elite 92% route participation rate on Sunday, well clear of WR2 Van Jefferson at 77%.

Austin also tied for the team lead with five targets (a 23% share), catching all five for 65 yards. His underlying numbers weren’t bad either, as he posted a 35% air yards share and a 25% first-read target share. If you’re really desperate for help in the fantasy football semifinals, Austin could have a breakout game against the Ravens’ leaky pass defense. 

Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers (2.3% Rostered)

After missing three games with a concussion, Coker returned with a bang on Sunday. The UDFA rookie immediately put to rest any concerns that he would not be able to co-exist with Adam Thielen, catching four of six targets for 110 yards and a touchdown. 

Prior to this week, Coker had run the majority of his routes from the slot; with Thielen healthy, he split time evenly between the slot and out wide. This varied usage allowed him to post a very solid 83% route participation rate. That number was likely boosted by the fact that his fellow rookie Xavier Legette exited early with a groin injury, but Legette is now week-to-week, opening up a clear path for Coker to serve as the Panthers' WR2 down the stretch. 

For the season, Coker is now averaging 10.7 Half-PPR points per game in the five contests in which he posted at least a 60% route participation rate. He leads Carolina’s receivers with an impressive 2.21 yards per route run, which is backed up by a team-high 76.3 PFF Receiving Grade. If he can manage a decent outing against a quietly tough Cardinals defense in Week 16, he will be a very viable play for Week 17 against the Buccaneers in the fantasy championship — that is more than enough to make him worth adding.

Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasySP. Find him on Twitter @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.