Week 16 Waiver Wire: Breakout Fantasy Football Pickups from Sunday's Box Scores

Jerome Ford will start and end the 2024 NFL regular season with an elevated fantasy football stock.

Ford will take over as the Cleveland Browns' primary ball carrier with Nick Chubb once again out injured.

Ford will be one of the most popular waiver-wire pickups across any position going into Week 16.

He is not the only running back worth taking a look at, especially if you are in a points-per-reception league.

The most-wanted wide receiver and tight end going into Week 16 have been affected by injury situations on their own teams.

Malik Washington's playing time could be increase if Jaylen Waddle is out for any time, while Brenton Strange thrived in Evan Engram's role on Sunday.

Jerome Ford should be the most added running back off the waiver wire ahead of Week 16.

Ford will once again take over the starting running back role in Cleveland with Nick Chubb out injured. Chubb suffered a broken foot on Sunday. He missed the start of the season as part of his recovery from a torn ACL.

Ford ran for 84 yards on seven carries and hauled in both of his targets for 20 yards in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs.

He has some decent matchups coming up against Cincinnati in Week 16 and Miami in Week 17 that could turn him into a difference-maker in fantasy football lineups.

If anything, the amount of touches will be there for Ford in Weeks 16 and 17, which has to intrigue fantasy players in need of running backs.

Malik Washington burst on to the scene with five catches on six targets for 52 yards on Sunday.

Washington experienced an uptick in production with Jaylen Waddle off the field for the second half against the Houston Texans.

Waddle spent most of the second half on the sideline with a knee injury, but he did not return to the field.

Washington is worth the waiver-wire flier right now because he would take over Waddle's snaps if he misses any time.

You could even hold on to Washington for Week 17 in case Miami is eliminated from the playoffs and decides to rest Waddle and Tyreek Hill.

Brenton Strange earned season highs in targets, catches and receiving yards on Sunday.

The second-year player out of Penn State thrived in the Evan Engram role and showed off a strong connection with Mac Jones.

With Engram out for the season, Strange should see a significant increase across all receiving categories.

He may not have 11 receptions on 12 targets again, like he did in Week 15, but he should compete for the most targets inside the Jaguars offense moving forward.

Jacksonville plays the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans in the next two weeks, so Strange could be a solid pickup for fantasy players in need of a tight end in the championship weeks of the fantasy postseason.

Tyjae Spears is the points-per-reception league alternative to Ford as a replacement for Chubb.

The Tennessee Titans running back caught six of his seven targets for 87 yards and a score. He also ran the ball in for a touchdown.

Spears will not have much rushing production because of Tony Pollard's presence inside the Titans offense, but he is a valuable piece of the passing game.

Spears is a solid checkdown option for whomever starts at quarterback in the next three weeks, whether it be Mason Rudolph or Will Levis.

Spears' role is quarterback-proof and he would be a strong FLEX or RB3 option if you prefer to use a reliable pass-catcher in that role.