With the first round in the books, the fantasy playoffs move on to the semifinals in week sixteen. All fantasy managers still alive at this stage deserve a hearty applause as it is truly an accomplishment! However, the celebration must be short lived, and all involved must prepare for what’s to come. The right to advance to the championship is on the line. There were more injuries in week fifteen and they simply keep piling up. Managers almost certainly need to fortify the roster. Fortunately, that is where this fantasy football semifinals waivers edition comes into play. I can clearly feel the excitement in the air, so no further delays will spoil the fun. Just remember that as has been the case all season, all ownership percentages come from ESPN.

Top Semi Final Running Back Waiver Pickups

Marlon Mack, Denver Broncos, 5.8% Owned

At times, even back up running backs can’t be ignored. Such is the case with Marlon Mack. While clearly the number two in Denver, Mack has provided some big plays for the Broncos over the past two weeks. For instance, Mack rushed the ball five times for 37 yards and a touchdown Sunday against the Cardinals. He also caught all four targets for another 26 yards. For those counting at home, Mack has now scored a touchdown in his last two games.

In those contests, Mack has averaged 5.0 and 7.4 yards per carry. Such totals will keep him on the field. Best of all, he has scored 18 and 15 fantasy points. That kind of production simply can’t be ignored, no matter what position a player is on the depth chart.

There is every reason to believe such a performance will continue in week 16 with the train wreck Rams next up, even though Los Angeles has a top ten rush defense. Mack’s ability to catch the football and his wide availability make him an attractive waiver prospect this week.

James Cook, Buffalo Bills, 47.3% Owned

Obviously, James Cook will not be available in all leagues. Even so, managers need to check his availability anyway with the matchup upcoming. That would be Chicago, and the Bears rank an awful 29th against the run.

As for the game against Miami, Cook rushed the ball five times for 34 yards. In the passing game, Cook caught two of three targets for five additional yards. Minimal production to be sure until you factor in one of the catches went for a touchdown.

Bottom line: Cook finished with 11 fantasy points, the second time in his last three games he’s had double digits in points. With the Bears next up, he has both a high floor and a high ceiling. No other thoughts are necessary: add him if running back is a roster weakness.

Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears, 27.5% Owned

To be honest, running back options are extremely limited on the wire at this point in the season. If the position is a need, consider Khalil Herbert. To play against Buffalo, he will have to be activated off injured reserve. At this point, the chances look good of that happening.

If it does, Herbert has had some productive games this year, with five games of ten or more fantasy points. He has four rushing touchdowns and one TD catch. No question, David Montgomery is the lead Chicago back and has scored a touchdown in three of his last four games. Even so, both Herbert and Montgomery can be effective in the same backfield.

Buffalo is just outside the top ten defenses against running backs, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from adding Herbert to their rosters if he’s active this week.

Another running back worth considering:

If Herbert isn’t playing, Tyler Allgeier (33.5% owned) is an option. He’s coming off a huge game against New Orleans, with 139 rushing yards and a touchdown. He has Cordarrelle Patterson as a backfield mate, but both can be effective against Baltimore.

Top Semi Final Wide Receiver Waiver Pickups

Marquise Goodwin, Seattle Seahawks, 1% Owned

It has often been said that the misfortune for one leads to fortune for another. Such is the case when considering Seattle’s Marquise Goodwin. Thursday night not only did the Seahawks lose to their hated division rival 49ers, but they lost elite wide receiver Tyler Lockett to a broken index finger. It is not yet known exactly how long Lockett will be out, but he will certainly miss Seattle’s game against Kansas City this weekend.

For reference of what Goodwin is capable of, look to Seattle’s game against Carolina. Even with Lockett in the lineup, Goodwin caught five of six targets for 95 yards and a touchdown. He was credited with an outstanding 20 fantasy points. Even with both Lockett and DK Metcalf playing at the top of their games the past two weeks, Goodwin has received 11 targets.

Goodwin’s floor and ceiling are both extremely high going up against the Chiefs in week sixteen. Kansas City ranks a lowly 29th against fantasy receivers. It is certainly possible that Goodwin will match those mentioned 11 targets in this game alone.

The Seahawks season is just about in the can, but Goodwin looks to fly high in this matchup. He is universally available and has upside like no one else on the wire. Adding him should be of the utmost importance of anyone needing receiver help.

Chris Moore, Houston Texans, 16.2% Owned

After simply being featured in last week’s edition, Chris Moore moves near the top of the wide receiver recommendation list on this fantasy football semifinals waivers edition. The biggest reason for this is that his opponent this next round is Tennessee, which just happen to rank dead last in fantasy against the wide receiver position.

In the game against the Chiefs, Moore was targeted nine times. He and the quarterback weren’t nearly on the same page as the previous game against Dallas, as all of those targets only resulted in four catches. Even so, the potential is obvious.

Moore now has 20 targets in his last two games. Even on a terrible Texan team, Moore has tremendous fantasy value going up against the Titans. Simply stated, adding him makes sense on this fantasy football semifinals waivers edition.

DJ Chark, Detroit Lions, 30.4% Owned

There is just no stopping DJ Chark, as he makes a third consecutive appearance in these waiver pickups articles. Check out last week’s article here. He will continue to appear until the Lions can no longer feast on liable defenses or he is no longer widely available on the wire.

Clearly, there’s nothing to Chark’s performance against the Jets to warrant such praise. He was only targeted twice with a single catch. Simply close your eyes on that hiccup and focus on what he accomplished in his previous two games: 11 catches in 13 targets for 192 yards and a touchdown. Everyone knew the Jets were a bad matchup for Chark and his fellow wide receivers. Turning the page and moving on is the smart play here.

Fortunately, a terrible defense is in place this week to launch Chark back to those heights with the Panthers next up. Carolina ranks a woeful 23rd against fantasy receivers. You know what to do: the Lions are an excellent offensive team and Chark is a major part of it. Add him if roster needs dictate it.

Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns, 48% Owned

With Donovan Peoples-Jones right at the 50 percent owned mark, he may not be available in all leagues. Checking to see if his mere presence exists is a highly recommended action, however. Peoples-Jones has been an extremely effective receiver this season, regardless of who is throwing him the ball. Over the past nine weeks, he has hit double digits in fantasy points eight times. Over his past five games, Peoples-Jones has hit at least 17 fantasy points in three.

Obviously, that is a fantastic floor to work with in any playoff matchup. Against Baltimore, he caught all four targets for 31 yards and a touchdown and finished with 13 fantasy points. It is in his previous game against Cincinatti that shows what Peoples-Jones is really capable of. In that Browns-Bengals game, he was targeted 12 times, catching eight for 114 yards. The really good news is that he scored 21 fantasy points.

The team next for Cleveland is New Orleans. The Saints rank 18th against receivers and 21st against quarterbacks. Deshaun Watson and Peoples-Jones should be able to produce quality stats against them. if available, adding Peoples-Jones is a sure fire call on this fantasy football semifinals waivers edition.

Top Semi Final Tight Ends Waiver Pickups

Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans, 14.3% Owned

Without any doubt, one of the most fun activities this past week was trying to figure out how to spell Chigoziem Okonkwo, let alone how to pronounce it. Doing so will be a requirement for fantasy managers going forward, as Okonkwo looks to be the real thing. Over his past four games, he has at least five targets in every one of them. He has shown big play ability this year, as he has catches of 48, 41 and 31 yards.

In the game Sunday against the Chargers, Okonkwo caught four of five targets for 54 yards. He also had a carry, the second straight game getting to run with the football. In the last three games, Okonkwo has scored at least 1o fantasy points in two games. This past game in LA, he just missed double figures with nine. That is a nice fantasy floor.

As has been mentioned many, many times this season, the tight end position is like a barren desert. Any player with Okonkwo’s resume and availability simply can’t be ignored. Unless you are one of the real lucky ones, tight end is a roster problem. Adding Okonkwo will almost certainly solve it.

NOTE:

No other tight ends have any reason to be mentioned in this fantasy football semifinals waivers edition. Hopefully, all managers still alive have enough at the position to steer clear of the waiver wire any further than Okonkwo above.

Top Semi Final Quarterback Waiver Pickups

Brock Purdy, San Fransisco 49ers, 19.6% Owned

If there ever was a doubt about Brock Purdy, it is time to put them to rest. All two quarterback leagues and anyone with an issue at the position need to add the man who has yet to lose an NFL game. Not only has he not lost, but he is also putting up good numbers for one of the hottest teams in the league. It doesn’t matter that he was the last pick of last year’s draft. His stats measure up to just about any veteran quarterback out there.

In the first three games of his career, Purdy has six touchdowns and a single interception, which he threw in his first game. He is completing 69.7 percent of his passes. He doesn’t put up yards in bunches, but that isn’t necessary for him to be an effective passer, both in the real and fantasy worlds. Against Seattle Thursday, Purdy completed 17 of 26 passes for 217 yards and, of course, the two touchdowns, leading the 49ers to a 21-13 victory. The win clinches the NFC West title for San Fransisco.

The going won’t be so easy this week against Washington, which ranks middle of the road against fantasy QBs. That shouldn’t sway anyone from claiming him, however. Getting his ownership percentage much higher is a priority on this fantasy football semifinals waivers edition.

Daniel Jones, New York Giants, 50% Owned

At this point, any quarterback that goes up against the terrible Minnesota defense has to be featured. Even though the Vikings escaped Indianapolis with an NFL record comeback, they still allowed 36 points. This week, that quarterback is Daniel Jones. No question about it, The Colts are not known as an offensive powerhouse, so attention to the Giants and their quarterback must be paid this weekend.

Looking at his past game against rival Washington Sunday night, Jones completed 21 of 32 passes for 160 yards. He also carried the ball ten times for another 35 yards. The best statistic of the day, however, is that Jones didn’t turn the ball over as the Giants beat the Commanders 20-12. Not giving the ball away is certainly a pattern for Jones, as he has just one game in his last 11 that he has thrown an interception and has one fumble lost in his last eight.

Jones didn’t throw for a touchdown against Washington, but he came into the game with at least one in five straight. As mentioned above, the biggest reason to add Jones is Minnesota loams. They are loathsome against quarterbacks, as they check in at 28th versus the position. In two quarterback leagues or if injuries are a roster problem, Jones can be the answer, if only for this week. Advancing is all that counts right now, so get to the wire and add Jones if the need requires it.

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions, 29.6% Owned

After facing the top five defense against quarterbacks in the New York Jets, Jared Goff gets a much easier assignment this week against the 19th ranked Carolina Panthers. It is hard to believe that as hot as Goff has been, he is still hovering right around 50 percent owned in ESPN leagues. Going up against Carolina, that percentage needs to change and quickly.

Against that Jet defense, Goff fared well, as he completed 23 of 38 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown. Goff has now thrown eight TD passes in his past four games and hasn’t thrown an interception since week nine against Green Bay. He has been as consistent a fantasy scorer as can be found at the position over the past four weeks.

His fantasy floor and ceiling are through the roof. Having Goff as your quarterback in a semifinal matchup would have seemed like gibberish not too long ago. Not the case now. If he is present on the waiver wire, adding him would be a smart, savvy move by any fantasy manager.

The Last Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy football semifinals waivers edition! As always, I welcome any and all suggestions, comments and input from my readers. Let’s discuss! Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Tune in for the Belly Up Fantasy Live Preview Show every Sunday morning at 11 AM EST on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or BellyUpTV. Be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy for all the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and the latest sports news! 

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