If you’re still alive in Week 16 Fantasy Football, you shouldn’t need a desperation RB2 / Flex play. Yet, with injuries piling up, and many owners now playing in deeper leagues with larger rosters, many of us (myself including) are scrambling.
Personally, in my most important league, I am coming off a Bye (cool flex)… but a slew of injuries has led me to the Week 16 Waiver Wire Dumpster Fire in hopes of striking gold.
I currently have Kimani Vidal or Chuba Hubbard as my lead RB2 option, and I’m craving more juice. Thus, I am holding a magnifying glass up to the Week 16 Outlooks of Michael Carter vs. Jawhar Jordan vs. Audric Estime.
If you’re in similarly dire straits, come along for this journey into the trash heap. Let’s dive deep into the sewage and find out who to add and stream in Week 16 Fantasy Football.
Should you add Michael Carter? Week 16 Fantasy Outlook
While none of these options are pretty, I won’t bury the lede: Michael Carter is the top priority RB on the Week 16 Waiver Wire.
Granted, just the thought of this Cardinals backfield might make you puke. Across decades of playing fantasy football, I’m not sure I’ve encountered a more hellish or volatile collection of mediocre-to-awful backs playing whack-a-mole for weekly viability.
Yet, to close out 2025 fantasy football, Carter appears set for the largest role, and his path to decent fantasy production appears clear.
That’s because Bam Knight suffered “a bad ankle sprain” that required him to be carted off. He is undergoing an MRI today to confirm the diagnosis, but is “unlikely to play for at least this week.” In all honesty, I expect him to miss the rest of 2025.
In Knight’s absence last week, Carter monopolized the backfield, playing 79% of the snaps, 78% of the RB Rush attempts, and running a healthy 72% of the routes. He ultimately posted 18 touches (4 catches) and 94 YFS, good for 13.4 PPR FPs & an RB19 finish.
Per PFF’s Nathan Jahnke’s Immediate Takeaways column, it’s clear Carter was the absolute focal point of the backfield last week:
We’ve only seen one other game with Carter seeing above 65% of the rushes. This happened in Week 5, following Trey Benson‘s injury. During this game, Carter posted 23 touches (5 receptions), 73 YFS, and 1 TD — good for 18.3 PPR FPs and an RB9 finish.
Granted, despite that solid fantasy finish, Carter was extremely inefficient with his work. Immediately, he was phased out in favor of Knight.
Additionally, Emari Demercado has been recovering from an ankle sprain of his own, and shouldered just 11% of the snaps in his Week 15 return. It’s very likely Demercado will see his workload ramped up. If I were to bet on just talent, Demercado would be the pick, as he’s looked explosive and efficient whenever given the opportunity.
Yet, Carter’s Week 15 monopolization cannot be overlooked. He should be the presumed starter entering Week 16, which has yielded low-end RB2 value most weeks. Prior to Week 15, Knight had just ripped off 14.5, 13.2, 16.8, and 6.4 FP days, good for RB17, RB15, RB13, and RB40.
Stir in Carter’s RB19 finish in Week 15, and you have a Top-20 RB in four of the last five games for the Cardinals. Based on the usage trends, Carter should be the favorite to carry the torch this week. The. Cardinals rank fourth in the NFL in plays per game (65.1), and Carter should be in for 60% of those. That volume alone makes him starter-worthy.
Best of all, Carter and the Cardinal’s RB schedule is soft for these final two weeks. First, he dances with the Falcons, who surrender the 14th most FPs (21 Half PPR FPPG).
If Carter does enough to propel you to your championship, he’ll be squaring off with the Bengals in Week 17, who give up THE MOST FPs to RBs in the league (28.3 Half PPR FPPG). Carter would legit have low-end RB1 upside if he’s seeing 65-70% of the work in this matchup.
Thus, Carter is a “blow everything” type of FAAB guy for the RB-needy. Even if you’re just trying to block your opponent(s), Carter is the Week 16 Waiver Wire priority.
Should you add Jawhar Jordan? Week 16 Fantasy Outlook
Prioritizing a creature named Jawhar Jordan may feel silly, considering he just got reverted back to the Texans’ practice squad. Yet, rumblings out of Houston suggest that move was just procedural, and Jordan should be active once again on Sunday.
That’ll especially be true if both Woody Marks and Nick Chubb are forced to miss Week 16, where a juicy date with the Raiders’ piss-poor defense awaits.
Granted, Demeco Ryans exclaimed Marks “should be fine” and “could have returned to the game” if he was needed. At the time of his injury, the Texans were up 17 points and steamrolling the Cardinals.
Ultimately, Jawhar proved fully capable of holding down the fort. He racked up 17 touches and posted 118 YFS, finishing as the RB16 for the week. Jordan also became the Texans’ first RB to hit 100 rushing yards on the year.
The advanced analytics look solid, too. He rushed for 46 yards over expectation, with 80 yards coming after contact, second most by a Texans rusher all year. In fact, this was the most rushing yards by a Texans RB in a debut game ever. He forced seven missed tackles, tied for most among Texans rushers in a game this year.
Jordan’s usage was solid too. After Marks left the game, Jordan handled 54% of the snaps and 72% of the attempts. Dare Ogunbowale played more of the pass downs, limiting Jordan to a 35% route participation rate. Per Jahnke:
While the immediate practice squad demotion seems sketchy, don’t overreact. Jordan is beloved by his teammates and coaching staff, and looks far better than Chubb has at any point. It’s speculated to be just a procedural move.
Demeco Ryans was certainly excited for Jordan, heaping praise on the second-year RB:
“Jawhar did an outstanding job for us. For the young man to come in for his first game to have a debut like he had, he broke a record—most yards as a Texan in a debut game. Showed the explosiveness & speed that we’ve seen in practice. It’s about you taking advantage of that moment & not looking back, and I thought Jawhar handled it very well.”
CJ Stroud was similarly positive, noting, “Jawhar is my dawg, somebody who I got to see come in and put in work and been making plays for a long time at practice, in [training] camp, preseason games…He gets a shot today, and I thought he took full advantage.
“I’m not really surprised because I know how good he is,” Stroud continued of Jordan. “I thought he stepped up big for us and super proud of him. He’s been a baller. I think he’s going to keep going.””
Granted, Jordan wasn’t the most tantalizing prospect. He’s undersized at just 5’10” and 193 lbs, which makes his 4.56 forty-yard dash even less impressive. His weight-adjusted speed score ranks in the 25th percentile.
Yet, Jordan’s calling card was his vision and cuts. His strengths according to NFL.com:
- Excellent job of steering blocks and hiding behind them.
- Eyes and feet are linked for instant process-to-action transition.
- Plants and cuts at very crisp angles heading downhill.
- Becomes more elusive as the run gets past second level.
- Lacks size in blitz pickup but has the dog in him to do it.
- Productive working wheel and seam routes out of backfield.
Given this list, it’s unsurprising Jordan is a glove-like fit for a zone scheme. This is the Texans bread-and-butter in Nick Caley‘s Rams-inspired offense. On Sunday, Jordan racked up 84 yards on 8 outside zone carries.
Ultimately, Jordan could absolutely be a one-hit wonder who we never hear from again. Yet, Marks seemingly leaves every game with an injury, and Chubb is no lock to return. Thus, Jordan could play, at minimum, a complementary role against an awful Raiders’ run defense.
The Raiders have surrendered the 10th most FPs to RBs on the year, but have been especially generous lately. They gave up 32 Half PPR FPs to the Browns in Week 12, 31 FPs to the Hampton-less Chargers in Week 13, 19 FPs to RJ Harvey in Week 14, and 16.2 FPs to Saquon Barkley last week. This would be a dream spot for any RB who’s seeing meaningful volume.
The Texans’ are 14.5 point favorites, which may not even be enough. As such, expect plenty of RB volume to salt away a win for whoever’s back there.
If both Marks and Chubb are out, Jordan represents the highest “blow up” potential among all the Week 16 Waiver Wire RBs. He also may not even be active, so the volatility is high here. Still, Jordan should absolutely be rostered while we await news on the rest of the Texans’ RB room. Even in a complementary role on Sunday, Jordan would have some real appeal given the game script and matchup.
Audric Estime vs. Evan Hull – Who to Prioritize from New Orleans
If you (somehow) miss out on both Carter and Jordan, the New Orleans Saints’ backfield may be your safe haven.
In Week 15, Devin Neal was off to the workhorse role we had been accustomed to. Following a three week span with 73%, 81%, and 71% of the snaps, Neal had played 22-of-29 snaps (76%) through three drives before going down with a hamstring injury.
As such, fantasy owners are now wondering who to prioritize between Evan Hull vs. Audric Estime?
The two split snaps dead-even at 20 each. Ultimately, Hull lead the way with 4 carries, but he managed just 12 yards, compared to 11 yards on three attempts for Estime.
Most interesting, however, was the receiving usage. Estime, a mammoth 230 lbs bulldozer out of Notre Dame, wasn’t heralded for his receiving chops. He averaged just a 5.4% college target share (36th percentile), totaling 9 and 17 receptions across his two active seasons.
Meanwhile, Evan Hull was a receiving dynamo at Northwestern. He notched 33 and 55 reception seasons during his last two collegiate years. His 17.3% collegiate target share ranked in the 98th percentile!
Naturally, Estime became the main pass-catching back, while Hull was the main early-down back. Estime led the way during the two minute drill, and ultimately hauled in 3 catches for 39 yards (impressive 13.0 yards per catch!)
Of the duo, Hull is also the much better athlete as well. Per Relative Athletic Score:
Estime has the size, and Hull pretty much has everything else — certainly the speed, and comparable leaping explosiveness. Still, Estime was the preferred back in pass-catching situations, which he appreciates:
“I like to show that I’m a three-down back and I can play in any style of offense as needed,” Estime said. “… I’m definitely a bruising back, but I don’t like to limit myself and say that’s the only thing that is a part of my game.
Granted, an unpredictable, dead-even split in a bottom-12 offense feels like a Must Avoid anyways… right?
Not so fast, because the Saints close the season with the Jets and Titans. In particular, the Jets matchup this week is incredibly juicy.
Since trading Quinnen Williams, the Jets have surrendered the most FPs to RBs in the league. This includes 29.8 Half-PPR FPs to TreVeyon Henderson, 21.8 to Derrick Henry, 27.8 to Bijan Robinson, 40 total FPs to the Dolphins backs, and now 30 FPs to Travis Etienne. Y
In short, the Jets have been getting BLUDGEONED by running backs. A Saints RB is likely to have a solid-enough day, at minimum. But who should you bet on?
I would lean into Estime. I loved his tape coming out of Notre Dame, and with New Orleans’ back agains the wall, the team called his number repeatedly on a game-winning drive. He racked up 28 receiving yards, including a crucial 19 yard screen reception:
With a three-down profile and a crucial hand in the Saints’ Week 15 victory, Audric Estime has the momentum entering this glorious Jets matchup. It is volatile, and Hull had the stronger receiving + athletic profile out of college, so the pendulum could shift on a dime. Still, the matchup creates so much upside that desperate fantasy football owners should at least consider Estime and the Saints backfield.
Summary: Michael Carter vs. Jawhar Jordan vs. Audric Estime – Who to Pick on the Week 16 Waiver Wire
I would rank these Week 16 Waiver Wire RB Pick ups as:
- Michael Carter
- Jawhar Jordan
- Audric Estime
Carter feels like the best balance of floor / ceiling. He is the only one on this list guaranteed a major role in his backfield, plus has some juicy matchups upcoming.
Meanwhile, Jordan would be the highest-upside option in Week 16 if both Marks and Chubb sit, although that feels unlikely. Still, Jordan should be rostered as we sift through the news.
Estime is the biggest wildcard. He has the juiciest matchup of the bunch, but his workload feels the most volatile. If Marks and/or Chubb are back for the Texans, then Estime is probably the second-best option for starting in Week 16 Fantasy Football, with genuine eruption potential.
Make sure to check out and bookmark my Week 16 Fantasy Football Rankings to see how the situations evolve!
