Fantasy Football Week 16 Waiver Wire: Top QB, RB, WR and TE pickups feat. Nick Mullens, Justice Hill and more 

The purpose of a waiver-wire column should be to highlight players who may be on the verge of a breakout. After all, trying to land that player after his breakout is exponentially more difficult. Additionally, waiver-wire moves at this point of the season should be made to win the upcoming week, add a high-upside handcuff running back or block a potential opponent from making a move to improve their team.

Not all of these columns will feature a future stud or no-brainer add, but we can usually find help for our fantasy teams if we try hard enough. Furthermore, I will try to avoid recommending players coming off a 10-catch or three-touchdown game because it should be incredibly obvious to most that they need to be on a roster at that point.

The players listed below are available in at least 75 percent of ESPN leagues and stand at least a decent chance of making some kind of impact during the fantasy playoffs:

Fantasy Football Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups: Quarterbacks

Vikings Bengals Football

Nick Mullens, Minnesota Vikings

Week 15: 303 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions; six carries for 10 yards

Mullens will make his fair share of mistakes - he owns a career TD-to-INT ratio of 29:25 and has thrown at least one interception in 14 of his 18 career starts - but this is one example of a supporting cast that is capable of raising the level of play of its quarterback. That is not to say the 28-year-old lacks for talent; he has accounted for himself nicely when he has had the benefit of working under a strong play-caller (2018-20 with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco and this season with Kevin O'Connell).

Mullens did something in Week 15 that only Kirk Cousins has done: keep Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson highly involved in the same game. The real reason that streamers should be at least mildly interested in Mullens over the final two weeks of the fantasy season is that he faces the Lions (likely shootout at home against the sixth-friendliest defense for fantasy quarterbacks) and the Packers (just gave up 381 passing yards and four TDs to Baker Mayfield in Week 15).

ESPN ownership: 6.2 percent

Other potential strong add(s): Derek Carr, Saints (21.5 percent); Gardner Minshew, Colts (15.5);

Joe Flacco, Browns (11.4); Tommy DeVito, Giants (8.5)

Fantasy Football Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups: Running Backs

Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens

Week 15: Five carries for 23 yards

(Chase Brown was featured last week, which is why I have chosen not to do so here. There is also a good chance Josh Jacobs returns, which is why I am not featuring Zamir White. I expect Jonathan Taylor to return or else I would have featured Trey Sermon.)

Hill is not an inspiring option by any means, but his role is set to increase in a meaningful way in the wake of Keaton Mitchell's season-ending ACL injury in Week 15. In the first nine weeks of the season - when Mitchell either was on IR or had a minimal role - Hill averaged 7.3 carries for 31.4 yards to go with 1.9 receptions for 8.4 yards.

There is a very good chance Hill will be needed to step up more often over the final two weeks of the fantasy playoffs as the Ravens face two of the league's best offenses in the 49ers and Dolphins. Even though Baltimore has arguably the best defense in the league, the odds are relatively strong that the Ravens will find themselves in negative game script. Hill will be needed to contribute as a receiver if that ends up being the case because Gus Edwards will not be asked to handle much work in the passing game.

ESPN ownership: 8.5 percent

Other priority add(s): Chase Brown, Bengals (8.3 percent); Zamir White, Raiders (7.3); Trey Sermon, Colts (1.6)

Other potential strong adds (especially in deeper leagues): Roschon Johnson, Bears (23.1); Rico Dowdle, Cowboys (8.8); Jordan Mason, 49ers (1.3); Chris Rodriguez, Commanders (1.3); Ty Johnson, Bills (0.1)

Fantasy Football Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups: Wide Receivers

Green Bay Packers v Atlanta Falcons

Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers

Week 15: Six catches for 97 yards on seven targets

This recommendation could come back to bite fantasy managers fairly quickly if Christian Watson (hamstring) and Jayden Reed (toe) can heal more quickly than expected, but that possibility appears unlikely as we begin preparations for Week 16. Wicks stands to benefit from their absences as much as any Green Bay receiver. How so? Despite a full-time role in the offense throughout this season, Romeo Doubs has topped 40 yards receiving once twice since the end of September.

After Doubs and Wicks, all that is left at wideout is Malik Heath, Samori Toure and Bo Melton - a group of players that have accounted for 18 catches this season. If Watson and Reed each miss the next two games as expected, Wicks could be thrust into a starring role on an offense that lacks viable pass-catching alternatives after Aaron Jones, Tucker Kraft and Doubs. While it seems unlikely Wicks will have a big day against the Panthers' tough pass defense in Week 16, he could be busy in Week 17 versus the Vikings.

ESPN ownership: 3.2 percent

Other priority add(s): Rashid Shaheed, Saints (24.5 percent); Joshua Palmer, Chargers (19.7)

Other potential strong adds (especially in deeper leagues): Treylon Burks, Titans (24.1); Jameson Williams, Lions (12.0); Wan'Dale Robinson, Giants (6.6); Rashod Bateman, Ravens (3.6); Parker Washington, Jaguars (2.4); Demarcus Robinson, Rams (1.8); Cedric Tillman, Browns (0.3); Jamal Agnew, Jaguars (0.2); Tre Tucker, Raiders (0.1)

Fantasy Football Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups: Tight Ends

Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers

Week 15: Four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown on six targets

The truth of the matter is I would be recommending Hunter Henry here if he had not suffered a knee injury in Week 15, but Kraft is not a bad second choice by any means. The rookie tight end was finding a role for himself in Green Bay's offense even before Christian Watson and Jaylen Reed were injured. Now, it appears as though he could be primed for a solid six to eight targets in each game both players miss.

Kraft's final two games of the fantasy season do not appear to be favorable on-paper matchups against the Panthers and Vikings, but neither defense has been lights out at holding tight ends in check either. Perhaps the most encouraging part for Kraft is that a Green Bay tight end has scored in three of the last four contests after it happened only once through 11 weeks. Kraft has also recorded consecutive top-12 fantasy finishes at tight end.

ESPN ownership: 4.5 percent

Other potential strong add(s): Tyler Conklin, Jets (20.6 percent); Hunter Henry. Patriots (17.5); Michael Mayer, Raiders (5.2); Tanner Hudson, Bengals (4.2)