Fantasy Football 2018: Top 10 waiver wire Week 16 pickups

CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 07: The Dolphins logo is displayed on the back of the helmet of Miami Dolphins Running Back Kalen Ballage (27) during an NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals on October 7, 2018, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 02: Kalen Ballage #27 of the Miami Dolphins heads to the locker room before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

Miami Dolphins RB Kalen Ballage

Whether it’s Ryan Tannehill or Brock Osweiler under center, the Miami Dolphins passing attack has been thoroughly unimpressive in 2018, and it’s put a great deal of stress on the running game to shoulder the load. Frank Gore and Kenyan Drake have showed off their abilities throughout the season, even though the coaching staff has been seemingly unaware of Drake’s talent.

Fantasy owners will likely continue to be frustrated with Drake’s low usage in the Dolphins offense, and with Gore likely out for the remainder of the season after suffering an injury in Week 15, the door is open for young running back Kalen Ballage to have an encore performance in Week 16.

Ballage came in after Gore’s injury and tore the house down, rushing for 123 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. It was his first game with a real workload on the ground, as his previous record for carries in a single game was a whopping four against the Buffalo Bills. He earned just three yards on those carries.

But the talented Ballage looked every bit like a high-upside fourth-round pick on Sunday, torching the Minnesota Vikings run defense repeatedly. This sets him up nicely for Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars front seven, and it seems like the Dolphins will give him more touches than Drake in Gore’s absence.

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