In most league formats, it is finally Championship week! If you’re one of the final two teams left in your league’s tournament, you’ve likely been preparing for this week since early August. You looked at countless rankings and made your own. Read countless draft strategy articles formulating your plan. Spent more time conducting mock drafts than you’d care to admit publicly. Exercised great in-season management, trades, scoured the waiver-wire and stashed running back handcuffs. Once the playoffs began you likely combined a strategy of trusting your studs and taking a chance on a flier like Breshad Perriman to advance to the next round. Now, all that time and effort comes down to this. One match-up to decide your league and cement yourself as the top fantasy footballer in your league for the next 365 days. Get ready for an exhilarating time in fantasy football and utilize these Week 16 fantasy football sleepers to earn yourself a title.
Week 16 Rankings | QB | RB |WR | TE |
Quarterbacks
Drew Lock, QB, Denver Broncos (Weekly Ranking: 17)
I get it, Drew Lock only got three games as a starter under his belt and this is the finals. However, if you’re reading this QB section you likely don’t a better option at QB for your finals. Hear me out. Lock was serviceable in his first start against the Chargers (16 points), dynamite against the Texans (29 points) and abysmal against the Chiefs (six points).
A closer look, though, shows he has simply gone as his match-ups have dictated. His two worst games were against the Chargers and the Chiefs who allow the fourth and fourteenth fewest fantasy points to opposing QBs. However, Lock lit up the Texans who allow the twenty-ninth most points to QBs. This week he gets a Detroit Lions team who allows the twenty-eighth most points to QBs over the 2019 season. He threw 40 times last week and I expect this to be a close contest. You could do worse than Drew Lock in Week 16.
Philip Rivers/Tyrod Taylor, QB, Los Angeles Chargers (Weekly Ranking: 18)
There has been a lot of talk about whether or not Chargers franchise QB Philip Rivers should be benched over the last two weeks of the season. Yes, Rivers has been a turnover machine over the last five weeks. However, in that same span, he’s thrown for 1,446 yards and nine touchdowns.
From a fantasy perspective, he’s the fifteenth best QB for the season. Additionally, he ranks seventh in pass attempts (506, 36.1 per game) and fourth in red zone pass attempts (73, 5.2 per game). If you’ve read a few of my articles I love players with volume and opportunity. Rivers has both of these and gets a juicy matchup with the Raiders and their thirtieth ranked pass defense. If backup QB Tyrod Taylor gets the nod, I’d consider him a strong play as well with even more upside because of his rushing and scrambling capabilities.
Running Backs
Raheem Mostert, RB, San Francisco 49ers (Weekly Ranking: 22)
Earlier in the season, Tevin Coleman looked to be the lead back in a Kyle Shanahan offense that had fantasy owners drooling. That turned out to be fool’s gold as his monster four-touchdown day against the Panthers was a flash in the pan. Who knows what he did to fall out of Kyle Shanahan’s favor but he certainly has. Quietly, Raheem Mostert has filled that role and has done a fine job. He’s taken on a larger role in this offense since Week 12 and racked up 314 rushing yards with four scores. Add to that six receptions for 75 yards and another trip to pay-dirt you’ve got a fine RB2 or FLEX candidate on your hands. Mostert will line up against a middling Rams run defense in Week 16. Deploy Raheem “The Dream” Mostert with confidence.
Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland Browns (Weekly Ranking: 26)
There is no doubt about it, Kareem Hunt is exponentially more valuable in PPR formats opposed to standard scoring. Nick Chubb is the clear leader when it comes to rushing attempts but Hunt is playing 52.7% of Cleveland’s offensive snaps. His pass-catching abilities out of the backfield are what make Hunt a serviceable FLEX play.
Hunt returned from suspension in Week 10. Since that time he’s averaged five receptions and 36.6 yards receiving per game. Pair that with two rushing touchdowns and one through the air and Hunt’s averaging 13.5 points per game. The Browns face the vaunted Ravens defense in Week 16 who somehow allowed Nick Chubb (before Hunt was reinstated) to score 38 points in Week 4. Expect this game to be out of reach early for the Browns, forcing them to rely on their passing game. Enter Hunt to gobble up those targets out of the backfield and help lock in your title.
Wide Receivers
Michael Gallup, WR, Dallas Cowboys (Weekly Ranking: 31)
Roller coasters. A staple of theme parks all over the world. They’re a blast to ride as they go up and down and throw you for a loop. Not what you want in the players on your fantasy football roster. If you’re a Michael Gallup owner as he’s taken his fantasy owners on a roller coaster ride all season long. On the brighter side of things, Gallup has caught at least three balls in all but one game this season. The Eagles are the ninth-best team against the run, but the sixth-worst against the pass. This bodes well for the Cowboys entire passing attack but particularly Gallup. Most of the attention will be on Amari Cooper and Ezekiel Elliot. Leaving Gallup to gallivant around the field matched up with Ronald Darby – the seventy-third ranked corner in the league. Look for the Cowboys to have to throw the ball to move it down the field.
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Robby Anderson, WR, New York Jets (Weekly Ranking: 44)
Since Week 12, Jets WR Robby Anderson has been a well above average fantasy producer. The speedster has nabbed 22 receptions for a whopping 370 yards adding two scores averaging 17.75 points. Thus, solidifying himself as a legitimate weekly WR2/FLEX candidate. He’s had some very favorable match-ups during that span (Oakland, Cincinnati, Miami) and faces a tougher Pittsburgh defense in Week 16. I expect the Steelers to focus on containing Le’veon Bell and slot receiver Jamison Crowder. Playing the underneath should allow Anderson the opportunity to get loose for a few long targets. Anderson could be the boom you need to put you over the top in your championship match-up.
Tight Ends
Greg Olsen, TE, Carolina Panthers (Weekly Ranking: 13)
Earlier this week the Carolina Panthers announced that third-string QB Will Grier would start against the Colts. What’s a rookie QB’s best friend? If you answered a security blanket tight end, you’d be correct. Despite missing two full games and half of the game against the Redskins, Greg Olsen still has the ninth most catches among TEs averaging just under ten points per game. Consider that the over/under for this week and I’ll take the over. The Panthers throw the ball at the third-highest rate in the NFL and Olsen averages 5.8 targets per game. Indianapolis allows the twelfth most points to TEs and will largely be focused on containing Pro Bowl RB Christian McCaffrey and WR D.J. Moore. Expect the Panthers to be down throughout this game with their porous defense with targets aplenty for the veteran tight end.
Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles (Weekly Ranking: 15)
Can you name three wide receivers who were active for the Eagles this past week without using Google? QB Carson Wentz is pulling a Tom Brady and making something out of no-name wide receivers on his roster. Fellow TE Zach Ertz has really gotten going as of late. There will be no shortage of targets for Goedert to absorb with the absence of Alshon Jeffrey and Nelson Agholor.
There is a lot to like here as Goedert has the eighth-most red zone receptions tenth most receptions overall. Additionally, he’s fourth in YAC for TEs and has scored the fourteenth most fantasy points among TEs. Truly good work considering he shares the field with Pro Bowl TE Ertz. Wide receivers score the eighth fewest points against the Cowboys while tight ends score the sixth most points. Expect Goedert to benefit from the latter and have a productive outing.
Week 16 Rankings | QB | RB |WR | TE |
