Player Value

Must Start Players In Week 16 Fantasy Football Semifinals

December 20, 2023

Week 16 Must Start Players

Week 16 means the fantasy football playoffs semifinals. Here are four must start players you should lock into your lineup, plus a few sleeper plays that will help you advance to the fantasy football championship.

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James Cook

James Cook is about as hot as any running back in football right now. He’s had four-straight top-12 finishes and he hasn’t scored outside the top-24 since Week 9. Since then, he’s accumulated 684 yards from scrimmage, has been targeted 21 times, and scored four touchdowns. Week 15 was about as good as it gets. Cook’s 56% snap share was his highest since Week 8 and his 23.1% target share was his highest of the season. He finished the game with a season-high 25 carries for 179 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two of his three targets for 42 yards and another score. That totaled 36.1 fantasy points which was second only to Christian McCaffrey on the week.

In Week 16, Cook gets the pleasure of facing a Chargers defense that has allowed the 7th most fantasy points per game to the running back position and just gave up 63 points to the Raiders. Cook will be ranked as a top-10 running back for Week 16 and is a must start in the fantasy football playoffs semifinals.

David Njoku

Joe Flacco plus David Njoku has equaled sweet music over the last two weeks. In those two games, Njoku has combined for 22 targets, 16 receptions, 195 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. Njoku finished both weeks as the second-highest scoring tight end in fantasy football. Much like what we saw with the Jets last year, the Browns are letting Flacco throw it. He has attempted 44, 45, and 44 passes in his three starts. Prior to Flacco, there had been just two instances of a Browns quarterback reaching 40 pass attempts in a game this season. This confidence in Flacco has unlocked the ceiling and boosted the floor of David Njoku. He’s clearly been the favorite target of the veteran quarterback.

Now he gets the Texans in Week 16. Houston has surrendered the 7th-most fantasy points per game to the tight end position this season. It will also help that they will likely have quarterback CJ Stroud back, improving the chances that this game turns into a shootout. There aren’t many tight ends I would want over David Njoku in the fantasy football semifinals.

Rashee Rice

Rashee Rice continues to be the lone bright spot in the Chiefs offense. As Patrick Mahomes grows more frustrated with his supporting cast, he has begun to lock-in on his rookie wide receiver. Rice has not seen fewer than nine targets or a target share below 25% in a game since before Thanksgiving. He’s had 38 targets, 32 receptions, 334 receiving yards, and three touchdowns over the last four games. To put that into perspective, Travis Kelce has 29 targets and no touchdowns over that same stretch. Rice’s route participation continues to rise week-over-week, up to a season-high 92.7% in Week 15.

In Week 16, the Chiefs take on the Raiders. In their Week 12 matchup, Rice beat up on Las Vegas, going 8-of-10 for 107 yards and a score. He finished as the WR3 in PPR scoring. That was despite running fewer than 70% of the routes. Now that Rice is playing a full-time role, he could beat up on a weak Raiders defense even more. He’s a must start.

Tee Higgins

Tee Higgins was dead and buried a few weeks ago. Between his lack of production on the field, his various injuries, and the loss of Joe Burrow for the year, 2023 was looking like a lost season for Higgins. However, that has all changed now that backup quarterback Jake Browning has proven to be more than capable. In fact, Browning is the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 1,000 yards while completing 75% of his passes over his first four career starts (@FieldYates). Higgins benefited from Browning’s great play in Week 15, catching four of his eight targets for 61 yards and two touchdowns.

Where Higgins will really benefit moving forward, though, is with the loss of Ja’Marr Chase for the foreseeable future. Chase has a shoulder injury that will force him to miss some time, leaving Higgins as the top option in the passing game. Not only is this Higgins’ opportunity to prove he’s a true alpha wide receiver just in time for free agency, but he can reward all the fantasy managers who have been patient with him through this tumultuous season. If Higgins is on your roster, this might be the first time all season that you can confidently plug him into your lineup.