They survived Week 1 of the Fantasy Football Playoffs, but injuries to players like Alvin Kamara, David Montgomery, Geno Smith, and Patrick Mahomes probably made them worry about their chances of making it to the semifinals.
Well, don’t worry. We’re here to let you know who’s going to start, who’s going to sit, who’s going to be picked up, and who might replace the starters for your fantasy football championship. The biggest question, of course, is whether these replacements can win a championship, but you can’t win a championship if you don’t get there.
Here are eight players who could help us win this week, and eight players we hope will start for their league mates.
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Players starting from Week 16
quarterback
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Don’t look now, but Cooper Rush has scored at least 11 fantasy points in five straight games. Tampa Bay’s defense has been terrible against quarterbacks all year. Maybe the Cowboys are starting to put something together. However, they still cannot reach the playoffs.
The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the worst teams in the NFL at quarterback this season. Granted, this is a divisional matchup and the defense will often be stronger, but Pittsburgh is coming off a loss and will be desperate to maintain a healthy lead in the AFC North.
running back
The New York Giants are competing for the No. 1 overall pick. Last week against the Baltimore Ravens, the Ravens jumped out to a huge lead early and were able to force their backup halfbacks to do quite a bit of work.
The Falcons are in desperation mode and can’t afford to take the Giants lightly, but they’re still looking to secure a playoff berth and could be more likely to rest Bijan Robinson if they can build a big enough lead. . As it turns out, Allgaier could end up with more than 15 carries.
This weekend could be the perfect storm for Ford. Sure, Chubb will remain involved, but given Ford’s efficiency last weekend, Ford should expect more work in the backfield this weekend against Cincinnati. Wait, there’s more.
The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t a bad team, so there’s a good chance they’ll take a big lead against Cleveland. That means the Browns will have to pass more. Chubb isn’t a pass catcher, so Week 16 gives Ford an even clearer path to add volume.
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wide receiver
The Atlanta Falcons have allowed the most non-PPR points per game to opposing wide receivers this season. Nabors remains the only legitimate threat in New York’s passing attack. If there’s one player the Giants should move to, it’s Nabors.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have given up at least 15 non-PPR points to opposing wide receivers in three of their last four games. In two of those games, opposing wideouts scored at least 40 points. Regardless of who Vegas has under center, Myers’ ceiling is huge this week.
tight end
Okonkwo may be on the verge of a breakout after scoring 10 goals in Week 15, but that becomes even more likely as Tennessee plays the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have allowed three touchdowns to tight ends over the past two weeks, so Okonkwo’s ceiling is much higher than usual.
Like Okonkwo, Laporta also had 10 targets in Week 15, but that amount shouldn’t be expected again as the Lions will have a much easier time against the Chicago Bears than they did against the Buffalo Bills. . However, heading into Monday Night Football, the Bears had allowed opposing tight ends to score 10 or more non-PPR points for the third straight week. Look for Laporta to continue this record.
Players participating in Week 16
quarterback
Facing the Denver Broncos is a death sentence for a quarterback. Herbert also failed to score 14 points against a weak Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary. The Chargers have had issues lately and need to keep Herbert on the bench until it’s resolved.
We know the Chiefs like to play close games, and we know how capable Joe Mixon is in Houston’s backfield this year. Essentially, we should expect a lot from Mixon in this contest, but even if he doesn’t, the Chiefs’ defense has been pretty solid against the QB this year. Unless the game script actually favors Houston’s pass-heavy approach, which seems unlikely, Stroud’s ceiling in Week 16 will be pretty low.
running back
Not only are the Houston Texans the sixth-best team against running backs this year, but Pacheco hasn’t regained the lead back role like we thought he would when he returned from injury. Three games into his return, Pacheco has yet to collect 15 carries.
Couple Hunt has something to do with the fact that Patrick Mahomes might not be able to play and you’re asking for disaster. There’s a good chance the Texans will stack the box with eight men on every snap and force Carson Wentz to break them.
With Jahlil McLaughlin leaving Sunday’s game early with an injury, it might be tempting for Williams to start, but the Broncos’ backfield isn’t reliable in any capacity. Don’t be fooled even if McLaughlin can’t make it this weekend.
Even after McLaughlin left, it wasn’t Williams who got the majority of the carries. It was Audric Estime. Additionally, the Broncos will face the Los Angeles Chargers, who have allowed just five touchdowns to running backs all year. This could be the worst matchup for a touchdown-dependent play like Williams.
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wide receiver
Michael Pittman has had four straight games with at least seven targets, but somehow he only scored double-digit PPR points in one of those games. Facing a tough Titans secondary that has allowed the second-fewest points to opposing wide receivers all year, Pittman may get some volume, but he’s not worth starting unless he can find the end zone.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, NO.
MVS has been surprisingly productive in recent weeks, but they didn’t have a great matchup in Week 16 against a Green Bay Packers secondary that has allowed just 11.7 yards per reception on the season. That’s a pretty low number, so for a receiver like MVS who relies on deep passes and touchdowns, he probably won’t have many opportunities to create.
tight end
No team is better against tight ends than the Detroit Lions. In fact, he allowed just two touchdowns by a tight end all year. To make matters worse, he only had one game in which he allowed more than five receptions to an opposing tight end. Kmet is a fantasy option that relies on volume, but he probably won’t get many looks or catches in Week 16.
Henry will have a hard time getting anything done against a Buffalo Bills defense that has allowed just 10 receptions to tight ends over the past three weeks. The Bills have allowed 40 points in recent weeks, but that hasn’t affected the tight ends’ ability to thwart their impact.
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