Fantasy Football Rankings: Week 16 Big Board

Fantasy football's Week 16 has some big-time stakes for owners. It makes the decisions as gut-wrenching as ever.

Or potentially profitable...even if not quite as much as for our friend Drew Dinkmeyer, who became a fantasy football millionaire Monday night with Marquess Wilson's "worthless" late fourth-quarter touchdowns, as Bleacher Report's Kyle Newport chronicled here.

Yes, this is serious business, so you need some serious analysis, particularly as it pertains to decisions on the injured likes of Julio Jones (hip), DeMarco Murray (hand surgery) and Cam Newton (back). B/R has you covered with votes of confidence for all three, assuming they are active Sunday.

This is B/R's Week 16 Big Board, where we unveil the initial top 100 plays, including position-by-position rankings of all the fantasy options. You can use these rankings to weigh your starts and sits or gear up for those money-making daily fantasy football lineups, drafts and rosters. These rankings represent our predictions for the highest scorers—relative to their use, game plan, health and matchup.

Good luck at getting rich quick this week...and dealing with the stress.

Top 100: DeMarco Murray Lines Up as Ultimate Game-Time Decision

Isn't it Murphy's Law that fantasy's No. 1 player for 2014 should be the biggest question mark for the championship-deciding Week 16? It is the latest example of why winning a fantasy football league is no small feat. It takes luck, timing and survival of attrition.

DeMarco Murray (hand surgery) might be facing "an uphill battle" to play this Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, as we chronicled in Tuesday's Insider Notebook, but there is growing optimism the NFL's rushing leader is going to win that fight. Both ESPN insider Ed Werder and Bryan Broaddus of the Cowboys' official website tweeted Tuesday there is a belief Murray will play.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called Murray the quintessential game-time decision on Dallas' 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday morning, per the Cowboys' official website: "I don't think we'd have to see him practice. I think it's more a question of the condition of the hand at game time and what we can do to protect it. I think it's one of those that you'd want to wait and see just how he's feeling before the game."

The problem for fantasy owners is Murray's game time comes at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday. It sure will make for some harrowing hours for his fantasy owners who trust him in starting lineups.

Sure, you can have Joseph Randle ready in an emergency basis, but odds are you will want both starting if Murray plays. Murray might get some yards and the goal-line touchdowns, but Randle will be called upon to do damage too, against a Colts defense that has given up the seventh-most fantasy points to running backs this season, per FFToday.com.

Jones added on the radio station:

"

We all know the type of player and the type of year Murray is having. But on the other hand, I have felt that this is where we have arguably the best depth on the team. We have the ability to, whether it be during a game or whether it be preparation for a complete game, we have some good backup players here—good insurance.

"

Decisions, decisions—those are what make or break a fantasy owner's season. For now, we have both Murray and his running mate Randle among the initial top 50 plays in B/R's Top 100 for Week 16:

Week 16 Top 100 Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Flex Rankings	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Drew Brees	NO	vs. Atl	3	+2
2	Aaron Rodgers	GB	at TB	1	-1
3	Andrew Luck	IND	at Dal	2	-1
4	Dez Bryant	DAL	vs. Ind	32	+28
5	Calvin Johnson	DET	at Chi	21	+16
6	Peyton Manning	DEN	at Cin	7	+1
7	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	vs. KC	4	-3
8	Antonio Brown	PIT	vs. KC	30	+22
9	Jimmy Graham	NO	vs. Atl	58	+49
10	Eddie Lacy	GB	at TB	14	+4
11	Tom Brady	NE	at NYJ	5	-6
12	Jamaal Charles	KC	at Pit	6	-6
13	Rob Gronkowski	NE	at NYJ	40	+27
14	Arian Foster	HOU	vs. Bal	17	+3
15	LeSean McCoy	PHI	at Was	39	+24
16	Marshawn Lynch	SEA	at Ari	29	+13
17	Matt Ryan	ATL	at NO	8	-9
18	Tony Romo	DAL	vs. Ind	10	-8
19	Odell Beckham	NYG	at StL	36	+17
20	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	at Cin	38	+18
21	Jordy Nelson	GB	at TB	27	+6
22	A.J. Green	CIN	vs. Den	43	+21
23	Matt Forte	CHI	vs. Det	24	+1
24	Matthew Stafford	DET	at Chi	9	-15
25	Alshon Jeffery	CHI	vs. Det	51	+26
26	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	vs. KC	12	-14
27	Jeremy Hill	CIN	vs. Den	42	+15
28	C.J. Anderson	DEN	at Cin	11	-17
29	Justin Forsett	BAL	at Hou	34	+5
30	Tre Mason	STL	vs. NYG	41	+11
31	Emmanuel Sanders	DEN	at Cin	57	+26
32	Randall Cobb	GB	at TB	53	+21
33	Mark Sanchez	PHI	at Was	13	-20
34	Julio Jones	ATL	at NO	71	+37
35	Joique Bell	DET	at Chi	37	+2
36	T.Y. Hilton	IND	at Dal	50	+14
37	Mark Ingram	NO	vs. Atl	31	-6
38	Alfred Morris	WAS	vs. Phi	49	+11
39	DeMarco Murray	DAL	vs. Ind	66	+27
40	Mike Evans	TB	vs. GB	56	+16
41	Fred Jackson	BUF	at Oak	45	+4
42	Lamar Miller	MIA	vs. Min	54	+12
43	Kelvin Benjamin	CAR	vs. Cle	62	+19
44	Jonathan Stewart	CAR	vs. Cle	55	+11
45	Julius Thomas	DEN	at Cin	84	+39
46	Jeremy Maclin	PHI	at Was	52	+6
47	Roddy White	ATL	at NO	61	+14
48	Steven Jackson	ATL	at NO	59	+11
49	Dan Herron	IND	at Dal	60	+11
50	Joseph Randle	DAL	vs. Ind	94	+44
51	Julian Edelman	NE	at NYJ	63	+12
52	Josh Gordon	CLE	at Car	68	+16
53	Greg Olsen	CAR	vs. Cle	75	+22
54	DeSean Jackson	WAS	vs. Phi	72	+18
55	Sammy Watkins	BUF	at Oak	73	+18
56	Latavius Murray	OAK	vs. Buf	65	+9
57	Isaiah Crowell	CLE	at Car	67	+10
58	Brandon LaFell	NE	at NYJ	74	+16
59	Mike Wallace	MIA	vs. Min	82	+23
60	Giovani Bernard	CIN	vs. Den	91	+31
61	Martellus Bennett	CHI	vs. Det	80	+19
62	Philip Rivers	SD	at SF	19	-43
63	Russell Wilson	SEA	at Ari	15	-48
64	Matt Asiata	MIN	at Mia	85	+21
65	Antonio Gates	SD	at SF	89	+24
66	Cam Newton	CAR	vs. Cle	114	+48
67	Doug Martin	TB	vs. GB	98	+31
68	LeGarrette Blount	NE	at NYJ	83	+15
69	Golden Tate	DET	at Chi	64	-5
70	DeAndre Hopkins	HOU	vs. Bal	69	-1
71	Jay Cutler	CHI	vs. Det	16	-55
72	Delanie Walker	TEN	at Jac	96	+24
73	Vincent Jackson	TB	vs. GB	78	+5
74	Jordan Matthews	PHI	at Was	79	+5
75	Shane Vereen	NE	at NYJ	102	+27
76	Eli Manning	NYG	at StL	22	-54
77	Steve Smith	BAL	at Hou	86	+9
78	Marques Colston	NO	vs. Atl	92	+14
79	Ryan Tannehill	MIA	vs. Min	18	-61
80	Jarvis Landry	MIA	vs. Min	87	+7
81	Travis Kelce	KC	at Pit	93	+12
82	Chris Ivory	NYJ	vs. NE	90	+8
83	Anquan Boldin	SF	vs. SD	95	+12
84	Joe Flacco	BAL	at Hou	20	-64
85	Eric Decker	NYJ	vs. NE	106	+21
86	Carlos Hyde	SF	vs. SD	140	+54
87	Andy Dalton	CIN	vs. Den	25	-62
88	Kenny Stills	NO	vs. Atl	77	-11
89	Dwayne Allen	IND	at Dal	115	+26
90	Ryan Mathews	SD	at SF	142	+52
91	Harry Douglas	ATL	at NO	99	+8
92	Torrey Smith	BAL	at Hou	105	+13
93	Andre Johnson	HOU	vs. Bal	110	+17
94	Martavis Bryant	PIT	vs. KC	100	+6
95	Andre Williams	NYG	at StL	88	-7
96	Jason Witten	DAL	vs. Ind	116	+20
97	Donte Moncrief	IND	at Dal	107	+10
98	Pierre Thomas	NO	vs. Atl	108	+10
99	Reggie Bush	DET	at Chi	134	+35
100	Bishop Sankey	TEN	at Jac	146	+46

 

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from more than 100 experts provided by FantasyPros.

Quarterbacks: Cam Newton Is Game-Time Call 1A in Fantasy This Week

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

DeMarco Murray (hand surgery) isn't the only banged-up, game-time decision that fantasy owners hope can play through injury in crunch time. Cam Newton (broken back) is a close second in that regard. 

He might prove to be just as important to an owner's championship hopes.

Newton sat out the expected one week that tends to knock a quarterback out for fractured transverse processes—see Tony Romo earlier this season—so there should be some optimism he can suit up and perform like a fantasy starting quarterback against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

"Whatever happens, happens," he told Jonathan Jones of The Charlotte Observer on Tuesday. "I feel good. I feel great. I am going to go throughout this week and see what happens."

Newton served as a Santa Claus and was shooting basketball and working up a sweat in visiting area schools Tuesday, Jones reported. You have to figure he wouldn't have been doing that unless he felt up to it after the car accident that cost him Week 15.

"Just depending on my body and how I felt," Newton told Jones about his participation in the community appearance. "I feel great, so I didn't want this to hinder me."

If you have a healthy, viable backup quarterback, you might want to go with him over Newton, but B/R lines up the initial Week 16 quarterback rankings with Newton at No. 13—basically a starter in 14-team and two-quarterback formats. If he practices this week, starting Wednesday, you might even be able to consider him a borderline top-10 option.

Week 16 Quarterback Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Quarterbacks	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Drew Brees	NO	vs. Atl	3	+2
2	Aaron Rodgers	GB	at TB	1	-1
3	Andrew Luck	IND	at Dal	2	-1
4	Peyton Manning	DEN	at Cin	5	+1
5	Tom Brady	NE	at NYJ	4	-1
6	Matt Ryan	ATL	at NO	6	0
7	Tony Romo	DAL	vs. Ind	8	+1
8	Matthew Stafford	DET	at Chi	7	-1
9	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	vs. KC	9	0
10	Mark Sanchez	PHI	at Was	10	0
11	Philip Rivers	SD	at SF	15	+4
12	Russell Wilson	SEA	at Ari	11	-1
13	Cam Newton	CAR	vs. Cle	20	+7
14	Jay Cutler	CHI	vs. Det	12	-2
15	Eli Manning	NYG	at StL	14	-1
16	Ryan Tannehill	MIA	vs. Min	13	-3
17	Joe Flacco	BAL	at Hou	17	0
18	Andy Dalton	CIN	vs. Den	19	+1
19	Colin Kaepernick	SF	vs. SD	21	+2
20	Robert Griffin	WAS	vs. Phi	16	-4
21	Alex Smith	KC	at Pit	18	-3
22	Kyle Orton	BUF	at Oak	22	0
23	Josh McCown	TB	vs. GB	23	0
24	Shaun Hill	STL	vs. NYG	28	+4
25	Teddy Bridgewater	MIN	at Mia	26	+1
26	Case Keenum	HOU	vs. Bal	29	+3
27	Blake Bortles	JAC	vs. Ten	27	0
28	Geno Smith	NYJ	vs. NE	30	+2
29	Derek Anderson	CAR	vs. Cle	24	-5
30	Derek Carr	OAK	vs. Buf	31	+1
31	Chad Henne	JAC	vs. Ten	34	+3
32	Johnny Manziel	CLE	at Car	25	-7
33	Thaddeus Lewis	HOU	vs. Bal	33	0
34	Charlie Whitehurst	TEN	at Jac	32	-2

 

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from more than 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Running Backs: Stay Undaunted About How Things Look, Especially at the Top

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

If you are looking for sure things to ride in your Super Bowl at the running back position, you are looking in the wrong place. This time of year, after 15 grueling weeks of touches and punishment, running backs just cannot be considered sure things.

It is even more apparent when you consider the elite running backs we have come to rely on at this time of year. Surging Le'Veon Bell—seven touchdowns in the past four games—and Eddie Lacy (despite dealing with a hip issue) might be the only ones you should feel good about.

• DeMarco Murray (hand), game-time decision (see the Top 100 slide).
• Marshawn Lynch, facing the Arizona Cardinals, the No. 2 team in fantasy against running backs (FFToday.com).
• Matt Forte, facing the Detroit Lions, the NFL's No. 1 run defense.
• Arian Foster, facing the Baltimore Ravens, the No. 1 team in fantasy against backs.
• Jamaal Charles, coming off an awful week and playing through ankle and knee issues, in addition to a coddling by the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff, as ESPN.com's Adam Teicher reported.

It is the nature of the beast in fantasy football: Running backs make or break you.

Here is the fantasy advice you want and need to hear, as reassurance: Stick with your top guys, for better or for worse. They cannot "make you" if you don't allow them into your fantasy Super Bowl.

Here is the entire ranking of the backs for Week 16:

Week 16 Running Back Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Running Backs	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	vs. KC	1	0
2	Eddie Lacy	GB	at TB	4	+2
3	Jamaal Charles	KC	at Pit	2	-1
4	Arian Foster	HOU	vs. Bal	5	+1
5	LeSean McCoy	PHI	at Was	11	+6
6	Marshawn Lynch	SEA	at Ari	7	+1
7	Matt Forte	CHI	vs. Det	6	-1
8	Jeremy Hill	CIN	vs. Den	12	+4
9	C.J. Anderson	DEN	at Cin	3	-6
10	Justin Forsett	BAL	at Hou	10	0
11	Tre Mason	STL	vs. NYG	13	+2
12	Joique Bell	DET	at Chi	9	-3
13	Mark Ingram	NO	vs. Atl	8	-5
14	Alfred Morris	WAS	vs. Phi	15	+1
15	DeMarco Murray	DAL	vs. Ind	18	+3
16	Fred Jackson	BUF	at Oak	14	-2
17	Lamar Miller	MIA	vs. Min	17	0
18	Jonathan Stewart	CAR	vs. Cle	16	-2
19	Steven Jackson	ATL	at NO	19	0
20	Dan Herron	IND	at Dal	20	0
21	Joseph Randle	DAL	vs. Ind	25	+4
22	Latavius Murray	OAK	vs. Buf	21	-1
23	Isaiah Crowell	CLE	at Car	22	-1
24	Giovani Bernard	CIN	vs. Den	28	+4
25	Matt Asiata	MIN	at Mia	24	-1
26	Doug Martin	TB	vs. GB	30	+4
27	LeGarrette Blount	NE	at NYJ	26	-1
28	Shane Vereen	NE	at NYJ	31	+3
29	Chris Ivory	NYJ	vs. NE	29	0
30	Carlos Hyde	SF	vs. SD	35	+5
31	Ryan Mathews	SD	at SF	37	+6
32	Andre Williams	NYG	at StL	27	-5
33	Pierre Thomas	NO	vs. Atl	32	-1
34	Reggie Bush	DET	at Chi	38	+4
35	Bishop Sankey	TEN	at Jac	42	+7
36	Toby Gerhart	JAC	vs. Ten	23	-13
37	Terrance West	CLE	at Car	36	-1
38	Kerwynn Williams	ARI	vs. Sea	33	-5
39	Knile Davis	KC	at Pit	47	+8
40	Rashad Jennings	NYG	at StL	39	-1
41	Frank Gore	SF	vs. SD	44	+3
42	Chris Johnson	NYJ	vs. NE	34	-8
43	Alfonso Smith	SF	vs. SD	48	+5
44	Trent Richardson	IND	at Dal	43	-1
45	James Starks	GB	at TB	46	+1
46	Jonas Gray	NE	at NYJ	49	+3
47	Darren Sproles	PHI	at Was	45	-2
48	Charles Sims	TB	vs. GB	51	+3
49	Shonn Greene	TEN	at Jac	50	+1
50	Chris Polk	PHI	at Was	52	+2
51	Stepfan Taylor	ARI	vs. Sea	54	+3
52	Branden Oliver	SD	at SF	40	-12
53	Theo Riddick	DET	at Chi	56	+3
54	Ronnie Hillman	DEN	at Cin	85	+31
55	Juwan Thompson	DEN	at Cin	61	+6
56	Lance Dunbar	DAL	vs. Ind	41	-15
57	Bernard Pierce	BAL	at Hou	62	+5
58	Devonta Freeman	ATL	at NO	59	+1
59	Khiry Robinson	NO	vs. Atl	78	+19
60	Benny Cunningham	STL	vs. NYG	60	0
61	Alfred Blue	HOU	vs. Bal	69	+8
62	DeAngelo Williams	CAR	vs. Cle	65	+3
63	Donald Brown	SD	at SF	55	-8
64	Anthony Dixon	BUF	at Oak	72	+8
65	Roy Helu	WAS	vs. Phi	71	+6
66	Robert Turbin	SEA	at Ari	70	+4
67	Marcel Reece	OAK	vs. Buf	63	-4
68	Darren McFadden	OAK	vs. Buf	73	+5
69	Bruce Miller	SF	vs. SD	75	+6
70	Mike Tolbert	CAR	vs. Cle	58	-12

 

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from more than 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Wide Receivers: Julio Jones Decision Should Be a Fairly Easy One

Wide receiver points come in bunches for fantasy owners. Ask those with Julio Jones (hip). They celebrated a huge Week 14 (11 catches for 259 yards and a touchdown), only to take the inactive goose egg on their star in Week 15.

Injury and uncertainty are everywhere in fantasy football for our championship lineups this week.

Here's the deal: Wideouts can go big or go bust on a weekly basis, whether they are 100 percent or not. You have to put your trust in the ones with the best quarterbacks through thick and thin.

Jones is definitely in that category.

Matt Ryan isn't a world-beater, but he is a downfield gunslinger who is facing a shootout against Drew Brees in New Orleans on Sunday. The Saints are bottom four against fantasy quarterbacks and bottom eight against fantasy wideouts.

If Jones is active, he has to be starting in fantasy in that matchup.

With the importance of the game for the playoff-hopeful Atlanta Falcons, we should expect Jones to play even if at something less than 100 percent. He won't have to be at full strength to reel in a Ryan red-zone touchdown in a game that figures to push that NFL-high Las Vegas total of 56, per OddsShark.com. 

Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, who calls the plays, told D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"

It's hard when you don't know for sure if a guy is going to play no matter if it's Julio or not Julio. We kind of have to have a contingency both ways. We have some 'what if Julio plays' and some 'what if Julio does not play.' We have both. That's one of the hardest things about not knowing if one of your best guys is going to go.

"

That quote could not be a bigger vote of confidence for Harry Douglas' fantasy owners. Douglas, coming off a 10-131 week, should have snaps, targets, receptions and yards in the offing. Consider him a viable sleeper again in fantasy crunch time.

Jones, of course, looks headed for the right side of a 1 p.m. ET game-time decision. We will know if he is active by the 11:30 a.m. ET inactive deadline Sunday. Head coach Mike Smith told Ledbetter on Monday: "Julio is about where he was [Sunday]. Our anticipation is that we'll have him ready to go this week. It's going to be important for him to continue to improve. He improved from last week to this week. We need to get him back out there."

Jones is No. 11 in B/R's wide receiver rankings for Week 16, while Douglas checks in at No. 33:

Week 16 Wide Receiver Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Wide Receivers	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Dez Bryant	DAL	vs. Ind	5	+4
2	Calvin Johnson	DET	at Chi	1	-1
3	Antonio Brown	PIT	vs. KC	2	-1
4	Odell Beckham	NYG	at StL	4	0
5	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	at Cin	6	+1
6	Jordy Nelson	GB	at TB	3	-3
7	A.J. Green	CIN	vs. Den	7	0
8	Alshon Jeffery	CHI	vs. Det	9	+1
9	Emmanuel Sanders	DEN	at Cin	13	+4
10	Randall Cobb	GB	at TB	11	+1
11	Julio Jones	ATL	at NO	18	+7
12	T.Y. Hilton	IND	at Dal	8	-4
13	Mike Evans	TB	vs. GB	12	-1
14	Kelvin Benjamin	CAR	vs. Cle	15	+1
15	Jeremy Maclin	PHI	at Was	10	-5
16	Roddy White	ATL	at NO	14	-2
17	Julian Edelman	NE	at NYJ	16	-1
18	Josh Gordon	CLE	at Car	20	+2
19	DeSean Jackson	WAS	vs. Phi	21	+2
20	Sammy Watkins	BUF	at Oak	22	+2
21	Brandon LaFell	NE	at NYJ	23	+2
22	Mike Wallace	MIA	vs. Min	27	+5
23	Golden Tate	DET	at Chi	17	-6
24	DeAndre Hopkins	HOU	vs. Bal	19	-5
25	Vincent Jackson	TB	vs. GB	24	-1
26	Jordan Matthews	PHI	at Was	26	0
27	Steve Smith	BAL	at Hou	28	+1
28	Marques Colston	NO	vs. Atl	29	+1
29	Jarvis Landry	MIA	vs. Min	30	+1
30	Anquan Boldin	SF	vs. SD	31	+1
31	Eric Decker	NYJ	vs. NE	39	+8
32	Kenny Stills	NO	vs. Atl	25	-7
33	Harry Douglas	ATL	at NO	33	0
34	Torrey Smith	BAL	at Hou	36	+2
35	Andre Johnson	HOU	vs. Bal	34	-1
36	Martavis Bryant	PIT	vs. KC	37	+1
37	Donte Moncrief	IND	at Dal	41	+4
38	Charles Johnson	MIN	at Mia	32	-6
39	Percy Harvin	NYJ	vs. NE	47	+8
40	Nate Washington	TEN	at Jac	38	-2
41	Pierre Garcon	WAS	vs. Phi	40	-1
42	Larry Fitzgerald	ARI	vs. Sea	50	+8
43	Michael Crabtree	SF	vs. SD	51	+8
44	Mohamed Sanu	CIN	vs. Den	54	+10
45	Marquess Wilson	CHI	vs. Det	43	-2
46	Marqise Lee	JAC	vs. Ten	42	-4
47	Cecil Shorts	JAC	vs. Ten	44	-3
48	Stedman Bailey	STL	vs. NYG	45	-3
49	Allen Hurns	JAC	vs. Ten	46	-3
50	Dwayne Bowe	KC	at Pit	49	-1
51	Malcom Floyd	SD	at SF	35	-16
52	Doug Baldwin	SEA	at Ari	53	+1
53	Greg Jennings	MIN	at Mia	57	+4
54	Kendall Wright	TEN	at Jac	56	+2
55	Kenny Britt	STL	vs. NYG	55	0
56	Michael Floyd	ARI	vs. Sea	63	+7
57	Hakeem Nicks	IND	at Dal	79	+22
58	Reggie Wayne	IND	at Dal	60	+2
59	Devin Hester	ATL	at NO	61	+2
60	Cole Beasley	DAL	vs. Ind	62	+2
61	Davante Adams	GB	at TB	65	+4
62	Rueben Randle	NYG	at StL	59	-3
63	Wes Welker	DEN	at Cin	66	+3
64	James Jones	OAK	vs. Buf	67	+3
65	Riley Cooper	PHI	at Was	73	+8
66	Eddie Royal	SD	at SF	48	-18
67	Markus Wheaton	PIT	vs. KC	71	+4
68	Nick Toon	NO	vs. Atl	81	+13
69	Robert Woods	BUF	at Oak	52	-17
70	Andre Holmes	OAK	vs. Buf	68	-2
71	Terrance Williams	DAL	vs. Ind	72	+1
72	Andrew Hawkins	CLE	at Car	69	-3
73	Brian Hartline	MIA	vs. Min	75	+2
74	Jermaine Kearse	SEA	at Ari	76	+2
75	Cordarrelle Patterson	MIN	at Mia	85	+10
76	Kamar Aiken	BAL	at Hou	82	+6
77	Tavon Austin	STL	vs. NYG	77	0
78	John Brown	ARI	vs. Sea	74	-4
79	Andre Roberts	WAS	vs. Phi	78	-1
80	Jarius Wright	MIN	at Mia	80	0
81	Albert Wilson	KC	at Pit	58	-23
82	Seyi Ajirotutu	SD	at SF	64	-18
83	Chris Hogan	BUF	at Oak	70	-13
84	Dexter McCluster	TEN	at Jac	88	+4
85	Devier Posey	HOU	vs. Bal	84	-1

 

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from more than 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Tight Ends: Keep the (Blind) Faith in Denver Broncos' Julius Thomas

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Julius Thomas (ankle) hasn't made a fantasy impact since Week 10, but that shouldn't keep you from going to the well again with him. The other fantasy tight ends just are not good enough to force him to the bench.

Thomas and Peyton Manning (thigh) are both banged up, but the Cincinnati Bengals are a live opponent that should force both tight end and quarterback to stay hungry in Week 16. Not only can this game impact playoff positioning for both teams, but the Bengals have allowed the 10th-most yards to tight ends in fantasy, per FFToday.com.

Regardless, tight ends are just like wideouts, as we wrote in the previous slide. They can come up big or bust, regardless of circumstances. Nothing suggests your fill-in option for Thomas is going to be any better.

We suggest you trust Thomas to the point of keeping him among the top three fantasy tight ends in B/R's Week 17 rankings:

Week 16 Tight End Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Tight Ends	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Jimmy Graham	NO	vs. Atl	2	+1
2	Rob Gronkowski	NE	at NYJ	1	-1
3	Julius Thomas	DEN	at Cin	5	+2
4	Greg Olsen	CAR	vs. Cle	3	-1
5	Martellus Bennett	CHI	vs. Det	4	-1
6	Antonio Gates	SD	at SF	7	+1
7	Delanie Walker	TEN	at Jac	8	+1
8	Travis Kelce	KC	at Pit	6	-2
9	Dwayne Allen	IND	at Dal	10	+1
10	Jason Witten	DAL	vs. Ind	9	-1
11	Jordan Reed	WAS	vs. Phi	11	0
12	Coby Fleener	IND	at Dal	12	0
13	Mychal Rivera	OAK	vs. Buf	14	+1
14	Jordan Cameron	CLE	at Car	16	+2
15	Owen Daniels	BAL	at Hou	21	+6
16	Jared Cook	STL	vs. NYG	15	-1
17	Larry Donnell	NYG	at StL	13	-4
18	Heath Miller	PIT	vs. KC	17	-1
19	Kyle Rudolph	MIN	at Mia	19	0
20	Vernon Davis	SF	vs. SD	31	+11
21	Zach Ertz	PHI	at Was	18	-3
22	Charles Clay	MIA	vs. Min	20	-2
23	Scott Chandler	BUF	at Oak	23	0
24	Tim Wright	NE	at NYJ	28	+4
25	Eric Ebron	DET	at Chi	22	-3
26	Andrew Quarless	GB	at TB	26	0
27	Brent Celek	PHI	at Was	27	0
28	Jermaine Gresham	CIN	vs. Den	32	+4
29	Jace Amaro	NYJ	vs. NE	34	+5
30	Marcedes Lewis	JAC	vs. Ten	29	-1

 

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from more than 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Defense/Special Teams: Ride the Red-Hot Buffalo Bills at Oakland Raiders

USA TODAY Sports

If the past two performances against Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers could not talk you into the Buffalo Bills defense/special teams in fantasy football's crunch time, how about this: The lowly Oakland Raiders with a rookie quarterback, Derek Carr, are on deck.

Now, we're talking. Everyone can get on board with the red-hot Bills defense now.

The Raiders are the sixth-most accommodating opponent for fantasy defense/special teams and the third most in the past three weeks. Plus, the Bills are second in fantasy overall this season in standard-scoring systems, according to FFToday.com.

There is no way anyone can deny the Bills a start in fantasy lineups now.

We rank the Bills third in B/R's top plays at the position for Week 16, right behind the New England Patriots facing the lowly New York Jets and always-sound Seattle Seahawks facing a third-string Arizona Cardinals quarterback:

Week 16 Defense and Special Teams Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Defenses and Special Teams	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	New England Patriots	NE	at NYJ	2	+1
2	Seattle Seahawks	Sea	at Ari	1	-1
3	Buffalo Bills	Buf	at Oak	6	+3
4	Detroit Lions	Det	at Chi	5	+1
5	St. Louis Rams	StL	vs. NYG	4	-1
6	Green Bay Packers	GB	at TB	7	+1
7	Baltimore Ravens	Bal	at Hou	3	-4
8	Carolina Panthers	Car	vs. Cle	8	0
9	Philadelphia Eagles	Phi	at Was	9	0
10	Arizona Cardinals	Ari	vs. Sea	11	+1
11	Denver Broncos	Den	at Cin	12	+1
12	Miami Dolphins	Mia	vs. Min	10	-2
13	San Francisco 49ers	SF	vs. SD	18	+5
14	New York Giants	NYG	at StL	13	-1
15	Kansas City Chiefs	KC	at Pit	15	0
16	Houston Texans	Hou	vs. Bal	16	0
17	Minnesota Vikings	Min	at Mia	20	+3
18	Pittsburgh Steelers	Pit	vs. KC	24	+6
19	Cleveland Browns	Cle	at Car	19	0
20	San Diego Chargers	SD	at SF	22	+2

 

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from more than 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Kickers: Pick Up a Chance at Some Monday Night Fantasy Magic

USA TODAY Sports

About the only time you notice kickers in fantasy football is at the very end. They are always the last thought.

It is the reason we are going to give you this pearl of advice: Go with one of the kickers in the final game of Week 16 and cross your fingers for some Monday Night Football magic.

The Monday night magic was in full effect in Week 15. Ask Mark Ingram, Marquess Wilson and Jay Cutler owners.

The Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals game concludes the fantasy Super Bowl week, and kickers Connor Barth and Mike Nugent just happen to be available commodities owned in less than 10 percent of ESPN.com leagues. Give yourself a late shot at some comeback points in fantasy Monday night, going with one of these kickers if you don't have a top-five fantasy option at the position.

Barth and Nugent both are top 12 plays in B/R's rankings for Week 16:

Week 16 Kicker Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Kickers	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	at NYJ	1	0
2	Justin Tucker	BAL	at Hou	5	+3
3	Dan Bailey	DAL	vs. Ind	3	0
4	Mason Crosby	GB	at TB	4	0
5	Adam Vinatieri	IND	at Dal	2	-3
6	Connor Barth	DEN	at Cin	7	+1
7	Steven Hauschka	SEA	at Ari	8	+1
8	Cody Parkey	PHI	at Was	6	-2
9	Shayne Graham	NO	vs. Atl	10	+1
10	Matt Bryant	ATL	at NO	9	-1
11	Mike Nugent	CIN	vs. Den	20	+9
12	Matt Prater	DET	at Chi	11	-1
13	Shaun Suisham	PIT	vs. KC	13	0
14	Dan Carpenter	BUF	at Oak	12	-2
15	Caleb Sturgis	MIA	vs. Min	18	+3
16	Phil Dawson	SF	vs. SD	15	-1
17	Nick Novak	SD	at SF	14	-3
18	Greg Zuerlein	STL	vs. NYG	17	-1
19	Graham Gano	CAR	vs. Cle	16	-3
20	Chandler Catanzaro	ARI	vs. Sea	19	-1

 

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from more than 100 experts provided by FantasyPros