Fantasy Football Week 16 Review

Week 16 of the fantasy football season is nearly in the books with the exception of one game: the Detroit Lions on the road against the Dallas Cowboys.

For many fantasy players that are in the championship, this game features many players who are likely on your rosters, with the most notable being Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Yup, gotta love those Monday night hammers.

Week 16 was a lot of fun overall. Maybe it was that it fell on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?

I tell you what: People love Christmas movies around this time of year, but I prefer to sit down on the couch in some comfy clothes, have a cup of coffee and turn the channel to NFL Red Zone and let Scott Hanson of NFL Network serenade me with not-so-funny-but-cute football puns.

If it weren't for those damn Christmas Eve gatherings, I would have just sat right down on that couch and watched my DFS lineups score more and more points.

That'll change next year, for sure.

However, we look towards Week 17 now.

Yup—believe it or not, there are those sicko's out there who enjoy Week 17 championships. To me, it's absolutely nuts, but hey, you do you.

I don't have the guts to do it.

Unfortunately, though, if you do play in Week 17, Week 16 was a "Murderers Row" when it came to injuries—I counted 11 notable ones this week to offensive skill position players.

Don't you worry, though, we'll dissect each of those injuries with analysis from a guy who didn't even make a championship—sounds promising, right?

Well, enough of me blathering on and on—let's review Week 16 so far.

Top Quarterbacks

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Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

"Run the table."

"Relax."

These are the two most famous quotes of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers' career.

Being the QB1 in fantasy football on any given week? He's also famous for that.

Going up against the Minnesota Vikings, not only did Rodgers throw for 347 yards, four touchdowns and ran for a touchdown as well, but he heightened his popularity in the MVP discussion.

There's really not much to say here other than he did that against the Minnesota Vikings daunting defense.

Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

Attempting a season high 45 passes, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson comes in as the QB2 for Week 16, throwing for 350 yards and four touchdowns.

Wilson helped out his stat line by utilizing his running ability, accumulating 36 rushing yards on 10 carries.

This Seahawks battle with the Arizona Cardinals may have resulted in a loss, but it made for plenty of fantasy goodness and also just a good ole fashion fun football game.

Wilson has the ability to be a top fantasy quarterback—he's an accurate passer who can run, too.

Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills

Another quarterback who uses his legs to his advantage, Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor had 60 rushing yards on 12 carries but also threw three scores and had 329 yards passing.

Of course, an almost full overtime period helped, but hey, that's part of the game so we'll take it.

On a real football note: Will Taylor be the Bills starting quarterback in 2017? We'll have to wait and see.

Honorable Mention: Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins

Going up against the Chicago Bears and their, uh, old/young secondary, Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins was poised for a nice game, despite the Bears' DVOA pass ranking of 14.

While he only had 270 passing yards and one touchdown through the air, Cousins made up for it with his legs, carrying the ball five times for 30 yards and two touchdowns.

It could have been a much better week for Cousins, though, had he not missed wide receiver DeSean Jackson on long throws that would have definitely resulted in touchdowns.

Cousins finished as the QB4 through Sunday in Week 16.

You like that?

Top Running Backs

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David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals

He ends up here every week: inside the top three running backs for the week. Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson is good at football.

Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

And so is Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell.

Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins

As a personal fan of his, Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi's outbreak made me smile pretty hard on Saturday.

In my Week 16 preview, I highlighted Ajayi as potentially bouncing back in this spot and boy oh boy did he.

32 carries. 206 yards. One touchdown.

That qualifies as a bounce back to me.

This marked Ajayi's third game in which he ran for 200 or more yards—he joins elite company in O.J. Simpson, Tiki Barber and Earl Campbell as the only four players to ever accomplish that feat.

Honorable Mention: LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills

This isn't much of a surprise—Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy finds his way inside the top three or top four runners every week, it seems. 

I suppose it helps when you're the RB4 in PPR formats through 15 games. 

Week 16 was McCoy's seventh 100-yard rushing game this season, and he now has seven scores over his past six games.

Beast.

Top Wide Receivers

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Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen has put together quite the nice season for himself in 2016.

Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013 out of Minnesota State, Thielen (after Week 16) has 68 catches for 960 yards and five touchdowns—that's good enough for the WR20 in PPR leagues.

Back to Week 16, Thielen absolutely erupted.

And by erupted, I mean, like, he'll be getting a random drug test from the league office after this one. Just look at this line:

14 targets. 12 receptions. 202 yards. Two touchdowns.

Absolutely bonkers. He single-handedly decimated the Green Bay Packers embarrassing secondary despite their loss.

Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks

With his quarterback being the QB2 in Week 16, it's only natural that Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin is the WR2.

Far and away Wilson's favorite target, Baldwin saw 19 targets in Week 16, catching 13 of them for 171 yards and a score.

Baldwin is now just eight catches away from a 100 this season.

What a year he's had.

Bravo, Baldwin.

Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers

No surprise here.

These days, it seems like Jordy Nelson is the only Green Bay Packers wide receiver who can get open consistently.

Sure, fellow wide receiver Davante Adams has been fine, but he hasn't been what Nelson has been this season.

Week 16 was Nelson's highest single-game receiving total of the season, racking up 154 yards. But what also helped were his nine receptions and two touchdowns.

Nelson now has three 100-plus-yard games over his last four contests.

Coming off a torn ACL? No problem, bro.

Honorable Mention: Cam Meredith, Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears have found a bona fide gem in wide receiver Cam Meredith. 

The undrafted free agent out of Illinois State has filled in famously in 2016 for the Bears to help out with the loss of fellow wide receiver Kevin White and the four-game suspension of No. 1 option Alshon Jeffery.

Notching his fourth double-digit target game of the year, Meredith finished with 135 yards receiving and a touchdown on nine receptions.

This brings his season totals to 62 receptions, 827 yards, and four touchdowns.

Is Meredith the No. 2 receiver for the Bears in 2017? Some would argue he deserves it, and I wouldn't argue back.

He's been a light in what has been a dark, dark season in the Windy City.

Top Tight Ends and Defense

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Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is hands down the best tight end in the sport right now. 

He has five 100-plus-yard receiving games over his last six.

That's is incredible, considering Alex Smith is his quarterback.

Move over Gronk—Kelce is here to stay.

Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills

It appears fatherhood has elevated the play of Buffalo Bills tight end Charles Clay.

Since returning in Week 14 after the birth of his child, Clay is averaging nearly 70 receiving yards per game and has scored in every game.

Week 17 looks promising for Clay. This is perhaps the best three-game run of his career.

Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers

Ole reliable keeps getting it done.

With San Diego going up against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16, I was almost positive either tight end Antonio Gates or fellow tight end Hunter Henry would score and sure enough, Gates was the one.

Hopefully, he comes back next season, but who knows—it might be time to hang it up.

If Week 17 is it for Gates, it's been one heck of a career.

Honorable Mention: Dennis Pitta, Baltimore Ravens

Going up their division rival Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16 to fight for their playoff lives, the Baltimore Ravens fell short, losing 31-27, but it definitely wasn't because of tight end Dennis Pitta.

In that game, Pitta caught eight passes for 75 yards.

After being plagued by injuries in recent years, it's nice to see the BYU product finally look like what we all expected him to be.

Top D/ST: New England Patriots

Analysis: They played the New York Jets.

They. Stink.

Week 16 Duds

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Quarterback: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

I'm embarrassed that I suggested starting Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in Week 16—he was absolutely awful.

In the end, 198 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions may not appear to be as bad as I'm making it out to be, but trust me: He was terrible. 

Going up against the Falcons, at home and coming off a nice game, I was under the impression that Newton would have a quality start considering the secondary he was up against.

I was wrong.

Leave your hate in the comments. I deserve it.

Running Back: DeMarco Murray, Tennessee Titans

Yeah, the Tennessee Titans were trailing for most of the game, but running back DeMarco Murray needs to be better, considering he had 16 touches.

While you hope for more than 16 out of an RB1, he should have done way more than 60 total yards.

He's one of the best backs in the game right now, and he went up against the Jacksonville freakin' Jaguars.

What the heck?

Wide Receiver: Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins

What if I told you that the Miami Dolphins put up 34 points and wide receiver Jarvis Landry had just three catches for 29 yards?

Well, that did in fact happen. While he only got six targets and wide receivers are dependent on quarterback play to more of an extent, this was a bad outing for a player who should catch a ton of passes coupled with the team scoring 34 points.

Tight End: Vernon Davis, Washington Redskins

To be honest, the tight end position did pretty well this week, so that's why Washington Redskins tight end Vernon Davis is here.

It's simple: Fellow tight end Jordan Reed was out, and Davis drew the start and did virtually nothing in the receiving game, catching one pass for 13 yards.

Oh well.

Week 16 Injuries

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Quarterbacks

Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders

According to Britt McHenry of ESPN, Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr broke his fibula.

Well, this is a major loss, obviously.

With this injury, not only will Carr be out for the remainder of the year, but the Raiders playoff aspirations are likely to be prematurely thwarted.

With backup quarterback Matt McGloin set to start in Week 17, all Raiders pass-catching options take a hit in value.

Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans

According to Rotoworld, Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota fractured his fibula in Week 16.

Two injuries to two of the games best young quarterbacks this week and both being the fibula.

Brutal.

The Titans backup is Matt Cassel. Abandon ship.

Robert Griffin III, Cleveland Browns

After suffering a concussion in Week 16, Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III is not expected to play in the season finale, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

With Cody Kessler set to take back over as the teams' starting quarterback, all skill position players are likely to see a small boost in value—RG3 didn't throw a single touchdown all season.

Bryce Petty, New York Jets

According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty injured his shoulder in Week 16 and will undergo an MRI.

You never want to see anyone get hurt, but it's best Petty sits out Week 17—it's the Jets. Spare your body.

Running Backs

Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers

One of the few remaining bright spots left on the San Francisco 49ers roster, running back Carlos Hyde tore his MCL in Week 16 and will miss the remainder of the season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

The 49ers are a human wasteland at this point.

Shaun Draughn will take over as the primary back in Week 17—stay away from 49ers players.

Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks

Pulverized by injuries this season, Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls is hurt. Again. This time? A shoulder injury that is being dubbed a bruise, according to Rotoworld. 

If Rawls is unable to go, rookie running back Alex Collins will become the primary back.

With the playoffs on the horizon, it's best for the Seahawks to rest Rawls—they can handle the 49ers without him.

Look for Collins in the waiver-wire pickup slide.

T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars

Doing most of his damage in the receiving game the past two weeks, Jacksonville Jaguars running back T.J. Yeldon suffered an ankle in Week 16 and was forced from the game, according to Rotoworld.

There's really no sense in trotting Yeldon out there—expect fellow running back Chris Ivory to be the guy in Week 17—he should play a ton of snaps against the Indianapolis Colts and makes for an intriguing DFS play.

Wide Receivers

Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

Broken legs seemed to be a theme in Week 16. A very. Brutal. And. Painful. Theme.

According to Rotoworld, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll confirmed that wide receiver Tyler Lockett will need surgery on the injury to his leg and is done for the season.

What does this mean for Week 17? Not a ton, really. To this point, Lockett's involvement in the offense fluctuated between nonexistent and very little.

No real change of plans here besides lower depth chart guys getting some more snaps. 

Donte Moncrief, Indianapolis Colts

Another player with a season marred by injury, Colts wide receiver Donte Moncrief suffered a shoulder injury in Week 16, according to Rotoworld.

Having dealt with a fractured scapula and hamstring issues this season, the Colts need to just sit Moncrief done.

His season will end being highlighted by being a touchdown scorer but really nothing more.

Kenny Britt, Los Angeles Rams

A surprise this season in fantasy football given the team he's on, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Kenny Britt suffered a shoulder injury in Week 16, according to Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area.

Unless there's some kind of incentive for playing in Week 17, Britt, like most players that suffer an injury right before the end of the season, should be sat down.

If he's not, you play him as normal, but the Rams should just avoid further injury to their No. 1 wide receiver.

Don't trust any other wide receiver on the Rams roster.

Tight Ends

According to Rotoworld, Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate suffered a back injury in Week 16 and was forced from the game early.

As Rotoworld also notes, Brate was in so much pain he could not "sit nor stand" under his own power.

Eliminated from playoff contention, it's best to just sit Brate down in Week 17 even if he is healthy—the Bucs have found a gem in Brate—don't risk further injury.

Waiver-Wire Pickups

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Quarterback: Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys and owner/general manager have made it pretty clear that they want to get quarterback Tony Romo some live work in the event starting quarterback Dak Prescott gets injured or is simply terrible.

Having already wrapped up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Cowboys will likely give Romo the start in Week 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Pick him up if you stream quarterbacks.

Running Back: Alex Collins, Seattle Seahawks

Because of the injury to incumbent starting running back Thomas Rawls and his Week 17 status being unknown, backup running back Alex Collins needs to be picked up—it's not too often you can pick up a running back who is slated to get all of the work.

The Seahawks are on the road against the San Francisco "we give up 100 yard rushers every week" 49ers.

Wide Receiver: Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings

He has nearly 1,000 yards this season, and he's owned in 29 percent of Yahoo leagues.

What the heck is going on? Pick him up. He's the WR20 in PPR leagues, guys.

Tight End: Jesse James, Pittsburgh Steelers

If Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Ladarius Green sits out once again in Week 17, fellow tight end Jesse James will draw the start against the Cleveland Browns, who rank 32nd in DVOA against tight ends. 

In Week 16 against a Baltimore Ravens defense that is fifth in DVOA against tight ends, James caught four passes for 49 yards. Not great, but respectable.

He should have a decent shot at scoring in Week 17 against a Browns team that is hoping to just end the season without getting any other players injured.

Statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders.

Follow me on Twitter @RichardJanvrin.