Week 16 Fantasy Football Projections: Flex, PPR Stat Predictions for Top 100

Week 16 will be a long one for fans, especially those hoping to win a fantasy football championship.

The action begins Thursday as usual, but most of the weekend slate will take place on Saturday thanks to Christmas. However, there are still two big games taking place on Sunday followed by a usual Monday night battle, leaving a lot of time for stat-watching throughout the week.

You mostly want to play your studs at this stage of the season, trusting the men who got you to this point. However, there are still a few tweaks available that could be the difference in bringing home a trophy.

Here are the latest rankings by position for Week 16.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Drew Brees	Saints	TB	22
2	Tom Brady	Patriots	NYJ	22
3	Aaron Rodgers	Packers	MIN	20
4	Matt Ryan	Falcons	at CAR	20
5	Andrew Luck	Colts	at OAK	20
6	Ben Roethlisberger	Steelers	BAL	19
7	Cam Newton	Panthers	ATL	19
8	Philip Rivers	Chargers	at CLE	18
9	Kirk Cousins	Redskins	at CHI	18
10	Marcus Mariota	Titans	at JAX	18

Even the best quarterbacks haven't been trustworthy on a consistent basis this season. Tom Brady was effectively shut down by the Denver Broncos, while Aaron Rodgers also couldn't find the end zone against the Chicago Bears.

Michael Fabiano of NFL.com summed up the surprising week:

These players likely don't care much since they helped their teams to wins, but those in the fantasy playoffs were certainly affected.

If you survived, however, you still want to go back to the ones you can trust the most. Drew Brees showed exactly why, following up two miserable outings (no touchdowns and six interceptions combined in Weeks 13 and 14) with four touchdowns and 389 yards in Week 15.

Although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense has played extremely well lately, Brees is capable of putting up a quality performance and should remain in your lineup, just like Brady and Rodgers.

Marcus Mariota has been a bit more of a question mark after failing to reach the end zone in consecutive games, although a lot has to do with the game plan and a pair of tough opponents. While the Jacksonville Jaguars have fared surprisingly well against the pass this season, Mariota should be able to bounce back with a strong effort for fantasy teams.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	David Johnson	Cardinals	at SEA	18
2	Le'Veon Bell	Steelers	BAL	18
3	Ezekiel Elliott	Cowboys	DET	17
4	LeSean McCoy	Bills	MIA	17
5	DeMarco Murray	Titans	at JAX	16
6	Devonta Freeman	Falcons	at CAR	15
7	Jordan Howard	Bears	WAS	14
8	Latavius Murray	Raiders	IND	14
9	LeGarrette Blount	Patriots	NYJ	12
10	Ty Montgomery	Packers	MIN	12
11	Lamar Miller	Texans	CIN	12
12	Carlos Hyde	49ers	at LA	11
13	Todd Gurley	Rams	SF	11
14	Doug Martin	Buccaneers	at NO	11
15	Frank Gore	Colts	at OAK	11
16	Bilal Powell	Jets	at NE	11
17	Rob Kelley	Redskins	at CHI	11
18	Jeremy Hill	Bengals	at HOU	10
19	Jay Ajayi	Dolphins	at BUF	10
20	Spencer Ware	Chiefs	DEN	10
21	Jonathan Stewart	Panthers	ATL	10
22	Ryan Mathews	Eagles	NYG	10
23	Mark Ingram	Saints	TB	9
24	Adrian Peterson	Vikings	at GB	9
25	Dion Lewis	Patriots	NYJ	9
26	Terrance West	Ravens	at PIT	9
27	Tevin Coleman	Falcons	at CAR	9
28	Tim Hightower	Saints	TB	8
29	Rashad Jennings	Giants	at PHI	8
30	Justin Forsett	Broncos	at KC	8

Touchdown vultures like Robert Turbin, Derrick Henry and Mike Gillislee might have affected some leagues, but otherwise, Week 15 was a good one for the top running backs in the league.

Ezekiel Elliott and LeSean McCoy both had huge games, David Johnson scored 22 points in standard leagues in a "quiet" game, and Le'Veon Bell battled his way to 131 yards from scrimmage in one of his worst games. These four players can be trusted in any league and in any matchup as long as they are healthy.

Devonta Freeman also re-established himself as a top option, although the big riser of the week is Ty Montgomery. The former receiver showcased his dynamic ability earlier in the season but struggled to get touches over the past month.

That wasn't a problem Sunday, as Montgomery finished with 162 rushing yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns.

Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus showed how good the individual effort was against the Bears:

The Minnesota Vikings defense isn't as scary as it was earlier in the season, making Montgomery a must-start in most fantasy leagues.

Todd Gurley is a tougher call after an extremely disappointing year, but facing the miserable San Francisco 49ers run defense could be a chance to make up for it. Just about everyone has torched this unit in 2016, and Gurley might finally be able to break the 100-yard mark.

Dion Lewis could also be a player to watch after earning 18 carries in Week 15, although touchdowns might be difficult to find with LeGarrette Blount on the roster.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Antonio Brown	Steelers	BAL	14
2	Odell Beckham Jr.	Giants	at PHI	14
3	Mike Evans	Buccaneers	at NO	13
4	T.Y. Hilton	Colts	at OAK	12
5	Jordy Nelson	Packers	MIN	12
6	Dez Bryant	Cowboys	DET	12
7	Demaryius Thomas	Broncos	at KC	12
8	Brandin Cooks	Saints	TB	12
9	Alshon Jeffery	Bears	WAS	11
10	Emmanuel Sanders	Broncos	at KC	11
11	Amari Cooper	Raiders	IND	11
12	Michael Crabtree	Raiders	IND	11
13	Golden Tate	Lions	at DAL	11
14	Julian Edelman	Patriots	NYJ	10
15	Larry Fitzgerald	Cardinals	at SEA	10
16	Michael Thomas	Saints	TB	10
17	Tyreek Hill	Chiefs	DEN	10
18	Dontrelle Inman	Chargers	at CLE	10
19	Jarvis Landry	Dolphins	at BUF	9
20	Kenny Britt	Rams	SF	9
21	Taylor Gabriel	Falcons	at CAR	9
22	Stefon Diggs	Vikings	at GB	9
23	Doug Baldwin	Seahawks	ARI	9
24	Jamison Crowder	Redskins	at CHI	9
25	DeAndre Hopkins	Texans	CIN	9
26	Davante Adams	Packers	MIN	8
27	Malcolm Mitchell	Patriots	NYJ	8
28	Steve Smith Sr.	Ravens	at PIT	8
29	Rishard Matthews	Titans	at JAX	8
30	Tyler Lockett	Seahawks	ARI	8

Brandin Cooks was the star of the week with seven catches for 182 yards and two touchdowns, although that doesn't necessarily put him on the top of the list going forward.

Consistency is a major problem for Cooks, who hadn't scored a touchdown since Week 10 before Sunday. Michael Thomas and Willie Snead have taken away targets at times, and any of them could have a big game on a given day.

Even Saints coach Sean Payton admitted the team is tough to trust.

"All those guys, you just don’t know sometimes where those plays are gonna go, really," the coach said, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. "And that’s the truth."

Still, Cooks possesses the most upside of the bunch and is worth keeping in your lineup. You certainly don't want to complain about leaving him on your bench when he puts up numbers like he did Sunday.

Taylor Gabriel also continues his rise with another touchdown Sunday, his sixth in the last seven games. Whether Julio Jones returns to the lineup or not, Gabriel has proved himself as a valuable weapon in a high-powered offense.

Finally, Alshon Jeffery can safely be placed back onto your roster after catching six passes for 89 yards and a touchdown in his first game back from suspension. 

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Travis Kelce	Chiefs	DEN	11
2	Greg Olsen	Panthers	ATL	10
3	Tyler Eifert	Bengals	at HOU	9
4	Jimmy Graham	Seahawks	ARI	9
5	Cameron Brate	Buccaneers	at NO	8
6	Zach Ertz	Eagles	NYG	8
7	Kyle Rudolph	Vikings	at GB	8
8	Antonio Gates	Chargers	at CLE	8
9	Delanie Walker	Titans	at JAX	7
10	Jordan Reed	Redskins	at CHI	7

Who knows what to expect at the tight end position this season?

Without a dominant player like Rob Gronkowski, the field has been mediocre at best. Every time it seems like someone can be trusted, they follow it up with a dud performance.

Travis Kelce has been the most consistent, despite only totaling 41 yards in Week 15. Prior to that, he had four straight weeks of at least 100 receiving yards. Although he hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 8, he has been the best tight end in the league over the past month.

Zach Ertz is quickly climbing after averaging 90.3 receiving yards in the last three weeks. It took him a long time to get going this season, but the Philadelphia Eagles star is making an impact for fantasy teams at the right time.

Cameron Brate should also be in lineups after catching his fifth touchdown pass in his last eight games. He has earned a bigger role within the Buccaneers offense and now has a high enough floor to trust in a key week.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	New England Patriots	NYJ	12
2	Kansas City Chiefs	DEN	10
3	Seattle Seahawks	ARI	9
4	Denver Broncos	at KC	8
5	Tennessee Titans	at JAX	8
6	New York Giants	at PHI	8
7	San Diego Chargers	at CLE	8
8	Miami Dolphins	at BUF	8
9	Green Bay Packers	MIN	7
10	Los Angeles Rams	SF	7

The New York Jets offense has been awful this season and hasn't fared much better with Bryce Petty under center. The Miami Dolphins forced four turnovers and then added to the big day with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown.

This unit will face the Patriots in Week 16, a team allowing the fewest points in the NFL this year at 16.6 points per game.

It's difficult to predict when defensive touchdowns will happen, but a great defense against one of the worst offenses in football represents a great chance to rack up some points for your fantasy team.

At the same time, the Dolphins remain a quality choice thanks to the opportunistic play over the past month of the season. Consistency is an issue, but the upside is as good as almost anyone.

Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

Fans of defense will also love the AFC West battle between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. It wouldn't be all that surprising if both teams finish in single digits, making both teams a strong start this weekend.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Justin Tucker	Ravens	at PIT	10
2	Matt Bryant	Falcons	at CAR	10
3	Sebastian Janikowski	Raiders	IND	9
4	Stephen Gostkowski	Patriots	NYJ	9
5	Matt Prater	Lions	at DAL	9
6	Dan Bailey	Cowboys	DET	8
7	Chris Boswell	Steelers	BAL	8
8	Nick Novak	Texans	CIN	8
9	Adam Vinatieri	Colts	at OAK	8
10	Caleb Sturgis	Eagles	NYG	7

Justin Tucker has been the most consistent kicker in the NFL this season, and with the Ravens facing a tough Pittsburgh Steelers defense, there could be a lot of long attempts available.

On the other side of the field, Chris Boswell will try to replicate his six-field-goal performance from Week 15. Considering these AFC North battles tend to be low-scoring affairs that are decided by just a few points, both kickers will probably be valuable in this one.

Players like Sebastian Janikowski and Matt Bryant also move near the top of the list thanks to their involvement in some of the best offenses in the NFL.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.