Week 16 Fantasy Football Rankings: Projecting Top Quarterbacks for Title Games

If you have made it to your fantasy football championship game, congratulations. However, the real challenge starts here for those who still have decisions to make.

Many of the top projected quarterbacks to start the year have failed to produce high numbers, whether due to injuries to themselves or players around them or simply poor performances. Heading into Week 16, there are few sure things at what is usually the safest position in fantasy football.

This has caused plenty of fantasy owners to scramble to find the best possible options to put in their lineups.

Fortunately, there are a few sleepers available who can help your team if you are truly in a bind. Here are full rankings for Week 16, along with a look at a few players who can likely be added off waivers to help you this week.

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	Peyton Manning	Denver Broncos	at Houston Texans
2	Philip Rivers	San Diego Chargers	vs. Oakland Raiders
3	Nick Foles	Philadelphia Eagles	vs. Chicago Bears
4	Cam Newton	Carolina Panthers	vs. New Orleans Saints
5	Drew Brees	New Orleans Saints	at Carolina Panthers
6	Matthew Stafford	Detroit Lions	vs. New York Giants
7	Tony Romo	Dallas Cowboys	at Washington Redskins
8	Andy Dalton	Cincinnati Bengals	vs. Minnesota Vikings
9	Kirk Cousins	Washington Redskins	vs. Dallas Cowboys
10	Tom Brady	New England Patriots	at Baltimore Ravens
11	Russell Wilson	Seattle Seahawks	vs. Arizona Cardinals
12	Colin Kaepernick	San Francisco 49ers	vs. Atlanta Falcons
13	Ryan Tannehill	Miami Dolphins	at Buffalo Bills
14	Jay Cutler	Chicago Bears	at Philadelphia Eagles
15	Andrew Luck	Indianapolis Colts	at Kansas City Chiefs
16	Ryan Fitzpatrick	Tennessee Titans	at Jacksonville Jaguars
17	Alex Smith	Kansas City Chiefs	vs. Indianapolis Colts
18	Jason Campbell	Cleveland Browns	at New York Jets
19	Ben Roethlisberger	Pittsburgh Steelers	at Green Bay Packers
20	Joe Flacco	Baltimore Ravens	vs. New England Patriots

Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins

The Redskins want to see what they have in Kirk Cousins, so they will let him throw the ball. The second-year quarterback had 45 pass attempts in his first start of the year, totaling 381 yards and three touchdowns.

According to Brian McNally of The Washington Times, Cousins also admitted that he is playing for a "better opportunity" in saying:

"

I’m in a position right now where I’m not fighting to keep my job as much as my perspective is trying to fight to earn an even better opportunity. I think that’s a good spot to be in. You certainly do feel the pressure and it’s not so much whether or not you feel it, because I think we all feel it. But how are you going to perform under it?

"

With a strong performance in the final two games, he will likely get a chance to play for a starting job somewhere in the NFL. The odds are certainly in his favor against the Dallas Cowboys and their worst pass defense in the league.

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins

The latest come-from-behind win over the New England Patriots was enough to impress the majority of NFL analysts. Phil Simms was the latest to praise the former first-round pick, calling him a legitimate franchise quarterback:

Additionally, he has excelled as a fantasy option as well, with over 20 points in each of the last three weeks. After a mediocre start, he has scored at least 14 fantasy points in standard leagues in seven straight games. 

This week, he faces the Buffalo Bills, who have slowed down opposing passing attacks but have been unable to keep them out of the end zone. Only four teams have allowed more touchdowns through the air.

Tannehill should be able to continue his recent hot streak to help lead his team to the playoffs and yours to a fantasy championship.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Tennessee Titans

If you are looking for a safe option, you should look in another direction. However, Ryan Fitzpatrick has a good chance of posting big numbers on Sunday.

In six games since taking over for the injured Jake Locker, the veteran quarterback has averaged 18.7 fantasy points per game. Of course, this takes into account both the bad (eight points in Week 14) and the good (30 points in Week 15).

Scott Kacsmar of Football Outsiders does not think much about Fitzpatrick's ability to win:

The good news is you do not need him to win, just to put up big numbers, and he can certainly do that against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Expect more touchdowns than turnovers to equal a quality fantasy performance. 

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