Fantasy Football Week 16 Rankings: Updated Overview for All Positions

Ohhhhhh, baby. Championship week is here. 

If you've made it this far in your season, you've done so by starting with a great draft, being a champion on the waiver wire, nailing your matchups and, let's be honest, getting a bit lucky here or there. I know I can attribute my place in a championship game to a bit of luck—I won this week by 0.7 points, and both of the teams in the other semifinal would have beaten me.

As they say, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. But championship week is all about being good, exploiting the optimal matchups and maximizing each and every lineup slot. Hopefully, my weekly startability grades and fantasy rankings for this week will help you do just that.

Notes: For a full explanation of the rankings, see here. Abridged version: Startability measures how smart it is to start a given player in a week rather than attempting to project how many points he will score. "Ability" measures a player's overall talent, proficiency at his position and ability to produce fantasy numbers. "Offense" measures how much that team's offense improves his fantasy stock. The overall "startability" grade is weighted. All point totals and points-against statistics via ESPN standard scoring leagues. 

Schedule

Thursday, December 18	Time (ET)
Saturday, December 20	Time (ET)
Sunday, December 21	Time (ET)
Monday, December 22	Time (ET)
Tennessee at Jacksonville	8:25 p.m.
Philadelphia at Washington	4:30 p.m.
San Diego at San Francisco	8:25 p.m.
Minnesota at Miami	1 p.m.
Baltimore at Houston	1 p.m.
Detroit at Chicago	1 p.m.
Cleveland at Carolina	1 p.m.
Atlanta at New Orleans	1 p.m.
Green Bay at Tampa Bay	1 p.m.
Kansas City at Pittsburgh	1 p.m.
New England at NY Jets	1 p.m.
NY Giants at St. Louis	4:05 p.m.
Buffalo at Oakland	4:25 p.m.
Indianapolis at Dallas	4:25 p.m.
Seattle at Arizona	8:30 p.m.
Denver at Cincinnati	8:30 p.m.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Aaron Rodgers	50	16	15	9	A+ (90)
2	Tom Brady	48	21	13	8	A+ (90)
3	Andrew Luck	49	14	14	9	A (86)
4	Drew Brees	49	14	13	8	A (84)
5	Matt Stafford	43	22	11	5	A- (81)
6	Peyton Manning	50	6	15	8	B+ (79)
7	Matt Ryan	42	21	8	5	B (76)
8	Mark Sanchez	37	22	13	4	B (76)
9	Russell Wilson	45	10	10	8	B (73)
10	Ben Roethlisberger	43	8	11	6	B- (68)
11	Joe Flacco	40	11	11	6	B- (68)
12	Alex Smth	38	20	5	4	C+ (67)
13	Tony Romo	40	10	10	6	C (66)
14	Robert Griffin III	37	21	5	3	C (66)
15	Colin Kaepernick	39	13	7	5	C (64)
16	Philip Rivers	42	5	10	6	C- (63)
17	Eli Manning	40	8	10	5	C- (63)
18	Jay Cutler	41	5	9	5	D+ (60)
19	Cam Newton*	43	5	6	4	D (58)
20	Ryan Tannehill	40	7	8	3	D (58)

The quarterback position was not kind to fantasy players in Week 15.

Aaron Rodgers? Five fantasy points. Philip Rivers? Nine. Russell Wilson and Matt Stafford? Ten apiece. Peyton Manning? Thirteen. Andrew Luck? Fourteen. 

All in all, more than a few of the top options at the position severely disappointed last week. It was pretty brutal for a lot of fantasy owners out there. Thankfully, folks, I don't think that trend will continue this week. 

One player I've gone back and forth on is Mark Sanchez, who has played really poorly the past two weeks. That could be excused against Seattle's fearsome defense, but it was harder to stomach against Dallas. Sanchez just isn't that good, and Chip Kelly's system and the Philadelphia Eagles' many weapons aren't exactly hiding that fact any longer. 

Still, Washington is dreadful against the pass. They're giving up 20.1 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks per week, worst in the NFL, and in Week 3 they gave up 26 fantasy points to Nick Foles. With a playoff spot on the line, I think Sanchez will bounce back this week. But I also understand that many of you will be too gun-shy to start him this week despite the matchup, and I truly don't blame you.

Heck, I think you could even justify starting Robert Griffin III in this matchup, since the Eagles have a pretty awful secondary—Bradley Fletcher has spent more time looking at the back of uniforms this year than Philly's equipment manager—and they were just torched by Tony Romo. But that's for the truly brave in really deep leagues who have been streaming quarterbacks this year.

For everyone else, well, trust your studs. If you survived Week 15 and made the championship, I'm guessing players like Rodgers won't lay another egg.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	DeMarco Murray*	48	20	15	10	A+ (93)
2	C.J. Anderson	42	20	15	8	A+ (85)
3	Jamaal Charles*	49	11	14	10	A+ (84)
4	Le'Veon Bell	49	9	14	10	A (82)
5	Eddie Lacy	46	15	13	8	A (82)
6	Mark Ingram	42	22	11	7	A (82)
7	Fred Jackson	39	22	9	6	A (76)
8	Arian Foster	49	3	14	9	A (75)
9	Matt Forte	48	5	13	9	A- (74)
10	Alfred Morris	44	14	10	6	A- (74)
11	Marshawn Lynch	49	3	14	8	A- (74)
12	Justin Forsett	41	11	12	9	B+ (73)
13	Lamar Miller	42	13	11	6	B+ (72)
14	Steven Jackson	38	20	8	6	B+ (72)
15	Joique Bell	40	14	9	7	B (70)
16	LeSean McCoy	47	5	11	6	B (69)
17	Tre Mason	37	18	8	6	B (69)
18	Ryan Mathews*	40	10	10	6	B (66)
19	Jonathan Stewart	37	16	7	5	B- (65)
20	Isaiah Crowell	37	15	8	5	B- (65)
21	Terrance West	37	15	8	5	B- (65)
22	Dan Herron	38	13	8	4	C+ (63)
23	Matt Asiata	35	13	10	5	C+ (63)
24	Jeremy Hill	41	5	9	6	C+ (61)
25	Trent Richardson	37	13	7	4	C+ (61)
26	Andre Williams	38	6	10	6	C (60)
27	Giovani Bernard	42	5	6	6	C (59)
28	Doug Martin	36	12	6	3	C (57)
29	Frank Gore*	38	10	5	3	C (56)
30	Chris Ivory	37	12	3	3	C- (55)
31	Chris Johnson	37	12	3	3	C- (55)
32	Latavius Murray	37	8	5	4	D+ (54)
33	LeGarrette Blount	37	7	5	4	D+ (53)
34	Jonas Gray	37	7	5	4	D+ (53)
35	Shane Vereen	37	7	5	4	D+ (53)

With the status of more than a few players at this position still up in the air—DeMarco Murray, Jamaal Charles, Ryan Mathews, Frank Gore and Rashad Jennings chief among them—you might have to get a bit creative this week. 

For starters, have those handcuffs ready to go. Knile Davis, Joseph Randle, Andre Williams and Branden Oliver should be owned across the board. After that, don't be afraid to start less conventional options.

Matt Asiata is a good place to start. Despite his limited talent, the Minnesota Vikings seem to love him, and the alternatives certainly aren't much more appealing. He had 11 carries for 36 yards and a touchdown while catching all seven of his targets for another 50 yards last week, a solid indication that he's the head honcho in Minny's backfield. 

The Miami Dolphins have given up 613 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns to opposing backs in their last four games, so Asiata could produce nicely for fantasy owners.

Steven Jackson has come on strong, Jonathan Stewart hasn't been terrible of late, either, and Tre Mason has a solid matchup, so don't be afraid to start any of them, even if it's at your flex.

This time of year, you want to rely on your studs. But if circumstances won't allow you to do that, the above options might just save the day.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Jordy Nelson	48	20	15	9	A+ (92)
2	Julio Jones*	49	18	12	8	A+ (87)
3	Randall Cobb	46	20	14	7	A+ (87)
4	Calvin Johnson	50	16	11	7	A (84)
5	Antonio Brown	49	10	13	10	A (82)
6	Jeremy Maclin	44	20	11	7	A (82)
7	Odell Beckham Jr.	44	14	12	9	A (79)
8	A.J. Green	49	9	11	9	A (78)
9	Mike Evans	43	15	12	8	A (78)
10	Demaryius Thomas	48	5	15	9	A- (77)
11	DeAndre Hopkins	41	22	7	7	A- (77)
12	Torrey Smith	40	21	9	7	A- (77)
13	Dez Bryant	49	5	13	9	B+ (76)
14	DeSean Jackson	44	22	5	5	B+ (75)
15	Jordan Matthews	40	20	10	5	B+ (75)
16	Roddy White	39	18	9	6	B (74)
17	T.Y. Hilton*	44	6	14	8	B- (72)
18	Alshon Jeffery	45	8	12	7	B- (72)
19	Emmanuel Sanders	44	5	15	8	B- (72)
20	Josh Gordon	46	15	5	6	B- (72)
21	Steve Smith	39	21	7	5	B- (72)
22	Kelvin Benjamin	42	11	10	7	C+ (70)
23	Golden Tate	41	16	7	6	C+ (70)
24	Julian Edelman	39	15	10	5	C (69)
25	Brandon LaFell	39	15	10	5	C (69)
26	Vincent Jackson	41	15	7	4	C (67)
27	Marques Colston	38	20	5	4	C (67)
28	Kenny Stills	37	20	7	3	C (67)
29	Mike Wallace	41	12	7	4	C- (64)
30	Anquan Boldin	39	13	5	6	C- (63)
31	Jarvis Landry	37	12	8	4	D+ (61)
32	Charles Johnson	37	11	7	5	D+ (60)
33	Sammy Watkins	42	5	5	5	D (57)
34	Malcom Floyd	37	5	8	5	D (55)
35	Eric Decker	39	7	5	4	D (55)

Like running back, there are several wide receivers you should be monitoring this week, chief among them Julio Jones and T.Y. Hilton. Like at running back, you should have handcuffs in place in case either player can't go. Harry Douglas and Donte Moncrief would be my choices.

Beyond that, wide receiver really remains one of the most straightforward positions out there this year. Other than the injury woes of Calvin Johnson earlier in the year and the unbelievable emergence of so many talented rookies, there haven't been a ton of surprises at the position this year.

Your studs at the position have gotten you to the playoffs or into your championship round. Now is not the time to get cute and bench them.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Rob Gronkowski	50	21	15	10	A+ (96)
2	Julius Thomas*	47	13	12	6	A- (78)
3	Jimmy Graham	49	10	12	6	A- (77)
4	Dwayne Allen	41	20	8	7	A- (76)
5	Coby Fleener	40	20	7	6	B+ (73)
6	Greg Olsen	45	7	12	7	B (71)
7	Antonio Gates	41	13	11	6	B (71)
8	Martellus Bennett	41	12	12	6	B (71)
9	Travis Kelce	40	17	8	5	B- (70)
10	Jason Witten	40	18	5	4	C+ (67)
11	Delanie Walker	39	15	7	4	C (65)
12	Jared Cook	38	14	8	3	C (63)
13	Heath Miller	37	10	7	5	C (59)
14	Larry Donnell	37	5	9	4	C- (55)

If you want an example of just how confounding the tight end position has been, I'm happy to oblige. The No. 11 tight end in the fantasy rankings this season is Larry Donnell, despite the fact that he has just eight fantasy points in his last four games!

Or how about this—Julius Thomas is sixth in fantasy points among tight ends, and he has just three fantasy points in his last five games, which included three games that he didn't even play in due to injury. 

Here's the moral of the story—unless you have Rob Gronkowski or Greg Olsen this season, you're basically just praying you get fantasy points from the position. Even Jimmy Graham has been a disappointment. He doesn't have a touchdown in his last three games, after all. 

David Banks/Getty Images

Some players have more upside than others, of course. Martellus Bennett and Antonio Gates come to mind, while Dwayne Allen has been a touchdown magnet when he's stayed healthy. And chances are, if you've reached your championship round you either have a player at the position you trust or you've developed a rotation or streaming pattern you trust.

Stick with it. If you've found consistent success at the tight end position this year, I'm guessing you're in the minority.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Team
1	Seattle Seahawks
2	Buffalo Bills
3	Detroit Lions
4	New England Patriots
5	Green Bay Packers
6	Philadelphia Eagles
7	Baltimore Ravens
8	St. Louis Rams
9	Miami Dolphins
10	Minnesota Vikings

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team
1	Stephen Gostkowski	New England Patriots
2	Mason Crosby	Green Bay Packers
3	Dan Carpenter	Buffalo Bills
4	Dan Bailey	Dallas Cowboys
5	Cody Parkey	Philadelphia Eagles
6	Adam Vinatieri	Indianapolis Colts
7	Shaun Suisham	Pittsburgh Steelers
8	Matt Bryant	Atlanta Falcons
9	Randy Bullock	Houston Texans
10	Caleb Sturgis	Miami Dolphins

All point totals and points-against statistics via ESPN standard scoring leagues.