Week 16 Fantasy Football Rankings: Positional Overview, Guide and Advice

For most fantasy leagues, Week 16 is for all the marbles, so setting the optimal lineup is ideal.

There's nothing worse in the fantasy football world than losing a matchup with players on the bench who would have won it for you.

Let's take a look at Yahoo Sports' top three plays at each position for Week 16, including some free agents who could help you take home the trophy.

Quarterback

Rank	Player	Team	Projected Points	Opponent
1	Cam Newton	Carolina Panthers	23.1	@ Atlanta Falcons
2	Blake Bortles	Jacksonville Jaguars	22.8	@ New Orleans Saints
3	Drew Brees	New Orleans Saints	22.6	vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Cam Newton is no surprise here. The Carolina Panthers quarterback has thrown 18 touchdowns against just one interception the past four weeks and has led his team to a perfect 14-0 record.

The Atlanta Falcons are fifth against quarterbacks in terms of fantasy points allowed, but no one is stopping Cam right now. In his last matchup against the Falcons in Week 14, he threw for 265 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

One (somewhat) surprising player on the list is Blake Bortles. The Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback has been on fire lately and is only one of six quarterbacks to throw at least 30 touchdowns this season.

If anything, he's consistent, per ESPN's Trey Wingo:

Fantasy owners will be glad to know he faces the worst fantasy defense against quarterbacks in Week 16. The New Orleans Saints and fantasy opponents of Bortles are in for a long day.

The quarterback on the other side of the field from Bortles in Week 16, Drew Brees, is third on the list. New Orleans is just 6-8, but Brees has been putting up great numbers and will also benefit from a weak defense, as the Jaguars allow the third-most points to quarterbacks.

You can't go wrong with the usual suspects—Carson Palmer, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers—but if you are dealing with an injury and need to look to the waiver wire, jump on Washington's Kirk Cousins, who is owned in just 24 percent of standard Yahoo leagues.

He's thrown a touchdown in every game this season and is coming of a four-touchdown performance in Week 15 against the Buffalo Bills.

Running Back

Rank	Player	Team	Projected Points	Opponent
1	Adrian Peterson	Minnesota Vikings	18.2	vs. New York Giants
2	DeAngelo Williams	Pittsburgh Steelers	15.4	@ Baltimore Ravens
3	Devonta Freeman	Atlanta Falcons	13.9	vs. Carolina Panthers

Adrian Peterson leads the NFL in rushing and is going up against a New York Giants team that allows the eighth-most points to fantasy running backs.

He was injured in Week 15 but will play in Week 16, per ESPN's Josina Anderson. Plug him in the lineup and don't ask questions.

DeAngelo Williams has been held to less than 30 yards twice in the past four weeks, but he also has four rushing touchdowns during that time and six in his past six games.

The Baltimore Ravens have a solid rush defense that ranks fourth against running backs, but they did allow 113 yards to the Kansas City Chiefs on the ground in Week 15, including a 38-yard touchdown run by Charcandrick West.

Also, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin likes giving his running back the ball, per Matt Harmon of NFL.com:

Devonta Freeman went eight straight weeks without a touchdown before scoring in Week 15 against the Jaguars, yet he's still tied for the NFL lead in rushing touchdowns with 10.

The big bruiser hasn't piled up the yards lately, and he has a tough matchup against the Panthers, who held him to 40 yards on 12 carries in Week 14. If the Falcons give him the ball, though, he'll produce. In four games where he's had at least 25 carries, Freeman has rushed for 466 yards and five touchdowns.

If you are searching the waiver wire for a running back, check if Kansas City's Spencer Ware, owned in only 46 percent of Yahoo standard leagues, is available. He could be the pickup of the week.

Although he hasn't produced much the past two weeks while dealing with an injury, the Chiefs host the Cleveland Browns, who allow the seventh-most fantasy points to running backs, and he could see extended carries if Kansas City jumps ahead early.

Wide Receiver

Rank	Player	Team	Projected Points	Opponent
1	Julio Jones	Atlanta Falcons	13.9	vs. Carolina Panthers
2	Antonio Brown	Pittsburgh Steelers	13.9	@ Baltimore Ravens
3	Larry Fitzgerald	Arizona Cardinals	13.1	vs. Green Bay Packers

Like Peterson, Atlanta's Julio Jones is a must-play no matter his competition. He leads the NFC in targets (182), receptions (118) and yards (1,554), and he hauled in seven catches for 88 yards in Week 14 against the Panthers despite his team losing 38-0.

Antonio Brown of Pittsburgh is in the same boat. If you don't know about him, or know that he's a must-start, you probably aren't still in your fantasy playoffs.

His 116 receptions and 1,586 yards are tops in the AFC, while his 167 targets only trail DeAndre Hopkins of the Houston Texans. The Ravens allow the most fantasy points to wide receivers, so if you don't own Brown, make sure his opponent doesn't either, or you'll be in for a long day.

Another good free-agent find is a receiver who will be across the field from Brown in Week 16. If Baltimore's Kamar Aiken is available in your league (as he is in 43 percent of Yahoo leagues), snatch him up. 

He's scored in three of the past five weeks and is coming off a season-high 128 yards against the Chiefs. While 48 yards of those came on a Hail Mary pass right before halftime, it was one of the more athletic plays you'll see this year.

Other Positions

Tight End

1. Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers

2. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

3. Jordan Reed, Washington

Kicker

1. Stephen Gostkowski, New England

2. Connor Barth, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

3. Nick Novak, Houston Texans

Defense

1. Carolina Panthers 

2. Kansas City Chiefs 

3. Denver Broncos 

All fantasy stats and rankings per Yahoo Sports Fantasy.