Fantasy Football Week 16: Tuesday's Daily Fantasy Market Report

Week 15 concluded with the Carolina Panthers going on the road and defeating the Washington Redskins 26-15 because, you know, this sport is just so damn weird.

As we approach Week 16, we have all received the greatest news ever this season (see Slide 9).

Also, this is "the return of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green" week. Who wouldn't be excited about that?

There was quite a bit going on Monday that set the tone for the beginning of our roster construction, but rest assured that Tuesday will be just as slow as it has been recently.

From Green to New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty, let's get it going.

Browns WR Terrelle Pryor Has Torn Ligament in Finger, Plans to Play

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor tore a ligament in his finger in the team's 33-13 loss against the Buffalo Bills in Week 15.

As Cabot notes, the injury—which is in his knuckle—will require surgery to repair, leaving his availability for the rest of the season uncertain, though Pryor does want to play.

If Pryor does play, the injury could hinder his ability to catch the ball, but he's still the team's No. 1 pass-catching option, so he'll get his targets.

In Week 16, the Browns will take on the San Diego Chargers at home, and the Chargers have been tough against the pass this season, ranking ninth in DVOA.

Since his return in Week 14, Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III has done virtually nothing. He has yet to reach 200 yards passing in a game and has yet to throw a single touchdown pass—you kind of need those for wide receivers to have more value.

I doubt this is a spot where RG3 gets it going—I'm not touching the Browns this week.

Patriots QB Tom Brady: Floyd 'Seems Really Focused'

RICK SCUTERI/Associated Press

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady seems to be pleased with former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd, who was inactive in his first week with the team.

On Kirk & Callahan (h/t WEEI.com's Ryan Hannable), Brady said Floyd "seems really focused, and he wants to get out there and contribute."

Your typical useless sound bite from an NFL player.

Look, Floyd might have a nice playoff run with the Patriots, but I'll pass in the regular season.

If anything, Week 16 against the New York Jets would be the spot since they are so terrible defensively, but it's unlikely he has a large enough role.

Good luck if you roster him.

Falcons WR Julio Jones to Have Full-Speed Test Wednesday

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Well, this is a new one.

According to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones will have a full-speed test on Wednesday to test his injured toe.

Until then, we really have no idea what to expect.

If he plays, roster Jones.

Simple.

We'll get back to you on this later in the week.

Eagles RB Darren Sproles Expected to Play in Week 16

Michael Perez/Associated Press

According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles should be ready to go in Week 16 on Thursday Night Football against the New York Giants.

In Week 15, fellow Eagles running back Ryan Mathews led the way as the Eagles' lone back, carrying the ball 20 times for over 100 yards and a touchdown against a tough Baltimore Ravens run defense.

However, the Giants are also great against opposing running backs, ranking fifth in DVOA against the run and third in DVOA against receiving backs—which is what Sproles primarily is.

Sproles could operate as a safe underneath, dump-off option for rookie quarterback Carson Wentz, who may have a tough time throwing downfield against the Giants defense, so there is appeal there on points-per-reception DFS sites.

Based on his Week 15 performance, Mathews should see a decent amount of carries, so you may be primarily banking on catches from Sproles, especially in his first game back from a brutal hit that resulted in a concussion.

With Sproles at $3,900 on DraftKings, I'd take the risk, especially on the Monday/Thursday slate.

Bengals WR A.J. Green Expected Back in Week 16

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

According to Bob Holtzman of ESPN.com, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green is expected to be back in Week 16 barring "an unexpected setback."

This would be Green's first game in the last four weeks since injuring his hamstring.

In Week 16, the Bengals will host the Houston Texans, who, while ranking 12th in DVOA against the pass, rank 21st in DVOA against opposing No. 1 wide receivers.

With Green back on the field, quarterback Andy Dalton is also a better play.

You could speculate a potential snap count for Green considering the season is lost for the Bengals, but I'd roster Green this week at $7,200.

Sure, there are other options who are likely safer, but I wouldn't worry about Green all that much.

The Ravens Backfield Is a Total Mystery

Gail Burton/Associated Press

I'm going to attempt to solve the Baltimore Ravens backfield.

I will be unsuccessful, but here goes: It appears that when the Ravens are losing, they turn to running back Kenneth Dixon, but when they are leading or the game is close, they turn to Terrance West—at least these past two weeks.

In Week 14, the Ravens were down against the New England Patriots virtually all game. As a result, Dixon out-snapped West 42-14 and out-touched him 19-6.

In Week 15, the Ravens led the Philadelphia Eagles or were behind by little throughout. West out-snapped Dixon 26-15 and had 17 touches compared to Dixon's nine. However, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun noted, West didn't even lead his own position in snaps; fullback Kyle Juszczyk did with 32.

Now, this is going off just the past two weeks (a man can handle only so much Ravens backfield), but that appears to be the case.

Either way, it's impossible to predict.

In Week 16 on Christmas Day, the Ravens will be on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are 4.5-point home favorites, and I have no idea how this game will turn out. Yeah, the Ravens are on the road against a potent Steelers offense, but it is a divisional game, and these teams always play a close game.

Here's an idea: Don't play West or Dixon this week.

But if you're going to force me, I'd go with West, thinking this one stays fairly close.

Sue me.

Chargers HC Mike McCoy: 'See How It Goes' with RB Melvin Gordon

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

It appears there is a chance (albeit a small one, most likely) that San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordon could return in Week 16 after injuring his hip in Week 14 against the Carolina Panthers.

According to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Chargers head coach Mike McCoy was noncommittal on Gordon's availability for this upcoming week.

Without Gordon in Week 15, the Chargers turned to backup running back Kenneth Farrow against the Oakland Raiders.

Farrow was ineffective, for lack of a better term, going for 53 yards on 17 touches.

Needless to say, the Chargers would love for Gordon, who is just three yards shy of 1,000, to be back.

If Gordon plays in Week 16, I'm looking his way.

He gets the Cleveland Browns if he suits up.

Texans Sticking with Tom Savage at QB

Bob Levey/Getty Images

This is the greatest news I've heard all season, and it only took 15 weeks.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Houston Texans are sticking with Tom Savage as their starting quarterback, while Brock Osweiler will serve as the backup.

In Week 15, Savage took over for Osweiler after the latter threw two interceptions, and the crowd could not have been more excited for anyone but Osweiler to be taking the field.

However, the most excited person of all? Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. He had his most receiving yards in a game since Week 2.

Week 2.

Going up against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16, Savage will face a team that is 17th in DVOA against the pass.

Believe it or not, we might actually be able to roster the Texans pass-catchers this week, most notably Hopkins.

Jets QB Bryce Petty Dealing with Chest Soreness

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

According to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles said quarterback Bryce Petty is dealing with soreness in his chest after a big hit in the fourth quarter of Week 15, but tests came back better than they expected.

One would assume that Bowles would like to continue playing Petty instead of going back to Ryan Fitzpatrick, and it's sounding like he'll be fine.

However, Petty gets the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in Week 16.

The only plays I like here for DFS are running back Bilal Powell and wide receiver Robby Anderson, as Malcolm Butler will be trailing Brandon Marshall.

Giants RB Shane Re-Tore Triceps in Week 15

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

This just stinks.

According to Art Stapleton of the Record, New York Giants running back Shane Vereen re-tore his triceps in Week 15.

Unfortunately, Vereen is quite familiar with this injury—he missed the last 10 games with the same one.

In his short return, Vereen played a minimal role, taking a back seat to fellow running backs Rashad Jennings and Paul Perkins.

It's business as usual with the Giants backfield—stay away.

Statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders. 

Follow me on Twitter @RichardJanvrin.