Fantasy Football Week 16 Rankings: Top Players, Sleepers and Positional Guide

If you're consulting fantasy football advice this week, it likely means that your league is one that has the playoffs set up to run through Week 17 of the season. 

In other words, you're in it for the long haul. 

Don't get complacent now, however; the team that got you to the playoffs might not be the right one to get you a trophy.

It's crucial that you continue to search the waiver wire each week for the stars that have emerged in the back half of the 2016 season, to make sure you're accruing the most points every week. 

To that end, let's preview some of the top players as well as the best sleepers at each position this week.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team	Week 16 Opponent
1	Tom Brady	NE	NYJ
2	Matt Ryan	ATL	@CAR
3	Aaron Rodgers	GB	MIN
4	Andrew Luck	IND	@OAK
5	Drew Brees	NO	TB
6	Derek Carr	OAK	IND
7	Kirk Cousins	WAS	@CHI
8	Russell Wilson	SEA	ARI
9	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	BAL
10	Marcus Mariota	TEN	@JAC
11	Cam Newton	CAR	ATL
12	Tyrod Taylor	BUF	MIA

Top Player: Tom Brady, New England Patriots

If you've owned Tom Brady throughout the 2016 fantasy season, there's a chance he's seen your bench more weeks than he's been in your active lineup.

After all, Brady only comes in 19th this season in scoring among fantasy quarterbacks, with 212.36 points on the year. Of course, it doesn't help that top weapon Rob Gronkowski has missed multiple weeks due to injury. 

But if you have Brady on your team, you're going to want to start him in Week 16 against the New York Jets. 

The Jets have one of the league's worst pass defenses, allowing an average of 251.8 passing yards per game to opposing quarterbacks. The unit is also allowing 25.6 points per game, tied for the fifth most in the league. 

Oh, and the Patriots opened this game as 16.5-point favorites. Needless to say, Vegas expects Brady to put up some serious points this week.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Week 16 Opponent
1	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	DET
2	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	BAL
3	David Johnson	ARI	@SEA
4	LeSean McCoy	BUF	MIA
5	DeMarco Murray	TEN	@JAC
6	Jordan Howard	CHI	WAS
7	Devonta Freeman	ATL	@CAR
8	Carlos Hyde	SF	@LA
9	LeGarrette Blount	NE	NYJ
10	Latavius Murray	OAK	IND
11	Lamar Miller	HOU	CIN
12	Jay Ajayi	MIA	@BUF
13	Ty Montgomery	GB	MIN
14	Frank Gore	IND	@OAK
15	Todd Gurley	LA	SF
16	Jeremy Hill	CIN	@HOU
17	Ryan Mathews	PHI	NYG
18	Rob Kelley	WAS	@CHI
19	Jonathan Stewart	CAR	ATL
20	Spencer Ware	KC	DEN
21	Bilal Powell	NYJ	@NE
22	Mark Ingram	NO	TB
23	Thomas Rawls	SEA	ARI
24	Doug Martin	TB	@NO
25	Kenneth Farrow	SD	@CLE
26	Tevin Coleman	ATL	@CAR
27	Isaiah Crowell	CLE	SD
28	Terrance West	BAL	@PIT
29	Dion Lewis	NE	NYJ
30	Rashad Jennings	NYG	@PHI
31	Kenneth Dixon	BAL	@PIT
32	Derrick Henry	TEN	@JAC

Sleeper: Bilal Powell, New York Jets

Adam Hunger/Associated Press

Speaking of the Jets, chances are if you are among the 63 percent of fantasy players who own New York rusher Bilal Powell, he isn't finding his way into your active lineup every week.

But you may want to double think that in Week 16.

Sure, Powell is tasked with rushing against the Patriots run defense, which has limited opponents to an average of 87.9 yards per game, the fourth-lowest in the league. But Powell has a nose for the end zone, and even if the Patriots limit him in yardage, they might not be able to keep him from scoring.

Over the last two weeks, Powell has been the second highest-scoring running back in fantasy behind Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell, totaling 46.10 points with his two rushing touchdowns, 229 rushing yards and 112 receiving yards.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team	Week 16 Opponent
1	Odell Beckham	NYG	@PIT
2	Antonio Brown	PIT	BAL
3	Mike Evans	TB	@NO
4	T.Y. Hilton	IND	@OAK
5	Jordy Nelson	GB	MIN
6	Dez Bryant	DAL	DET
7	Michael Crabtree	OAK	IND
8	Davante Adams	GB	MIN
9	Amari Cooper	OAK	IND
10	Doug Baldwin	SEA	ARI
11	Tyrell Williams	SD	@CLE
12	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	@KC
13	Julio Jones	ATL	@CAR
14	Julian Edelman	NE	NYJ
15	Golden Tate	DET	@DAL
16	A.J. Green	CIN	@HOU
17	Emmanuel Sanders	DEN	@KC
18	Michael Thomas	NO	TB
19	Brandin Cooks	NO	TB
20	DeAndre Hopkins	HOU	CIN
21	Jamison Crowder	WAS	@CHI
22	Jarvis Landry	MIA	@BUF
23	Stefon Diggs	MIN	@GB
24	Larry Fitzgerald	ARI	@SEA
25	Tyreek Hill	KC	DEN
26	Sammy Watkins	BUF	MIA
27	Taylor Gabriel	ATL	@CAR
28	Dontrelle Inman	SD	@CLE
29	DeSean Jackson	WAS	@CHI
30	Steve Smith	BAL	@PIT
31	Rishard Matthews	TEN	@JAC
32	Mike Wallace	BAL	@PIT

Sleeper: Taylor Gabriel, Atlanta Falcons

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

If you've had the misfortune of watching injured Falcons wideouts Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu languish on your bench this season, hopefully you had the good fortune to secure Taylor Gabriel off waivers.

Gabriel has been the seventh best receiver in fantasy over the last two weeks, putting together 26.20 points off 142 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

As Georgia Sports Now pointed out, he's one of the best waiver pickups of the year with his five consecutive scores.

Gabriel owners too had their share of injury worries when the wideout left the game in Week 15 with a shoulder injury, but he returned. He's worth serious starting consideration in Week 16.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team	Week 16 Opponent
1	Travis Kelce	KC	DEN
2	Delanie Walker	TEN	@JAC
3	Tyler Eifert	CIN	@HOU
4	Greg Olsen	CAR	ATL
5	Kyle Rudolph	MIN	@GB
6	Cameron Brate	TB	@NO
7	Jimmy Graham	SEA	ARI
8	Ladarius Green	PIT	BAL
9	Martellus Bennett	NE	NYJ
10	Zach Ertz	PHI	NYG
11	Hunter Henry	SD	@CLE
12	Eric Ebron	DET	@DAL

Top Player: Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

Not only is Greg Olsen the top tight end in fantasy this season, having scored 119.20 points on the year so far, but he has a fantastic matchup in Week 16 against a leaky Falcons secondary that is allowing opponents 267.4 receiving yards per game.

Olsen hasn't found the end zone as often this season, with just three touchdowns and a two-point conversion to his name.

But he leads all tight ends in yards with 992, and he is a knockout option in PPR leagues due to quarterback Cam Newton's heavy reliance on him.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Unit	Week 16 Opponent
1	KC	DEN
2	SEA	ARI
3	DEN	@KC
4	NE	NYJ
5	BUF	MIA
6	GB	MIN
7	HOU	CIN
8	NYG	@PHI
9	ARI	@SEA
10	SD	@CLE
11	ATL	@CAR
12	MIN	@GB

Sleeper: Green Bay Packers

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

The Packers defense/special teams unit is considered a sleeper in this instance because it only ranks 16th in the league in fantasy this season, with 88 points.

However, the Packers defense has been on fire in the last two weeks, intercepting Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson a whopping five times in Week 14 and Chicago Bears quarterback Matt Barkley three times in Week 15. 

The Packers have also amassed four sacks and two fumble recoveries in that span and will look to keep the pressure going against Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford in Week 16.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team	Week 16 Opponent
1	Matt Bryant	ATL	@CAR
2	Cairo Santos	KC	DEN
3	Justin Tucker	BAL	PIT
4	Steven Hauschka	SEA	ARI
5	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	NYJ
6	Wil Lutz	NO	TB
7	Sebastian Janikowski	OAK	IND
8	Josh Lambo	SD	@CLE
9	Dan Bailey	DAL	DET
10	Dustin Hopkins	WAS	@CHI
11	Brandon McManus	DEN	@KC
12	Caleb Sturgis	PHI	NYG

Top Player: Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens

Nick Wass/Associated Press

If you want a fantasy kicker who's going to get you points with huge-yardage kicks, there's no one better than Baltimore's Justin Tucker. 

The top kicker in fantasy this season with 144 points, Tucker has nailed a whopping 10 kicks of 50 or more yards, three more than the next-best leg (Indianapolis' Adam Vinatieri, with seven). 

Tucker almost has the lead in kicks between 40 and 49 yards, with 12. Only Carolina's Graham Gano beats him there.

Rankings, scoring leaders, average draft position and ownership stats via NFL.com, unless otherwise noted, and are current as of Dec. 21.