Fantasy Football Week 16: Matt Camp's Fantasy Big Board
Championship week is upon us, so if you are just one win away from bragging rights and sweet victory, pat yourself on the back for making it this far into another wild season.
Will your starting lineup be full of players on teams in contention? Probably not, but those are the types of guys who have been reliable down the stretch.
In recent weeks, the Philadelphia Eagles have somehow pieced together a receiving corps that's been good enough to keep their playoff hopes alive heading into a must-win game with the Dallas Cowboys. Two players who haven't always been great fantasy options this season, Carson Wentz and Miles Sanders, have turned into huge assets at the most important time of the year. You know they will remain important to the Eagles if the team has any chance of winning the NFC East.
Of course, you may find yourself starting someone like Breshad Perriman following the injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in Tampa Bay. That idea would have been unfathomable as recently as a month ago, and now he might be a key to winning a fantasy championship, with plenty of targets expected to come his way Saturday.
Here's my first look at points-per-reception (PPR) rankings for Week 16. These will change throughout the week and up to Saturday's and Sunday's action as we get more information about injuries and limitations, so make sure to bookmark this page for my full rankings for all scoring formats.
Top 100
1 of 7
As an additional tiebreaker, here are the teams I like as a whole this week based on their matchups:
- Baltimore Ravens (at Cleveland Browns)
- Seattle Seahawks (vs. Arizona Cardinals)
- Indianapolis Colts (vs. Carolina Panthers)
- Minnesota Vikings (vs. Green Bay Packers)
- Atlanta Falcons (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)
Week 16 Top 100 PPR Rankings
Quarterbacks
2 of 7
Better than Usual
Dak Prescott, DAL (at PHI)
Prescott and the Cowboys remain alive in the NFC East hunt after an impressive victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15. However, Prescott didn't have a huge game, finishing with just 212 yards and a pair of scores with an additional 12 yards on the ground. His 23 pass attempts, 15 completions and total passing yards were all season lows. There's a chance for a bounce-back performance in Week 16.
The Eagles continue to win, but it hasn't been pretty. In Philly's victory over the Washington Redskins on Sunday, Dwayne Haskins wound up as QB10 for Week 15 with 19 fantasy points. When you add in the Cowboys' own recent defensive struggles, this could be an ugly but high-scoring affair. The Cowboys would be the NFC East champions with a victory, so Prescott has every reason to have a strong performance. He can win you a championship.
Matt Ryan, ATL (vs. JAC)
Ryan might not be playing for anything more than pride this season, but the key is he's still playing and so is Julio Jones. Ryan had a QB9 performance in Week 15 with 19.1 fantasy points thanks to 210 yards and two touchdowns and a rare big game on the ground with 27 rushing yards. He targeted Jones 20 times, and they connected for 13 receptions, 134 yards and two touchdowns. As long as that connection is alive, so is Ryan's fantasy value.
Luckily, the Falcons play another team out of contention in the Jacksonville Jaguars. The season has fallen apart in a hurry for the Jags, and much like last season, a big part of that are the struggles of the defense. Jacksonville gave up the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks in the last four games, including an average of almost 284 passing yards per game. You won't have to worry about effort when it comes to Ryan, and with this beatable matchup, consider him a top-10 option with upside.
Concern
Josh Allen, BUF (at NE)
The Buffalo Bills have hit a tough part of the schedule, so it's not a shock that Allen's fantasy numbers have dipped considerably. While the Bills clinched the playoffs with last week's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Allen managed just 139 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 13-of-25 passing. He's now failed to throw for 200 yards in three of his last four games, and he has just five touchdowns in that span.
It won't get any easier with a showdown against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Week 16. New England has limited quarterbacks to the ninth-fewest fantasy points in the last four weeks and the fewest fantasy points on the season. The Bills possess the second-toughest defense against fantasy quarterbacks in 2019, so this has the makings of a low-scoring affair. Unless you really can't find a better option, keep Allen out of your championship lineup.
Week 16 Quarterback Rankings
| 1 | Lamar Jackson (BAL) |
| 2 | Russell Wilson (SEA) |
| 3 | Deshaun Watson (HOU) |
| 4 | Jameis Winston (TB) |
| 5 | Patrick Mahomes (KC) |
| 6 | Drew Brees (NO) |
| 7 | Dak Prescott (DAL) |
| 8 | Ryan Tannehill (TEN) |
| 9 | Matt Ryan (ATL) |
| 10 | Aaron Rodgers (GB) |
| 11 | Kyler Murray (ARI) |
| 12 | Ryan Fitzpatrick (MIA) |
| 13 | Kirk Cousins (MIN) |
| 14 | Jimmy Garoppolo (SF) |
| 15 | Carson Wentz (PHI) |
| 16 | Philip Rivers (LAC) |
| 17 | Mitch Trubisky (CHI) |
| 18 | Josh Allen (BUF) |
| 19 | Jared Goff (LAR) |
| 20 | Gardner Minshew (JAC) |
| 21 | Tom Brady (NE) |
| 22 | Drew Lock (DEN) |
| 23 | Andy Dalton (CIN) |
| 24 | Eli Manning (NYG) |
| 25 | Derek Carr (OAK) |
| 26 | Jacoby Brissett (IND) |
| 27 | Baker Mayfield (CLE) |
| 28 | Sam Darnold (NYJ) |
| 29 | Dwayne Haskins (WAS) |
| 30 | Will Grier (CAR) |
| 31 | Devlin Hodges (PIT) |
| 32 | David Blough (DET) |
Running Backs
3 of 7
Better Than Usual
Marlon Mack, IND (vs. CAR)
The Indianapolis Colts were eliminated from playoff contention with an ugly loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 15, and Mack had a game to forget. He had just 11 carries for 19 yards and no targets. It didn't help that the Colts were down 20-0 at the half and wound up losing 34-7, so it wasn't like Mack had many chances to get going on the ground.
He'll have a much better chance to produce against a porous Carolina Panthers run defense. Over the last month, the unit allowed the second-most fantasy points to running backs, including 667 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. For the season, they rank dead last in fantasy points allowed to running backs, so the struggles aren't just a recent problem. Opportunity and matchup are there for Mack this week, so he's a good RB2 with potential upside.
Adrian Peterson, WAS (vs. NYG)
Derrius Guice landed on the injured reserve before last week's game against the Eagles, so Peterson was called on to lead the backfield once again and did so with strong production. Considering Peterson felt like an afterthought coming into the season, putting up an RB12 performance in Week 15 has to be considered pretty amazing, especially against an Eagles team fighting for its playoff life. He had 66 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and added a season-high three receptions for 25 yards.
You may not have expected Peterson to be a viable fantasy option for championship week in 2019, yet it's a real thing with the New York Giants on the schedule. While that defense has been average over the last month, it's also been average all season, which should put Peterson in position to handle a solid workload for another reliable week in your lineup. Play him as an RB2, and you'll be just fine.
Concerns
Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison, MIN (vs. GB)
Injuries have made the Minnesota Vikings backfield tough to deal with at the worst possible time. Mattison missed last week because of an ankle injury, while Cook aggravated his shoulder injury during the win over the Los Angeles Chargers. When asked about Cook's status, head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters, "It's too early, but the extra day helps. We'll just have to see how the week goes."
You'll have to keep a close eye on practice this week to see where both Cook and Mattison are at for the Monday night matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Mike Boone could end up leading this backfield depending on how Cook and Mattison deal with their injuries.
Week 16 Running Back PPR Rankings
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Wide Receivers
4 of 7
Better Than Usual
Breshad Perriman, TB (vs. HOU)
Perriman might be the waiver-wire hero who wins you a championship. That's a real sentence in 2019, and I'm just as surprised to be writing it as you are to read it. With Mike Evans (hamstring) out in Week 15, it looked like Chris Godwin would lead the way for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiving corps. While Godwin did have five receptions for 121 yards on seven targets, he suffered a hamstring injury of his own and exited in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, Perriman turned six targets into five receptions for 113 yards and three touchdowns. He's now posted at least 70 yards in the last three games and is WR3 over that span. It's very likely Perriman is the top WR for Tampa Bay with Evans, Godwin and Scotty Miller all injured. Targets should be up for Perriman, and amazingly, he's a great option to help you win a championship.
Concerns
John Brown, BUF (at NE)
Brown makes another appearance in the concern category, although he outperformed expectations in Week 15. The tough matchup with the Steelers was a worry, yet Brown posted seven receptions for 99 yards on 10 targets in the win. He had just eight receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown in the three previous games, so the bounce-back effort was somewhat surprising.
Unfortunately, Brown walks into another tough contest in New England for Week 16. As the top wide receiver for the Bills, expect Brown to see a lot of top cornerback Stephon Gilmore, which is a major concern. The Patriots have been the sixth-toughest matchup for wide receivers during the last four weeks and the toughest matchup for the season. Downgrade Brown to the WR3 category Saturday.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT (at NYJ)
Smith-Schuster is arguably the most disappointing fantasy player this season, and that may continue right into championship week. It looked like his three-game absence would end last Sunday, but he wound up being ruled out after aggravating his knee injury in practice. According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, head coach Mike Tomlin was still classifying Smith-Schuster as questionable.
Even if he is active, it's hard to trust him in your lineup despite his name value. The Steelers will stick with Devlin Hodges, which is not an ideal quarterback situation. You're better off turning the page on Smith-Schuster for this season instead of holding out hope he can salvage something out of this down year.
Week 16 Wide Receiver PPR Rankings
Tight Ends
5 of 7
Better Than Usual
Austin Hooper, ATL (vs. JAC)
Hooper's been back for two games since returning from a knee injury and hasn't performed well. He has five receptions for 52 yards on 12 targets, which has been a big letdown after what was a successful season in both fantasy and reality. If you need a little nudge to stick with Hooper for Week 16, consider his matchup.
The Jaguars have been a bottom-10 defense against tight ends in the last four weeks, which includes giving up nine receptions and 127 yards to Darren Waller and the Oakland Raiders tight ends in Week 15. Getting Hooper going would make sense in this game, especially with wideout Calvin Ridley on the injured reserve. This is a good chance for Hooper to get his season back on track and end on a high note.
Jacob Hollister, SEA (vs. ARI)
Hollister's viability has waned in recent weeks, so he might not seem like an ideal choice if your season is on the line. Over the last two games, he has just seven receptions for 57 yards and no touchdowns on nine targets. But just like any tight end facing the Arizona Cardinals, he gets a big boost to his fantasy value.
Arizona has been only the 10th-easiest matchup for tight ends in the last month, which is an improvement for a unit that has been the best possible matchup for tight ends on the season. In addition, it's always nice to have a player on a team in contention, which is certainly the case for the Seahawks as they sit on top of the NFC West. Hollister should be in the top-10 conversation for Week 16.
Concern
Noah Fant, DEN (vs. DET)
Fant had to battle through hip and foot injuries to be active in Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He hit a big 43-yard connection with Drew Lock in the second quarter, but he injured his shoulder on the play and sat out the rest of the quarter before returning in the second half. Fant wound up with two receptions for 56 yards on three targets in the loss.
His status will be one to keep an eye on, as he'll be battling through multiple injuries once again to get on the field against the Detroit Lions. Fant wouldn't be a bad low-end option in a decent matchup, but make sure he's good to go without any real restrictions if you plan on using him.
Week 16 Tight End PPR Rankings
| 1 | George Kittle (SF) | vs. LAR |
| 2 | Travis Kelce (KC) | at CHI |
| 3 | Zach Ertz (PHI) | vs. DAL |
| 4 | Hunter Henry (LAC) | vs. OAK |
| 5 | Tyler Higbee (LAR) | at SF |
| 6 | Mark Andrews (BAL) | at CLE |
| 7 | Darren Waller (OAK) | at LAC |
| 8 | Austin Hooper (ATL) | vs. JAC |
| 9 | Jacob Hollister (SEA) | vs. ARI |
| 10 | Jared Cook (NO) | at TEN |
| 11 | Dallas Goedert (PHI) | vs. DAL |
| 12 | Jack Doyle (IND) | vs. CAR |
| 13 | Noah Fant (DEN) | vs. DET |
| 14 | Kyle Rudolph (MIN) | vs. GB |
| 15 | Mike Gesicki (MIA) | vs. CIN |
| 16 | O.J. Howard (TB) | vs. HOU |
| 17 | Ian Thomas (CAR) | at IND |
| 18 | Jonnu Smith (TEN) | vs. NO |
| 19 | Greg Olsen (CAR) | at IND |
| 20 | Jason Witten (DAL) | at PHI |
| 21 | Cameron Brate (TB) | vs. HOU |
| 22 | Darren Fells (HOU) | at TB |
| 23 | Kaden Smith (NYG) | at WAS |
| 24 | Dawson Knox (BUF) | at NE |
| 25 | Tyler Eifert (CIN) | at MIA |
| 26 | Irv Smith Jr. (MIN) | vs. GB |
| 27 | Jimmy Graham (GB) | at MIN |
| 28 | Blake Jarwin (DAL) | at PHI |
| 29 | Hayden Hurst (BAL) | at CLE |
| 30 | Jordan Akins (HOU) | at TB |
| 31 | Nick Vannett (PIT) | at NYJ |
| 32 | Logan Thomas (DET) | at DEN |
| 33 | Nick O'Leary (JAC) | at ATL |
| 34 | Benjamin Watson (NE) | vs. BUF |
| 35 | Jesper Horsted (CHI) | vs. KC |
Defenses
6 of 7
Best Streaming Option
Denver Broncos (vs. DET)
A lost season for the Denver Broncos might usually keep them out of the mix to be a streamer for the championship week, although that line of thinking changes when the matchup comes against the Detroit Lions. David Blough remains the starter for Detroit, which only feeds into how confident you should feel in using the Broncos in Week 16. In the last month, no team has allowed more fantasy points to defenses than the Lions thanks to 15 sacks, eight interceptions, two fumble recoveries and two touchdowns while Detroit scored just 60 points. Fire up Denver and reap the rewards.
Ownership percentage: ESPN, 18.8; Yahoo, 23.0
Week 16 Defense Rankings
| 1 | Baltimore Ravens (at CLE) |
| 2 | New England Patriots (vs. BUF) |
| 3 | Denver Broncos (vs. DET) |
| 4 | San Francisco 49ers (vs. LAR) |
| 5 | Pittsburgh Steelers (at NYJ) |
| 6 | Indianapolis Colts (vs. CAR) |
| 7 | Seattle Seahawks (vs. ARI) |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons (vs. JAC) |
| 9 | Houston Texans (at TB) |
| 10 | Kansas City Chiefs (at CHI) |
| 11 | Washington Redskins (vs. NYG) |
| 12 | Los Angeles Chargers (vs. OAK) |
| 13 | New York Jets (vs. PIT) |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. HOU) |
| 15 | Cincinnati Bengals (at MIA) |
| 16 | Buffalo Bills (at NE) |
| 17 | Los Angeles Rams (at SF) |
| 18 | Green Bay Packers (at MIN) |
| 19 | New Orleans Saints (at TEN) |
| 20 | Dallas Cowboys (at PHI) |
Kickers
7 of 7
Best Streaming Option
Chase McLaughlin, IND (vs. CAR)
Grabbing a kicker this late in the game means you may need to get a little creative with your options. That would include wiping the memory of what the Indianapolis Colts did against the New Orleans Saints on Monday night. McLaughlin made his only extra point and didn't have a field-goal attempt in that blowout loss, but he and the Colts have a much more favorable matchup with the Carolina Panthers back home in Indianapolis this weekend. In fact, only the Los Angeles Chargers yielded more fantasy points to kickers in the last four weeks. This is a bounce-back spot for McLaughlin.
Ownership percentages: ESPN, 26.5; Yahoo, 4.0
Week 16 Kicker Rankings
| 1 | Justin Tucker (BAL) |
| 2 | Wil Lutz (NO) |
| 3 | Harrison Butker (KC) |
| 4 | Dan Bailey (MIN) |
| 5 | Robbie Gould (SF) |
| 6 | Younghoe Koo (ATL) |
| 7 | Matt Gay (TB) |
| 8 | Jason Myers (SEA) |
| 9 | Ka'imi Fairbairn (HOU) |
| 10 | Chase McLaughlin (IND) |
| 11 | Chris Boswell (PIT) |
| 12 | Michael Badgley (LAC) |
| 13 | Mason Crosby (GB) |
| 14 | Brandon McManus (DEN) |
| 15 | Jake Elliott (PHI) |
| 16 | Nick Folk (NE) |
| 17 | Greg Zuerlein (LAR) |
| 18 | Josh Lambo (JAC) |
| 19 | Kai Forbath (DAL) |
| 20 | Zane Gonzalez (ARI) |
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