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Fantasy Football Week 16 Rankings: Targets for This Week's Injured Stars
December 25, 2021Fantasy Football Week 16 Rankings: Targets for This Week's Injured Stars
The NFL's regular season is winding down and postseason buzz is gearing up, but for fantasy football managers, several key injuries have their own hopes of playoff victory in doubt, forcing them to turn to the waiver wire in search of a hidden boost to fuel them to the next round.
Former NFL MVP and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is one such player, missing his second consecutive week with an ankle injury. After a stellar start against Green Bay, might Tyler Huntley be the answer to what ails those missing Jackson's offensive output on their team?
Who else can managers find straddling the waiver wire to help elevate their team to victory in relief of injured players?
Which players already on their roster have favorable matches to exploit this week?
The answers await with these positional rankings and waiver-wire options.
Quarterbacks
- Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans
- Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers vs. Cleveland Browns
- Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams at Minnesota Vikings
- Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
- Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens
- Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants
- Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals vs. Indianapolis Colts
- Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
- Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams
Week 16 Rankings
Waiver Wire Pickup: Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals
Lamar Jackson (ankle) is expected to miss consecutive weeks for the first time in his career, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN, meaning backup Tyler Huntley would get the start for Baltimore as they head to Cincinnati for a divisional showdown.
Against a much better defensive unit in Green Bay in Week 15, Huntley passed for 215 yards and two TDs, and he added 73 yards on the ground, with another two touchdowns. Cincinnati's pass defense ranks 25th in total yards allowed, has surrendered 20 passing TDs and gives up an average of 18.43 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
Factor in Huntley's ability to avoid the pass rush, take off for big gains and score on the ground, and you have a player with the potential to have another big week after scoring 35.9 a week ago.
Only rostered in 5 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues, he is accessible, especially if you find yourself in need of replacing Jackson in your playoff matchup.
If another manager in your league had the forethought to add Huntley, Nick Foles of Chicago is worth a look.
The Super Bowl LII MVP will be under center Sunday in Seattle with both Andy Dalton and rookie Justin Fields out because of injury, Matt Nagy said Friday.
Seattle's pass defense is the worst in the league, and while Foles has been anything but steady since departing Philadelphia, he is a gritty veteran quarterback who will be sure to get the ball in the hands of playmakers like Darnell Mooney and David Montgomery.
That the Seahawks are giving up just over 19 fantasy points to opposing QBs makes taking a potential flier on Foles that much more appealing. Especially if you find yourself needing to replace a player like Jackson or someone suddenly unable to play after being placed in the health and safety protocols.
Running Backs
- Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals
- Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints vs. Miami Dolphins
- Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs
- Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions
- James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets
- Ronald Jones II, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
- Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers
- Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers vs. Cleveland Browns
- Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders
- David Montgomery, Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks
Waiver Wire Pickup: Ronald Jones II, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
Like the situation with Huntley in Baltimore, where you can stick with the same team in finding a replacement for the injured Lamar Jackson, you can look to the waivers to find Ronald Jones II when replacing Leonard Fournette, who was placed on injured reserve this week.
Jones has only had 71 carries for 337 yards and three TDs this season, but he is a veteran player who is familiar with Tampa's system and will step in without much interruption to the game plan.
That he gets a Carolina defense giving up 15 fantasy points to opposing running backs, and allowing 99.29 yards and 4.21 yards per carry should be encouraging to fantasy managers hoping to replace Fournette's output, which had increased over the last few games, including a monster 44.1-point day against Indianapolis in week 12.
With wide receiver Chris Godwin out for the season and Mike Evans out for the Carolina game, expect quarterback Tom Brady to lean on the run game and definitely look for Jones coming out of the background to help negate any pass rush and exploit favorable matchups Sunday.
Wide Receivers
- Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams at Minnesota Vikings
- Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers vs. Cleveland Browns
- Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans
- Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions
- Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs
- Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens
- Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears
- Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Denver Broncos
- CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Football Team
- Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans
Waiver Wire Pickup: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons
Wide receivers Evans and Godwin (Tampa Bay), Adam Thielen (Minnesota) and Nelson Agholor (New England) are all out this week, potentially creating a need for fantasy managers to fill holes on their roster if they hope to win their playoff matchup.
While the Detroit Lions have hardly been fantasy darlings this season, rookie wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown has come on hot of late, becoming the favorite target of quarterback Jared Goff over the last three weeks. He has averaged 83 yards per game over that time and scored his first two touchdowns of the season. He is also rostered in only 24 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues.
Sunday, the Lions play an Atlanta Falcons team susceptible to big fantasy days from opposing wide receivers.
Wideouts average 23.86 fantasy points per game against a leaky Falcons pass defense. While it may not be in the Lions' best interest to drop back a bunch, especially with Goff out because of health and safety protocols and fourth-year QB Tim Boyle getting the start, the opportunity will be there for St. Brown to have a big day.
Especially if Boyle can exploit favorable scenarios and get the ball to a player who can be a safety net for him.
Tight Ends
- Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals
- Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants
- Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
- Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions
- Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals vs. Indianapolis Colts
- Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
- Noah Fant, Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders
- Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Football Team
- Mike Geisicki, Miami Dolphins at New Orleans Saints
- Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks
Waiver Wire Pickup: Evan Engram, New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
With Darren Waller doubtful for Las Vegas' game against Denver, Pittsburgh's Pat Freiermouth out against Kansas City with a concussion and Travis Kelce's availability for the Chiefs unknown because of COVID-19 protocols, there are several big holes to fill as fantasy managers look for their next playoff victory.
Enter Evan Engram, a tight end who has been reliable in fantasy seasons gone by but has been a relative disappointment in 2021, where he has yet to score more than 12.8 points in a single game. Offensive inconsistency in New York has not helped, especially at the quarterback position.
Rostered in only 32.4 percent of NFL fantasy leagues, Engram will have an opportunity to make considerable contributions against a Philadelphia Eagles team giving up the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends with just over 10.43.
That former Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm is getting his first NFL start for the Giants Sunday and will be looking to make easy, check-down throws in the face of what is sure to be increased pressure from the Eagles defense, Engram could have a substantial day.
Look for him to exploit favorable matchups in the middle of the Eagles defense, against linebackers and safeties who struggle in coverage.