Fantasy Football Week 16: Willis McGahee and Mid-Tier RBs Destined to Dominate

The finals are here in most fantasy football leagues, so the stakes can't possibly get any higher in Week 16. While there may be some teams that are completely set in terms of their lineup, almost every squad has some uncertainty somewhere, and because of that, there are big decisions to be made.

One position that has tons of interesting options is running back. With most leagues now utilizing a flex spot, owners are often starting three backs in a given week. There are many mid-to-low-tier backs that are on the edge when it comes to whether they deserve to start for you, so the best thing to do is play matchups. Here are three mid-level backs who will exploit great matchups and turn in excellent Week 16 performances.

Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson is far from the most exciting fantasy player in the league, but he is certainly consistent.

Benson has 959 rushing yards and six scores on the season and is a major part of the Bengals' offense. Cincinnati is extremely committed to the running game, possessing the ball, chewing up the clock and playing great defense. Because of that, Benson should get plenty of touches against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Bengals desperately need to win on Saturday in order to keep their playoff hopes alive, so they'll likely go with what has worked all season long. The Cards are in the middle of the pack when it comes to stopping the run, so there is no reason why Benson can't have some success.

Provided the Bengals don't fall behind early, I would expect Benson to exceed 20 touches and make the most them as well.

LeGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Prior to the season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back LeGarrette Blount was tabbed as a major fantasy sleeper as he was set to enter his first full season as a starter.

While Blount has certainly had his moments, he has largely been a disappointment due to injuries this year. However, when he has played, Blount has usually been effective and that should be the case against the Carolina Panthers.

The Bucs have played awful football lately and have been getting blown out, which means Blount hasn't had enough opportunities to carry the football.

That being said, I have to believe the Bucs learned their lesson after getting blown out by the Panthers a couple weeks ago. Blount was given only 11 carries in that game and couldn't get much going.

The Panthers are 25th in the league against the run, and Blount should be able to exploit that if used properly.

Willis McGahee, Denver Broncos

While Denver Broncos running back Willis McGahee was a popular pick late in fantasy drafts this season, I'm not sure most expected this type of production out of him.

McGahee has thrived since Tim Tebow took over at quarterback and head coach John Fox installed an option offense. McGahee has 990 rushing yards on the season, as well as five total touchdowns. What's more, he has a soft matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.

The Bills defense provides little resistance against opposing running games, ranking 28th in the league in that regard.

With Denver in a virtual must-win situation, I expect them to stick with what works and run the ball at will. McGahee will also be motivated to show up his former team, so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him exceed 150 rushing yards and maybe even approach 200 this weekend.