Your weekend fantasy playbook for Week 16
The latest fantasy football news, rankings and start/sit advice to help you avoid misery on Sunday.
🤕 Fantasy pain index
🚫 Nope: Isaac Guerendo (foot, hamstring), Xavier Legette (hip)
🏴☠️ Not bloody likely: Alvin Kamara (groin), Cade Otton (knee), Jaylen Waddle (knee)
🫤 Looking iffy: Zach Ertz (concussion, shoulder), Tyreek Hill (wrist, personal), David Njoku (hamstring), Chris Olave (concussion), Tony Pollard (ankle), Cedric Tillman (concussion), Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (chest, illness)
🙏 Cautiously optimistic: Tee Higgins (knee, rest)
✅ Looking good: Marquise Brown (shoulder), Tyler Boyd (foot), Zach Charbonnet (oblique), Tyler Higbee (illness, knee), Bucky Irving (back, hip), Alexander Mattison (neck), Michael Pittman Jr. (back), Tua Tagovailoa (hip), Kenneth Walker III (calf)
Note: The above are estimates based on the latest news and injury reports. Always double-check your own rosters before Sunday kickoff!
📋 Weekend update: Latest player rankings
🚨 My Week 16 fantasy football rankings for PPR, Half-PPR, and Standard scoring formats will be updated throughout the weekend.
📈 3 guys up
Jerome Ford - RB, CLE (at CIN)
My current half-ppr rank: RB17 (+3 vs. avg expert ranking on Fantasy Pros)
It took Nick Chubb breaking his foot last week to finally bring some clarity to Cleveland’s backfield situation. Ford scored 18.4 PPR fantasy points last week and showed flashes early in the season when Chubb was out, topping 15 PPR points twice. The Bengals have been destroyed by backs of late, allowing the most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to the position over the last five.
James Conner - RB, ARI (at CAR)
My current half-ppr rank: RB4 (+2 vs. avg expert ranking on Fantasy Pros)
Speaking of teams giving away fantasy points to running backs in recent weeks, the Panthers have allowed 160 rush yards per game and 5.8 yards per carry, as NBC’s Matt Berry pointed out. Meanwhile, Connor “ranks top 10 among running backs in touches per game (19.5) and target share (13%),” Berry writes.
Adam Thielen - WR, CAR (vs. ARI)
My current half-ppr rank: WR28 (+4 vs. avg expert ranking on Fantasy Pros)
Thielen has solidified his later-career resurgence, topping 10 fantasy points per game and averaging 9.3 targets over the last three contests. “With Carolina … expected to chase points (+4.5) and Bryce Young still in need of a capable safety valve, Thielen offers managers high-floor flex appeal this weekend,” writes ESPN’s Liz Loza.
📉 3 guys down
Isiah Pacheco - RB, KC (vs. HOU)
My current half-ppr rank: RB29 (+2 vs. avg expert ranking on Fantasy Pros)
As I alluded to a few weeks ago, relying on Pacheco in the fantasy playoffs is risky business. Since he returned from his injury, he’s averaged 6.6 FPPG and has ceded roughly 50% of RB touches to Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine. Today’s matchup with the Texans isn’t promising either, with Houston allowing the fourth-fewest rushing yards to the position since Week 11.
Najee Harris - RB, PIT (at BAL)
My current half-ppr rank: RB30 (-2 vs. avg expert ranking on Fantasy Pros)
He’s coming off of a dreadful performance against the Eagles (21 yards on seven touches. “This week’s matchup goes from bad to worse as Harris takes on the Ravens on the road with a Steelers six-point underdogs. Baltimore allows just 3.5 rushing yards per play, the fewest in the NFL,” writes Yahoo’s Dalton Del Don.
Jerry Jeudy - WR, CLE (at CIN)
My current half-ppr rank: WR33 (-2 vs. avg expert ranking on Fantasy Pros)
Jeudy certainly won’t have an easy time putting up fantasy points with Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s tossing him balls. He’s averaged 140 passing yards and one passing touchdown in his three career starts. Not much more needs to be said.