The
Vincent Jackson owners that stuck with him deserve the three touchdowns he scored last week.
Fantasy football is so often a week-to-week proposition, but thinking long-term is one of the few edges you can truly get other than doing your homework. I've seen owners drop Jackson,
Sidney Rice,
Michael Vick,
Peyton Hillis,
Hines Ward,
Knowshon Moreno,
Kenny Britt,
Ryan Torain, and others this season because they just couldn't wait. They had to pick up the flavor of the week.
Patience was rewarded in lineup decisions in Week 15 as well. After a season of waiting,
Brandon Marshall is playing like
Brandon Marshall.
Brandon Lloyd scored for you despite
Tim Tebow starting at quarterback.
Larry Fitzgerald thrived despite playing with
John Skelton. Britt went from an afterthought in fantasy leagues to a star to a long layoff for injury, and back to a top-15 option again.
If you trusted your evaluation of Britt (and ours) to begin with, hopefully you were rewarded last week. A little patience can go a long way.
Let's win some titles this week, shall we?
Week 16 Quarterbacks | Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Michael Vick | vs. MIN | - |
| 2 | Drew Brees | at ATL | - |
| 3 | Tom Brady | at BUF | - |
| 4 | Peyton Manning | at OAK | - |
| 5 | Philip Rivers | at CIN | - |
| 6 | Matt Schaub | at DEN | - |
| 7 | Aaron Rodgers | vs. NYG | - |
| 8 | Ben Roethlisberger | vs. CAR | - |
| 9 | Eli Manning | at GB | - |
| 10 | Jon Kitna | at ARZ | Sidelined(abdomen) |
| 11 | Matt Ryan | vs. NO | - |
| 12 | Joe Flacco | at CLE | - |
| 13 | David Garrard | vs. WAS | - |
| 14 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | vs. NE | - |
| 15 | Jay Cutler | vs. NYJ | - |
| 16 | Matt Cassel | vs. TEN | - |
| 17 | Rex Grossman | at JAC | - |
| 18 | Tim Tebow | vs. HOU | - |
| 19 | Josh Freeman | vs. SEA | - |
| 20 | Carson Palmer | vs. SD | - |
| 21 | Shaun Hill | at MIA | - |
| 22 | Jason Campbell | vs. IND | - |
| 23 | Troy Smith | at STL | - |
| 24 | Chad Henne | vs. DET | - |
| 25 | Joe Webb | at PHI | - |
| 26 | Kerry Collins | at KC | - |
| 27 | Sam Bradford | vs. SF | - |
| 28 | Mark Sanchez | at CHI | - |
| 29 | Colt McCoy | vs. BAL | - |
| 30 | Matt Hasselbeck | at TB | - |
| 31 | John Skelton | vs. DAL | - |
| 32 | Jimmy Clausen | at PIT | - |
QB Notes: Tom Brady is coming off a "down" week, but has at least two touchdowns in 7 sraight games. The Bills offense will score more than you think, so expect a lot of pass attempts. …
Ryan Fitzpatrick is a sneaky play because he will be throwing a ton. Losing
Lee Evans wasn't that big a factor last week. … Don't get carried away with
Jay Cutler's big Monday Night game. The Vikings secondary has given up, and the Jets will know how to create more pressure on him. He's a good cold weather quarterback.
You could do worse than using
Tim Tebow out of desperation. The Broncos should open up the playbook after being insanely conservative last week. They called only runs near their own end zone, and Tebow threw only 16 passes. His ability to stretch the field is questionable, but he made good decisions and you can't beat facing the Texans. Not many quarterbacks can score a 40 yard touchdown on a broken play. … Matt Shaub finally gets to face a defense as bad as the Texans. Don't be surprised if Schaub puts up a 40 burger…
Matt Cassell looked perfectly healthy last week. The Chiefs are struggling to create big plays. They can afford to play conservative against the Titans, making Cassell someone to avoid.
Joe Webb did not look ready for Prime Time. His rushing touch down shows his fantasy potential. I worry most of his yards came against the soft zone in garbage time. The Eagles are 23rd in points allowed and just lost safety
Nate Allen, yet it's hard to see the Vikings scoring much with Webb at the helm. I would rank him around 25 at wide receiver. … Don't take the bait with
Kerry Collins. He got lucky, and the Chief's defense shut him down…
Eli Manning is a shaky play this week. The underrated Packers defense doesn't give up a lot of points, and can force Eli into mistakes. This is a week where he will really miss
Steve Smith… As borderline QB1s go, John Kitna and
David Garrard are safe options this week. The Cardinals generate no pass rush. The Redskins defense wants the season to be over.
Before you crown King Rex, remember he had 3 turnovers against the Cowboys. Dallas has an immature defense, and Grossman did not do anything until he was down 27-7. The match up is his favor this week, as is offensive coordinator Kyle Shannahan's desperate desire to make Rexy look sexy. In the end, Grossman is what he is: just good enough to get you beat.
The
Vincent Jackson owners that stuck with him deserve the three touchdowns he scored last week.
Fantasy football is so often a week-to-week proposition, but thinking long-term is one of the few edges you can truly get other than doing your homework. I've seen owners drop Jackson,
Sidney Rice,
Michael Vick,
Peyton Hillis,
Hines Ward,
Knowshon Moreno,
Kenny Britt,
Ryan Torain, and others this season because they just couldn't wait. They had to pick up the flavor of the week.
Patience was rewarded in lineup decisions in Week 15 as well. After a season of waiting,
Brandon Marshall is playing like
Brandon Marshall.
Brandon Lloyd scored for you despite
Tim Tebow starting at quarterback.
Larry Fitzgerald thrived despite playing with
John Skelton. Britt went from an afterthought in fantasy leagues to a star to a long layoff for injury, and back to a top-15 option again.
If you trusted your evaluation of Britt (and ours) to begin with, hopefully you were rewarded last week. A little patience can go a long way.
Let's win some titles this week, shall we?
Week 16 Quarterbacks | Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Michael Vick | vs. MIN | - |
| 2 | Drew Brees | at ATL | - |
| 3 | Tom Brady | at BUF | - |
| 4 | Peyton Manning | at OAK | - |
| 5 | Philip Rivers | at CIN | - |
| 6 | Matt Schaub | at DEN | - |
| 7 | Aaron Rodgers | vs. NYG | - |
| 8 | Ben Roethlisberger | vs. CAR | - |
| 9 | Eli Manning | at GB | - |
| 10 | Jon Kitna | at ARZ | Sidelined(abdomen) |
| 11 | Matt Ryan | vs. NO | - |
| 12 | Joe Flacco | at CLE | - |
| 13 | David Garrard | vs. WAS | - |
| 14 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | vs. NE | - |
| 15 | Jay Cutler | vs. NYJ | - |
| 16 | Matt Cassel | vs. TEN | - |
| 17 | Rex Grossman | at JAC | - |
| 18 | Tim Tebow | vs. HOU | - |
| 19 | Josh Freeman | vs. SEA | - |
| 20 | Carson Palmer | vs. SD | - |
| 21 | Shaun Hill | at MIA | - |
| 22 | Jason Campbell | vs. IND | - |
| 23 | Troy Smith | at STL | - |
| 24 | Chad Henne | vs. DET | - |
| 25 | Joe Webb | at PHI | - |
| 26 | Kerry Collins | at KC | - |
| 27 | Sam Bradford | vs. SF | - |
| 28 | Mark Sanchez | at CHI | - |
| 29 | Colt McCoy | vs. BAL | - |
| 30 | Matt Hasselbeck | at TB | - |
| 31 | John Skelton | vs. DAL | - |
| 32 | Jimmy Clausen | at PIT | - |
QB Notes: Tom Brady is coming off a "down" week, but has at least two touchdowns in 7 sraight games. The Bills offense will score more than you think, so expect a lot of pass attempts. …
Ryan Fitzpatrick is a sneaky play because he will be throwing a ton. Losing
Lee Evans wasn't that big a factor last week. … Don't get carried away with
Jay Cutler's big Monday Night game. The Vikings secondary has given up, and the Jets will know how to create more pressure on him. He's a good cold weather quarterback.
You could do worse than using
Tim Tebow out of desperation. The Broncos should open up the playbook after being insanely conservative last week. They called only runs near their own end zone, and Tebow threw only 16 passes. His ability to stretch the field is questionable, but he made good decisions and you can't beat facing the Texans. Not many quarterbacks can score a 40 yard touchdown on a broken play. … Matt Shaub finally gets to face a defense as bad as the Texans. Don't be surprised if Schaub puts up a 40 burger…
Matt Cassell looked perfectly healthy last week. The Chiefs are struggling to create big plays. They can afford to play conservative against the Titans, making Cassell someone to avoid.
Joe Webb did not look ready for Prime Time. His rushing touch down shows his fantasy potential. I worry most of his yards came against the soft zone in garbage time. The Eagles are 23rd in points allowed and just lost safety
Nate Allen, yet it's hard to see the Vikings scoring much with Webb at the helm. I would rank him around 25 at wide receiver. … Don't take the bait with
Kerry Collins. He got lucky, and the Chief's defense shut him down…
Eli Manning is a shaky play this week. The underrated Packers defense doesn't give up a lot of points, and can force Eli into mistakes. This is a week where he will really miss
Steve Smith… As borderline QB1s go, John Kitna and
David Garrard are safe options this week. The Cardinals generate no pass rush. The Redskins defense wants the season to be over.
Before you crown King Rex, remember he had 3 turnovers against the Cowboys. Dallas has an immature defense, and Grossman did not do anything until he was down 27-7. The match up is his favor this week, as is offensive coordinator Kyle Shannahan's desperate desire to make Rexy look sexy. In the end, Grossman is what he is: just good enough to get you beat.
Week 16 Running Backs | Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Arian Foster | at DEN | - |
| 2 | Chris Johnson | at KC | - |
| 3 | Darren McFadden | vs. IND | - |
| 4 | Adrian Peterson | at PHI | - |
| 5 | Jamaal Charles | vs. TEN | - |
| 6 | Ray Rice | at CLE | - |
| 7 | Rashard Mendenhall | vs. CAR | - |
| 8 | Michael Turner | vs. NO | - |
| 9 | LeSean McCoy | vs. MIN | - |
| 10 | Peyton Hillis | vs. BAL | - |
| 11 | Steven Jackson | vs. SF | - |
| 12 | Rashad Jennings | vs. WAS | - |
| 13 | Knowshon Moreno | vs. HOU | Questionable(ribs) |
| 14 | LeGarrette Blount | vs. SEA | - |
| 15 | Felix Jones | at ARZ | - |
| 16 | Fred Jackson | vs. NE | - |
| 17 | Ahmad Bradshaw | at GB | - |
| 18 | BenJarvus Green-Ellis | at BUF | - |
| 19 | Ryan Torain | at JAC | - |
| 20 | Tashard Choice | at ARZ | - |
| 21 | Jonathan Stewart | at PIT | - |
| 22 | Matt Forte | vs. NYJ | - |
| 23 | Cedric Benson | vs. SD | - |
| 24 | Mike Tolbert | at CIN | - |
| 25 | Brandon Jacobs | at GB | - |
| 26 | Ronnie Brown | vs. DET | - |
| 27 | Brian Westbrook | at STL | - |
| 28 | Marshawn Lynch | at TB | - |
| 29 | Pierre Thomas | at ATL | - |
| 30 | Ryan Mathews | at CIN | - |
| 31 | Michael Bush | vs. IND | - |
| 32 | LaDainian Tomlinson | at CHI | - |
| 33 | Tim Hightower | vs. DAL | - |
| 34 | Danny Woodhead | at BUF | - |
| 35 | Thomas Jones | vs. TEN | - |
| 36 | Donald Brown | at OAK | - |
| 37 | Shonn Greene | at CHI | - |
| 38 | Toby Gerhart | at PHI | - |
| 39 | Joseph Addai | at OAK | - |
| 40 | Mike Goodson | at PIT | - |
| 41 | Chris Ivory | at ATL | - |
| 42 | Ricky Williams | vs. DET | - |
| 43 | Maurice Morris | at MIA | - |
| 44 | Brandon Jackson | vs. NYG | - |
| 45 | Reggie Bush | at ATL | - |
| 46 | Jahvid Best | at MIA | - |
| 47 | Beanie Wells | vs. DAL | - |
| 48 | Anthony Dixon | at STL | - |
| 49 | Darren Sproles | at CIN | - |
| 50 | Derrick Ward | at DEN | - |
| 51 | Willis McGahee | at CLE | - |
| 52 | Cadillac Williams | vs. SEA | - |
| 53 | Marion Barber | at ARZ | - |
| 54 | Chester Taylor | vs. NYJ | - |
| 55 | C.J. Spiller | vs. NE | - |
| 56 | Jerome Harrison | vs. MIN | - |
| 57 | Bernard Scott | vs. SD | - |
| 58 | Dimitri Nance | vs. NYG | Sidelined(concussion) |
| 59 | Keiland Williams | at JAC | - |
| 60 | Justin Forsett | at TB | - |
RB Notes: Very tough call for
Jonathan Stewart owners like Emika Rosenthal this week. He is playing too well to sit but faces the league's top rush defense on a short week. Optimists may note the Steelers gave up more yards on the ground to the Jets than they have all year. We have Stewart ranked as a decent RB2. When push comes to shove, we'll bet on talent. Teammate
Mike Goodson is a lower tier flex option. …Knowshan Moreno struggles to play through injury are a major concern this championship week. With that said, he should be in all line-ups if he starts. The risk is worth it, against Houston.
Arian Foster should be ready to roll for the Texans.
Maurice Jones-Drew didn't look right in last week's game. He wasn't breaking tackles like we're used to seeing. His workload may be catching up to him. Still have to play him and hope for the best.
Consider the Jaguars a neutral match-up for
Ryan Torain. They were gashed against the Colts mostly because they had six to seven guys in the box. …
Mike Tolbert remains a solid RB2. There should be plenty of scoring opportunities in Cincinnati… I don't have the guts to use Ryan Matthew in any league… Both Raiders running backs are worth using this week.
Darren McFadden is a must-start, of course, and
Michael Bush is a good bet to vulture a score. The Raiders will try to run it 50 times against Indianapolis…
John Skelton scares me too much to use
Tim Hightower. My lack of faith is one reason why I love
Tashard Choice as a sneaky flex option on Christmas.
Felix Jones has quietly developed into an every-week starter… Can you bench
Peyton Hillis after all the good times you've had together? His lack of production against the Bengals was an eye-opener. It's hard to say whether it was blocking wear and tear, or Hillis worrying about his fumbling problems. He is no longer a must-start, but you would need two top 15 options to bench him.
Week 16 Wide Receivers| Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Roddy White | vs. NO | - |
| 2 | Calvin Johnson | at MIA | - |
| 3 | Reggie Wayne | at OAK | - |
| 4 | Hakeem Nicks | at GB | - |
| 5 | DeSean Jackson | vs. MIN | - |
| 6 | Vincent Jackson | at CIN | - |
| 7 | Greg Jennings | vs. NYG | - |
| 8 | Marques Colston | at ATL | - |
| 9 | Andre Johnson | at DEN | Doubtful(ankle) |
| 10 | Jeremy Maclin | vs. MIN | - |
| 11 | Brandon Marshall | vs. DET | - |
| 12 | Larry Fitzgerald | vs. DAL | - |
| 13 | Brandon Lloyd | vs. HOU | - |
| 14 | Kenny Britt | at KC | - |
| 15 | Mike Williams | vs. SEA | - |
| 16 | Wes Welker | at BUF | - |
| 17 | Dwayne Bowe | vs. TEN | - |
| 18 | Miles Austin | at ARZ | - |
| 19 | Mike Wallace | vs. CAR | - |
| 20 | Santana Moss | at JAC | - |
| 21 | Steve Johnson | vs. NE | - |
| 22 | Pierre Garcon | at OAK | - |
| 23 | Santonio Holmes | at CHI | - |
| 24 | Mike Williams | at TB | - |
| 25 | Mario Manningham | at GB | - |
| 26 | Anquan Boldin | at CLE | - |
| 27 | Deion Branch | at BUF | - |
| 28 | Johnny Knox | vs. NYJ | - |
| 29 | Sidney Rice | at PHI | - |
| 30 | Percy Harvin | at PHI | - |
| 31 | Hines Ward | vs. CAR | - |
| 32 | Davone Bess | vs. DET | - |
| 33 | Michael Crabtree | at STL | - |
| 34 | Blair White | at OAK | - |
| 35 | James Jones | vs. NYG | - |
| 36 | Anthony Armstrong | at JAC | - |
| 37 | Derrick Mason | at CLE | - |
| 38 | Robert Meachem | at ATL | - |
| 39 | Donald Driver | vs. NYG | - |
| 40 | Braylon Edwards | at CHI | - |
| 41 | Jacoby Ford | vs. IND | - |
| 42 | Mike Thomas | vs. WAS | - |
| 43 | Jacoby Jones | at DEN | - |
| 44 | Louis Murphy | vs. IND | - |
| 45 | Earl Bennett | vs. NYJ | - |
| 46 | Chad Ochocinco | vs. SD | - |
| 47 | Mike Sims-Walker | vs. WAS | - |
| 48 | Steve Smith | at PIT | - |
| 49 | Lance Moore | at ATL | - |
| 50 | Steve Breaston | vs. DAL | - |
| 51 | Brandon Gibson | vs. SF | - |
| 52 | Ben Obomanu | at TB | - |
| 53 | Nate Burleson | at MIA | - |
| 54 | Danny Amendola | vs. SF | - |
| 55 | Nate Washington | at KC | - |
| 56 | Roy Williams | at ARZ | - |
| 57 | Arrelious Benn | vs. SEA | - |
| 58 | Jerricho Cotchery | at CHI | - |
| 59 | Jason Avant | vs. MIN | - |
| 60 | Eddie Royal | vs. HOU | - |
| 61 | Devery Henderson | at ATL | - |
| 62 | Jabar Gaffney | vs. HOU | - |
| 63 | Dexter McCluster | vs. TEN | - |
| 64 | Laurent Robinson | vs. SF | - |
| 65 | Mohamed Massaquoi | vs. BAL | - |
| 66 | Danario Alexander | vs. SF | - |
WR Notes:WR Notes: Chad Ochocinco will be moved down in the rankings unless we hear something more positive about his ankle injury. He may be exaggerating about his snap count if he plays, but it sounds like he's close to shutting himself down mentally. The matchup is tough as it is. … I don't trust Joe Webb at all when it comes to Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice. The only hope here is that garbage time starts early and the Eagles are happy to give up underneath routes late in the game. Webb did not look remotely ready and was more tentative throwing the ball than you'd even expect.
Tim Tebow and the Texans cancel each other out for Brandon Lloyd owners. … Mike Wallace's ranking is partly low because of the weather. We also could see the Steelers being very conservative with an early lead against the Panthers. Carolina just doesn't present any threat to that defense. … Malcom Floyd's hamstring is a question mark, but he's very hard to sit as a WR3 in this matchup. … Kenny Britt versus Brandon Flowers is a matchup I'd pay to see. Britt is such a target-hog that you have to play him. … Miles Austin's recent slump just isn't worth getting worked up against when he's facing the Cardinals. … Santonio Holmes returned to practice Thursday. Going from Mark Sanchez to Mark Brunell doesn't really affect his value much, but it's a tough matchup. I'd totally understand benching him in most formats.
Anquan Boldin had a huge game against the Browns the first time around and yet we only have him as a top-level WR3. It's just too hard to ignore his lack of production. … Santana Moss is streaking at the right time. The schedule stays favorable. Keep him in. … Mike Sims-Walker and Mike Thomas are both sneaky plays against the Redskins. …
My wife needed 16 PPR points from Johnny Knox last Monday night to win her semifinal matchup in her all-women's fantasy league. He got 16 points. For that reason, I will have a soft spot for Knox forever. You do not want to see or speak with my wife after a loss. She has said she's quitting fantasy football forever at least 15 times.
Week 16 Tight Ends
TE Notes: Rex Grossman clearly does not hurt
Chris Cooley's value. The Redskins made a point to get him the ball last week, and the Jaguars safeties present a tasty match-up. … At this point, it's safe to assume
Antonio Gates is out. Keep an eye on Rotoworld Sunday morning, just in case. You can do better than Gates' back-up,
Randy McMichael. . … You know it's not your year when
Jimmy Graham drops two touchdowns on you in the fantasy play-offs. I suspect a lot of owners will be chasing Graham's points this week. He's hit or miss, but everyone is after the top 7 tight ends. … Hopefully you are past trying to figure out the RobGronkowski/
Aaron Hernandez conundrum. There is nothing to figure out. Life is random; it may rain today, it may not. …
Heath Miller is back. You could do worse. …
Zach Miller looks close to 100 percent again. He should be a nice zone-buster against the Colts' small safeties.
Week 16 Team DefenseWeek 16 Kickers