The 16th week of the NFL campaign promises more fantasy football fireworks, but only after a Thursday Night Football encounter between the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders.
Of course, there’s going to be a few big performers there. The visitors’ Antonio Gates figures to have a strong game against a unit that hasn’t been able to stop tight ends all year. Philip Rivers certainly has the ability to go all Philip Rivers against any defense.
It’s the meat of the Week 16 schedule that should draw the eye of those owners left in the running, though. There are quite a few lopsided matchups on paper, not to mention a few games that will throw defense right out the window.
Let’s take a look at value comparisons for each position and detail some common start-sit scenarios before Thursday’s game.
QB
Start: Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars (at NO)
Believe it or not, there are owners out there who rode Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles to the fantasy playoffs and found success.
Bortles, after all, has 20 or more points eight times this year, including his last four outings with everyone around him healthy. That includes tight end Julius Thomas, who’s also going to have a monster game in Week 16.
Next up for Bortles is the New Orleans Saints, the team allowing the most points to quarterbacks on average with 11 passing touchdowns allowed over their last four outings.
Given his 83.5 percent ownership percentage, it’s clear Bortles deserves a mention and more love.
Sit: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (vs. CAR)
A well-known name owners didn’t ride to the postseason?
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
Ryan did well by owners who used him in a platoon approach earlier in the season, but over his last five outings, he has two single-digit performances despite the wealth of weapons around him.
Now Ryan has to go against the Carolina Panthers again, the team that held him to four points in Week 14. He’s one of six sets of quarterbacks who failed to reach double digits against the unit this year, so owners need to put the name-recognition factor aside.
RB
Start: Frank Gore, Indianapolis Colts (at MIA)
Remember Frank Gore?
Gore hasn’t had much of a notable season from a fantasy standpoint, going to double digits just four times.
What he does do, though, is provide surefire usage for owners to consider. Pair it with a great matchup, and one can get incredible results, such as his 20-point showing with two touchdowns in Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans.
Gore’s going against the Miami Dolphins this weekend, the team allowing the third-most points to the position with 10 touchdowns allowed. Two of the past three opposing backfields to face the unit hit on 25 or more points.
It’s a strong time to trot out Gore, as rare as those times have been.
Sit: Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers (at ARI)
Forget about Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy.
Owned in 97.8 percent of leagues, Lacy has three double-digit outings over his last five games. The exceptions, though, were a goose egg in Week 13 as a punishment for missing a meeting and just two points last weekend, as he couldn’t find room against the Raiders.
Lacy’s simply been all over the place this year, and it’s hard to know when James Starks will steal all the work. Worsening the situation is a trip to the desert to take on the Arizona Cardinals and an elite defense allowing the sixth-fewest points to the position.
Given his volatile nature, Lacy needs to sit on the bench for playoff matchups.
WR
Start: Jeremy Maclin, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. CLE)
In the right matchup, Kansas City Chiefs wideout Jeremy Maclin might be one of fantasy’s most dangerous players.
Maclin has just five trips to double digits this year, but three of those were for 19 or more points. When he’s getting attention against a bad defense, he generally comes close to topping the leaderboard.
He should this week against the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland surrenders the fourth-most points to wideouts on the year and has managed to cough up seven touchdowns to the position since a Week 11 bye.
Understanding this, look for Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith to look Maclin‘s way often.
Sit: A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals (at DEN)
It’s apparent in the current confines of the Cincinnati offense that A.J. Green isn’t a sure thing each week.
He’s gone for double digits six times, yes, but he’s also been held to single digits eight times, including one of his cupcake matchups against the Browns when the offense decided to work its way through other potent weapons.
The situation’s even worse now with AJ McCarron under center as the Bengals take on the Denver Broncos, the team allowing the fewest points to wideouts. To top it all off, Green didn’t play a full game last week after tweaking his back.
It stinks to sit a player like Green, but it’s a must here.
TE
Start: Benjamin Watson, New Orleans Saints (vs. JAC)
Owners can find another reliable tight end start on the other side of the Jaguars-Saints matchup.
Benjamin Watson just posted his first double-digit outing since Week 8 last week with six catches for 49 yards and a score, good for 10 points. It’s the fourth game in a row and ninth time he’s caught at least four passes in a game.
It’s a decent floor for owners in need boosted to an adequate ceiling thanks to the matchup. The Jaguars allow the fifth-most points to tight ends this year, and while they’ve mostly shut out the position in recent weeks, Indianapolis and Atlanta aren’t the greatest of measuring sticks.
Expect Watson to have a big day in a game lacking defense.
Sit: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. CHI)
Owners have to look elsewhere if they need a streaming tight end.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers isn’t a bad player by any means, but he’s had his season derailed by injuries. Some might like the fact that he’s caught three passes in each of his last three outings, hinting he just needs a good matchup to explode.
ASJ just doesn’t get that this weekend against the Chicago Bears. For all their faults, the Bears defend tight ends well and surrender the sixth-fewest points to the position this year with just three touchdowns allowed.
Don’t expect ASJ to break free, not when the offense can just go to Doug Martin, Mike Evans and others.
All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as are points-against info and ownership stats as of December 23. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com.
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