Week 16 won’t have any issues continuing the trend of explosive outings from top players.
Just take a quick gander at the holiday schedule. Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and the Kansas City Chiefs get to beat up on the Cleveland Browns. The Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton gets to torch the Atlanta Falcons again. Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers get to stomp on the Baltimore Ravens. Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks get to trounce the St. Louis Rams.
If last weekend was one of the most explosive weeks for fantasy football in recent memory, Week 16 has the potential to top it.
To make sense of the wealth of options available to owners still alive in the hunt, let’s break down each position into rankings below.
Week 16 Schedule
Quarterbacks
Roethlisberger got a mention in the intro for good reason.
There are plenty of options at quarterback this week, but Big Ben gets the nod as the top-ranked player going into a game against the woeful Baltimore Ravens.
Big Ben went off for 23 points this past weekend against a strong Denver defense, giving him 21 or more points in five of his last six outings. He missed the team’s first encounter with the Ravens earlier this year, but he shouldn’t have any problems making up the difference.
Those Ravens allow the fifth-most points to quarterbacks this year and have given up 12 touchdowns over their last six games. Big Ben looks like another 21-point player or more.
Those on the hunt for a streaming sleeper should look at Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who sits available in about 40 percent of leagues.
Tannehill has double digits in all but two games this year and this weekend gets a cupcake matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, the team allowing the 11th-most points to the spot. With weapons such as wide receiver Jarvis Landry to utilize against a defense that has given up 12 passing touchdowns over its last five games, it’s hard to imagine Tannehill will disappoint.
Running Backs
With so many injuries and emerging committees, it’s becoming more difficult by the week to make the right moves at running back.
Still, usual suspects dot the rankings, including Kansas City Chiefs running back Charcandrick West.
West deserves to have his name up there after posting 13 points in Week 15 by way of 16 carries for 76 yards and a score, good for his first double-digit outing since Week 10 thanks to injury woes and the emergence of Spencer Ware.
It seems West has earned more looks, though, and just in time for a date with the Cleveland Browns. The unit allows the 11th-most points to backs, and just five opposing backfields have failed to breach the 100-yard mark against it.
The sleeper this week should be pretty obvious now that New Orleans Saints running back Tim Hightower seems to have a high-volume role. The veteran has 28 and 13 carries over his past two games with 23 total points over the two contests.
It’s clear New Orleans is content to roll with Hightower in an every-down capacity the rest of the way, making him an elite play this weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jacksonville has been shaky at best against the run all year, allowing 10 opposing backfields to hit double digits. Given his newfound usage, Hightower is a lock to do so on his own.
Wide Receivers
Other than Antonio Brown and a few other big names, owners should keep an eye on Washington’s DeSean Jackson this week.
Jackson has been on absolute fire since Week 11, posting 12 or more points in four out of his last five outings. He saved his best for last too, going for a season-high 21 points last weekend against the Buffalo Bills.
It shouldn’t come as a shock, then, that he’s excited for a showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to the team’s Twitter account:
Outside of the history there, who wouldn’t be? The Eagles cough up the second-most points to the position with 19 or more points allowed to opposing wideout corps in seven consecutive games.
Baltimore Ravens wideout Kamar Aiken would be the sleeper to eye.
Owned in just 59.1 percent of leagues, Aiken has 11 or more points in three of his last five, including a season-best 18 last weekend against the Chiefs on eight catches for 128 yards and a score.
Believe it or not, it gets easier for Aiken this week against the Steelers. Pittsburgh looks unstoppable, but it happens to allow the third-most points to wideouts this year and since a Week 11 bye has surrendered nine touchdowns to the position over four games.
It’s apparent Aiken will produce no matter who lines up under center but especially so against the Steelers. He posted 13 points against the unit back in Week 4.
Tight Ends
Rob Gronkowski and others steal the headlines, but it’s clear future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates won’t let his season end on a sour note.
One of the San Diego Chargers’ main targets had struggled most of the season to post consistent production. Said struggles ended in Week 12, though, as Gates now has seven or more points in three of his last four games with a high of 17.
Gates might post his highest total of the season against the Oakland Raiders in Week 16. The Raiders allow the second-most points to the spot, and Gates should know how to exploit the unit after all these years.
It’s not easy to find a sleeper at tight end this time of year, but Richard Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers might qualify seeing as how he’s available in more than 30 percent of leagues still.
Rodgers has posted just six total points over two games since a 20-point showing in Week 13. He could make all of that back and then some against the Arizona Cardinals, though.
The Cardinals have actually been rather spotty against tight ends as of late, allowing the 15th-most points in large part thanks to four touchdowns permitted since a Week 9 bye, including one last week.
When things break down for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, he figures to go right at, well, Rodgers.
Defense/Special Teams
Remember the Houston Texans defense led by J.J. Watt?
Call it the perfect sleeper this week. Owned in just 51.6 percent of leagues, the Texans have six double-digit outings this year but three trips to negative points to balance the scales.
This weekend borderline promises a high-scoring output, though, thanks to an encounter with the Tennessee Titans. Back in Week 8, Houston set a season high with 19 points against the unit.
Even better, the Titans allow the most points to opposing defenses this year. Did anyone mention there’s chatter about Titans star quarterback Marcus Mariota missing the rest of the season, per Jim Wyatt of the team’s official website?
The Texans are in for a huge day.
Kickers
Fantasy owners don’t seem too high on the idea of Chargers kicker Josh Lambo, who sits with a 6.6 ownership percentage.
It’s a bit odd but makes Lambo one of the top sleeper options this week. He’s scored in double digits three times, with five or more points in 11 games, giving him a desirable floor with room for a nice ceiling if the matchup looks good.
And it does this week against the Oakland Raiders. Lambo posted nine points against Oakland in Week 7, which isn’t hard to imagine his doing again or better considering the Raiders allow the most points to kickers this year.
All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as are points-against info and ownership stats as of December 22.
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