With the championship game here for most fantasy football owners, they will be facing their most difficult start 'em, sit 'em decisions of the year. With several notable players dealing with injuries that could knock them out of action (or have already in the cases of Cam Akers, Raheem Mostert, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire), some owners will be scrambling to find sleepers to plug into the flex spot in their lineups. Even if injuries aren't an issue, owners often have a rotating flex option, and this is the week to trust matchup-based options to give your championship lineup a high ceiling. For Week 16, Le'Veon Bell, Leonard Fournette, Jalen Hurts, John Brown, and Tyler Eifert are some of the best under-the-radar options who fantasy owners can rely on to emerge as their league's champion.
WEEK 16 FANTASY: Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Last week, our sleeper picks did very well. Jeff Wilson Jr. and Benny Snell each scored at the RB position, while Gus Edwards racked up 78 yards. Jalen Hurts put forth a banner performance against the Cardinals at QB while Philip Rivers had another two TD day. Tyron Johnson and Russell Gage each were able to score at WR, and the Browns D/ST had a solid day against the Cardinals. The only position where we weren't so strong was at TE, where none of our sleepers scored, but hopefully we'll find the end zone with one or more of those guys this time around.
WEEK 16 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Week 16 Fantasy Sleepers: Running backs
Leonard Fournette, Buccaneers @ Lions (Jacob Camenker). Fournette served as the lead back for the Buccaneers last week and managed to score twice on a tough Falcons defense. Now, he's set to start again with Ronald Jones (finger/COVID) unexpected to play in a great matchup with a Lions defense that has allowed the most total TDs (25) and fantasy points to RBs this season.
Giovani Bernard, Bengals at Texans (Vinnie Iyer). His volume shot back right up at the ideal time to destroy again in Week 16.
Le’Veon Bell, Chiefs vs. Falcons (Matt Lutovsky). With Clyde Edwards-Helaire (hip/leg) out, Bell should see 15-plus touches against a defense that gives up a notable amount of receptions to RBs (5.8 per game) and rushing TDs (14). Bell will rack up a solid amount of total yards and has a good chance at a touchdown.
WEEK 16 DFS CASH LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Week 16 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Quarterbacks
Jalen Hurts, Eagles @ Cowboys (Camenker). Hurts is on the cusp of not being considered a sleeper anymore, but he'll be here one more time. Hurts has averaged 252.5 passing yards, two passing TDs, and 84.5 rushing yards while adding one rushing TD during his past two games. The Cowboys defense has been one of the weakest in the NFL this season and just surrendered 33 points to the hapless 49ers offense. The Eagles should be able to do a lot of damage, and Hurts will be the source of it.
Baker Mayfield, Browns at Jets (Iyer). He’s been on fire as a QB1 the past few weeks, and he’ll challenge fellow Sooners Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts for the top scoring QB of Week 16. (Update: With almost all of Cleveland's WR corps placed on the COVID list, Mayfield doesn't have as much upside this week.)
Mitchell Trubisky, Bears @ Jaguars (Lutovsky). In his four games since reclaiming the starter’s role, Trubisky has averaged 244.5 passing yards, two passing TDs, and 18.3 rushing yards. Jacksonville is in full tank mode and has allowed at least two QB touchdowns in eight straight games, so Trubisky has a high floor and high ceiling.
WEEK 16 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Week 16 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Wide receivers
John Brown, Bills @ Patriots (Camenker). With Stephon Gilmore (calf) out for the year, the Patriots are going to have to compensate for his loss and potentially put double coverage on Stefon Diggs. If that's the case, it will cause a ripple effect that will open up more opportunities for Cole Beasley and Brown to get open. Brown should be set to return from an ankle injury that caused him to miss the last four games, and with his deep speed, he could easily catch a long TD against a depleted, albeit talented, secondary.
Chad Hansen, Texans vs. Bengals (Iyer). He will mmmbop to another big day against the weakest coverage outside away from William Jackson and Mackensie Alexander.
Marvin Hall, Browns @ Jets (Lutovsky). We originally had Rashard Higgins in this spot, but after he, along with Jarvis Landry, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and KhaDarel Hodge, was placed on the COVID list on Saturday, we're pivoting to Cleveland's de facto "No. 1 receiver." Hall has never been in this role before, but that might not matter against the Jets. As the likely top target for Baker Mayfield, Hall should see six-plus targets, and that's enough for him to produce WR3 numbers.
MORE WEEK 16 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Week 16 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Tight ends
Jordan Akins, Texans vs. Bengals (Camenker). Some might be scared off by his awful TD drop from a couple of weeks back against the Bears, but after a five-catch, 50-yard game last week against the Colts, Akins is worth trusting against a Bengals team that has given up the third-most receiving yards to TEs (867).
Cole Kmet, Bears at Jaguars (Iyer). He should get more run in a great matchup and find the end zone as a reward for his fine blocking.
Tyler Eifert, Jaguars vs. Bears (Lutovsky). Eifert had a season-high 51 yards last week, and he figures to get even more targets this week against a Bears’ defense that entered Week 15 allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to TEs and proceeded to give up six catches for 94 yards and a TD to Vikings tight ends.
WEEK 16 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Week 16 Fantasy Sleepers: Defenses
Arizona Cardinals vs. 49ers (Camenker). The 49ers have committed 29 turnovers on the season, good for the second most in the NFL behind only the Broncos. The Cardinals have racked up 13 sacks in their past two games and are situated to take advantage of this weakness. They'll post big points against third-string QB C.J. Beathard, who will replace the injured Nick Mullens (elbow) as starter.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Falcons (Iyer). This feels like a destruction of teeing off in the second half after building a big lead.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Broncos (Lutovsky). The Broncos have turned it over at least once in every game this year, and they’ve scored 20 or fewer points in five of their past six games. The Chargers defense hasn’t been great, but it will be good enough to rack up points in this matchup.
