Fewer people are obsessing over start 'em, sit 'em decisions at this point in the season, but the ones who still care really care. Having a reliable set of weekly fantasy projections and rankings is more important than ever, and the more expert analysis, opinions, and stats you can take in, the better it will make your Week 16 lineup choices.
To prove we truly believe in the "more is better" approach to fantasy football research, we’re happy to offer SN Fantasy readers an exclusive look at Draft Sharks’ award-winning weekly rankings and projections. We'll also highlight players at each position who stand out in our rankings compared to theirs so you get multiple perspectives on a few of the biggest start-or-sit headaches. To see Draft Sharks' exclusive Week 16 3D floor-to-ceiling projections, become a Draft Sharks member today at the link below!
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Week 16 Fantasy Football Projections, Rankings from Draft Sharks
Week 16 fantasy QB projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Derek Carr, Raiders @ Steelers (SN Ranking: 7 | DS Ranking: 15)
The Steelers' pass defense has improved lately, but it's still giving up the 10th-most passing yards per game and 11th-most fantasy points to QBs. Carr has had multiple TDs in six of his past seven games, so we think he has a stable floor. Draft Sharks is likely downgrading him because of potential bad weather and his mediocre completion percentage (below 56 percent) and yardage totals (less than 251) over the past three weeks, but we expect another solid performance.
SN's WEEK 16 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 16 fantasy RB projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Zonovan Knight, Jets vs. Jaguars (SN PPR Ranking: 17 | DS Ranking: 27)
Knight had his first bad game last week, mustering just 23 total yards on 13 touches. However, he still played a similar number of snaps as the previous three weeks, and, most important, he still dominated the Jets' RB touches. We expect a bounce-back performance against a Jacksonville defense allowing the 13th-most fantasy points to RBs, as Knight should see plenty of touches in potentially bad weather.
Spotlight Player: Jamaal Williams, Lions @ Panthers (SN PPR Ranking: 16 | DS Ranking: 38)
For the second-straight week, we're highlighting Williams, who remains high in our rankings but much lower in Draft Sharks'. We get it -- he's fairly touchdown dependent, but after not scoring in his past two games, it feels like he's due to get back in the end zone for the 15th time this year. He still gets the bulk of Detroit's carries, and against Carolina's 22nd-ranked run defense, he should have more yards than he has the past three games.
SN's WEEK 16 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 16 fantasy WR projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Gabriel Davis, Bills @ Bears (SN PPR Ranking: 56 | DS Ranking: 39)
We downgraded Davis heavily because of the 35-plus-mph winds expected in Chicago this weekend, but the fact is, he just hasn't been producing lately. Over his past five games, he's averaged 3.6 catches (5.8 targets) and 41.6 yards with one total TD. The Bears are solid against WRs, so it's tough to expect much from Davis in cold, windy conditions. Could he break lose for a long TD? Of course, but we're not betting on it, especially in PPR formats.
Spotlight Player: Jakobi Meyers, Patriots vs. Bengals (SN PPR Ranking: 45 | DS Ranking: 32)
Meyers hasn't topped 62 yards or scored a TD in each of the past five games. Perhaps most notable is that he has just 17 catches in that span. He no longer has a stable floor, and his ceiling is obviously low, too. We see him as more of a low-end flex than a solid WR3 like Draft Sharks does.
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Week 16 fantasy TE projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Pat Freiermuth, Steelers vs. Raiders (SN PPR Ranking: 6 | DS Ranking: 13)
Draft Sharks is clearly reacting to Freiermuth's zero-target game last week, but he still played his normal number of snaps. We expect a big bounce-back performance this week, especially if Kenny Pickett (concussion) is back. Vegas allows the ninth-most fantasy points to TEs, so we think Freiermuth is a safe starting option.
Week 16 fantasy defense projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Cleveland Browns vs. Saints (SN Ranking: 6 | DS Ranking: 20)
The Saints allow the sixth-most fantasy points to D/STs, so we'd like the Browns more than Draft Sharks even if there weren't blizzard-like conditions. When you factor in the weather, we think they're a safe start. Cleveland has racked up five sacks, seven takeaways, and two D/STs TDs over the past three games.
