Giants RB Saquon Barkley performed well in Sunday's victory over the Commanders, logging 87 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in addition to 5 receptions and 33 yards in the receiving game. The talented back rose to the occasion for fantasy managers in the playoffs. Barkley will once again be a top-10 RB option in Week 16 against the Vikings. The Vikings' D rank as a neutral matchup and with Barkley's consistent volume of touches, he should be in line for another quality outing next week.
Giants QB Daniel Jones served as a game manager on Sunday night, completing 21 of 32 pass attempts for 160 and nary a touchdown nor interception. Jones also posted 35 yards rushing on top of his meager passing totals. Sunday's victory saw a boring effort from Jones. The Giants are set to face a Vikings defense in Week 16 that presents the 11th-easiest matchup for opposing QBs in adjusted fantasy points allowed this season. Those looking to stream QB in 1QB leagues, or folks in need of a QB2 in superflex leagues, can feel good about rolling out Jones against the Vikings.
Commanders WR Jahan Dotson roped in 4 of 6 targets for 105 yards and a touchdown in a loss against the Giants on Sunday. Dotson is starting to heat up again after a hamstring injury derailed his rookie season in October. The former Penn State product has now seen 15 targets in the Commanders' last 2 contests. Veteran Terry McLaurin also had a solid outing, hauling all 6 of his targets for 70 yards. Curtis Samuel saw muted success by comparison, though 3 receptions for 44 yards is a respectable stat line. The Commanders WR corps will face off against a 49ers defense that presents a middle-of-the-pack matchup in terms of adjusted fantasy points per game in 2022. That said, QB Taylor Heinicke's ability to deliver the ball will be diminished by the strength of the 49ers' stout defensive front, relegating all Commanders WRs into flex consideration at best with McLaurin being the favorite. It would be best to look elsewhere for WR help in Week 16 outside of deep leagues.
Commanders RB Brian Robinson posted 12 carries for 89 yards in Sunday's loss vs. the Giants. The rookie back also collected 1 reception for 18 yards in the receiving game. Teammate Antonio Gibson did not contribute as much, only reaching 21 yards on 5 carries in addition to a pair of catches for another 6 yards receiving. Robinson has been a reliable high-floor flex option of late, however Week 16 will present a tough challenge. The 49ers have shut down opposing RBs this year, ranking 3rd-toughest in adjusted fantasy points allowed to the position. Robinson's high volume in the carries department will vault him into flex consideration next week, though not much should be expected. Same goes for Gibson, who will also be flex-worthy as the complimentary option out of the Commanders' backfield.
Commanders QB Taylor Heinicke put forth a gutsy effort, completing 17 of 28 attempts for 249 yards and 1 TD in Sunday's loss to the Giants. Heinicke also added 33 yards on the ground. A few penalties cost Heinicke and the Commanders both real-life and fantasy points, but managers that perhaps streamed the signal-caller in superflex leagues can feel okay about the results. However, Week 16 will not be an ideal time to consider Heinicke as the Commanders are preparing for a showdown against a 49ers defense that ranks as the 3rd-toughest matchup for QBs this season. You'd have to be insanely desperate or manage an injury-riddled roster to go with Heinicke next week.
Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin hauled in all 8 of his targets for 83 yards and a score in Sunday's loss vs. the Bengals. While Godwin and company did not emerge victorious, the Bucs' WR corps had three players reach double-digit PPR points. Mike Evans posted a respectable 83 yards, bringing in only 5 of his 10 receptions, and Russell Gage exploded with a pair of TDs to go along with 8 catches and 59 yards. While it's difficult to tell week-to-week if Gage can be trusted, managers advancing in the fantasy playoffs can feel confident in both Godwin and Evans against the Cardinals in Week 16 despite the difficult matchup. Both are WR1 options vs. the Cardinals.
Raiders QB Derek Carr threw for a modest 231 yards in Sunday's win over the Patriots but also tallied 3 TDs. He found WR Mack Hollins, TE Darren Waller and WR Keenan Cole for scores. Waller caught all 3 of his targets for 48 yards in his 1st game since Week 5. Hollins tied WR Davante Adams for the team lead with just 4 receptions. Adams (9) and Hollins (8) were the only 2 Raiders to draw more than 3 targets. Week 16 brings a matchup with Pittsburgh, which hit Sunday as a near-neutral scoring matchup for QBs.
Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette carried the ball 11 times for 44 yards on top of hauling in 4 receptions for 30 yards in Sunday's loss to the Bengals. Rookie Rachaad White split the workload with Fournette in Week 15, logging 11 carries for 38 yards and a single catch for 5 yards. Neither Fournette nor White had particularly effective fantasy games as the Buccanners offense fell apart in the second half. However, managers should feel good about a Week 16 showdown against a Cardinals defense that ranks 6th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs this season. Both Bucs backs should be in RB2/flex consideration next week, with the edge going to Fournette.
Patriots QB Mac Jones went an ugly 13-of-31 passing (41.9%) for 112 yards in Sunday's loss to the Raiders, with no TDs or INTs. WRs Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor tied for the target lead with 6 apiece but totaled just 3 receptions between them. This was Jones' 2nd straight game without a TD and 2nd among the past 3 with less than 200 yards. He's simply not a viable fantasy option at this stage.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson entered Sunday questionable with an ankle sprain but delivered big numbers after the game started. He rushed 19 times for 172 yards and a TD in the loss to the Raiders. He added 2 catches on 3 targets but lost 4 yards there amid a terrible passing day for New England. RB Pierre Strong Jr. Led the team with 3 receptions (for 12 yards) and carried 4 times for 25. RB Kevin Harris added 5-19 rushing. RB Damien Harris could be ready to re-enter the mix for a Week 16 date with the Bengals. He put in limited practices throughout Week 15 and was initially questionable before being ruled out for the Raiders game.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert threw for 313 yards in Sunday's narrow victory over the Chargers. But he added 2 INTs and no TDs, falling short of 10 fantasy points in many formats. WR Keenan Allen led the receiving with 8 catches for 86 yards among 9 targets. WR Mike Williams added 4-67 on 8 targets. WR Josh Palmer caught all 5 of his looks for 49 yards. It was Herbert's 3rd straight game with more than 300 yards and fewer than 2 TDs. Next comes a Colts defense that allowed 460 yards to Kirk Cousins on Saturday and 7 combined TD passes over the past 2 games.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler managed just 70 total yards in Sunday's win over the Titans, his 3rd-lowest number of the season. Ekeler ran with solid efficiency -- 4.8 yards per rush (12 carries, 58 yards) -- especially considering that he was facing the league's #1 run defense Football Outsiders' DVOA. Ekeler added just 12 yards on 2 catches, though, uncharacteristically low for him. He did leave the game briefly for an injury check but wound up playing 69% of the snaps (according to Pro Football Focus), right in line with his usual playing time. Ekeler and RB Joshua Kelley each scored rushing TDs, as Kelley ran 10 times for 24 yards. Week 16 holds a Monday night trip to Indy, which allowed Vikings RB Dalvin Cook 190 total yards on Saturday night.
Buccaneers QB Tom Brady completed 30 of 44 pass attempts in Sunday's loss vs. the Bengals, adding 312 yards with 3 TD, and 2 INTs. Brady's pair of picks accounted for half of the Bucs' 4 turnovers that set up the Bengals' offense with good field position each time. 2022 has not been kind to the aging superstar, though a Week 16 game against the Cardinals might help get him straight. The Cardinals D ranks as the 6th-best matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs, thus making Brady a low-end QB1/streaming option next week.
Titans TE Chig Okonkwo led the team in targets (5) in Sunday's loss to the Chargers, catching 4 for 54 yards. He tied RB Derrick Henry for the reception lead and ranked 2nd in yards. The rookie has caught 4+ balls and cracked 50 yards in 3 straight games. He has matched or beaten TE Austin Hooper in targets for 4 weeks in a row.
Bengals RB Joe Mixon only managed to record 21 yards on 11 carries in Sunday's win vs. the Buccaneers. Fortunately, Mixon made up for the less-than-stellar effort by adding 5 catches and 33 yards in the receiving game. Teammate Samaje Perine did not find much success either with 7 carries for 24 yards and one catch for no gain. Week 16's showdown against the Patriots will be difficult next week, as the Pats D ranks as the single-most difficult matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs this season. As such, fantasy managers advancing in the playoffs should temper expectations for Mixon moving forward.
Titans RB Derrick Henry delivered 104 yards and a TD on 21 carries in Sunday's loss to the Chargers. It marked his 2nd straight game over 100 yards and just his 2nd time reaching 20 carries among the past 7 contests. Henry also led Tennessee with 59 receiving yards Sunday, catching all 4 of his targets. It was his 3rd game with 3 receptions or more among the past 4. Henry gets the Texans in Week 16, a matchup he has exploited for more than 210 rushing yards in 4 consecutive meetings. After that comes a Dallas defense that allowed Travis Etienne to top 100 yards in Week 15.
Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase logged 7 catches on 13 targets for 60 yards, leading all Bengals receivers in those categories in Sunday's win over the Buccaneers. Chase also found the end zone in Week 15, in addition to teammates Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, and TE Mitchell Wilcox. Both Boyd and Higgins wound up with 5 catches apiece. While no one besides Chase cracked the 50-yard mark (Boyd with 35 yards, Higgins with 33), fantasy managers who rolled out these Bengals WRs had their days saved by TDs. Next week brings a tough matchup against the Patriots, who rank 7th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs. Still consider Chase a top-5 option, but Higgins is more of a low-end WR2, and Boyd a flex candidate in Week 16.
Cardinals RB James Conner ran 16 times for 63 yards in Sunday's loss to the Broncos. He beefed up the fantasy line with a 4th-quarter TD from 1 yard out. Conner added 28 yards on 3 catches. He gets the Buccaneers in Week 16 and then a high-ceiling matchup at the Falcons in Week 17.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow tallied 200 passing yards, 4 TDs, and 1 INT in Sunday's win. While the yardage total isn't eye-popping, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell into the Christmas spirit early, gifting Burrow and company good field position as a result of multiple turnovers in the second half. Burrow and the Bengals are set to face off against the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills in Week 16 and Week 17 respectively. Though both franchises rank in the bottom 10 of average fantasy points allowed to QBs in 2022, managers should trust Burrow with the confidence they have all season as a top-12 option.
Broncos TE Greg Dulcich managed just 1 catch for 11 yards on 2 targets in Sunday's win over the Cardinals. He ranked 2nd on the team in routes, according to Pro Football Focus, trailing only WR Jerry Jeudy. Yet Eric Tomlinson led Denver TEs in targets (3), catches (3) and yards (28) and snared the team's only TD reception. He did so despite running only 6 total routes, 22 fewer than Dulcich and 12 fewer than TE Eric Saubert. Jeudy led the team in targets (8), receptions (7) and yards (76). QB Brett Rypien totaled 197 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT on 21-of-26 passing.
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