Fantasy Football Championship Week: Matchup Winners

Championship Week is here in the Fantasy Football world! I am hoping that if you have been a consistent reader of this article series, I hope have helped you in some small way this season with your Fantasy Football lineups. Credit yourself first though if you are in your league’s championship, as you are the one who drafted your team and clicked the lineup buttons every week. The 2023 season has been one filled with tons of surprises, disappointments, and excitement – and I for one had fun along this ride.

Every week, I do the dirty work for you and dig into every NFL matchup to determine who is the player from each team to spotlight. This involves looking at Fantasy Points Per Game (PPG) and yardage allowed by defenses, along with looking at player usage and performances. I will always have hits and misses, but I will also always have detailed reasoning behind the points I am making.

Week 16 Hits

Below are some hits that had huge weeks or simply out-produced their expectations in Week 16

• Mike Evans – 27.6 Fantasy Points
• Derek Carr – 26 Fantasy Points
• Justin Fields – 25.5 Fantasy Points
• Derrick Henry – 21.4 Fantasy Points
• Ezekiel Elliott – 21 Fantasy Points
• Nick Mullens – 20.5 Fantasy Points
• Bijan Robinson – 19.2 Fantasy Points
• Dak Prescott – 18.6 Fantasy Points
• Evan Engram – 17.5 Fantasy Points
• Kyren Williams – 16.4 Fantasy Points
• David Njoku – 16.4 Fantasy Points
• Garrett Wilson – 15.8 Fantasy Points

I call myself out on the misses each week as well, with some of those from Week 16 being Joe Mixon, Pat Freiermuth, Stefon Diggs, Joshua Palmer, Gardner Minshew and Devin Singletary. Throughout this weekly article series, I feel my hits have heavily outweighed my misses which makes me feel this has been my best season yet as a content creator.

The purpose of this article is to dive into the matchups and highlight who I feel can take off within them, which can help with your Fantasy Football and DFS decisions. I am hoping that this article gives you a boost in winning your Fantasy Football Championship(s) – best of luck and lets get it!

Championship Week Matchup Winners

Thursday Night Football

Jets vs. Browns

• Breece Hall: The Browns are not a plus matchup, but if I am betting on anyone on the Jets it will be Breece Hall who has finished as a top-two Fantasy Football running back in two of his last three games. Hall carried the ball 20 times for 95 yards and two touchdowns in Week 16 and caught a season-high 12 passes for 96 receiving yards in Week 16 for a massive 43.1 Fantasy Points. In Week 14, Hall caught eight passes for 86 yards and a receiving touchdown for 26.6 Fantasy Points. While the rushing numbers may not always be great, the consistent role in the passing game is what gives Hall the Fantasy Football boost. Hall ranks second for the position with 65 receptions on the year and leads the position in receiving yards with 537. Since the Week 7 BYE, Hall has finished five games with six or more receptions.
• David Njoku: The Jets rank 32nd in PPG allowed to quarterbacks and wide receivers, but 12th in PPG allowed to tight ends. So not the best matchup through the air but if they are giving up something through the air it has been to the opposing tight end. Insert arguably the hottest tight end in football right now – David Njoku. Njoku has caught fire the last three weeks with Joe Flacco, finishing as the TE2, TE2 and TE4 Weeks 14-16 for Fantasy Football. During this three-game span, Njoku has earned eight, 14 and nine targets and produced 91, 104 and 44 receiving yards. Njoku has also scored in every one of these three games, and four times total across the last three weeks. The last three games were not the only significant games for Njoku this season, as he has finished nine weeks as a top 12 Fantasy tight end and has scored double-digit Fantasy Points 10 times this season. Even in a tougher matchup through the air, it is hard to sit a guy who has been on fire attached to a veteran in Flacco who is absolutely balling out.

Saturday Night Football

Lions vs. Cowboys

• Amon-Ra St. Brown: The Cowboys rank 27th in PPG allowed to wide receivers, but Amon-Ra St. Brown has been on fire the last two weeks and will be heavily utilized in a huge matchup. ARSB has finished as the WR6 and then WR4 across the last two games with scores of 24.2 and 28.6 Fantasy Points. ARSB has been targeted 23 times the last two weeks and has produced 112 then 106 receiving yards with a touchdown in each of those games. ARSB is tied for his last year’s target total of 146 this year while playing two less games, averaging 10.2 per game. ARSB has produced 1,281 receiving yards so far this year, which is 90.4 per game and a lot of that is due to the yards-after-catch upside qualities as he ranks fourth in the metric for the position. We expected this Lions and Cowboys game to be a ton of fun with two great offenses, and when these games happen the studs have to stud.
• Dak Prescott: The Lions allow the seventh most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks and the 10th most passing yards per game this season. In a quarterback-friendly game, which should feature two solid offenses throwing punches at one another, I like Dak to have a big Week 17. Prescott’s upside has been evident this season, finishing six weeks as a top-three Fantasy quarterback with five of those games scoring 28+ Fantasy Points. Prescott ranks third in passing yards (3,827 total / 273.4 per game) and first in passing touchdowns (30) for the year. I expect heavy volume through the air from the Cowboys, especially knowing the Lions allow the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game this season.

Sunday Slate

Dolphins vs. Ravens

• Tyreek Hill: The Ravens in PPG allowed rank 30th to quarterbacks, 27th to running backs, 24th to tight ends and are technically the most “friendly” to wide receivers at 22nd this season. Tyreek Hill is 324 receiving yards away from breaking Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving yard record of 1,964 yards. That is 162 receiving yards per game, which he hit in Week 1 (215 yards), Week 2 (181 yards) and Week 6 (163 yards). Tyreek Hill may be one of the very few players who I do not worry about when it comes to what the matchup looks like. Hill has finished as a top-three Fantasy wide receiver six times this season and has scored above 30 Fantasy Points five times. Coming off of a 14-target week, I would expect the same in a tough Baltimore matchup for Week 17.
• Zay Flowers: The Dolphins rank right in the middle at 16th in PPG allowed to wide receivers this season. The Raven’s first-round rookie wide receiver has finished with 20+ Fantasy Points in three of his last four games played and will be an important piece of their gameplan against another quality offense. Flowers has scored a touchdown in three of his last four games, and is coming off of a season-high 13 targets in Week 16. If you actually combined Nelson Agholor (four), Rashod Bateman (four), and Odell Beckham Jr.’s (three) targets in Week 16, they would be two shy of Flowers’. Flowers leads the Ravens in targets, receptions, and receiving yards and will look to carry over momentum in Week 17.

Patriots vs. Bills

• Ezekiel Elliott: The Bills are a middle-of-the-park matchup against running backs, ranking 15th in PPG allowed. As of Wednesday, we are unsure if Rhamondre Stevenson will play or not but my guess is he will miss another game with his ankle injury. This is of course to monitor. In Stevenson’s absence, Ezekiel Elliott has played 91%, 87%, and 83% of the snaps and has touched the ball 29, 16 and 21 times. Aka Zeke has been a true workhorse. The big boost for Zeke has been the receiving numbers, as he has caught seven, five, and nine passes in the last three games with two receiving touchdowns. Workhorse roles and touches typically translate well for Fantasy Football, and that is evident by scores of 29 and 21 points in two of these three games as a starter. Volume is king, and Zeke should see plenty in this Bills matchup should Stevenson be ruled out. In the first Bills vs. Patriots matchup this season, Zeke and Stevenson combined for 65 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown, and six receptions for 51 yards (receiving work all by Rhamondre).
• Stefon Diggs: The Patriots allow the 13th most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers this season. Do I dare even mention Stefon Diggs name again, after yet another disappointing Fantasy Football outing in Week 16? Across the last six weeks, Stefon Diggs has finished as the WR54, WR54, WR16, WR52, WR45, and WR53 for Fantasy Football. This has not just been useless but has hurt you as a Fantasy Football manager if you played him over 50+ other wide receivers in five of these games. Championship Week is all about making the right moves to get you that championship, and although the risk is heavy in this one I think you stick it out with Diggs. Back in Week 7 against the Patriots, Diggs caught six of his 12 targets for 58 yards and a touchdown which meant 17.8 Fantasy Points as the WR12 for the week. Diggs has finished six weeks as a top 12 Fantasy wide receiver and has scored 19+ Fantasy Points in seven games this season. Diggs ranks sixth for the position in targets with 145, which is 9.8 per game. I feel that before the Bills head to the NFL Playoffs, it will be vital to have a “get right” Diggs game for his own mental sake and confidence. Week 17 could certainly be that game, and I would hate for that game to happen and Diggs be on my bench.

Falcons vs. Bears

• Kyle Pitts: The Bears allow the eighth most passing yards per game but the least rushing yards per game. A player emphasis through the air feels right in Week 17, and that player with these matchup points is Kyle Pitts. The Bears allow the third most Fantasy PPG to tight ends this season, which emphasizes Pitts. Don’t look now but Pitts has actually finished as a top 12 Fantasy tight end in three of his four last games, which is something we expected more consistent since he was drafted fourth overall in 2021 but has not been the case. Pitts has scored two touchdowns across his last three games and has finished with over 50 receiving yards in two of his last four. If the Falcons do turn to the air, this could mean a bump in Pitts’ targets which looked decent in Weeks 13-14 (eight then six) but have been at just four the last two weeks in a row.
• Justin Fields: The Falcons are a middle-of-the-pack matchup in PPG allowed to quarterbacks, ranking 14th. There is a chance that beyond DJ Moore, the pass-catching depth in Chicago could be thin with Cole Kmet dealing with a knee injury and Darnell Mooney in concussion protocol. This could certainly mean Justin Fields putting the team on his back, especially with the chip on his shoulder from all of those people out there who think his time is done in Chicago. Here are some of the highlights for Fields this season when healthy:
  • Week 4 vs. DEN: 28/35 (80%) for 335 passing yards and four passing touchdowns. 28.9 Fantasy Points (QB3)
  • Week 5 vs. WSH: 282 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and 57 rushing yards. 33 Fantasy Points (QB1)
  • Week 11 vs. DET: 169 passing yards, a passing touchdown, and 104 rushing yards. 21.2 Fantasy Points (QB8)
  • Week 14 vs. DET: 223 passing yards, a passing touchdown, 58 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown. 24.7 Fantasy Points (QB3)
  • Week 16 vs. AZ: 170 passing yards, a passing touchdown, 97 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown. 25.5 Fantasy Points (QB4)

Titans vs. Texans

• Chig Okonkwo: The Texans allow the sixth most Fantasy PPG to tight ends this season. Chig Okonkwo is coming off of a season-high 18.3 Fantasy Points in Week 16, catching all six targets for a season-high 63 receiving yards and a touchdown. Week 16 was the third time across the last four weeks that Chig has earned six targets, and the second time during this span he surpassed 60 receiving yards. If you are looking for a tight end streamer at this point of the year, Chig could be an option that has justified reasonings for Week 17.
• Noah Brown: The Titans allow the 7th most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers this season. In Week 15 against the Titans, Noah Brown caught eight of his 11 targets for 82 receiving yards and a touchdown for 22.2 Fantasy Points with Nico Collins out. Then in Week 16 with Nico Collins back, Brown out-targeted Collins seven to six. Reports are indicating there is a good chance rookie CJ Stroud could be back in Week 17, whom Brown has had some massive weeks with this season. Back in Week 10 with Stroud and with Collins out, Noah Brown caught seven of his eight targets for 172 receiving yards and scored 24.2 Fantasy Points. In the week prior with both Stroud and Collins, Brown caught all six targets for 153 receiving yards and a touchdown for 27.3 Fantasy Points. So in a mixture of games with and without Stroud / Collins, Brown has managed three top 10 Fantasy finishes that have ranged from 22.2 to 27.3 Fantasy Points. If you are looking for an upside FLEX play in your matchups, Brown is one you could certainly consider.

Raiders vs. Colts

• Josh Jacobs: The Colts allow the third most Fantasy PPG to running backs and the fifth most rushing yards per game this season. There was a chance that Jacobs was going to play on Monday Night Football for Week 16, but he ended up being inactive because of a quadriceps injury and illness. This makes me believe that even though he remains questionable, there is a decent chance he will be good to go. You should monitor this situation throughout the week. I just love this matchup. Jacobs has finished five weeks as a top 12 Fantasy running back, with four of those weeks scoring 19+ Fantasy Points. Since Week 9, Jacobs has finished weeks with 98, 116, and 110 rushing yards in three games and could be lined up to have a bigger rushing day if healthy.
• Jonathan Taylor: The Raiders allow the 11th most Fantasy PPG to running backs and the 11th most rushing yards per game this season. After missing three full games, Jonathan Taylor returned to action in Week 16, which meant pretty mediocre Fantasy scoring but he did finish with 18 touches and a touchdown. Prior to missing more time Taylor finished Week 12 with 21.1 Fantasy Points, rushing for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Through eight appearances this year Taylor has finished as a top 10 Fantasy running back in three of them, with 17+ Fantasy Points in these games. I expect Taylor to touch the ball plenty play a hefty percentage of the snaps in Week 17, and remind everyone during the perfect time who is truly is.

Panthers vs. Jaguars

• Adam Thielen: The Jaguars allow the eighth most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the fourth most passing yards per game. DJ Chark was the standout Carolina wide receiver in Week 16, finishing with 98 receiving yards and two touchdowns but Adam Thielen quietly was good as well. Thielen tied Chark for a team-high eight targets, catching six of them for 94 yards on the day. The difference between these two wide receivers though is that Thielen is the one who has had a lot more big days this season. Thielen has finished three weeks as a top-five Fantasy wide receiver and seven weeks as a top-24 wide receiver this season. This has meant eight weeks of 15+ Fantasy Points and four weeks of 20+ Fantasy Points. Following the Week 7 BYE, Thielen definitely cooled off and at times was near useless for your Fantasy Football lineups, but I feel Week 16 was a sign of better usage and production for the veteran. Carolina was emphasizing their second-round rookie Jonathan Mingo in many of the weeks, but he looked to be the wide receiver three last week. Week 17 is a great matchup for Thielen to perform as he did in the early weeks of the season.
• Travis Etienne Jr.: The Panthers allow the fourth most Fantasy PPG to running backs and the 12th most rushing yards per game this season. Travis Etienne Jr. is due for a bounce-back game and may be the emphasis of the Jaguars’ game plan with Trevor Lawrence’s status in doubt for Week 17 due to a shoulder injury. Etienne has finished four weeks as a top-five Fantasy running back, and seven weeks within the top 12 this season. Etienne currently ranks fourth in carries (235), sixth in targets (65), 13th in rushing yards (849), seventh in receptions (51), sixth in receiving yards (430), and seventh in total touchdowns (10) for the season. I would expect heavy touches for Etienne in Week 17 in a great matchup.

Rams vs. Giants

• Puka Nacua: The Giants allow the fifth most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers this season. If you are juggling Puka Nacua or ____ for your Starts / Sits decisions, knowing the matchup and seeing what Puka did in Week 16 how could you not auto-start Puka? Nacua caught nine of his 11 targets for 164 receiving yards and a touchdown last week for 33 Fantasy Points. Week 16 marked the third time this season Puka has scored 30+ Fantasy Points and the seventh time he has scored over 20. Matthew Stafford hyper-targeted his main two guys in Cooper Kupp and Nacua in Week 16, and has been playing great the last five games in a row. I expect Stafford to continue feeding his guys in Week 17 which should translate well for both Kupp and Nacua.
• Darius Slayton: The Rams allow the 11th most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the 11th most passing yards per game this season. Tyrod Taylor will start for the Giants in Week 17, who replaced Tommy DeVito at halftime in Week 16. Taylor ended up passing for 133 yards which included a 69-yard touchdown to Darius Slayton, which was the Giants’ longest play of the year. Slayton finished last week catching three passes for 90 yards, and that touchdown helped his Fantasy day with 18 points. Slayton earned eight targets in the game prior and has finished five weeks with 15+ yards per reception this season. If you are looking for a FLEX with some upside, Slayton can deliver that in Week 17.

Cardinals vs. Eagles

• Kyler Murray: The Eagles allow the second most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks and the sixth most passing yards per game this season. Through six starts this season, Kyler Murray has finished as a top 12 Fantasy quarterback three times and has scored over 20 Fantasy Points in those specific games. Murray is coming off of his first game throwing multiple touchdowns, and has thrown for 230+ yards for the third time. Murray rushed for a touchdown in each of his first three starts and has rushed for over 40 yards twice this season. The Cardinals will be dependent on Murray to try to match the Eagles’ offense in Week 17.
• D’Andre Swift: The Cardinals allow the most Fantasy PPG to running backs and also the most rushing yards per game this season. Swift has been trending up on the ground the last two weeks, rushing for 74 yards in Week 15 then 92 yards and a touchdown in Week 16. Earlier this season, Swift finished Weeks 2-3 with 175 and 130 rushing yards, which shows the upside he can have in this Eagles offense. Swift has scored 15+ Fantasy Points across six weeks this season, and his 15.2 points in Week 16 is a sign for more points to come. 20 touches in back-to-back weeks is a great sign heading into the best running back matchup for Week 17. I have always been a major Swift fan, so I naturally roster him in a ton of leagues, and I could not be more excited for him for the Championship week.

Saints vs. Buccaneers

• Derek Carr: The Buccaneers allow the eighth most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks and the most passing yards per game this season. Derek Carr has finished back-to-back weeks with 20+ Fantasy Points as the QB7 then QB3 for Fantasy Football. Carr threw for 218 then 319 passing yards and for six touchdowns (three apiece) the last two weeks. An 82.1% completion percentage in one of these games, then a high volume 40 attempts in another are a combination of positive passing signs as well the last two games. With Carr hot right now and entering a great matchup, he provides a great streaming option for Week 17.
• Rachaad White: The Saints are not necessarily a plus matchup for running backs, but Rachaad White has been extremely consistent for Fantasy Football across the last four weeks. White has finished as the RB10, RB7, RB6, and RB7 from Weeks 13-16, with every one of those games above 19 Fantasy Points. During this stretch of games White rushed in three of them for 84, 102, and 89 yards and is coming off of a week he caught six passes. The volume has been great during this span for White, as he has finished with 23, 27, 23, and 26 touches in the last four weeks. White is a workhorse running back who has flashed both as a rusher and receiver this season, which has made him one of the safest plays in Fantasy Football.

49ers vs. Commanders

• Brock Purdy: The Commanders allow the most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks and the second most passing yards per game this season. Brock Purdy is coming off his worst game of the year where he tossed four interceptions, and also suffered a stinger, but is going to bounce back in Week 17. Prior to Week 16, Purdy finished no worse than QB6 in five of his six games following the Week 9 BYE. During this span of six games, Purdy threw for over 300 yards in three of them and for three or four passing touchdowns in four of them. Purdy was on absolute fire but then cooled off against Baltimore in a tough loss. Do not let Week 16 derail you from plugging Purdy right back in, especially seeing what he was doing at what this Commanders’ matchup offers.
• Terry McLaurin: The 49ers rank 14th in Fantasy PPG allowed to wide receivers but 22nd or worse to all of quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends. Jacoby Brissett will start Week 17, who stepped in for Sam Howell in Week 15 and ended up throwing a 29-yard touchdown to Terry McLaurin in that Rams matchup. McLaurin finished Week 15 as the WR3 with 26.1 Fantasy Points. McLaurin has definitely had a disappointing year from a fantasy perspective, but still ranks top 25 in receiving yards with 885, ran the second-most routes, and has earned double-digit targets in two of his last four games.

Steelers vs. Seahawks

• George Pickens: The Seahawks allow the 12th most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers this season. George Pickens is coming off of an explosive performance in Week 16, where he caught four of his six targets for 195 receiving yards and two touchdowns for 35.5 Fantasy Points. Mason Rudolph will start again in Week 17, so when you check off the boxes that Pickens led the wide receiver room in targets, finished with a season-high in receiving yards, and scored two touchdowns all with Rudolph I feel it is hard to not FLEX him. Pickens may be looked at as boom or bust but those boom games this season have included three weeks over 22 Fantasy Points which could be the needed boost in your finals matchup if he can have a fourth big game.
• Kenneth Walker III: The Steelers allow the 13th most Fantasy PPG to running backs and also the 13th most rushing yards per game this season. Kenneth Walker III’s usage the last two weeks with 22 then 17 touches has been solid, and in a plus matchup could be a trend in the right direction. Just back in Week 15 KWIII finished as the RB8 with 20.2 Fantasy Points, guided by 86 rushing yards and a touchdown along with three receptions for 26 yards. KWIII rushed for five touchdowns across his first four games prior to the Week 5 BYE and has four weeks as a top eight Fantasy running back with five weeks of 17+ Fantasy Points.

Chargers vs. Broncos

• Gerald Everett: The Broncos allow the most Fantasy PPG to tight ends and the ninth most passing yards per game this season. Gerald Everett is coming off his fourth top-12 Fantasy Football finish of the season, catching seven of his eight targets for 42 yards. What stands out for Everett, is the target consistency the last three weeks, with Everett earning eight for three straight games. With Keenan Allen missing time due to injury and not needing to be rushed back, I like Everett to stay involved in the Chargers’ offense in a great matchup. Everett has finished with over 40 receiving yards in four of his five last games played.
• Javonte Williams: The Chargers allow the 10th most Fantasy PPG to running backs this season. Javonte Williams has not been touching the ball or producing the way we would like to as of late, but I feel like there are aspects of this game script that could be in his favor for Week 17. The first is the Broncos benching Russell Wilson for the remainder of the season, due to financial reasons. The next is the Chargers led by Easton Stick could create plenty of opportunity to run the ball. We can also look back to the first matchup between these two teams in Week 14, where Williams carried the ball 17 times for 66 yards and a touchdown, and also caught three passes for 25 yards. Williams finished his second week of the season with 18-ish Fantasy Points against the Chargers. Williams has rushed for a touchdown in two of his last three games. I like Williams’ odds to have yet another good game against the Chargers in Week 17.

Bengals vs. Chiefs

• Joe Mixon: The only matchup the Chiefs rank inside the top 20 for PPG allowed is the running back position (19th) this season. Joe Mixon had a down Week 16, which was the first time across his last four games he did not finish with a touchdown. Since the Week 7 BYE, Mixon has finished five weeks as a top 10 Fantasy running back with four of those weeks above 20 Fantasy Points. Mixon has rushed for seven touchdowns since the BYE and finished three weeks with five or more receptions.
• Rashee Rice: The Bengals allow the ninth most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and fifth most passing yards per game this season. The Chiefs’ rookie Rashee Rice came down to Earth in Week 16, after a hot streak of four games of production. In Weeks 12-15 Rice earned 10, nine, 10, and nine targets and produced 107, 64, 72, and 91 receiving yards with three touchdowns scored. This meant Fantasy scores of 24.7, 14.4, 18.2 and 24.1 points. Rice was one of the hottest Fantasy Football players to roster during this span. Even in a down Week 16 where the Chiefs were down in general as they lost to the Raiders, Rice still earned a season-high 12 targets. I like Rice to bounce back in a positive matchup for Week 17.

Sunday Night Football

Packers vs. Vikings

**Quick hitter notes from their Week 8 matchup**

• KJ Osborn caught eight passes for 99 yards. Osborn is in line to see a big bump in target volume with TJ Hockenson suffering a season-ending injury, and Jordan Addison dealing with an injury that could potentially keep him out.
• The Packers allowed Kirk Cousins to throw for 274 yards and two touchdowns. Nick Mullens has thrown for 303 and 411 yards the last two weeks with four total touchdowns during this span.
• Osborn finished with 99 yards, TJ Hockenson with 88 and a touchdown, and Jordan Addison with 82 yards and a touchdown. Justin Jefferson missed this game and is coming off a 141-yard game.
• Jayden Reed finished with four receptions for a team-high 83 receiving yards. Reed missed last week but practiced on Wednesday.
• Romeo Doubs scored a touchdown in this matchup, and is coming off of a game he also scored a touchdown in.
• AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones combined for nine receptions.

Week 17 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty