Week 16 Flex Rankings for Fantasy Football

Welcome to Week 16 and the Fantasy Football Semifinals! Last week was quite the minefield for many fantasy managers. If you managed to escape the chaos, you should be proud of your accomplishments. But, as the late, great Kobe Bryant once said, “Job’s not finished”. We still need two more wins to take those trophies home, so let’s keep our eyes on the prize. With that in mind, here are my initial Week 16 Flex rankings.

There are plenty of situations to monitor over the next couple of days, so these are subject to change. Once again we have lots of staggered games this week, including two games on Saturday and three on Monday. There are 10 different lock times for the 16-game slate, which can be a chore for fantasy managers. I know things can get a bit hectic this time of year, but that is why we have everything you need to make it to the Championship Game here, with constant updates and adjustments as news breaks. Make sure you have all the latest info before setting those lineups. Best of luck this week and see you in the finals next week!

Running Back Notes

Josh Jacobs and Jonathan Taylor are lower in my Week 16 Flex rankings than they would be under normal circumstances. Jacobs missed last week’s game due to a quad injury. The expectations are for him to return this week, though he has yet to practice. This might be a tough situation for fantasy managers because the Raiders do not play until Monday. Ideally, you would have an alternative at the ready in case things go south in the coming days concerning Jacobs’ health. As long as he can play without limitations, he has RB1 upside in any given week. Jacobs has finished inside the top-10 among running backs in five of his last 10 games. I will likely bump him up a few spots between now and Sunday provided we get good news.

As for Taylor, he should be good to go after recent thumb surgery. He has been out since Week 12. The timing of Taylor’s injury was doubly tough because he had finally gotten going after missing the first four games of the year. The Colts eased Taylor into action in Weeks 5 and 6. But from Weeks 7 through 12, he was the overall RB6 on a points-per-game basis. Expecting that level of production might be asking a bit much coming off a multiweek layoff and facing a difficult matchup. The Atlanta Falcons rank 10th in defensive DVOA against the run and have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing backs. In contrast, they rank 30th in DVOA against the pass. I am starting Taylor in all formats this week, but I consider him more of a top-20 play than a top-10 play.

Brian Robinson of the Washington Commanders is still dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out last week. He has yet to practice and is questionable for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets. I ranked him higher than either Antonio Gibson or Chris Rodriguez, but check the news as we draw closer to the weekend. If last week’s usage was any indication, Gibson would be the preferred Week 16 option, especially with PPR consideration. He had five receptions last week, while Rodriguez was not targeted. Rodriguez did have 10 carries to Gibson’s four, but that does not feel like enough of a workload to warrant starting the rookie with the fantasy season on the line.

Another backfield to monitor is in Minnesota. Alexander Mattison missed last week’s game with an ankle injury. Ty Chandler more than held his own in Mattison’s stead. Chandler racked up 132 yards and a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. For reference, Mattison has recorded neither a 100-yard game nor a rushing touchdown this season. He also has just one carry of 20 or more yards (21 to be exact) on 168 total carries this year. Chandler had two carries of more than 21 yards just last week. I am not convinced that Mattison gets the bulk of the work even if he manages to push through his injury. I currently have Chandler as an RB2 in 12-team leagues, while Mattison is an RB3. Both Vikings backs will likely have an uphill battle against a Detroit team that allows the fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.

Wide Receiver Notes

There are plenty of high-profile injuries on the wide receiver front as well heading into Week 16. Keenan Allen missed last week’s massacre at the hands of the Las Vegas Raiders because of a heel injury. My initial thought was that his absence was partly caused by the short week that the Los Angeles Chargers had to face. However, Allen has not practiced this week either. Though not yet mathematically eliminated from playoff competition, Los Angeles has little incentive to expose their star player to further damage. My placement of Allen in my Week 16 Flex rankings may be overly optimistic given the circumstances. The good news is that the Chargers play on Saturday, so fantasy managers should have contingencies in place. Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston both scored in Allen’s absence last week. Palmer would be the play for me against an up-and-down Buffalo secondary.

Michael Pittman took a scary hit last week and was out for the remainder of the game. Before his early exit, Pittman racked up four catches and still managed a WR29 weekly finish in less than one half of play, continuing his PPR dominance. Pittman entered last week’s game with eight catches or more in six consecutive games and eight straight fantasy finishes inside the top 24. Though the hit Pittman took looked like a devastating blow, early indications are that the Colts star receiver could be back for this week’s game in Atlanta. I currently have Pittman ranked as a low-end WR2, but I will bump him up a few spots as long as there are no setbacks. If Pittman can return to a full allotment of snaps, he should put up solid numbers in this matchup.

Nico Collins could also be back in the fold after missing last week’s game with a calf injury. However, there could be a couple of flies in the ointment concerning his Week 16 production. First and foremost, quarterback C.J. Stroud will likely miss a second consecutive game because of a concussion suffered in Week 14. Case Keenum is a serviceable game manager but lacks the upside that Stroud has exhibited throughout his outstanding rookie campaign. Collins will also have to contend with a difficult Cleveland Browns pass defense. They lead the NFL in overall DVOA against the pass, and also in DVOA when facing number-one receivers. Of course, they are no picnic on the ground either. I believe that Nico Collins profiles more as a WR3 this week, which is a bit lower than his year-to-date numbers would indicate.

Tight End Notes

Hunter Henry has had an interesting season from a fantasy standpoint. He began the year with two straight top-two weekly finishes among tight ends. Over his next 10 games, Henry scored a total of 37 fantasy points. He posted one top-18 weekly finish among those 10 contests. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Henry emerged once again over the past two weeks. Henry finished both weeks as the TE3 and scored 33.6 points in that span. Part of Henry’s resurgence could be due to a rapport with quarterback Bailey Zappe, while that may be a function of New England’s pass-catching corps. Henry is dealing with a knee injury but has a fantastic matchup. The Denver Broncos just served up three scores to Sam LaPorta, so Henry could be a solid Week 16 start depending on your other options.

Week 16 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty

Week 16 Flex Rankings