Sit/Start Week 16: Reviewing All the Fantasy Relevant Players In Every Single Game

Texans@Bucs

 

Game Info

Kickoff: Saturday, December 21nd at 1:00 PM EST

Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

Betting Odds: HOU -3, 49.5 total via Oddsshark

Network: NFL Network

Sleeper Spotlight: Breshad Perriman

 

Houston Texans

 

Quarterback: 

• Deshaun Watson (start, high-QB1)

 

Watson comes into week 16 as the number-two overall quarterback in fantasy and is a no-brainer start option against the poor Bucs’ pass defense. This game sets up well for both offenses as they are both top-10 in points per game and are middling defending the pass. Watson has been a QB1 (top-12) in 10 of 14 starts.  That includes six top-five finishes. You don’t need me to tell you to start Watson this week and he has overall QB1 upside this week in the fantasy championships.

 

Running Backs:

• Carlos Hyde (sit, rb3/flex)
• Duke Johnson (sit, bench)

 

Just when it looks like Johnson is taking a lead in this backfield, he plays a season-low 33% of the snaps. He now has eight or fewer touches in four of his last five games and can be avoided if possible this week. Hyde is coming off his third 100+ yard rushing game of the season. He is going up against the number-one run defense DVOA and is going to likely need a score to give us meaningful production this week. He has one or fewer targets in all but two games this season. It would be nice to avoid both of these guys against the vaunted Tampa Bay run defense.

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

• DeAndre Hopkins (start, high-WR1)
• Will Fuller (start, WR2/3)
• Kenny Stills (sit, bench)

 

Hopkins is a PPR machine with five or more receptions in 18 straight games. That includes 80+ yards and/or a touchdown in seven of his last eight contests. Hopkins is one of the premier options on championship weekend going up against the Bucs’ who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. Fuller, back from injury, stepped in and was second on the team in targets with seven, one behind Hopkins a week ago. He looks to be all systems go after he played 94% of the offensive snaps last week. Fuller is top-10 at receiver in yards per target and we know about the boom/bust nature of his game. This is a week I would be happy to have him in my lineup. Stills has 11 targets over the last four games and can safely be avoided this week.

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 

Quarterback:

• Jameis Winston (start, mid-QB1)

 

Winston comes into week-16 as the QB4 in fantasy football. His outlook would be much more favorable if his top-two stud receivers weren’t injured. Winston is first in the league in pass attempts, yards, and is second in passing touchdowns. The Texans have allowed 11 of 14 quarterbacks to post top-12 fantasy games against them. They are also 31st in pressure percentage, 28th in sack rate, and 26th in pass defense DVOA. Winston has been a top-five quarterback in three of his last four games and is a fine QB1 for week 16.

 

Running Backs:

• Ronald Jones (sit, RB3/flex)
• Peyton Barber (sit, wire)
• Dare Ogunbowale (sit, wire)

 

This remains a frustrating three-man backfield. Each running back has played over 50% of the snaps once but usually each of them is in the 20-40% range. Jones and Barber get most of the touches (around 10-15 per game) but Ogunbowale has a valuable passing-down role. Over their last seven games, the Texans have allowed 4.61 yards per carry to opposing running backs. They have also allowed the most running back receptions this year. The matchup is good for them but it is hard to trust any of the backs in the fantasy championships.

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:

• Breshad Perriman (start, WR2/3)
• Justin Watson (sit, WR4/flex)
• OJ Howard (start, low-TE1)
• Cameron Brate (sit, TE2)

 

Perriman and Watson are now the one and two receivers for Tampa Bay with Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Scotty Miller all expected to miss week 16 with hamstring injuries. Perriman has seen 17 targets for the last three weeks and should be the number-one target for Winston. The Texans are 31st in pressure and Winston leads the league in deep-ball attempts (20+). This matches up well with Perriman and his 4.3, 40-yard dash speed. Watson should play a near-every-down role but maybe behind Perriman, Howard, and Brate in targets. Howard quietly has 19 targets over the last three games and has been the TE9 in PPR leagues over that time. He is a TE1 this week and very well may be the Bucs’ preferred receiver and red-zone target this week. Brate had seven targets last week but had six total the previous six weeks. He will likely see a healthy number of targets but he will be a rotational player still. He can be an interesting streamer if desperate at tight end this week.

-Kevin Taylor(@ktbeast918)