Weekly Rankings: Ranking Each Position for Week 16

Erik Smith breaks down his Week 16 fantasy football rankings for PPR leagues.

Erik Smith
Weekly Rankings 4 Years Ago

Welcome to Week 16, the finals of the fantasy football playoffs in most leagues. Rankings are a mess this time of the year, especially with the rash of injuries lately, so this is a fluid situation. Feel free to message me on Twitter with any specific questions leading up to kickoff. Good luck in the playoffs!

I’ll be updating these rankings throughout the week, so check back often. There is no Thursday game this week, and three Saturday games. Updated Friday, 11AM EST, notes added.

Week 16 QB Rankings
  • Despite a tough matchup, Patrick Mahomes remains in my elite tier of quarterbacks in Week 16. Mahomes was the QB5 last week in snowy conditions against a Denver defense giving up the 24th fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. While the Bears are an even better defense, it would take one of the elite quarterback options for me to bench Mahomes in prime time with a fantasy championship on the line.
  • You could make the case that I have Jameis Winston too high at QB5 this week. Without Chris Godwin and Mike Evans at wide receiver, Winston is missing the league’s most explosive set of receivers, and this should have a big impact on his outlook. This is a matchup to attack, however, as the Texans allow the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. The quarterbacks behind Winston in the rankings also have some issues, and Winston has shown some chemistry with Brashad Perriman, so he remains a top-end fantasy option as he should be throwing the ball early and often.
  • Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been a great fantasy quarterback, coming in at QB14 on the year on a point per game basis. In a tough matchup against a Minnesota Vikings defense allowing the tenth fewest points to the quarterback position, this isn’t a great matchup either. But in what amounts to a playoff game, I expect the Packers to need a throwback performance from Rodgers, and I think he can deliver. Add in the fact that this game will be played in a dome and I like Rodgers as the QB9 this week, making him a solid if unspectacular option.

 

Week 16 RB Rankings
  • Miles Sanders has entered the back-end of the elite tier of fantasy running backs for me, as the Eagles are simply forced to feed him the ball. Without Jordan Howard in the backfield and down several key receiving options, Sanders is driving this Eagles offense. He should be immune to gamescript issues, as he can come through on the ground and through the air. His safe PPR floor should have you starting him with confidense this week.
  • DeAndre Washington is a tough one to rank. The best way to attack the Chargers is on the ground, and Washington proved to be a capable fantasy fill-in for Josh Jacobs a few weeks ago. But with the Raiders’ season over, I worry that they fall behind on the road and are forced to abandon the run. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Washington have an RB2 type week, but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see him disappoint in a game where the Raiders struggle to score.
  • Another tough one to rank is Mike Boone. I’m assuming that Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison won’t play, making Boone the primary option on a run-heavy Vikings’ team. The Packers’ run defense is susceptible to the running game, so I wouldn’t be shocked at a big performance from Boone. But in a huge game against the Packers, I also wouldn’t be surprised to see the Vikings lean on Kirk Cousins, Adam Thielen, and Stefon Diggs with the division title on the line.

 

Week 16 WR Rankings
  • It’s Week 16 and I have Breshad Perriman ranked as the WR25, which should tell you all you need to know about the receiver position right now. Perriman has produced three straight weeks, however, and has big-time upside as Winston’s presumed number one option. My only hesitation is how he will handle additional defensive coverage as a number one receiver. But his upside is too great to leave on your bench unless you are stacked at the position.
  • Keep starting A.J. Brown, as the Saints have been giving up plenty of fantasy points to wide receivers, even with Marshon Lattimore shadowing number one receivers. This matchup sets up similarly to last week, where the Titans may have to air it out to play keep up, giving Brown WR1 upside.
Week 16 TE Rankings
  • I would feel relatively confident playing any of my top ten tight ends this week. After that, it gets a bit dicey. You could make a case for O.J. Howard to be ranked number 11 and he may have the most upside of the bunch with the Buccaneers lacking wide receiving options this week. I ultimately don’t trust him from week to week, and I’d rather go with safer options for championship week. But he does have some real upside this week if Cameron Brate doesn’t take too many of his targets.
Week 16 D Rankings
Week 16 K Rankings
  • Greg Zuerlein is questionable with a quad injury, taking him out of my top 18 kicker rankings. At this time of the year, I wouldn’t want to risk a zero from the kicker position, so I would look for safer options than Zuerlein. The risk of reinjury and a tough matchup makes him a non-start for me.

Message me on Twitter for any questions, and make sure to check us out Thursday morning for QB List’s Sit/start article.

 

(Photo by William Howard/Icon Sportswire)

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