Can we talk about Week 15? Yeah, let’s not do that. Hopefully, you were lucky enough to survive the mayhem last week and are still alive to pursue your dream of a fantasy football championship.
Our League Winners staff is here to guide you with any start or sit decisions you may be facing for Week 16.
Start
Ronald Jones, RB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Joe O’Leary)
Old friend Ronald Jones once again returns to us with Leonard Fournette expected to miss a “game or two”. RoJo steps up into the spotlight against a reeling Panthers team giving up 115.6 rushing yards per game. The Bucs being double-digit favorites should put Jones in a favorable game script for fantasy football success.
Tampa Bay is also down Chris Godwin and likely Mike Evans as well. Expect the Bucs to feature RoJo early and often in Week 16. Ronald Jones stands to be a Christmas delight for fantasy managers in the playoffs this week versus Carolina.
Antonio Brown, WR – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Jeremy Shulman)
It doesn’t matter that the Bucs got blanked in Week 15. I don’t care that Antonio Brown has missed the last eight games with injury and suspension issues. I don’t even care that the Bucs Week 16 matchup against the Panthers pits them against a defense that is top-5 in fantasy football points allowed to wide receivers. I’m still firing up AB everywhere I have him because, well, who else is going to come through for the now-struggling Buccaneers?
The tight ends should see plenty of looks, but the absence of Godwin, Evans, and Fournette leaves a gaping hole in the usual Tampa target share. Expect Brown to fill that gap with plenty of opportunities on Sunday, providing a safe floor and incredible potential ceiling for the mercurial wide receiver.
Josh Reynolds, WR – Detroit Lions (Matthew Morris)
What if I told you that Jared Goff has produced two top-16 wide receivers in the last four weeks? While Amon-Ra St. Brown has been building hype within the fantasy football community, Josh Reynolds has quietly been producing almost as well right alongside him.
While St. Brown has been averaging 17.5 fantasy points per game as the WR7 since Week 12, Reynolds has been right there as the WR16 with 13.5 fantasy points per game. This week, the duo gets a matchup with the 9th worst passing defense of the Atlanta Falcons. Assuming Jared Goff clears the Covid-19 protocols before Sunday, both receivers can be fired up with confidence in Week 16.
Justin Jackson, RB – Los Angeles Chargers (Thomas Christopher)
Austin Ekeler announced on his podcast that fantasy football managers should be picking up Justin Jackson because it is unlikely the former suits up this week. Even with a ‘somewhat’ healthy Ekeler last week, Jackson led the Chargers in rushing attempts. He should get the lion’s share of the workload with EK30 out of the lineup this week, which means he has the potential to help you win your fantasy football playoff matchup.
Sit
Myles Gaskin, RB – Miami Dolphins (Joe O’Leary)
With Gaskin spending most of last week trying to clear Covid-19 protocols and getting very few practice reps in, Duke Johnson carried the load in Week 15 for the Dolphins. Johnson shined in the featured role. Gaskin should inch closer to his previous role in Week 16, but Duke Johnson has likely carved out more touches within the backfield. Add the messiness of a possible committee approach to a tough matchup on the road against a stingy Saints run defense, I’m looking for better options in fantasy football if I have Myles Gaskin this week.
Hunter Renfrow, WR – Las Vegas Raiders (Jeremy Shulman)
Though his talent at getting open is obvious and Derek Carr clearly trusts him, I can’t get behind starting Hunter Renfrow in the event you started him last week and escaped with a win. The Browns were able to corral Renfrow last week, often bracketing him and taking away Carr’s primary option in the process. It was a good strategy, and one that the Broncos could employ, if necessary, this week.
The Broncos boast solid slot coverage, but they also are likely to avoid a Darren Waller return. If that’s the case, Renfrow will once again be the focal point of the offense garnering potential double team’s. The volatility here has me searching for better fantasy football options in my flex this week.
DeVante Parker, WR – Miami Dolphins (Matthew Morris)
DeVante Parker produced excellent numbers for his fantasy football managers in Week 15. Parker finished as WR14 with 16.8 PPR points against a solid Jets secondary. It feels natural to return to that circle of trust for Week 16, as Parker is a top option for Tua and the Miami offense.
However, the Dolphins face an elite New Orleans Saints defense that just blanked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This matchup between two elite defenses is a recipe for a low-scoring bout. Additionally, Parker should see plenty of Marshon Lattimore in coverage. Temper expectations for Parker and the Dolphins passing attack this week, and get him on your bench if you can help it.
Jakobi Meyers, WR – New England Patriots (Thomas Christopher)
With the Patriots potentially missing Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor, you may be thinking that Jakobi Meyers should feast on your fantasy football team. Unfortunately this week he faces a tough Bills defense that is clamping down on opposing wide receivers. With Meyers still only having one touchdown in his career as well, the ceiling could be capped; which isn’t something you want to rely on for a playoff match. You can probably do better than Meyers in your lineup this week.
