Fantasy Fallout: Week 16

By :: Mike Johnson (mjohnson86) and Tony Kneepkens (tonytk44)

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Daily Dose newsletter, our “Fantasy Fallout” day. In this article, you will get a quick rundown of the relevant things we learned from the week’s games from Thursday through Sunday. 

We won’t talk about every single player and we usually won’t spend time on studs who go nuts (no one needs to be told to start Jahmyr Gibbs right now!), but rather, the idea is to update you on usage trends, injuries, and other relevant things to help your decisions with your teams for the coming week and beyond.

RAMS @ SEAHAWKS 

• The Seahawks won an OT thriller on TNF to take control of the NFC West. Seattle’s frustrating RB workload-split continued, but Kenneth Walker racked up 164 total yards and a score and Zach Charbonnet added 54 yards and a score of his own in the back-and-forth shootout.

• AJ Barner caught a vital 26-yard TD late in the fourth quarter and maintains one of the more reliable fantasy roles, outside of JSN, in Seattle’s passing game.

• Matthew Stafford had a massive passing night, topping 450 yards and tossing three TDs. Half of yardage and two of the scores went to Puka Nacua, featuring even more than usual in Davante Adams’ injury absence.

EAGLES @ COMMANDERS

• It was the usual suspects for the Eagles in their comfortable divisional victory. Jalen Hurts threw two-thirds of his passes to his star WR duo and tossed a pair of TDs, including another to TE Dallas Goedert. Saquon had a big rushing performance before backup RB Tank Bigsby capped the scoring late.

• Backup QB Marcus Mariota left the game injured after passing for 95 scoreless yards, making way for third-string QB Josh Johnson, who passed for 43 scoreless yards and an interception in relief. A situation to monitor this week, as a juicy matchup with a usually generous Dallas pass defense looms in Week 17.

• Chris Rodriguez and Jacory Croskey-Merritt combined for 23 carries for 88 yards and scored a TD a piece; C-Rod continued to lead the platoon.

PACKERS @ BEARS

• Caleb Williams tossed a game-tying TD with seconds left on the clock and a walk-off game-winning TD in overtime to cap off a huge comeback victory on Saturday night. DJ Moore (5-97-1) caught the game-winner and featured in the passing game with two of his top WR teammates out injured.

• Both Chicago RBs topped 50 rushing yards and caught multiple passes, featuring alongside Moore in for the short-handed Bears offense.

• Jordan Love was knocked out of the game with a concussion on a helmet-to-helmet hit after 77 scoreless yards, making way for veteran backup QB Malik Willis. Willis performed admirably in relief, passing for 121/1 and adding 44 yards rushing. Another QB situation to monitor ahead of the Packers’ Week 17 game at home against the Ravens.

• Josh Jacobs started after another week as a game-time decision but wound up splitting carries with Emanuel Wilson due to a combination of his health and his costly lost fumble. It seems likely that Jacobs will miss practice, be listed as questionable, and play again next week, too.

CHARGERS @ COWBOYS

• Justin Herbert had a terrific day as he decimated a Cowboys secondary that has injuries and talent deficiencies while being eliminated from playoff contention. Herbert’s remaining games against the Texans and Broncos will be much more difficult tests.

• The Chargers passing game was led by Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey as they torched the helpless Cowboys DBs, but all four of their WRs (QJ, Ladd, Keenan Allen, and Tre’ Harris) ended the game with five or six targets.

• Chargers rookie RB Omarion Hampton continued to ramp up his usage and had significantly more snaps and touches than Kimani Vidal for the first time since returning from his ankle injury. Vidal also suffered a fourth-quarter injury, which could leave Hampton in a bell-cow role the rest of the way.

• Javonte Williams continues to lose usage to Malik Davis and the Cowboys having been eliminated from the playoffs could lead to him seeing a drop in touches for the final two weeks, making him a risky start in a great on-paper matchup for Week 17 championships.

VIKINGS @ GIANTS

• This was an ugly game, as both teams played solid defense and both offenses were wildly conservative. The Giants are clearly trying to protect and preserve Jaxson Dart, while J.J. McCarthy may have broken his hand – which would end his season. Undrafted rookie QB Max Brosmer will start if McCarthy is indeed out.

• Aaron Jones handled 23 touches as Jordan Mason left in the first quarter due to injury. Jones will likely operate as the lead back in the matchup with the Lions on Christmas Day.

• The Giants play the Raiders and Cowboys the next two weeks, which makes RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. an interesting option down the stretch after another game with strong usage.

BENGALS @ DOLPHINS

• The Bengals offense was cooking as they scored 45 points against a dead-in-the-water Dolphins team. They have an awesome matchup against the Cardinals in Week 17 in which we should be starting all of their primary offensive players.

• The Dolphins offense actually wasn’t terrible with rookie QB Quinn Ewers under center, amassing 389 total yards on 6.7 yards per play. After being competitive in the first half (17-14 at halftime), they turned the ball over three times and had a turnover on downs in the third quarter and the Bengals scored on every possession. The Dolphins host the Bucs in Week 17 in what could be a high-scoring game.

BUCS @ PANTHERS

• The Bucs rotated their top four receivers (Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, and Jalen McMillan), all of which played between 53% and 65% of the offensive snaps. Evans and Godwin were on the field for nearly every passing play, however, making their roles seem relatively stable.

• Bucky Irving had 19 carries but ceded work to Rachaad White and Sean Tucker once again. Irving has a solid role for Week 17 in a great matchup against the Dolphins, but he realistically has a limited ceiling.

• Rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan had another big game in a good spot but has been tough to trust this season. Next week at home against Seattle will be his toughest matchup to date, and if we have better options for Championship Week, we should explore them.

JETS @ SAINTS

• Jets RB Isaiah Davis played 33% of the team’s snaps and stole seven opportunities from Breece Hall in this matchup. The Jets have a tough game against the Patriots in Week 17, making Hall an extremely risky start on a bad offense with workload concerns.

• Saints WR Chris Olave had a massive game and TE Juwan Johnson also played extremely well. The duo combined for a 50% target share in a game that the team led throughout yet still threw the ball 50(!!) times. Both are must-starts next week against the Titans’ pass-funnel defense, and QB Tyler Shough deserves some consideration as well as the team may be leaning into the pass due to their backfield injuries.

• It should also be noted that WR Kevin Austin Jr. led the team’s receivers in snaps and ran the same amount of routes as Olave. The production wasn’t there, but it wouldn’t be surprising for him to post a solid game or two to end the season.

• Taysom Hill (TE in most leagues) had 12 carries in this game, along with six targets which he turned into four receptions for 36 yards, and he threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Olave on the last possession. It appears that he is the team’s “answer” to the injuries to Alvin Kamara and Devin Neal.

BILLS @ BROWNS

• Browns rookie RB Quinshon Judkins suffered a gruesome leg injury in the first half and had to be carted away. His season is over and his status for the start of the 2026 season has to be in question. An unfriendly reminder to “dead” teams that may preserve some young stars down the stretch.

• Shedeur Sanders had a solid outing in a difficult matchup and gave the Browns a chance. Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. scored two touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving) and once again led the team in targets.

• James Cook had a massive game once again, while Josh Allen threw only 19 passes and had only 17 rushing yards. No one else on the Bills was worthy of consideration, as will likely be the case again next week against the Eagles.

CHIEFS @ TITANS

• We got a good glimpse of how much Patrick Mahomes does for the Chiefs offense in their first game without him. Gardner Minshew tore his ACL in the first half, leaving veteran journeyman Chris Oladokun as the team’s QB. The Chiefs averaged a putrid 3.1 yards per play and managed only nine first downs. They now play the Broncos on Christmas day in a game which we probably want to avoid all Kansas City players.

• Titans running backs Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard combined for over 200 total yards from scrimmage as the Chiefs defense looked overwhelmed and disinterested and Tennessee benefitted from the Chiefs inability to sustain drives. They could be in store for another strong showing next week at home against the Saints.

• Titans rookie TE Gunnar Helm had his season high in playing time, while TE Chig Okonkwo led the team with eight targets compared to only three for Helm.

RAIDERS @ TEXANS

• The Texans snuck by the Raiders with an early pick-six, three FGs, and a late C.J. Stroud to Dalton Schultz TD. Stroud spread the ball all around but didn’t really get much done, averaging under 6.0 YPA; no Texans’ pass catcher topped 60 yards.

• Second-year RB Jawhar Jordan led the Houston backfield for a second straight week with rookie Woody Marks missing the game. Jordan racked up 20 touches, including five catches, for 70 scoreless yards. Veteran RB Nick Chubb chipped in with seven touches for 42 yards of his own.

• Geno Smith returned to the Raiders lineup and tossed TDs to his fantasy superstar teammates Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers. Smith is no world-beater, but he showed why he’s several levels better than a journeyman like his backup, Kenny Pickett. 

JAGUARS @ BRONCOS

• Trevor Lawrence followed up his six-TD performance last week with four more total TDs in a road win in Denver. It was Parker Washington (6-145-1) who had most of the yardage, while Travis Etienne and Brenton Strange caught TDs, too.

• ETN saw 21 of the Jags’ 25 RB opportunities with rookie LeQuint Allen Jr. spelling him, as fellow rookie Bhayshul Tuten was inactive with a finger injury.

• Bo Nix accumulated 352 passing yards and tossed a TD to Courtland Sutton (6-86-1) but turned the ball over twice and got thoroughly outdueled by T-Law at home in this one.

• RJ Harvey maintained his fantasy-friendly role and topped 120 total yards on his 11 touches. He showcased his explosive skill set, seeing both a rush and a reception go for 30+ yards against the Jaguars.

FALCONS @ CARDINALS

• Kirk Cousins turned back the clock with a three-total-TD performance including TD tosses to Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts and a short-yardage rushing plunge of his own. He did have negative rushing yards on the day and two turnovers, but we’re grading on a curve here. It was a nice day for Captain Kirk.

• Tyler Allgeier and Robinson saw 16 carries each and both topped 70 rushing yards in a game the Falcons tied right before intermission and then controlled for the entire second half.

• Jacoby Brissett had his worst showing of the season, completing just 16 of his 31 pass attempts for a 203-1-1 line that was buoyed by Michael Wilson’s outrageous 32-yard TD catch. The Falcons really keyed on Trey McBride, holding the Cards’ superstar to just 4-27 on eight targets. Secondary TE Elijah Higgins led Arizona with 7-91 receiving.

• Michael Carter led the Cardinals backfield and had a solid 11/65 rushing day but failed to catch either of his targets. Corey Kiner (6/32) and Emari Demercado (5/30) chipped in as complementary rushers and saw one target combined in an ever-changing Arizona RB room.

STEELERS @ LIONS

• The Steelers won behind their RB duo of Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, who combined for 279 scrimmage yards and three TDs, each of exactly 45 yards. Warren had two separate 45-yard scampers and Gainwell recorded a circus TD catch of the same length right before the end of the first half.

• Aaron Rodgers had a clean 266-1 passing game. He peppered five players with 4+ targets and nine total Steelers caught a pass in the victory.

• The Lions star RB duo combined for just 11 carries for 16 yards in a game that saw Jared Goff attempt 54 passes and accumulate a useful 364-3 passing line.

• Goff continued to feature his top WR duo (18 targets combined) and Jahmyr Gibbs (13 targets and a TD) heavily; but secondary WRs Kalif Raymond (4-62-1) and Isaac TeSlaa (4-52-1) got more involved in this one, too.

PATRIOTS @ RAVENS

• Drake Maye passed for 380-2-1 in a comeback win over the Ravens, tossing TDs to rookie WR Kyle Williams and veteran TE Hunter Henry. His main target was WR Stefon Diggs, who caught nine of his 10 targets for 138 yards.

• TreVeyon Henderson left the game with a head injury after six touches for a dozen scrimmage yards with Rhamondre Stevenson leading the backfield with 10 total touches and the game-winning TD run. It was a tough runout this week for one of fantasy’s breakout rookie stars.

• On the other side, Lamar Jackson left the game with a back injury and Tyler Huntley took over for the rest of the game. WR Zay Flowers (7-84) was the only pass catcher to top 41 yards in a game that Baltimore rode Derrick Henry as far as it could. Monitor Lamar’s (and Jordan Love’s) status heading into the Ravens’ Week 17 game at Lambeau against the Packers.