We’re approaching Christmas and I’m feeling a little traditional, so I decided to give you a list of make-or-break players at each position this week, including defense. A Christmas gift at every post!
Tis the season for fantasy miracles and potential boom weeks that can lead you to your Fantasy championship!
Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
We don’t traditionally think of it that way, but Stafford is by nature more of a boom or bust type. It’s easy to miss him because he’s an elite quarterback. However, Stafford’s lack of mobility means that to “build” your fantasy lineup, he needs either 300+ yards or a few touchdowns. If he throws an interception, fails to pass for 250 yards, or only has one touchdown, you’ll likely get a low-end QB2 or worse. Stafford has appeared in three games this season finishing as QB30 or lower.
The Rams offense is either clicking on all cylinders or struggling. There’s usually no middleman, hence their constant jostling in the NFC West. The last time we saw Stafford was during a rainy and messy Thursday night game against the 49ers. Stafford had just 16 completions for 160 yards and no touchdowns in a game where Cooper Kupp had no catches. To be honest, the conditions weren’t ideal and both quarterbacks struggled a lot.
Will Stafford TO DO Or to break your schedule for week 16?
We’re expecting a boom game from Matt Stafford, and at first glance, a matchup against the New York Jets seems like a less than ideal scenario. However, the Jets defense has been in freefall since the firing of Robert Saleh. They allowed strong performances from Mac Jones, Tua Tagovailoa, Anthony Richardson, Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson.
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On a positive note, Aaron Rodgers is on a bit of a hot streak, meaning he should be able to take advantage of an inconsistent Rams defense and push it into a high-volume back-and-forth game with one of the highest points. totals for the week. The only concern is that the game takes place in New York, which comes with potential weather implications. For now, the forecast is just cold, with no bad weather forecast, so Stafford shouldn’t have any problems.
Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns
With Nick Chubb out for the season, Ford is the next man in line. I talked about Ford in this week’s paper Checking the pulserecapping his Week 15 performance and his potential moving forward. Ford had a strong performance – the best Cleveland has had in a while – while Chubb struggled on the ground and relied on touchdowns. Ford recorded 84 rushing yards and a touchdown, including an electric 62-yard run, along with a few receptions.
Ideally, I’d like to have a week to see Ford in a clear leadership role – especially given Kevin Stefanski’s lack of commitment earlier in the season – and evaluate how this offense works with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback. back. Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of time. We are in week 16 and we are all in must-win scenarios. With a variety of injuries and disappointing performances from running backs across the league, many fantasy managers could view Ford as a potential starter this week.
Will Ford TO DO Or to break your schedule for week 16?
While there are a lot of unknowns heading into this game, one thing is certain: Cincinnati’s defense is a complete mess. Running backs have had notable success against them in recent weeks, so we can believe that Ford will provide at least a low-end RB2 floor. It’s also worth noting that Ford has decent receiving potential, a critical factor against the Bengals. Backs like Tyjae Spears, Najee Harris, and Jaylen Warren all thrived against them on receptions.
DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Coming into the season, you could have given me 1,000 guesses, and I would have never thought DK Metcalf would be a player I would consider a breakout candidate. Unfortunately, since returning from injury, he has failed to crack the top 30 receivers and has only reached double-digit fantasy points once. To be fair, this hasn’t been an easy series of matchups, but the bigger problem is that even though Metcalf is struggling, Jackson Smith-Njigba has essentially taken over as the WR1.
After Smith-Njigba’s stellar performance in Week 9 against the Rams, he was the complete opposite of Metcalf. Smith-Njigba has posted at least 10 fantasy points in every game since Metcalf’s return, never finishing below WR34. Five games is enough of a sample size to suggest we could see a changing of the guard and a shift in offensive philosophy, leaving Metcalf as a secondary option in an inconsistent offense.
William Metcalf TO DO Or to break your schedule for week 16?
In the past, Geno Smith has not had a problem providing volume to multiple receivers. However, during this stretch, Smith failed to surpass 250 passing yards or throw for multiple touchdowns in a game. There just isn’t enough volume to go around, and it’s Metcalf who suffers.
Looking at the Week 16 game against Minnesota, this could go a few ways. Minnesota’s defense has been solid this year, but it allows for volume. While quarterbacks aren’t ideal plays against the Vikings, wide receivers can still thrive. Although Metcalf has had a shaky floor, I think he’s more likely to hit double-digit fantasy points this week, making him less of a collapse risk based purely on volume and potential game flow .
Jake Ferguson, TE, Dallas Cowboys
Ferguson has returned from injury, and although Luke Schoonmaker has done an admirable job in his absence, Ferguson is clearly the TE1 in Dallas. Unfortunately, holding that title hasn’t translated into production. Since his strong Week 9 game against Atlanta, Ferguson has gone from a fairly reliable TE1 option to a top-20 failure at the position.
It’s probably no coincidence that Week 9 was the last time we saw Dak Prescott under center. It’s possible that Cooper Rush and Ferguson just don’t get along. The bigger issue, however, is Rush’s lower passing volume compared to Prescott and Dallas’ fairly average target distribution at tight ends. Low volume plus medium distribution equals medium TE2.
Will Ferguson TO DO Or to break your schedule for week 16?
Ferguson has fallen several times in my rankings, but this week he gets a slight boost, thanks to a favorable matchup against Tampa Bay. Tampa has always been one of the most generous defenses against passing attacks, including tight ends. He has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to the position this season.
That said, we must remain cautious. Even in excellent matchups like Cincinnati and Carolina, the Cowboys haven’t pushed significant volume with Rush at quarterback. While a high-volume game for Ferguson is unlikely, a touchdown and favorable play flow make him a viable option this week.
Indianapolis Colts D/ST
We have a little surprise this week: for the first time, I’m including a defense in this article!
With so many shaky backup quarterbacks placed in starting roles across the league, several intriguing streaming defenses have emerged among the top 12 options. Fantasy managers will face tough choices in Week 16: Do you rely on a traditionally strong defense like Kansas City, facing a Houston offense that’s inconsistent but capable of explosive play? Or do you take a risk on a less popular defense with an excellent game against a turnover-prone quarterback?
The Indianapolis defense was mixed. They have allowed the 12th most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, but the 10th fewest to wide receivers. Against running backs, they gave up the eighth-most fantasy points, although Joe Mixon was responsible for much of that damage, and they faced overall solid backfields. While I expect Tony Pollard to benefit from this matchup if he’s active, the damage he does on the floor won’t be enough to negate Mason Rudolph’s multiple turnover potential.
Does Indianapolis TO DO Or to break your schedule for week 16?
Ideally, we’d like to see Will Levis in this spot, but Rudolph will do. Rudolph has thrown at least one interception in every game he has started this season, totaling five interceptions to just six touchdowns. In just three starts and two partial games, he also fumbled four times. Fantasy managers looking for high-upside streaming defenses with the potential to generate turnovers – and maybe even a glorious pick six – should look to Indianapolis this week.
