This article is part of our Depth Chart Watch series.
It's closing time - the final Depth Chart Watch of the season. It's been a fun ride, guys. I hope you enjoyed it.
Cardinals QB -- Ryan Lindley turned in what can only be described as a miserable performance Sunday, going 18-for-44 for 216 yards and a pick. Logan Thomas got into the game for just one pass attempt, going 0-for-1, but maybe the Cards try Thomas next week? I mean, he can't be any worse, right?
Cardinals RB -- Unsurprisingly, the Arizona running game got shut down in Week 16, but the way it happened was quite surprising, as Stepfan Taylor took over the vast majority of the work, but turned in only 19 yards on 11 carries, plus two catches for another 25. Kerwynn Williams toted the ball just two times, which coach Bruce Arians said was due to the stomping the Cards took from Seattle, which put them in a lot of passing situations. Taylor, being the better blocker, got more work. Williams may also have been limited by his knee ailment. But the ability of opposing defenses to key on the run will make it hard for either back to produce much for fantasy purposes in Week 17.
Falcons RB -- Steven Jackson went down with a quad injury against the Saints on Sunday, resulting in increased work for Jacquizz Rodgers (who turned in a terrible 2.6 YPC on 11 carries) and Devonta Freeman, who rushed for 36 yards on only five carries and caught three balls for another 48. For what it's worth, ESPN's Vaughn McClure seems to think Jackson will play in Week 17.
Falcons WR -- Julio Jones played despite his hip issue on Sunday, and he did so quite effectively, catching seven of eight targets for a team-high 107 yards. Roddy White (knee) was targeted nine times, but finished a distant second with six catches for 55 yards. And, hey, Harry Douglas drew seven targets even with the top two receivers being active, although he only caught four for 47 yards.
Ravens RB -- Week 16 was a disaster for Justin Forsett owners, who saw their man go for only 19 yards on 10 carries and 13 yards on four catches. Better than Bernard Pierce's one rush for a two-yard loss, though. With Pierce perhaps limited due to his back injury and Lorenzo Taliaferro (foot) on IR, practice squadder Fitzgerald Toussaint saw his first touches, carrying four times for 11 yards and catching two out of five pass targets for 20 yards. These schizophrenic Ravens should have a better time of things offensively in Week 17 against Cleveland.
Ravens WR -- Torrey Smith (knee) returned to a premier role on Sunday, and though he - like Steve Smith - only caught five of his 12 pass targets for 59 yards on a miserable day for Joe Flacco, two of them went for touchdowns. Steve, on the other hand, didn't manage a touchdown and ended up with an even more modest 49 yards. Marlon Brown went back to sleep, reeling in just one of his five pass targets.
Bills RB -- The Bills had about as bad a rushing day as you can have Sunday, totaling 13 yards on the ground - 10 on six carries for Fred Jackson, seven on three carries for Anthony Dixon and a loss of four on four carries by the returning C.J. Spiller. As usual, though, Jackson was a major asset in the pass game, leading the team in targets (12), catches (nine) and receiving yards (93). Spiller caught four passes of his own, but for only 14 yards in all. Bryce Brown was inactive.
Bills WR -- Sammy Watkins saw both Robert Woods and Chris Hogan out-target him nine to seven in Week 16, but he accumulated the most yardage of the trio (75), thanks in large part to an early 42-yard touchdown. Woods caught seven passes and a TD of his own for a nice PPR day.
Panthers QB -- Cam Newton returned in Week 16 and led the Panthers to a win and first place in the NFC South - albeit with a 6-8-1 record. Apologies for my mistaken indication that Carolina was out of contention last week; I'd forgotten for a moment just how bad that division is.
Panthers RB -- The Browns got a heavy dose of Jonathan Stewart on Sunday, as DeAngelo Williams' finger/hand injury kept him out yet again, and J-Stew ripped off another huge game, rushing 24 times for 122 yards and scoring a nine-yard touchdown on one of his two receptions. It's not impossible that Williams returns for Week 17's crucial matchup with Atlanta, but it can't be counted on.
Bears QB -- Jay Cutler got himself benched for Week 16, with the Bears turning to Jimmy Clausen. The results were a little unexpected, with Clausen turning in a statistically mediocre outing - 23-for-39, 181 yards, two touchdowns and an interception - instead of the disaster that seemed like it could be in the cards against Detroit's strong defense. They still lost, though it really can't be pinned on Clausen, who saw his receivers drop about seven balls. Seven. Clausen will probably close things out for the Bears in Week 17.
Bears WR -- Alshon Jeffery accounted for five of those dropped passes by his own count Sunday, which is how you turn a whopping 16 targets into five catches for 72 yards, but fortunately one went for a touchdown. Marquess Wilson was more efficient in the No. 2 role, turning out seven catches on 10 passes thrown his way for 66 yards. As usual, the Bears' depth receivers saw little work.
Browns QB--The second start for Johnny Manziel managed to be just about as much of a disaster as the first, as he was forced from Sunday's game with a hamstring injury after going just 3-for-8 for 32 yards, plus three whole rushing yards. Brian Hoyer stepped in and went 7-for-13 for 134 yards, a touchdown and a pick, though those numbers are skewed sharply by Jordan Cameron's 81-yard score. Take that play out and Hoyer has a completely miserable game of his own.
Browns RB -- Terrance West's roller-coaster rookie season hit a nadir Sunday, as he went without a catch or a pass target in the loss to Carolina. Isaiah Crowell was the only Browns running back to take the ball, carrying 16 times for a fantasy-irrelevant 55 yards. With Crowell giving the Browns such incredible production from the position, it's no wonder West didn't see the field!
Browns WR -- In another brutally awful day for the Cleveland pass game, Josh Gordon was the most productive wide receiver Sunday, drawing seven targets and catching four of them for 45 yards. Andrew Hawkins caught a 28-yard pass on four targets, and Taylor Gabriel caught a one-yarder. And that's it.
Cowboys RB -- Surgery a few days before the game? Sure, no problem. DeMarco Murray carried the ball 22 times anyway, and though he wasn't efficient, picking up only 58 yards for a 2.6 YPC, he did punch in a touchdown for his fantasy owners. Joseph Randle saw plenty of work behind him, but impressed no one by toting 13 times for 37 yards and losing a fumble. Lance Dunbar carried twice and had a couple unimpactful catches. With the division locked up, Murray may see limited work in Week 17 to preserve him for playoff time.
Cowboys WR -- In Sunday's stunning crushing of the Colts, Terrence Williams showed up for a pair of glory plays, scoring a nine-yard touchdown early and a 43-yarder late. Those were his only two catches and his only two targets. Dez Bryant (who led the corps in catches and targets with five, and yards with 73) and Cole Beasley turned in TDs of their own, though Beasley managed only 29 yards.
Broncos RB -- Ronnie Hillman (foot) could be back for Monday night's game, but it's no wure thing, and even if he is, it doesn't seem likely that he'll steal much work from C.J. Anderson. Juwan Thompson (hip/knee) is also questionable.
Broncos WR -- Emmanuel Sanders is questionable for Monday night with an illness, but traveled to Cincy, suggesting he'll play.
Broncos TE--Julius Thomas (ankle) may return to a bigger role Monday night - that's something to look for.
Lions RB -- Of course, right after I say the Lions seemingly have no interest in using Reggie Bush anymore, he turns in 98 total yards (54 rushing, 44 receiving), including a first-quarter rushing score. That leeched a lot of value from Joique Bell, but not all of it, as Bell still gained 74 yards on his 13 carries (six more than Bush's seven) and potted a touchdown of his own.
Packers QB -- Aaron Rodgers pulled a calf muscle in Sunday's game, but doesn't seem to think it'll impact his availability in Week 17 as the Packers play Detroit for the division title. Still, it's worth monitoring, since the team does have a playoff spot locked up.
Texans QB -- The Texans signed up Case Keenum to start for them in Week 16, and though he went only 20-for-42 for 185 yards and a pick, hey, it was good enough to beat the Ravens. Arian Foster actually threw the team's only touchdown pass, which is quite the insult to Keenum. Nonetheless, it seems like he'll probably draw another start in the season's final week - and if it's a win, combined with some key losses, he could actually end up starting a playoff game. How gross is that?
Texans WR -- While Andre Johnson (concussion) was back Sunday, he didn't do much with his 13 targets outside of a 35-yard catch early on. Take that one out, and he tallied five catches for 30 yards on his other 12 looks. Gross. DeAndre Hopkins - who had been highly questionable with an ankle injury - suited up, but was even less effective, as he caught only five out of 12 targets for a miserable 38 yards. He was this close to a touchdown, but had it knocked away. Damaris Johnson saw a surprising six targets - his second-highest total of the season - but managed just 27 yards on four catches.
Colts QB -- After Andrew Luck went 15-for-22 for 109 yards and two picks Sunday, the Colts decided he'd be better off resting up for Week 17 and the playoffs, so they went with Matt Hasselbeck for the rest of the game. Hasselbeck was decent, which doesn't matter at all.
Colts RB -- Buried in a deep hole, the Colts largely ditched the run in Week 16. As a team, they accumulated exactly one rushing yard. One. Yeah. One.Dan Herron had three yards on seven carries - both team highs! - Trent Richardson carried twice for a yard, and Zurlon Tipton's one carry erased three yards. Tipton did, however, catch the team's lone touchdown, though Herron was the most productive of the trio in the pass game, at least yardage-wise, reeling in three passes for 37 yards.
Colts WR -- T.Y. Hilton's hamstring injury ended up creating opportunity not for Donte Moncrief, as fantasy owners hoped, but for Hakeem Nicks, who caught nine of 11 balls for 72 yards Sunday. Reggie Wayne was second among wideouts in targets with a modest five, gaining only 23 yards, while Moncrief had a five-yard day.
Colts TE -- Dwayne Allen returned to marginalization Sunday, failing to reel in any of his three targets and then leaving the game with a knee injury that puts his Week 17 status in doubt. Coby Fleenerdrew seven targets - second-most on the team - but gained just 36 yards on four catches.
Jaguars RB -- Thursday's Titans-Jags barn burner at least featured solid rushing work by Jacksonville, with Toby Gerhart trucking his way to a decent fantasy day (12 carries for 53 and a score, plus a seven-yard reception) while Jordan Todman ripped off a 62-yard touchdown on one of his five carries. Todman saw one more pass target than Gerhart (3-2), but managed just five receiving yards.
Jaguars WR -- Despite leading the team in targets Sunday, Cecil Shorts managed to catch just two out of seven for 15 yards, though at least he provided the tiniest smidge of extra fantasy value by throwing a nine-yard pass. Marquise Lee and Allen Hurns drew six targets each, with Lee producing 65 yards while Hurns generated only 26. Not pretty, as usual.
Chiefs RB -- Jamaal Charles was in action Sunday, but the Chiefs decided to let Alex Smith throw the ball 45 times, and they scored 12 points. How unsurprising. Charles ended up with a modest 67-yard day and lost a fumble - that certainly didn't help his fantasy owners (like me) in their finals. De'Anthony Thomas lined up wide quite a few times, reeling in a season-high six catches for 47 yards. Charles could see some rest in Week 17 if the Chiefs are able to turn in a dominant first half against San Diego, but otherwise I expect a full game from him.
Chiefs WR -- Albert Wilson led the Chiefs in receiving Sunday, reeling in five of seven targets for a solid 87 yards, but yeah, still no touchdowns here. Dwayne Bowe almost had one, but had a defense-aided end-zone drop, ending up with six catches for 57 yards on eight targets.
Dolphins WR -- Ryan Tannehill went bananas Sunday, throwing for 396 yards and four touchdowns, but only one wide receiver really benefited from that: Mike Wallace, who caught all five of his targets for 58 yards and two scores. Tight end Charles Clay had more receiving yards than Wallace and Brandon Gibson (two catches for 50) put together. Meanwhile, Jarvis Landry amazingly managed to gain just 31 yards despite catching eight passes (and leading the wideout corps with nine targets), and he further insulted his fantasy owners by fumbling.
Vikings RB -- It was just another banner day for Matt Asiata in Week 16. Although he put up another poor YPC (3.6), he punched in a pair of touchdowns to go with his 58 rush yards and chipped in three receptions. Worst best? Best worst? One of those.Ben Tate saw no work at all this time, with Joe Banyard (five rushes, two catches, 32 total yards) serving as Asiata's backup.
Vikings WR -- Charles Johnson took a major step back Sunday despite again leading the team in targets, as he managed to collect just three of six for 38 yards. Greg Jennings was targeted half as many times, but caught all three, including a beauty for a 21-yard touchdown. He ended up leading the team in receiving with 56 yards. Jarius Wright caught a touchdown too, reeling in all three of his own targets for 38 yards.
Vikings TE -- Kyle Rudolph (ankle/knee) was back on the sidelines in Week 16, and the Rhett Ellison-Chase Ford combo did a solid job picking up the slack. Ellison caught both his targets for 47 yards, while Ford caught only one for 22 yards. It looked like he had a TD for a moment there, but the ball ended up being spotted short of the goal line.
Patriots QB -- With the Pats having clinched a first-round bye upon beating the Jets on Sunday, it's possible Tom Brady will take a seat at some point in Week 17, especially if they jump all over the Bills in the first half, as all the Patriots will have a chance to play for is home-field advantage over Denver. I'm not saying you should bench Brady if you're in action, but we could see a little Jimmy Garoppolo action.
Patriots RB -- LeGarrette Blount (shoulder) was unavailable in Week 16, leaving the rest of the group to a gross backfield timeshare. As it turned out, Tom Brady led the team in carries with seven, which should tell you about how the running backs' day turned out. Shane Vereen and Brandon Bolden were both efficient, with Vereen going for 38 yards on only six carries and Bolden for 32 on five. Jonas Gray was the primary back in the early going, but was stuck firmly on the bench after his six carries turned into just five yards. And Vereen caught just a single pass on two targets because, as you may recall from those other times I mentioned it, Bill Belichick hates fantasy football and everything it stands for.
Patriots WR -- With Julian Edelman (concussion) unable to go Sunday, Danny Amendola did a fairly neat impression, seeing 11 targets - as many as he'd received in the last six games combined - and catching a PPR-friendly eight balls for 63 yards. Brandon LaFell saw regular use, too, with seven catches on his own 10 targets. You'll need to check back on Edelman's status in Week 17 if you own him or Amendola.
Giants RB--Rashad Jennings (ankle) sat once more on Sunday, with Andre Williams taking a full rushing load of 26 carries and turning in a full rushing day of 110 yards against the Rams, although that total was boosted dramatically by a 45-yard scamper. Take that away and he managed just 65 yards on 25 carries, which is ugly. So it's a good thing we can't take that away from him. He also had a touchdown stolen away from him by a 12-yard Orleans Darkwa rush.
Jets WR -- Percy Harvin was actually doing good work against Darrelle Revis on Sunday, catching four of his five targets for 44 yards, but he had to leave the game with a rib injury. That ended up making Jeremy Kerley the most-targeted man (six), and he put up his third-highest yardage total of the season - 54. Woo! Eric Decker, meanwhile, caught just two of four for 21 yards in a disappointing week.
Eagles QB-- Saturday's dream-crushing loss in Washington featured another good-but-not-good Mark Sanchez performance, as he rolled up 374 yards and two touchdowns by going 37-for-50, but also committed a pair of key turnovers and successfully screwed over fantasy owners of his two top receivers - more on that below. With the Cowboys' win Sunday night, the Eagles are now eliminated from playoff contention, so they surely won't try to rush Nick Foles back out there for Week 17.
Eagles WR -- As mentioned above, Jeremy Maclin and Jordan Matthews were victims of a Sanchez-oriented game plan Sunday, as the Eagles' top two receivers finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in targets. Maclin caught four out of six for 62 yards and Matthews three of five for 58. Meanwhile, tight end Zach Ertz caught 15 - fifteen!!!!!! - passes for 115 yards, Riley Cooper caught both of Sanchez's touchdowns, and Darren Sproles leeched nine targets away out of the backfield. Cry, Eagles fans, cry - we're crying with you.
Steelers WR -- Neither Markus Wheaton nor Martavis Bryant saw much work Sunday, with Bryant reeling in a 44-yarder among two targets and Wheaton drawing just three looks of his own, catching two for 27 yards. Of course, Antonio Brown led the way, as usual.
Chargers RB -- Ryan Mathews' ankle kept him out in Week 16, leaving Branden Oliver back at the head of the committee. He carried 13 times for 53 yards, but has never recaptured that passing-game magic he flashed earlier this year - he managed a modest 28 yards on three catches (five targets). Ronnie Brown ran seven times for 33 yards and caught one of three pass targets in backup duty. Mathews' status for the final week of the regular season doesn't sound very secure, but Oliver's not shaping up to be a great play in Kansas City.
Chargers WR--Keenan Allen didn't go Saturday due to a collarbone fracture, and it seems hard to believe that he'll be back in time for Week 17. He's got an ankle issue, too. With no Allen, Dontrelle Inman saw his first-ever extended run on Sunday, catching seven of a stunning nine targets for 79 yards. That's nine more targets than Inman had seen in the first three-plus seasons of his NFL "career." But he failed to get into the end zone, unlike Eddie Royal (who led the team with a dozen targets and 94 yards) and Malcom Floyd (who only caught four of his 10 targets for 50 yards).
49ers RB -- Carlos Hyde couldn't go. We didn't know if Frank Gore (concussion) would play. We plucked Alfonso Smith off our waiver wires. And then Gore played. And did he ever play. Pretty much out of nowhere, he annihilated the Chargers in Week 16 with 26 rushes for 158 yards and a score. I guess if your career's winding down, you may as well throw down some high notes at the end of it.
49ers WR -- With the running game dominating, the Niners didn't need their receivers much Saturday, which was good because Michael Crabtree did nothing, picking up a five-yard catch and likely aggravating his knee injury. Anquan Boldin turned his first PPR-friendly performance in four weeks, grabbing seven of nine for 61 yards, but the next-most-productive wideout was Quinton Patton. Patton's line? Six targets, two catches, nine yards and a fumble. Thanks for coming out.
Seahawks TE--Luke Willson caught three passes Sunday: an 80-yard touchdown, a 20-yard touchdown and a 39-yard grab to round things out. Yowsa. In a huge week for unexpected fantasy commodities, Willson was actually out-targeted by Cooper Helfet, but outgained Helfet by, oh, 130 yards.
Rams WR--The Kenny Britt Comeback Tour continues! Sort of. Britt was the apple of Shaun Hill's eye Sunday, as he caught nine of 11 targets for a team-best 103 yards. But the lone passing touchdown to a Rams wide receiver went to Chris Givens, who took his only target 47 yards to the house - good enough to finish second on the team in receiving yards. Stedman Bailey turned in a 22-yard dud and Tavon Austin was useless as ever outside of the return game. On the bright side, Austin carried thrice for 25 yards, and his 15 receiving yards represent his highest total in the last six weeks. For real.
Buccaneers WR -- The Buccaneers couldn't do anything on offense Sunday, so Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson unsurprisingly didn't offer fantasy owners much help. Evans led the team with seven targets, but caught only four balls for 49 yards, while Jackson collected three of six for 60 yards. Some guy named Russell Shepard drew the only other target directed at a wide receiver by Josh McCown on Sunday; it fell incomplete.
Titans QB -- Charlie Whitehurst delivered a more-than-credible performance Thursday, but these are the Titans after all, so they still managed to score just 13 points despite getting 287 yards and a 102.9 QB rating out of Whitehurst. Amazing. He'll probably start again in Week 17 unless Zach Mettenberger (shoulder) gets rushed back for some unknown reason.
Redskins QB -- With Robert Griffin back in the starting role, the Skins were able to move the ball successfully enough to get a win Sunday, but RG3's stat line did not benefit. He accounted for 220 passing yards and an interception, and rushed for just 11. But he was decent overall and appears set to close out the season as the starter
Redskins WR -- DeSean Jackson accounted for a significant majority of RG3's passing production, reeling in four catches for a monstrous 126 yards while abusing Eagles corner Bradley Fletcher. Actually, every Redskin who got his chance abused Fletcher, but only DeSean turned in a fantasy-relevant performance. Things dropped off sharply from there, as Pierre Garcon managed 61 yards on four catches of his own, and then Andre Roberts was third with his 14-yard catch.
