NFL Fantasy Football Reactions: Week 16

Happy Holidays to all. Hopefully, readers who were in the fantasy playoffs this week were able to benefit from the 'boom' games while avoiding the busts. Let's look at today's NFL action.

Reactions

• Who needs to run the football? Definitely not the Cleveland Browns. The team continued to put the offense on the shoulders of Joe Flacco. There's no reason the Browns need to go away from that. For the third consecutive week, Flacco had at least 300 yards and multiple touchdown passes. The veteran QB continues to ride his two best weapons. Amari Cooper went for a franchise-record 265 yards and two touchdowns while David Njoku found the end zone as well. Even in a difficult matchup in Week 17 against the Jets, it'll be tough to bench this trio of fantasy options.
• Very simply, the Texans' offense with a backup quarterback was at a significant disadvantage against the Cleveland defense. Aside from a couple explosive plays from Devin Singletary, this offense had little chance to sustain drives until garbage time. Once the game was out of hand, Davis Mills came in and led the team to a pair of touchdowns. If the team gets C.J. Stroud back from his concussion next week against the Titans, the top offensive weapons for Houston should be much more reliable in fantasy championship week.
• Obviously, the NFL is tough to predict. Then we have divisional games. The Steelers were on a three-game losing streak entering Saturday. Pittsburgh played host to the Bengals, who had won three straight. Of course, the Steelers blew them out 34-11. Third-string QB Mason Rudolph led the Steelers. After Pittsburgh failed to score more than 26 points in any game this season, Rudolph helped the team crush that total. Last week, George Pickens seemed to be falling out of favor, due to attitude and/or effort. Pickens responded by posting 195 yards and two TDs. Many benched Pickens in fantasy, and the logic was fair. Also, Najee Harris came in with a bit of a knee issue. The running back overcame the ailment by rushing for 78 yards and a TD. Conversely, Diontae Johnson was on a three-game run of solid production. You guessed it. Johnson had 15 yards. Finally, Pat Freiermuth had an amazing matchup against a defense he torched for 120 yards a few weeks ago. Well, seven Steelers were targeted — Freiermuth wasn't among them. After this performance, good luck projecting how this team will look next week at Seattle.
• Although the Bengals were blown out, they had another solid game from Jake Browning. Despite three interceptions, he put up 335 yards and a score. The only other Cincy player with a big game was Tee Higgins. With no Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder), Higgins tallied 140 yards and a TD. Otherwise, starting the Cincinnati running backs didn't work out for fantasy. Joe Mixon recorded 50 yards and two catches while rookie Chase Brown had 24 total yards. The entire team's offensive production was driven by a game script that few had predicted. Part of the difficulty of predicting fantasy performances is that beyond the matchups, as we also have to project the unpredictable flow of each game. Next week, the Bengals' matchup at Kansas City will be far from optimal.
• On Saturday evening, the Chargers entered after one of the most embarrassing losses imaginable against the Raiders. They lost superstar QB Justin Herbert for the season. Both the head coach and the GM were fired last week. In addition, Keenan Allen was unable to suit up due to a heel injury. Finally, Los Angeles faced a surging Buffalo team fighting for a playoff spot. Of course, the Chargers gave Buffalo all it could handle. Coming into the game, Austin Ekeler had been playing reduced snaps. Although the star running back didn't have a great game, the offense was centered around him. Regardless, none of the Chargers' players had a big fantasy day. At least it looks like we can count on Ekeler in Week 17.
• In a game they needed to win, the Bills did enough to get by. For fantasy, the passing game took a back seat to the rushing attack, which has become more of a theme since Joe Brady took over as the offensive coordinator about a month ago. In this game, the Bills had 30 rushing attempts to 21 pass attempts. For the fifth time in the last six games, Stefon Diggs failed to post nine PPR points. It's difficult to trust Diggs in fantasy football championships. Of course, after being held without a catch in three of his last four games, Gabe Davis had a great game with 130 yards and a TD. Davis has been the ultimate in boom-or-bust player in fantasy. Start him at your own risk.  Also, Dalton Kincaid continued his four-game slide. After not catching a pass last week, he followed that with one catch for seven yards against Los Angeles. It looks like the rookie TE may not be a reliable option in Week 17.
• Chuba Hubbard continues to get it done for fantasy. Hubbard continued to see heavy usage and salvaged his fantasy day by scoring on a goal-line run. The third-year running back should remain a volume-based fantasy option next week against the Jaguars. Bryce Young did little until Carolina had no choice but to abandon the run in the fourth quarter. From a fantasy standpoint, Young did well. The rookie threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns. After being largely a non-factor this season, DJ Chark had the best day among the Panthers receivers with 98 yards and two TDs while Adam Thielen caught six passes for 94 yards. Carolina's fantasy outlook is not as rosy next week at Jacksonville.
• It was great to see Aaron Jones look like the star player we've seen. However, Jones was pulled at the goal line on separate occasions, which cost him potential touchdowns. With minimal usage in the passing game, Jones had 127 rushing yards, but it didn't translate into a big fantasy performance. Jordan Love was not needed to produce much in the passing game, but he did throw for a pair of touchdowns while also running one in. It was also stunning that Bo Melton was the team's leading receiver until the last two minutes of the game. Fortunately, Romeo Doubs thrived in the fourth quarter on his way to 79 yards and a TD. Next week, the Packers play at Minnesota. It's possible that the game is a shootout. That would lead to some upside potential for the Packers' primary offensive players. 
• The Jets were beating Washington 27-7 at halftime. They needed a last-second field goal to eventually win the game. However, fantasy managers that trusted Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson were rewarded handsomely for their faith. Wilson had another strong PPR performance. Meanwhile, Hall was dominant as a runner and receiver while posting 191 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. It may be  difficult to see any Jets player as more than a high-floor play next week against the Browns.
• Sam Howell was awful yet again, and the Washington coaching staff was forced to take him out for Jacoby Brissett for the second straight week. Just like last week, the offense was much better under Brissett. The Commanders overcame a massive deficit, but ultimately lost the game on a last-second field goal. Chris Rodriguez made the most of his 10 carries by scoring two touchdowns. Despite the team scoring 28 points, nobody else had a strong fantasy performance. It's difficult to have confidence in any Commanders players Week 17 when they face the 49ers.
• It's been tough to predict the Tennessee offense this season. The main reason is that we have no idea which version of the team we will see in any given week. Despite being an underdog against the Seahawks, they played the majority of this game with the lead. That allowed Tennessee to lean on its rushing attack. Derrick Henry posted 99 scrimmage yards while adding rushing and passing TDs. Henry's passing score went to Chigoziem Okonkwo, who also had 63 receiving yards. No other Tennessee player surpassed 27 receiving yards. Tennessee will have a middling matchup for fantasy next week at Houston.
• Facing a decimated Tennessee defense, the Seahawks were fortunate to come out with a last-minute victory. Geno Smith passed for a pair of scores with 227 passing yards. DK Metcalf scored while Tyler Lockett led all receivers with 81 yards. Overall, it was a solid floor game for the Seattle passing weapons. However, Kenneth Walker posted just 56 yards on 17 touches. The unpredictable Seahawks offense faces the Steelers next week. 
• Going into this week, the Colts had played very good football. That streak came to a crashing end in their visit to Atlanta. Jonathan Taylor scored an early touchdown, but the offense was stuck in neutral the rest of the afternoon. They could bounce back in Week 17 when they play at home against a middling Las Vegas defense.
• Even though the Falcons put up an impressive 29 points in a blowout victory against the Colts, it was far from a dominant fantasy day for their key players. The best performance was by Bijan Robinson. The rookie posted 122 scrimmage yards and added seven receptions. Otherwise, Drake London posted just 39 yards after being excellent in most of his home games. Also, Kyle Pitts scored a touchdown and added 49 yards despite being targeted just four times. The Falcons have a difficult matchup at Chicago next week against defense that has been trending upward the last six weeks.
• Playing on the road, the Lions came up with a big victory against the Vikings. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery found the end zone. Gibbs recorded 100 scrimmage yards to go with two touchdowns. St. Brown caught 12 passes for 106 yards as well. The only frustrating fantasy performance came from Sam LaPorta, who was targeted just three times. He caught each pass, but for only 18 yards. The Lions have a challenging matchup at Dallas next week, but there's no reason to avoid any of their top players in fantasy lineups.
• Nick Mullens was terrible from an NFL perspective. The veteran backup QB threw four interceptions, including one that ended the last drive of the game that could have rallied Minnesota to a victory. From a fantasy standpoint, he was gold. Mullens threw for 411 yards and two touchdowns. The main recipient was Justin Jefferson, who posted 141 yards and a touchdown. With T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison knocked out of the game with injuries, K.J. Osborn who picked up the slack  with 95 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, those who started Ty Chandler with the expectations of him being a top running back were disappointed. Chandler rushed eight times for 17 yards, but at least got fantasy managers a short touchdown run. Look for this offense to remain hot next week against a underachieving Packers defense.
• In a lower-scoring, but exciting matchup of top teams, the Dolphins can finally say they've beaten a good team. Although Miami beat Dallas, it was far from a fantasy bonanza. Tyreek Hill shook off an ankle injury by catching nine passes for 99 yards. Other than Durham Smythe (five catches, 56 yards), Hill was the only Miami player to post more than 50 rushing/receiving yards. Raheem Mostert came through with a receiving TD while Tua Tagovailoa only threw one scoring pass. Consistent with much of this season, the Dolphins offense continues to have ceiling games against the better defenses in the league.
• An early fumble at the goal line kept Dallas from taking control of their matchup early. They ended up losing to Miami on a last-second field goal. In big games, the stars need to show up, and CeeDee Lamb brought his 'A' game. The star receiver posted 132 scrimmage yards and a TD. Unfortunately, Lamb was the only Cowboys weapon to post big numbers. Otherwise, Dak Prescott had a high-floor game with 253 yards and a pair of TD passes. As we've seen in a few games this season, the Dallas offense continued to have struggles on the road against top teams.
• As the season has moved forward, the Buccaneers have been a more consistent offense than they were earlier in the season. For the third week in a row, Chris Godwin was heavily targeted and productive for fantasy. However, Mike Evans stole the show by catching both of Baker Mayfield's touchdown passes and leading the team with 86 yards. In addition, despite being very inefficient, Rachaad White continues to be a great weekly fantasy scorer. Although White rushed for less than two yards per carry, he recorded six catches, 78 scrimmage yards and a TD. Tampa Bay runs their offense through Evans, Godwin and White, and this should remain the case until their season ends, making them solid fantasy options in most games. It also sounds like Mayfield will be back with the Bucs next season.
• Aside from garbage time for Evan Engram (10 catches, 95 yards) and Calvin Ridley (90 yards and two TDs), the Jaguars played a terrible game. Jacksonville trailed by 20 points at the half. Trevor Lawrence suffered a shoulder injury and didn't finish the game after throwing a pair of interceptions. Also, Travis Etienne recorded just 31 scrimmage yards. This offense has been incosnsitent for most of the season. The weekly volatility has made most of the Jaguars' skill-position players difficult to predict each week. With all of the talent they have at the skill positions, it has been a disappointing season for the Jacksonville offense.
• Don't look now, but the Bears appear to have moved up to the ranks of being a respectable team. They took care of business by beating Arizona 27-16. Justin Fields didn't have a monster day, but with 97 yards and a rushing TD to go along with a passing score. Unfortunately, DJ Moore seemed to injure his ankle in the first quarter, and even though he finished the game, he posted a disappointing 18 yards. That said, Chicago had two 100-yard performers. With D'Onta Foreman (personal) sitting out, Khalil Herbert rushed for 112 yards and a TD against the weak Cardinals' run defense. Also, before leaving the game early, a pair of long receptions helped Cole Kmet to 107 yards. The tight end was the only Chicago player with more than 18 receiving yards. The backfield is still a week-to-week headache for fantasy. Otherwise, Fields, Moore and Kmet remain the only reliable options for fantasy.
• With three wins, the Cardinals are the second-worst team in the NFL. That's exactly what they looked like against the Bears. The good news is that James Conner had his third solid game in a row. The Arizona running back led the team in both rushing (45 yards) and receiving (67 yards and a TD) and posted over 100 scrimmage yards. Otherwise, Kyler Murray used garbage time to put together a solid floor performance. Finally, Trey McBride had one of his few games in which he didn't put up big numbers. Still, the second-year TE caught six passes for 31 yards. The only players we can count on in this offense are Conner, Murray and McBride.

Injuries

The following players were injured and did not return

• Trevor Lawrence injured his throwing shoulder.
• Jaylen Waddle sustained a shin injury.
• Jordan Addison sprained his ankle.
• T.J. Hockenson suffered a knee injury.
• Cole Kmet injured his knee.
• Dontayvion Wicks sustained a chest injury.