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Matt MacKay's must-have fantasy football bench stashes and sleepers ahead of Week 16. He picks high-upside players to stash on your teams who can emerge as starters.
The final three weeks of the 2021 NFL season have arrived! It's the best time of the year to be a football fan and even sweeter if you're still competing for a fantasy championship.
The playoff race will intensify since this is the first year with Week 18 on the schedule. Adding the seventh seed to each conference has made securing the top seed more critical than it's ever been, as this is the only way to earn a bye during the Wild Card round. Unfortunately, COVID-19 protocols remain a barrier to overcome for fantasy managers and head coaches alike. At the same time, players who have been given increased usage and opportunity could find themselves producing in critical situations down the stretch.
Players that may have induced headaches and other negative feelings on rosters just a couple of weeks ago are suddenly relevant again. I've collected some of the best high-upside bench stash prospects ahead of Week 16 and will explain why each one deserves consideration. Of course, use your best judgment based on the construction and needs of your roster, but these players all possess the upside necessary to earn a win and advance in the fantasy playoffs.
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Craig Reynolds, Detroit Lions
Third-year running back Craig Reynolds burst onto the scene in a big way back in Week 14, carrying 11 times for 83 yards and catching both of his targets for an additional 16 receiving yards. He followed up this performance with a heavy workload that yielded 26 carries for 112 rushing yards against the Arizona Cardinals in a 30-12 upset win last week. Detroit and head coach Dan Campbell are a run-centric offense, so with D'Andre Swift on IR, Reynolds should continue to handle enough touches to remain a high-upside RB3 against Atlanta, Seattle, and Green Bay to finish the season. Jamaal Williams was just activated from the COVID list, so he should handle RB1 volume. However, Reynolds has proven to be an effective rusher and should continue to get fed touches down the stretch. Stash Reynolds off the waiver wire as a high-upside RB3 against the Falcons in Week 16.
Latavius Murray, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore has dealt with quite a bit of adversity this season, as Lamar Jackson's absence for most of Week 14 and the entirety of Week 15 has left the Ravens on a two-game losing streak. They are definitely in win-now mode and almost pulled off a comeback against Green Bay in Week 15. However, veteran running back Latavius Murray saw double-digit touches for the first time since Week 11. Murray played on 41 percent of snaps compared to 55 percent given to Devonta Freeman, yet he still finished with 6.9 YPC and saw three more touches. It will be interesting to monitor how Murray will be used against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16, assuming Jackson is healthy enough to return from his ankle injury sustained in Week 14 against the Browns. If Tyler Huntley plays, Murray should be an RB3 with RB2 upside if he is afforded any goal-line touches over Freeman. Stash Murray ahead of a plus-matchup against the Bengals' defense that struggles to stop the run, allowing 23.83 PPR points per game to running backs this season.
Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers
26-year old Green Bay wide receiver Allen Lazard has demonstrated that he is the WR2 in the offense when fully healthy. His upside is evident since he catches passes from reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers, who currently has the same MVP odds as Tom Brady entering Week 16. Lazard played 79 percent of snaps in a big Week 15 road win over the Baltimore Ravens, turning this opportunity into two receptions for 23 yards on four targets. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is the speed receiver used to take the top off a defense, allowing Lazard to work on intermediate and underneath routes and on the perimeter opposite All-Pro wideout Davante Adams. Lazard also was the definitive WR2 in terms of snap percentage in Week 14 against the Chicago Bears, where he popped off with 6/75/1 on seven targets. He is a quality WR3 with WR2 upside, making Lazard a must-stash prospect ahead of a Christmas Day matchup against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16.
Tim Patrick, Denver Broncos
Denver has most of the pieces needed to compete against any team in the league. Unfortunately, the quarterback is the missing piece that the franchise cannot find. Teddy Bridgewater suffered a scary concussion in Week 15 against the Cincinnati Bengals and was replaced by Drew Lock, who has been highly volatile and inconsistent throughout his career. Tim Patrick remains a steady WR3 despite the carousel of mediocre quarterback play, using his 6-4 frame to win contested passes and leverage smaller defenders at the catch point. Patrick played 94 percent of snaps in Week 15 to be the WR1 for the Broncos, hauling in three receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown. Patrick has five touchdowns this season and has five targets in three straight games, entering a Week 16 divisional road matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. While the Raiders are one of the top-five toughest matchups for fantasy wideouts, Patrick has proven to be more reliable than Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton across the last month. Stash Patrick as a high-upside WR3 despite playing in a conservative offense that lacks consistency at quarterback.
Jalen Reagor, Philadelphia Eagles
It's been a tough season for second-year wideout Jalen Reagor. A few notable moments are etched into our brains, including his drop in the end zone against the New York Giants at the end of the game in Week 12. However, Reagor was more productive against Washington in Week 15, hauling in all three of his targets for 57 yards, hitting his highest yardage total of the season. Unfortunately, he has not delivered a touchdown since Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Still, a favorable remaining schedule against NFC East defenses means that Reagor will have a chance to avenge his drop against the Giants starting in Week 16. Reagor played 54 percent of snaps in Week 15, making him the WR2 over Quez Watkins and Greg Ward. Dallas Goedert and DeVonta Smith are the top targets for Jalen Hurts within a run-centric Philadelphia offense. Still, Reagor is a good wideout to stash for emergency deployment as a WR4 with WR3 upside.
David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland has been battling injuries and a COVID outbreak in recent weeks, joining several other teams in an uphill battle to prepare for their games fully. This has contributed to a two-game losing skid, but fifth-year tight end David Njoku has been a valuable target in a sluggish Browns offense. Njoku's targets have steadily climbed since Week 6, as he now has five targets in consecutive games. While he only caught three receptions for 29 yards in a disappointing loss to the Raiders in Week 15, Njoku managed to find the end zone against the Ravens in Week 14 on the same target share. Like most tight end streaming options, Njoku will need a touchdown to deliver his upside. The Green Bay Packers defense ranks 13th-worst against fantasy tight ends this season, so Njoku could be the Browns' tight end to wind up with a touchdown this week, as Harrison Bryant notched one last week against the Raiders. Njoku played 100 percent of snaps, giving him a decisive edge over Bryant moving forward.
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
Always take advantage of a discounted Ben Roethlisberger in fantasy leagues. While Big Ben was held without a touchdown for the first time against the Tennessee Titans in Week 15, he has a favorable schedule to finish the season but will face his toughest test against the Kansas City Chiefs on the road in Week 16. Roethlisberger only needs to play quality football for one half, as he demonstrated against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15, tossing three touchdowns late to nearly pull off a massive comeback on the road. Sure, the Chiefs' defense has played better as of late, but they have allowed over 400 yards of offense in two of their last three games. The Steelers are desperate and need to win a chance at the postseason, so expect Roethlisberger to have a big game in Arrowhead Stadium this weekend. Value him as a high-end QB2 on the fringe of QB1 territory for the remainder of the regular season and stash him as a quarterback insurance policy.
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