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16 weeks are down, and if you won in Week 16, you have most likely advanced to the fantasy football championship in Week 17. If you survived the most stressful week of the year and are reading this now, congratulations on making it to the final week of the fantasy season.
The semifinals were definitely a roller coaster ride for most fantasy managers. Josh Jacobs was ruled out on Monday after Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said he would play earlier in the week. Brock Purdy did not look like an MVP candidate and was hurt late in the game. Patrick Mahomes continued his rough season, and Christian McCaffrey was stopped short at the one-yard line in the final minutes.
But outside of Monday's dramatic fantasy finishes, there were plenty of other interesting things to note from Week 16. So, let's dive in and see which players are trending up or down for the fantasy football championship.
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Week 17 Fantasy Football Risers
QB Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
It's been a surprise to see quarterback Joe Flacco light up the NFL again. After being a free agent for most of the season, Flacco came back to the league, started in Week 13, and has run away with the starting job in Cleveland. The 38-year-old quarterback has also earned every minute of that starting gig. He has uplifted the Browns' offense while being a reliable fantasy option as well.
In four starts this year, Flacco has finished as a top-13 fantasy quarterback in all four contests. The veteran is also coming off a QB1 finish in Week 16 against the Houston Texans, where he threw for 368 yards and three touchdowns (26.8 fantasy points). He has now totaled at least 19.5 fantasy points in three straight games.
Flacco is certainly a big riser at the quarterback position, especially following his recent strong play. He might be in a tough spot in Week 16 against the New York Jets. The Jets have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this year. Still, the veteran is a solid QB2 option in Superflex formats.
RB Breece Hall, New York Jets
In my fantasy matchmaker column here at RotoBaller, I highlighted Breece Hall as a potential candidate to explode in Week 16. The second-year running back did just that. He totaled 32 touches for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Hall ran the ball 20 times for 95 yards and two touchdowns while also catching 12 passes for 96 yards.
Hall has had a very up-and-down season, which included a 2.8 PPR fantasy performance in Week 15 against the Miami Dolphins. The upside is clearly there for Hall, who has finished as a top-two fantasy running back in two of the past three weeks. In Week 14, the 22-year-old back totaled 26.6 PPR fantasy points.
What's really boosted Hall in recent weeks and why he is on the risers list is his usage in the passing game. He has seen at least eight targets in four of the past five games, including 16 targets in last week's game. During that five-game span, he has a whopping 34 catches. That's the fifth-most catches in the NFL during that stretch, which is more than A.J. Brown (33), Amon-Ra St. Brown (33), and Cooper Kupp (31).
WR Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns
Another Cleveland Brown makes this list, and wide receiver Amari Cooper definitely deserves to be here. For starters, Cooper is coming off a record-breaking day, totaling 11 catches for 265 yards and two touchdowns. His 51.5 PPR fantasy points are also the third most by a fantasy player in the semifinals.
Cooper could not be stopped in Week 16 and has easily become Flacco's favorite target in the passing game. Over the past three games, the Browns wideout has seen 37 targets, including two games with at least 14 targets. In those contests, he has also finished with at least 75 yards in every game and 100-plus receiving yards in two straight games.
Cooper is on a tear right now and certainly trending up in an improved Browns' offense with Flacco under center. The matchup is tough against the New York Jets in Week 17, but it would be hard to sit a player who just saved your fantasy season in the semifinals.
Other Fantasy Football Risers:
- Justin Fields
- Zamir White (if Josh Jacobs is out)
- Rashee Rice
- Tee Higgins
- Calvin Ridley
- David Njoku
Week 17 Fantasy Football Fallers
QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
If you played Patrick Mahomes in Week 16, chances are he didn't help you win by any means. He had just 17.7 fantasy points behind a 235-yard, one-touchdown performance. It's been a disappointing fantasy year for Mahomes, who will likely finish outside the top five at the quarterback position for the first time since 2019.
If you made it to the finals, you have a very tough decision to make regarding the Chiefs quarterback. It's Mahomes after all, and he could go off for 30-plus fantasy points on any given week. However, since Week 8, he's the QB14 while averaging just 15.8 fantasy points per game.
In that span from Week 8 to Week 16, Mahomes has finished as a top-10 fantasy quarterback just once (Week 12). In that game, he finished with 20.8 fantasy points against the Raiders. The quarterback hasn't looked the same this year and is certainly trending down in fantasy.
WR Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills
Like Mahomes, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs is trending down in fantasy. No one knows what's wrong with Diggs and why he's reached a new low in fantasy. Last week, the veteran wideout caught just five passes for 29 yards in a plus matchup against a banged-up Los Angeles Chargers secondary.
It's been a struggle to roster Diggs in recent weeks, as he has finished outside the top 45 for wide receivers in five of the past six games. At this point, he is literally not startable in fantasy. He has totaled less than nine PPR points and less than six catches in five of those six contests. Even in the one game where he scored 19.4 PPR points in Week 12 against the Eagles, he only had six catches for 74 yards and one touchdown.
TE Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Yes, Travis Kelce is trending down in fantasy. Yes, you likely still have to start Travis Kelce in fantasy. We have not seen the same production from the Chiefs' tight end this season. He has not scored above 15.5 PPR fantasy points in eight straight contests and is coming off a game where he caught five passes for 44 yards in Week 16.
During that span, Kelce has just two top-five tight end fantasy finishes and four finishes outside the top-12. The veteran has an extremely safe floor in fantasy, scoring above 10 PPR fantasy points in five of the past eight games. But the high ceiling isn't there anymore.
Other Fantasy Football Fallers:
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