RADIO
Week 16 of the NFL is behind us and it's time to look ahead to next week's action. There were some surprising performances in the 16th week of the season, but were those surprising performances a sign of things to come for players?
Every week, I'll be looking at three to five NFL players whose numbers from the week before were better than expected. I'll be analyzing their games and making sense of what their showings mean in the larger scheme of things.
Below, you'll find an analysis of the biggest fantasy football surprises of Week 16. Are those surprising results a fact, i.e. a sign of good things to come, or a fiction, i.e. an anomalous result?
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Should I Start Joe Flacco for Fantasy Football?
Last Week: QB1
Joe Flacco has started four games this season for the Cleveland Browns. He's thrown over 40 pass attempts in all four of those starts and for 300-plus yards in the past three games. Against the Houston Texans in Week 16, Flacco was 27-for-42 for 368 yards and three touchdowns. He was picked off twice, but the other numbers still helped him finish as the overall QB1 in fantasy this week.
What year is this? The 38-year-old Flacco has led Cleveland to three consecutive wins and has looked like one of the NFL's best quarterbacks in that span, though he's thrown five interceptions in the past couple of games.
Does this mean you can deploy Flacco as a QB1 play this Thursday? Eh...probably not, because the Browns take on the Jets, who allow the second-fewest passing yards in the NFL, behind only Cleveland. This is a game where neither team's going to throw the ball much because both pass defenses are just so good.
Verdict: Flacco's resurgence has been great to watch, but the matchup this week is really rough, so he's only an option in two-QB leagues.
Should I Start Chris Rodriguez Jr. for Fantasy Football?
Last Week: RB5
Washington Commanders rookie running back Chris Rodriguez found the end zone twice in Week 16's loss to the New York Jets, finishing with 10 carries for 58 yards and also adding a seven-yard reception. The Commanders have worked to get Rodriguez more involved lately, as the former Kentucky Wildcat has 20 carries over the past two games.
Rodriguez actually led the Commanders in carries this week, as Antonio Gibson had nine of them. He definitely looks like the better of the two, but his Week 17 outlook is clouded by the Brian Robinson Jr. situation. Robinson has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, which has been the reason Rodriguez has played so much. It's unclear what the Robinson situation will look like on Sunday against the 49ers, who allow the third-fewest rushing yards per game.
(It's also worth noting that Rodriguez appeared to hurt his ankle late in Week 16. That's something worth monitoring.)
Verdict: Rodriguez's value depends on Robinson. Against this Niners run defense, Rodriguez isn't sniffing my lineup if Robinson's back. If Robinson is sidelined, I'd view him as an RB3 option, if he's healthy.
Should I Start Zamir White for Fantasy Football?
Last Week: RB12
Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White had a huge showing in Week 16 with Josh Jacobs sidelined, running the ball 22 times for 145 yards in the 20-14 victory. That followed a 17-carry, 69-yard, one-touchdown game the week before against the Chargers.
Good little run here for the second year back out of Georgia, and he's got a really juicy Week 17 matchup against an Indianapolis Colts team that allows the fifth-most rushing yards per game.
That'd all be great...if White was going to be the starter in Week 17. Josh Jacobs has missed the past two games with a quad injury (and an illness on Christmas Day.) It seemed a little surprising that Jacobs missed Week 16, so fantasy managers should operate as if Jacobs will be back next week.
Verdict: If Jacobs plays, it's hard to trust White in your fantasy lineup with a fantasy title on the line. If Jacobs is out again, he has value as an RB2 option.
Should I Start D.J. Chark Jr. for Fantasy Football?
Last Week: WR4
The Panthers added D.J. Chark Jr. this offseason to provide a veteran outside threat for rookie quarterback Bryce Young. However, that addition just hasn't panned out. Chark's had a couple of good games but has largely been a non-factor for Carolina.
He had his best game against Green Bay in Week 16, catching six of his eight targets for 98 yards and two touchdowns, and he's got an appealing Week 17 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. So, should fantasy managers turn to Chark?
Nah. Sure, a Chark revenge game against the Jaguars would be fun, but it's not something fantasy managers should bet on. Chark's had eight games this season with fewer than 30 receiving yards, and he's had more than six targets just twice.
Verdict: While this is a good matchup for Chark and another big game is definitely in the range of outcomes, his overall body of work this year prevents him from being viewed as a fantasy option in the vast majority of leagues. Intriguing DFS play, though.
Should I Start Chigoziem Okonkwo for Fantasy Football?
Last Week: TE2
Chig Okonkwo was supposed to break out this season, but instead, he entered Week 16 without a touchdown all year. He finally got that score in the loss to Seattle though, off a trick play with Derrick Henry throwing the football. Overall, he caught all six of his targets for 63 yards. This now marks two games of 60-plus yards in the past four games for Okonkwo.
It's also notable that his yards per target has risen lately. He's averaged double-digit yards per target in three of the past four games. Before that, he hadn't hit that mark all season. There's definitely been a bit of a late-season resurgence here for Okonkwo.
He faces a Texans defense that was just eviscerated by the Cleveland Browns this past week. Joe Flacco threw for 368 yards, and Browns tight end David Njoku had six catches for 44 yards and a score. This is a good matchup and Chig has solid recent production...maybe there's something here?
Verdict: This is probably the most confident I've felt about Okonkwo since the beginning of the season, but I still don't really see much reason for fantasy managers to trust him over their other options with a championship on the line. Okonkwo, like Chark above, is someone I'll probably play a lot of in DFS this week, but he's not someone I'm comfortable starting in season-long leagues.
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