Brian Thomas Jr.'s Fantasy Outlook Hinges on Specific Matchup
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has been playing at a higher level lately, catching seven passes for 153 yards and a touchdown over his last two games. He also has 284 air yards during that span, which ranks third-best among NFL receivers. This week, he'll face off against a Denver Broncos secondary that presents him with a range of outcomes. On one hand, if Thomas is covered by cornerback Patrick Surtain II, his upside could be limited, and he'd have a lower floor. On the other hand, Surtain could take Jakobi Meyers, leaving Riley Moss to cover Thomas. Moss has been tough in the red zone this year, but he's given up plenty of yardage, so if he's covering Thomas, the former first-round pick would instantly become a fringe top-18 fantasy receiver. All in all, Denver has surrendered the second-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jakobi Meyers Carries Enormous Momentum Into Broncos Matchup
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jakobi Meyers has momentum on his side heading into Sunday's Week 16 contest against the Denver Broncos. The 29-year-old has enjoyed quite the resurgence since being dealt from Las Vegas to Jacksonville midseason. In six games since the trade, he ranks as the overall WR12 in half-PPR leagues. He has posted double-digit fantasy points in each of the last five weeks, and he has scored a touchdown in three of his last four games. Meyers remains a strong WR2 option for fantasy football this week, but his range of outcomes is admittedly a little larger given the uncertainty surrounding his matchup. If Meyers faces off against Patrick Surtain II, his upside could be limited, and he'd have a lower floor. On the other hand, Surtain could take Brian Thomas Jr., leaving Riley Moss to cover Meyers. Moss has been tough in the red zone this year, but he's given up plenty of yardage, so if he's covering Meyers, the NC State product would instantly become a fringe top-12 fantasy receiver.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Mike Evans Remains a Top Weapon in Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans continues to be one of the top scoring threats on his own team. In his return from a six-game absence last week, Evans caught six of his 12 targets for 132 yards despite playing on a modest 55% snap share. He should get on the field even more often in Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers, continuing to raise his ceiling to a very high level. The veteran is averaging five catches, 68 yards, and 13.3 fantasy points per game when healthy this year. This week, he'll face off against a Panthers defense that gave up six catches, 85 yards, and a touchdown to alpha receiver Chris Olave just last week. Jaycee Horn is a borderline elite cornerback in the Panthers' secondary, but if Olave can overcome the challenging matchup, Evans can, too. The 32-year-old continues to rank as a top-10 fantasy receiver in all leagues ahead of Week 16.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Harold Fannin Jr. Remains Atop Depth Chart for Week 16
Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is having a terrific rookie season and will look to build on that momentum during Sunday's Week 16 contest against the Buffalo Bills. The 21-year-old is the overall TE8 in full-PPR leagues so far with 66 catches, 667 yards, and four touchdowns. He will remain atop the depth chart for the third week in a row with fellow tight end David Njoku (knee) sidelined. In his last two games without Njoku, Fannin has exploded for a combined 15 catches, 162 yards, and one touchdown. Last week alone, he led all NFL tight ends in air yards (93), suggesting that his ceiling is incredibly high. He'll aim to tap into that upside on Sunday afternoon, as he continues to rank as a mid-range TE1 in most full-PPR formats. He remains a must-start in leagues despite facing the Bills, who have allowed the fewest fantasy points to tight ends in 2025.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Darren Waller Should Remain Reliable in Week 16
Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller is coming off his best performance of the season during last week's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Waller hauled in seven of his eight targets for 66 yards and two touchdowns on Monday evening. He'll now head into a great matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals defense. This unit has allowed over 22.0 PPR fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, placing them at the bottom of the sport. However, Waller faces some uncertainty in this contest as rookie QB Quinn Ewers is set to replace Tua Tagovailoa under center. The change at quarterback figures to change the game plan, but Waller should still be involved as the No. 2 pass-catching option, opposite of Jaylen Waddle. The Dolphins might use him as a safety blanket on short routes to avoid having Ewers throw a ton of deep shots. There's enough upside here to keep Waller in the low-end TE1 conversation, given his elite matchup.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Tyreek Hill Could Become a Cut Candidate
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill might've played this last snap with the organization. The Dolphins need to find ways to save money, and letting go of Hill is one potential path. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, releasing Hill before June 1 would save the Dolphins $23.65 million against their cap space. If the Dolphins were to release him post-June 1 date, they would save $36 million for the 2026 season. Hill is currently recovering from a season-ending knee injury that he suffered in Week 4. Before his injury, Hill averaged a solid 13.6 PPR points over the first three games of the campaign. He found the back of the end zone once and totaled over 100 yards back in Week 2. He enjoyed a dominant stretch with the Dolphins in 2022 and 2023, when he eclipsed 1,700 yards and caught 119 passes in each season. It's unclear how Hill will play following his serious injury, so cutting him might be the best route for this organization. Jaylen Waddle figures to remain the long-term WR1 in Miami, given that the team extended him to a three-year contract in May 2024.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Michael Carter has Interesting Streaming Appeal
Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter is expected to be the lead back heading into the Week 16 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. The Cardinals' backfield has been strung by the injury bug this season. The latest player to fall was Bam Knight (knee), who was placed on the injured reserve after exiting last week's game with a knee injury. Now, Carter figures to take over as the lead back for the final few games of the regular season while Emari Demercado is set to operate as the No. 2 option. Last week, Carter rushed the ball 14 times for 56 yards, while hauling in four receptions for 38 additional yards through the air in the loss to the Houston Texans in relief of Knight. Carter has a decent matchup in Week 16 against an Atlanta Falcons defense that ranks in the middle of the pack in terms of points allowed to RBs. The assumption is that Carter will see a large enough workload to offer RB2 value in all formats for this Week 16 contest.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Ameer Abdullah Should Stay Involved in Week 16
Indianapolis Colts running back Ameer Abdullah saw his highest usage of the season during last week's loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Abdullah was basically a non-factor all season until getting nine touches in last week's defeat. Adbullah rushed the ball four times for 15 yards, while hauling in five receptions for 32 additional yards through the air. It appears Abdullah is going to benefit by having Philip Rivers under center in Indy, as the veteran QB looked his way quite often in the short passing game. Given his success last week, the Colts are likely going to continue using Adbullah in short-yardage situations as a check-down option for Rivers. There could be some flex appeal in deep PPR leagues for Abdullah ahead of this Monday Night matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, given that they allowed Tony Pollard to total 18.2 PPR points last week.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Tyler Warren Eyeing Bounce Back in Week 16
Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren has been in a slump over the last few weeks, falling under the 5.0 PPR point mark in each contest. Over the last three games, Warren has finished with 22 yards or fewer in every contest, but did manage to find the back of the end zone in Week 13, which salvaged his fantasy day. The change to 44-year-old Philip Rivers at quarterback doesn't seem to be doing this passing attack any favors, as he only caught three passes for 19 yards in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks. Warren has seen six targets in two straight games, so the target share remains high, but his production has remained low. He'll head into a plus-matchup against the San Francisco 49ers defense in Week 16, facing a defense that has allowed nine touchdowns to opposing tight ends this season. Warren has enough upside to be plugged in as a low-end TE1 for this Monday Night matchup in 12-team formats.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Woody Marks Plans to Play Against Raiders in Week 16
Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (ankle) plans to play in Sunday's Week 16 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. The rookie, who had been listed as questionable after upgrading to a limited participant in practice on Friday, will undergo a series of pregame workouts to confirm his availability. Suiting up on Sunday would be an impressive development for Marks, who didn't practice at all on Wednesday or Thursday. If active, though, he'll immediately slot into the RB2 tier for fantasy football. He has 314 rushing yards over his last five healthy games and is facing off against a Vegas defense that has surrendered the eighth-most fantasy points to running backs in 2025.
Source: Aaron Wilson
Source: Aaron Wilson
Kyle Hamilton Trending Toward Playing Against Patriots
Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (ankle) is trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday Night Football against the New England Patriots in Week 16. According to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, Hamilton "is more likely to play than not." The 24-year-old had been listed as questionable and will work out pregame to gain more clarity on whether he'll be able to suit up. He has been productive in his fourth NFL season, amassing 87 tackles, one sack, and two forced fumbles over the course of 13 games. The Ravens' list of inactive players will be published around 6:50 p.m. EST on Sunday evening.
Source: Ian Rapoport
Source: Ian Rapoport
Tyrod Taylor Will Back Up Rookie Quarterback in Week 16
New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor (groin, knee) is expected to be active for Sunday's Week 16 contest against the New Orleans Saints, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the right direction after logging a full practice. With Justin Fields (knee) not expected to suit up, Taylor will slot into the backup role behind Brady Cook. By playing Cook over Taylor, the eliminated Jets are exploring their future at quarterback. It's unlikely Cook is the long-term answer, but he could offer depth or perhaps even a bridge to another quarterback in 2026. In the short-term, he ranks as RotoBaller's QB29 for fantasy football in Week 16.
Source: Ian Rapoport
Source: Ian Rapoport
T.J. Watt Won't Play in Week 16, Could Miss Additional Time
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (lung) has been ruled out for Sunday's Week 16 contest against the Detroit Lions, and he could miss additional time beyond this week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Watt is headed for his second consecutive absence after a scary situation in which he was hospitalized with a partially collapsed lung. The defensive superstar is prioritizing his health and acknowledges that returning to play is far less important than getting healthy. Watt is due for more medical evaluation next week, and while a Week 17 return remains possible, it's far from certain. Pittsburgh will welcome him back with open arms whenever possible, as he terrorized opposing offenses with 53 tackles, seven sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one interception through 13 games.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Christian Kirk Expected to Play Against the Raiders on Sunday
Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk (illness) is expected to play in Sunday's Week 16 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders despite being listed as questionable, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Kirk has appeared in 10 games this season, catching an underwhelming 22 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown. He has just one catch over his last three contests, and he remains buried on the depth chart behind Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins. Kirk can be benched or left on waivers in most redraft formats.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Nick Chubb Expected to Play vs. Raiders in Week 16
Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb (ribs) is expected to play in Sunday's Week 16 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the right direction after logging back-to-back full practice sessions. The veteran ball-carrier should remain in the backup running back role this week, but he could see a slight increase in snaps if Woody Marks (ankle, questionable) is less than 100 percent. Of course, the Texans also have solid depth outside of Marks and Chubb. Dare Ogunbowale is a longtime depth piece who has flashed upside, and second-year back Jawhar Jordan broke out with 118 scrimmage yards on 17 touches last week. As a result, Chubb ranks outside the top 36 fantasy running backs for Week 16.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
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