X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 16 Championship Rankings & Matchups Analysis (Standard & PPR)

What's up RotoBallers. Week 15 is complete and we hope you managed to secure a win and make it into the championships. To celebrate, today we are bringing you our Week 16 fantasy football playoff championship rankings to help prepare you for your Week 16 playoff matchups.

Below you will find both PPR rankings and standard league rankings for Week 16, brought to you by Zach Wilkens (@LopsidedTrades) and Edward Gorelik (@EdwardGorelik). Lead fantasy football columnist Edward Gorelik also highlights some rankings analysis for the Week 16 playoffs, broken out by position, and draws some matchup conclusions. He tells you who he likes, who he doesn't, and most importantly who he thinks you should be starting in Week 16.

You can also check out our 2015 fantasy football ranking dashboard, for more in depth rankings analysis on all positions including rookies and dynasty leagues.

Rankings are subject to change leading up to the games, but the analysis written might not.

 

Week 16 Fantasy Football Championship Rankings



powered by FantasyPros

 
 

Week 16 Quarterback (QB) Rankings Analysis

By Edward Gorelik (@Edward Gorelik)

Blake Bortles is set to face everyone's favorite defense this week, the New Orleans Saints. Regardless of whether the Saints sit at home or on the road, their defense has been completely unreliable this year - it's given up at least eight top 12 performances. The worst of these all came at home (vs NYG, TEN, and CAR). Bortles and his receivers should be able to feast.

Kirk Cousins is heading on the road to face the Eagles, another one of the season's worst QB defenses. With the Redskins still sitting in the front seat of playoff contention, they'll be trying to put the Eagles down and keep the Eagles down in what's likely to be a very competitive divisional game.

Ryan Fitzpatrick didn't have a lot of success on the road against the Cowboys, but against the Patriots at home he should be able to pull out a much better fantasy day. Fighting for a playoff spot, expect the Jets to put up a big fight against the Patriots.

An Odell Beckham-less Eli Manning is going to fall heavily in the rankings. There's just no way around it. Despite facing what may end up being a depleted Vikings defense, it's nearly impossible for the Giants to expect the same kind of offensive production without Beckham in the lineup. If his appeal goes through, Eli will climb back up in the rankings.

 

Week 16 Running Back (RB) Playoff Rankings Analysis

By Edward Gorelik (@Edward Gorelik)

Todd Gurley against the Seahawks is a tough buy. Although he's still expected to be startable just because of the volume, Gurley has yet to become matchup proof because the Rams are just not a very good team.

Gurley is likely to see another night like he did against Tampa Bay, racking up ~80 yards and hopefully a touchdown to go along with it. However with the way the Seahawks have been scoring, there's a chance he might have another low carry night if the Rams see the game fall through their hands early on.

The return of Spencer Ware is expected this week, meaning Charcandrick West will be seeing a huge downgrade. Ware operated as the goal line back when the two were active earlier this year, and likely will remain the goal line back this week removing much of West's upside. However, they're playing a horrible Cleveland defense which leaves room for both to still be startable.

Lamar Miller's ranking should fluctuate leading up to Sunday, as news of his potential injury and everything else related to Jay Ajayi comes out. With the way the Dolphins have been using Miller, it wouldn't be surprising if they decided to just play Ajayi over him at this point and look to the future. Miller is a risky, high upside play at home against the Colts.

Denard Robinson's ranking is also one that's subject to change as news comes out. Against the Saints, he should be an easy plug-and-play RB1 - but dealing with injury, and a potential the return of T.J. Yeldon, might change that.

Danny Woodhead might be able to carry his momentum from last week over to this week when he faces the Raiders on Sunday. With few other targets to throw to on this offense, and the Raiders giving up the 12th most receiving yards to running backs, Woodhead seems poised to be another strong RB2 in PPR and standard scoring leagues.

 

Week 16 Wide Receiver (WR) Playoff Rankings Analysis

By Edward Gorelik (@Edward Gorelik)

Bill Belichick is generally very good at removing the opposing team's top receiving threats from games. We've seen it happen plenty of times this year, where the only thing that saves those top options are big plays or random touchdowns. Brandon Marshall was held to his worst game by Belichick earlier this year, and he'll be trying to replicate it this week.

Even though Odell Beckham proved that anybody can be beat last week, as he scored a touchdown over Josh Norman (and almost another, that he dropped), Julio Jones has already seen his stats take a huge fall when facing Norman earlier this year.

Julio will still be startable this weekend, since the Falcons have no one else to throw to. The Falcons also try their hardest to make sure Julio stays away from Norman by placing him in the slot, where Norman doesn't follow. Julio moves down to a low end WR1 like Marshall.

Whoever Brandin Cooks was in the early season is not who he is now. Cooks now averages 14 standard points per game when playing at home, and has seen great games even against some very tough matchups (against corners like Josh Norman and Darius Slay).

All the hype that Cooks had going into the season has finally started to materialize just when it matters most. He should be expected to keep up his fantasy relevance against the Jaguars, who allow an average of 80 yards per game to opposing WR1s and have allowed a 100 yard game to opposing WR1s in each of the last three weeks.

DeSean Jackson will be returning to play the Eagles this week in his second revenge game against them in their stadium. With Kirk Cousins playing his best ball right now, and the Eagles defense playing it's worst, a WR1 week is not out of the question for DeSean.

Amari Cooper had a great game against the backup corner for the Packers, but now he'll be facing Jason Verett this week who is amongst the leagues top corners (believe it or not). Verett has held opposing WR1s to below-league-average yardage all season, with only 67 yards allowed on average per game. Cooper, playing Thursday night, is looking like a risky FLEX play.

 

Week 16 Tight End (TE) Playoff Rankings Analysis

By Edward Gorelik (@Edward Gorelik)

New Orleans has allowed the most points to tight ends on the season. Julius Thomas, who's really come on in the last five weeks, should be seeing a high-end TE1 type of week against one of the league's worst defenses.

Antonio Gates should also continue to bounce back as he ends the championship week facing the Raiders, a team that's been shredded all year by tight ends. Gates, one of Rivers' only healthy targets, should be in line for at least eight targets.

Both Zach Miller and Will Tye enter this week as potential TE1s due to offensive necessity. With Alshon Jeffery and OBJ both potentially sitting out for their games, each of them will have to take on a bigger role - both are likely to see many more throws in their direction than normal, against what should be some light coverage.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Scottie Scheffler

The Untouchable Favorite At CJ Cup
Tom Kim

A Popular Name To Avoid At TPC Craig Ranch
Austin Eckroat

Looking To Find Success Again At TPC Craig Ranch
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied For 59 At Corales Puntacana Championship
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For Second At Corales Puntacana Championship
Beau Hossler

Finishes Tied For 60 At Valero Texas Open
Doug Ghim

Finishes Tied For 18 At the Valero Texas Open
Jordan Spieth

Finishes Tied For 18 At RBC Heritage
Kurt Kitayama

Misses The Cut At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For Eighth At RBC Heritage
George Kirby

"Feeling Great", Could Throw Again On Sunday
Tyler Fitzgerald

Returning To Starting Nine
Josh Lowe

Progressing Well, Could Play In Rehab Games On Saturday
Shane McClanahan

Begins "Throwing-Like" Activities
Patrik Laine

Remains Day-To-Day
Gabriel Vilardi

On Track To Return Wednesday
Brandon Hagel

Ruled Out For Game 5
Marcus Johansson

Returns To Action Tuesday
Cole Ragans

Won't Start On Wednesday
Dylan Moore

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Hip Inflammation
Jonas Siegenthaler

Considered A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Brett Pesce

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Back In Tuesday's Lineup
Frederik Andersen

Unavailable Tuesday
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
Las Vegas Raiders

Jack Bech A Strong Candidate To Be An Immediate Starter
Las Vegas Raiders

Zamir White Competing For Depth Role
New York Jets

Mason Taylor To Immediately Be Atop Jets Tight End Depth Chart
Bennedict Mathurin

Cleared For Game 5
Buffalo Bills

Dalton Kincaid Setting Up As Post-Hype Sleeper In 2025?
Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold To Take Over 90% Of The Snaps
Tennessee Titans

Titans In No Rush To Trade Will Levis
Daulton Varsho

Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Tuesday
Minnesota Vikings

J.J. McCarthy Says He Knows He's Ready To Start For Vikings
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Picking Up Fifth-Year Option On Dax Hill
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To J.K. Dobbins
Seattle Seahawks

Jaren Hall Cut Loose By Seahawks
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Compare Josh Simmons To Christian Darrisaw, Rashawn Slater
Denver Broncos

Pat Bryant Compared To Michael Thomas
Denver Broncos

RJ Harvey Could Do It All For Broncos
Carolina Panthers

Tetairoa McMillan Likely To Man The X Spot For Panthers
Green Bay Packers

Packers, Jaire Alexander Continue To Discuss Potential Reunion
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Discussed George Pickens With Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs To Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis
Washington Commanders

Matt Gays Signs One-Year Deal With Commanders
San Francisco 49ers

George Kittle Signs Four-Year Extension With 49ers
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Records Third Consecutive Double-Double
Brandin Podziemski

Hits Six Treys During 26-Point Performance
Jimmy Butler III

Leads Warriors In Scoring Monday Night
Jarrett Allen

Has Double-Double, Six Steals In Blowout Win
Brandon Boston Jr.

Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Kelly Olynyk

Undergoes Heel Procedure
Aaron Nesmith

Probable For Tuesday's Action
Nathan MacKinnon

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Martin Necas

Records Two Assists In Game 5 Loss
Mikko Rantanen

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
Wyatt Johnston

Leads Stars To Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Returns To Winning Ways
Anton Lundell

Earns Two Points Monday
Ryan Gerard

Going For A Texas Trifecta Of Sorts
Brandon Hagel

Departs Loss Early
Joe Highsmith

Hoping To Make More Putts In Texas
Eric Cole

Expecting Big Things In Texas
Brian Campbell

May Go Under The Radar At CJ Cup
Riley Greene

Homers Twice On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Los Angeles Chargers

Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Brandon Nimmo

Has Career Game
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Tyler Glasnow

Going On The Injured List
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
Jrue Holiday

Out Again On Tuesday Night
Bennedict Mathurin

Questionable For Game 5
Damian Lillard

May Not Play Next Season
Luis Arraez

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Johnathan Kovacevic

To Remain Out Tuesday
Brenden Dillon

Unavailable Tuesday
Luke Hughes

Not Ready To Return For Game 5
Darius Garland

Remains Out On Monday
Ross Colton

Remains Out On Monday
Oskar Bäck

Oskar Back Returns To Stars Lineup Monday
Miro Heiskanen

To Miss Game 5
Jordan Westburg

Placed On Injured List
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go For Game 4
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Joe Ryan

Posts Stellar Outing
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Nick Lodolo

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Tyler Glasnow

Removed Early On Sunday
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Tarik Skubal

Racks Up 11 Strikeouts
Luke Weaver

In Line To Get The Bulk Of Save Opportunities Moving Forward
Devin Williams

Removed From Closer Role
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Austin Hays

Smacks Two Homers On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF