FantasyDraft NFL: Week 16 Picks

FantasyDraft NFL: Week 16 Picks

This article is part of our FantasyDraft NFL series.

Thursday Night Football is no longer, but that doesn't mean the schedule looks normal in Week 16. Outside of the usual Sunday games, there are two on Saturday and two on Monday. That makes way for three fully separate daily games at FantasyDraft, a different one taking place each day (in addition to multiple Sunday slates).

With two games on Saturday, the options are limited so picking a couple upside plays is the best bet. Case Keenum ($12,000) and Joe Flacco ($11,200) are the clear choices at quarterback. I'd roll with Flacco in order to stack up on the more expensive running backs (Alex Collins, $12,300) and wide receivers (Adam Thielen, $14,300). Mike Wallace ($9,900) is a logical choice to go with Flacco, especially with Jeremy Maclin doubtful. For a gamble, T.Y. Hilton ($11,300) fits the bill against a secondary without Jimmy Smith. I'm not saying Hilton will go off, but he has more upside than most.

For Monday, I'd be willing to bet on Nick Foles ($12,900) over Ben Roethlisberger ($13,800). Outside of Le'Veon Bell ($19,000), it's a mess at running back. I'd lean to Jay Ajayi ($10,800), who could have his best game as an Eagle against the Raiders defense. Also, I'm leaning toward a Philly blowout. DeAndre Hopkins ($15,900) needs to be on every squad for Monday's games with Martavis Bryant ($12,000) the better play over JuJu Smith-Schuster ($13,900) if you need to save money.

Onto Sunday…

QUARTERBACK

Russell Wilson, SEA at DAL ($13,400): There's still a slight chance the Seahawks can make the playoffs so Wilson won't be shut down yet. He's been the most consistent fantasy quarterback in the league this season, mostly because of his team-high 521 rushing yards. The Cowboys have the weakest defense Wilson has faced since Week 12 against the 49ers. Either way, Wilson has hit 19 fantasy points in eight of the last nine games. The last time Dallas faced a top pass attack that wasn't hampered by injuries was the game against the Chargers in which Philip Rivers threw for 434 yards.

RUNNING BACK

Alvin Kamara, NO vs. ATL ($16,900): I went big on my running backs last week and that went to perfection. Kamara gets the nod over Todd Gurley because of the matchup. The Falcons rank 30th in rush defense (according to Football Outsiders' DVOA) and probably won't stop Kamara and Mark Ingram. Look for the Saints to bounce back with a healthy Kamara, who has at least 20 fantasy points in the last six games that he's finished. Even in a down performance against the Jets last week, Kamara hit 10 fantasy points with ease, recording six receptions for 45 yards in addition to 44 yards on the ground.

Kareem Hunt, KC vs. MIA ($14,400): Kansas City's use of Hunt hasn't made much sense this season, but he's getting the ball again and that's all that matters. Hunt has at least 28 touches in the last two games and that's coincided with two wins. Against a team that was knocked all but out of the playoffs last week in the Dolphins, look for the Chiefs to control this game behind Hunt.

WIDE RECEIVER

Doug Baldwin, SEA at DAL ($11,100): If I'm going all in on Wilson, might as well roll with Baldwin too. It hasn't been a great season for the wide receiver with Wilson spreading the ball around more than ever. Baldwin hasn't reached 17 fantasy points since Week 9 and a lot of that can be attributed to facing defenses with good fronts. The Cowboys rank in the middle in terms of getting to the quarterback and that should lead to slightly more time for Wilson and hopefully more looks for Baldwin. Baldwin has a low floor after one catch last week, but I'm willing to bet that will change with this matchup.

Jarvis Landry, MIA at KC ($11,000): Whereas Baldwin provides the upside, Landry is here for consistency. He's had at least five catches in every game this season and while the Dolphins aren't playing for much, that doesn't mean they'll stop throwing to Landry. Marcus Peters played great last week for KC, but I'm not sure he'll be the one to cover Landry.

TIGHT END

Eric Ebron, DET at CIN ($7,000): I can't believe I'm considering Ebron in DFS, but that's where we are. He has at least four catches in the last five games and 18 targets in the last two. The Bengals rank 30th in DVOA against tight ends and I'll hope Ebron can capitalize yet again, still with hopes of getting a big contract in the offseason.

FLEX

Dion Lewis, NE vs. BUF ($10,500): I have a feeling a lot of people will be on Lewis this week and for good reason. With Rex Burkhead out, Lewis could be in for more work. Even if Mike Gillislee is active, Lewis has reached nine fantasy points in the last six games, keeping his floor at a nice level. Lewis ran for 92 yards in the first meeting with the Bills and if he can top that and maybe reach the end zone or add some receptions, that's good enough at this price.

Keelan Cole, JAX at SF ($8,700): This is called taking a chance on a guy that is on fire. Cole has three touchdowns in the last three games and played a huge role last week (seven receptions, 186 yards) after Marqise Lee went down. While he probably won't have another 150-yard performance, Cole should at least get targets against a defense that ranks 31st in DVOA against the pass. Cole's upside outweighs anyone else in the price range.

DEFENSE

Detroit Lions at CIN ($5,700): I decided to save a few bucks on defense to go against a team that has given up on the season. The Bengals have scored just 14 points total in the last two weeks and face a Detroit team that needs to keep winning. The Lions also have five sacks and five interceptions in the last two weeks and have the tools to lock down A.J. Green with Darius Slay playing like one of the best in the game (Lions rank No. 3 against No. 1 WRs, per DVOA).

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Adam Zdroik plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: zdroik, DraftKings: rotozdroik, Yahoo: StreakMaster.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adam Zdroik
Adam, a 2019, 2018 and 2017 Finalist for FSWA's Soccer Writer of the Year, is RotoWire's soccer editor. He also runs RotoWire's Bracketology, as well as writes on other various college basketball content. He has previously worked at ESPN and Sporting Kansas City, and he is a former Streak for the Cash winner and Michigan State graduate.
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