During the very important Week 15 of the fantasy football season, some managers were very happy when they advanced to their league championships, while some were left with strong defeats and now have to restore and find out what has failed, as now the low season begins. The difference between these managers? He realized the importance of more confrontations with the poor. Some of these clashes were easy to spot, such as Jalen Hurts, JD McKissic and Corey Davis. They were all considered capable beginners of the week and arrived during the strictest time for managers who pulled the trigger when starting them. But then you have those hard-to-play names on the bench that stay in the custom lineups and that were albatrosses at week 15 (Russell Wilson, Miles Sanders, DK Metcalf), leaving managers out of the title games. Talk about how difficult it can sometimes be to manage this fantasy game. We all tend to focus on the big names and not debate even once to remove them from the formations. When in fact the recession in production and confrontations should be very important at this crucial time.
That’s what needs to be kept in mind for managers who are still alive in the pursuit of the Week 16 championship. Throw in everything you know, sit back and watch the clashes ahead of this week’s matches. The defenses of the last four to five games in terms of what they allow are sometimes not the same as the spectrum of their current numbers. Look at teams like Seahawks and Falcons. Both were extremely bad units during the early stages of the season. So bad that these figures distort them so that they are seen as defenses that still don’t work well for fantasy managers. While in recent games, these numbers tell a completely different story, making them teams to shun in a confrontational perspective. With everything online for managers in a championship, it’s key to use a broader scope to determine your initial training. Cases can be made and will sit with the typical bolt in favor of a smaller name. Using the “He brought me this far, I could only stay with him” mentality can only cause disappointment and leave the 2020 season empty-handed.
With all these pieces on the move, fantasy managers need to rely more than ever on confrontation decisions. This is what we do here for you with the Woos and Boos of Week 16. Woo the players who are normally under the radar, but who could shine with more confrontations. Although we boo them the beginners of each week we could set up to disappoint as they face difficult situations. With these games also falling during the Christmas holidays, I also wanted to put some festive spirit into them. Let’s see the players on my “Naughty or Nice” list for these Week 16 clashes.
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Week 16 Woos (Nice)
Baker Mayfield @ New York Jets
Don’t look now, but Mayfield has been on fire the last three games with a QB1 final in every competition. With the playoffs seeming a possibility for the Browns, the offense has been finding its way. Mayfield in the season among the top 5 finishers in Total QBR (76.8), 10th in yards per attempt (7.6) and 11th in completed airfields (1,990). This trend should continue to improve in Week 16 against a Jets secondary that is one of the worst in the DVOA Pass (25.0%) of the season. And over the last four games, they have ceded 22.39 FPPGs to opposing QBs. Things are well aligned for Mayfield in this showdown and should be considered a low-end QB1 that you could start with if you have some skin.
Leonard Fournette @ Detroit Lions
Now that Ronald Jones has been ruled out again, things couldn’t be better for Fournette in a crucial game for fantasy managers. Seeing the full workload at week 15, Fournette paid the executives with an RB1 finish with his performance on two touchdowns against a tough Falcons defense. Over the season, splitting time with Jones has been a bit disappointing as the numbers have been inconsistent. Until last week, he had only three scores in the season and still has only 320 running yards and 187 receiving his recognition. He should improve a lot on those numbers in week 16 against a Lions defense that gives up 137.3 per game on the field and is one of the worst in the league at Run DVOA (1.1%). If you’ve held on for so long as a coach, congratulations because he should be easily in your lineups during championship week.
Michael Gallup vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Call this my long trip of the week, as Gallup could be a stealthy start in this showdown against the Eagles. Although the goals and yards have not been consistent all season, he has found the final zone in two of his last three games. His efficiency in the season has been horrible as he is second in the league in races (542), but ranks 33rd in goals (90) and 40th in receptions (49). But why the good feeling of the match? In the week 8 game, he got seven receptions on 12 goals, so he was used. Also, over the past four games, the Eagles high school has been one of the worst in the league in points allowed for the position (45.80 FPPG). With Darius Slay closed out in the match against Amari Cooper, Gallup will have mostly unique coverage and perhaps a red zone goal or two. It could be seen as a WR3 at Week 16 and could be played in its starting lineup above players with tougher clashes.
Tyler Higbee @ Seattle Seahawks
It’s the end of the season, so that means it must be Tyler Higbee’s production moment, right? He has found the final zone in two in his last three games and has provided TE1 production during this period. And while Jared Goff has seen him play up and down himself, he seems to trust Higbee in tough places. Facing the Seahawks defense in Week 16 will be difficult for outside receivers, but in terms of tight end position, they have been one of the worst in the last four games, giving up 17.08 FPPG. If you need a streamer this week, Higbee could be your lock type as a boot option.
Week 16 Boos
Russell Wilson vs. Los Angeles Rams
How the powerful have fallen could be the term used by Russell Wilson during the second half of the fantasy season. As of week 10, he only has two QB1 finishes, as managers have continued to keep him hooked on the starting lineups based on the talent surrounding him. But now, with the championships on the line, it may be time to make the tough decision to replace Wilson. Given his game over the past few weeks, facing the Rams defense should be proof enough. But that defense has been one of the best in the league and, over the past four games, has allowed just 11.08 FPPG in the QB with a DVOA Pass -10.0%. It’s hard to say, but there are plenty of other options to pivot this week to get started with Wilson again, as he’s severely disappointed in this game.
Josh Jacobs vs. Miami Dolphins
After a very solid game in Week 15 (RB11), many managers will see Jacobs in an extremely positive light towards Week 16. He ranks among the top places in the league in all key categories. He is third in runs (245), sixth in yards (906) and fifth in scoring (10 total TD). But this week he faces a very tough test in a strong Dolphins defense that has been the best in the league for the past four games (14.30 FPPG). Now I don’t advocate Jacobs putting himself on the bench this week, but with temperate expectations, he should be seen as a value of RB2 more than an RB1 who doesn’t care.
Brandin Cooks vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Having been a strong starting option for much of the 2020 season, Cooks has fallen tremendously since Will Fuller’s suspension. Receptions and the yard have been constant, but he has failed to beat the WR28s in the last five games. In the void, if you look at the Bengals defense, this showdown looks like one to attack, as it ranks down in allowed points with 35.7 FPPG. But over the last four games, that number has dropped to 24.35 FPPG, ranking as the third best in the league. Along with the clash against William Jackson as cover, Cooks is a receiver that should be seen as a tough start to Week 16.
Evan Engram vs. Baltimore Ravens
With the quarterback carousel that has been happening with the Giants, Engram has made an act that disappears at the worst time for fantasy managers. He has only 10 receptions in the last three games and has not scored a TD since week 9. Although he still ranks high in goals (95) and recipes (54) they may contribute more to the lack of value of quality in position like a hole. Now, around Week 16, he faces another tough test against a Ravens Defense that allows only 11.00 FPPG to TE over the last four games. Also, no TE has found the final area during this stretch marking Engram as a long throw to do the same. With other options available to play during the week, Engram could be safely put in the bank.
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