For nearly four months, you’ve been grinding, drafting, trading, and working the waiver wire to build the perfect fantasy roster.
If you’re here, you’re playing for a league title. And if you’re here, chances are you’re still navigating a minefield of injuries or staring down a brutal start-sit decision between a few key players.
We can admit it, we had a down week last week. Sam Darnold failed to record a touchdown in an odd defensive battle in Indianapolis. Kyle Monangai received his fewest amount of carries since Week 10. The Panthers’ defense clamped down on tight end Juwan Johnson and didn’t allow him to have a repeat performance against them.
But maybe you got obliterated by Trevor Lawrence or Kyle Pitts, and it didn’t matter!
No matter what you’re searching for and why it brought you here, make your tough decision with confidence. Don’t go home because you were scared to make a big move with a fantasy title in striking distance.
Let’s go out and play to make it one more week.
Editor’s Note: These fantasy football Week 16 sleepers rank Tier 4 or lower on The Wolf’s Week 16 Rankings.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 16 SLEEPERS
Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints
Vs New York Jets
Three hundred and eighty-one total yards and six touchdowns is what Trevor Lawrence put up against the Jets in the fantasy wild card round. Now, New Orleans – which is playing like it doesn’t care about draft position and just wants to win – faces this atrocious defense (and all-around team) at home.
The Saints are on a two-game win streak, doubling their win total for the entire season in this stretch.
Tyler Shough’s options are not flashy, and the Saints are down to their fourth and fifth-string backs after Devin Neal (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve and Alvin Kamara (MCL) will miss a fourth consecutive game.
But now-starter Audric Estime had as many catches as he did rushes in injury time last week. He will enter as a reliable pass-catching option.
Streaming a quarterback in the fantasy semifinals is probably dumb. But we understand the pile-up of injuries, most recently with Patrick Mahomes.
You may not want a streamer in Week 16, but you want Shough more than guys like Gardner Minshew and Marcus Mariota.
Shough ranks in Tier 4 (QB 19) on The Wolf’s Week 16 Rankings.
Rico Dowdle, RB, Carolina Panthers
Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
He’s not running for 200 yards per game right now like he did during the first third of the year, but he has been one of the most consistent running backs since Week 10.
Aside from San Francisco, Rico Dowdle has 18, 19, 18 and 16 carries, respectively, signaling the Panthers’ continued confidence in the role he plays in the offense.
Maybe The Wolf struggled elevating Dowdle because of his middle-of-the-road yardage as of late, but Tampa Bay allows the tenth-most points to running backs.
Carolina will likely use both him and Chuba Hubbard, regardless of the game script.
Dowdle ranks in Tier 4 (RB 24) on The Wolf’s Week 16 Rankings.
Adonai Mitchell, WR, New York Jets
@ New Orleans Saints
Adonai Mitchell is averaging nine targets per game across the last three weeks and should not slow down in a toss-up game against the Saints.
No. 3 quarterback Brady Cook, who will again start for New York, is finding a rhythm with Mitchell. Mitchell is also averaging just about double-digit yards per catch in every game so far since being sent from Indianapolis to the Big Apple.
He also has two touchdowns in the last three weeks, separating his ceiling from likely other free agents.
Mitchell ranks in Tier 5 (WR 34) on The Wolf’s Week 16 Rankings.
Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers
Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ayo, another Panther.
While Tetairoa McMillan is heading into Sunday’s division-leading game without an injury designation, I like how much quarterback Bryce Young is looking for Jalen Coker in recent weeks.
Coker has a touchdown and at least 60 yards in each of his last two games and has caught all 10 of his targets across that span.
The Bucs are in the middle of the pack in terms of wide receiver defense, but in what could be a shootout, either Jamel Dean or Yaya Diaby cannot stray from McMillan. While the other likely floats in coverage to include Coker, multiple guys will be tasked to guard him.
One of those players will likely be backup safety Christian Izien in place of injured starter Tykee Smith.
The run game will make Tampa Bay add an extra man to the box, further helping the case for Coker.
Aside from McMillan, Coker is the most productive Panther target for Young.
Coker ranks in Tier 5 (WR 38) on The Wolf’s Week 16 Rankings.
Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears
Vs Green Bay Packers
Roto Street Journal wants to preface this choice that it believes Colston Loveland needs a touchdown to be start-worthy.
Loveland scored a touchdown against the Packers just two weeks ago, and while he was targeted five times, finished with only 29 yards.
However, both wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III are out, leaving more targets up for grabs. Starting tight end Cole Kmet (ankle) is also questionable.
Chicago will need Loveland to pick up his third touchdown in five games, and he should be the No. 2 or 3 receiving option in a game the Bears may find themselves in catch-up mode in.
The Bears were bounced from the No. 1 overall NFC seed after the Week 14 loss, and a revenge game is always good for fantasy points.
Loveland ranks in Tier 4 (TE 8) on The Wolf’s Week 16 Rankings.
