Make sure to set your lineups for the fantasy football finals.
Below are some good plays for this week, as well as some other NFL players you should consider avoiding based on matchups, injuries and trends.
If you need a streaming option or injury fill-in, check out Week 16 waiver wire pickups.
Who to Start
— Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Houston Texans (WR): Some owners might shy away from starting Winston in the finals this week in light of his thumb injury and the loss of three of his receivers, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Scotty Miller. He was still able to record his second consecutive 450-yard, four-touchdown game by leaning heavily on Breshad Perriman, who caught five of six targets for 113 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday. Winston ranks first the league in passing yards, second in touchdowns and first in interceptions. He should have another top-tier QB1 day against Houston’s defense that has given up the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
— Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys (RB): Sanders has been the workhorse back since Jordan Howard was sidelined with a shoulder injury since the team’s Week 10 bye. He has had at least 10 attempts in each of the past six games and had breakout performance last Sunday. Sanders had 19 rushing attempts for 122 yards and a rushing touchdown. Sanders also caught six passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. Howard still has not been cleared for contact, making Sanders a high-end RB2.
— Adrian Peterson, Washington Redskins vs. New York Giants (RB): Peterson took back the feature role in the Redskins’ offense in Week 14 after Derrius Guice was placed on injured reserve. He has scored in three straight games, and in Week 15 he had 16 attempts for 66 yards and a touchdown while Chris Thompson and Josh Ferguson combined for just five touches. Peterson’s volume and recent hot streak make him a safe RB2 play this week.
— A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans vs. New Orleans Saints (WR): Brown has put up huge numbers in three of the past four games and appears to be Ryan Tannehill’s preferred target. He caught eight of 13 targets for 114 yards and a touchdown against the Texans on Sunday, while Corey Davis, Tajae Sharpe and Kalif Raymond combined for 10 total targets. He has WR1 upside against the Saints this week as the Titans battle for the second AFC wild-card spot.
— Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders (WR): Williams had another solid game against the Vikings in Week 15 and caught four of nine targets for 71 yards and a touchdown. He gets another plush matchup against the Raiders, who are struggling against outside receivers.
— Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers (TE): Higbee led the team in receiving with 12 catches on 14 targets for 111 yards against the Cowboys. He has at least 100 yards in each of the past three games with Gerald Everett out with a knee injury. The 49ers are tough against tight ends, but Higbee should still tally mid-tier TE1 numbers as Jared Goff’s favorite weapon of late.
— Indianapolis Colts D/ST vs. Carolina Panthers: The Kyle Allen Experiment is over, at least for now, as Allen has 15 interceptions since Week 8. The Colts will have the opportunity to feast on rookie Will Grier, a third-round pick from West Virginia, who was named the starter for Week 16.
Who to Sit
— Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams (QB): A streaky Garoppolo struggled in the team’s upset loss to Atlanta last week and completed 22 of 34 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown. Don’t mortgage your fantasy football championship hopes on Garoppolo against a motivated Rams defense.
— LeSean McCoy, Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears (RB): The Chiefs backfield is a three-headed mess, as no single talent has emerged to fill the void Damien Williams (ribs, illness) left. McCoy had the fewest touches in Week 15 behind both Darwin Thompson and Spencer Ware. He falls out of flex consideration in Chicago this week with heavy competition for touches.
— Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots (RB): Buffalo has featured Singletary heavily since the rookie returned from a hamstring injury. He had 21 attempts for 87 yards last week, but faces his toughest adversary to date this week. Expect RB3 numbers against the Patriots, who are allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to running backs this year.
— Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens (WR): It’s been quite a fall from grace for the former Giants receiver who was drafted in the first round of many fantasy leagues. A disgruntled Beckham has scored in just two games this year and has been eclipsed for the most part by fellow wideout Jarvis Landry. He is still being targeted heavily, but failed to capitalize on an easy Week 15 matchup in Arizona. He is also dealing with a groin injury, making him a boom-or-bust flex option this week against the Ravens.
— Julian Edelman, New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills (WR): Edelman somehow had his worst fantasy performance of the year last week against the Bengals and caught two of five targets for nine yards. The hobbled Patriots receiver has been battling knee and shoulder injuries all year and enters Week 16 with a questionable tag yet again. Temper expectations this week, especially if shutdown cornerback Tre’Davious White covers him.
— Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers at Indianapolis Colts (TE): This will be Olsen’s first game back since suffering a concussion in Week 13. Backup Ian Thomas did a nice job of filling in, and will probably continue to see targets. Olsen has not scored since Week 3, and will have to quickly adapt to catching passes from Grier. He is a touchdown-dependent TE2 with a low floor this week in Indianapolis.
— Chicago Bears D/ST vs. Kansas City Chiefs: The Chicago defense was quiet in Week 15 and recorded one sack and zero turnovers against the Packers. Overall, the unit has been a disappointment for fantasy this season. Expect the struggles to continue as they face off against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.