Week #16 of the NFL season—the second to last game of the regular season game of the year—is here. We have all of the information that you need to put together a strong daily fantasy football team here, especially if you are considering some of the top players at each of the major three positions.
Quarterbacks to Start
Drew Brees: Brees has shown several brilliant games so far this season, and last week was one of his best. He is averaging 325.6 yards per game and has 34 touchdowns so far this season. There are two reasons why you should avoid Brees this weekend, though. One, Brees has had a few games that were unpredictably bad from a fantasy point of view. He is a bit volatile as far as QBs go this season, and he’s way too expensive to take a risk on. And two, although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t have the greatest defense in the NFL, they are not the worst out there. When it comes to QBs near Brees’ stat potential, there are a few that are going up against worse defenses who should be considered above Brees.
Matt Ryan: Perhaps the QB that should be considered first for your fantasy roster is Matt Ryan. He is likely going to be a little bit cheaper than Brees, and he’s only a tiny bit behind Brees when it comes to average fantasy score per week in most leagues. Ryan is averaging 309.7 yards per game and has 32 TDs for the season. He’s a bit behind Brees, but the Falcons face off against the Carolina Panthers this weekend. The Panthers have one of the worst defenses in the NFL when it comes to preventing fantasy points against opposing QBs. For this reason, we expect Ryan to outperform Brees this weekend.
Wide Receivers are Flying
Jordy Nelson: Nelson is a top five receiver this season when it comes to fantasy points, but he’s someone you should pass by this weekend. Nelson has 74.1 yards per game and 12 TD catches, but the Green Bay Packers are going up against the Minnesota Vikings this weekend. Although a surprise to many, the Vikings have the second best defense against WRs in the NFL when it comes to fantasy points. Nelson has potential in most other settings, but this is not the week to spend a lot when there is a much lower ceiling.
T.Y. Hilton: Hilton is a top tier WR with a ton of potential this weekend. Hilton is averaging 89.1 yards per game and has only 6 TDs, but we believe that Hilton will outperform Nelson this weekend. The Indianapolis Colts have struggled this season because of the youth of their team, but Hilton has been a constant presence at the receiving end of the ball. And with the Colts going up against the Oakland Raiders this weekend, there’s a chance that the weaker defense of the Raiders could benefit Hilton. We expect him to post above average statistics this weekend. He will be more expensive than Nelson, but if you’re looking for a top performer, he’s the way to go.
Running Backs to Consider
David Johnson: Week after week, Johnson has surpassed expectations from fantasy football experts. He’s one of the top fantasy point performers in all of the NFL right now, and he has the price tag to prove it. He has averaged 81.3 yards per game, and has 17 TDs. The only drawback to Johnson is that the Cardinals face off against the Seattle Seahawks this weekend. They have the top ranked defense against the rush, and that indicates Johnson is likely to have a below average showing.
Jordan Howard: Howard is going to be a lot cheaper than Johnson, but he has a ton of fantasy potential this weekend. He has averaged 81.5 yards per game this season, but unlike Johnson, he only has 7 TDs this year. But with the Bears struggling offensively this year, their running game rests on Howard. If he’s going to score TDs, this is the game to see it happen. The Bears play the Washington Redskins, who are ranked 28th in the NFL against the rush. We expect an above average game here.
