Gross Bombs: NFL Props for Week 16
Josh Gross
Depth is very important in fantasy football. We know, all too well, that injuries can happen at any time. You can’t predict them. And sometimes, those injuries can absolutely decimate our fantasy teams. While depth isn’t going to prevent injuries, it will at least help you roll with the punches down the stretch.
Over the last few days, I’ve received a bunch of questions from folks asking if they should trade away running backs to get other positions in return. Almost every time, my response has been “nope, keep your depth at running back.” Even if you think you’re loaded at the position, you can never have enough depth.
Two running backs aren’t enough. Three running backs aren’t enough. If you really want to roll into the fantasy playoffs with enough ammunition to take your league by storm, you need at least four starting-caliber running backs (flex-or-better). And I’m not talking about fringe guys with upside like the Devin Singletary types of the world. I mean legitimate top-30 guys who can start for your team every week.
Sure, you aren’t going to use all four each week. But if disaster strikes and one of your starters goes down, you’ll be able to move the next man up right into your starting lineup without skipping a beat. You simply won’t be able to do that with a running back off waivers. Better yet, those running backs you don’t trade away can’t be used against you in the fantasy playoffs. It’s a win-win situation that will go a long way in helping you win your league.
Each week in The Report, I’m going to go through every game and give you the information you need to make the most informed decisions possible for your fantasy football rosters. I’ll provide some key about matchups, trends and anything else we need to know about each contest.
Note: The Report will be updated as I finish writing up each game, so be sure to check back throughout the end of the week. Games will be periodically added until Friday afternoons.
Cincinnati @ Baltimore
Joe Burrow now has two games with five passing touchdowns. The rest of the NFL combined has just one such game. In his most recent five-touchdown performance, Burrow spread the ball around and tossed scores to Mike Gesicki (two touchdowns), Chase Brown, Drew Sample and Andrei Iosivas. Oh, and his other 5-TD performance was against the Ravens in Week 5.
Ja’Marr Chase did not catch any of those five scores last week. Nonetheless, he enters the week leading the NFL with seven receiving touchdowns this season. Chase is also second in the league in receiving yards with 717, trailing only Justin Jefferson, who has 783 yards. He figures to be very busy in this one, as the Bengals look like they’ll again be without Tee Higgins, who has missed the last two games due to a quad injury and a total of four games so far in 2024. Higgins’ absence should keep Mike Gesicki in the top 12 tight end conversation this week. Gesicki had a career-best game in Week 9, recording five receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Gesicki is only a streamer and is quite volatile. Trust him at your own risk.
Chase Brown also had a breakout game in Week 9, achieving a career-high 157 scrimmage yards in the Bengals’ win over the Raiders. This marked his second career game with over 100 scrimmage yards and his first career game with 100 rushing yards. Brown has emerged as a viable every-week RB2 play. And yes, the team did trade for Khalil Herbert, but this appears to be a depth move with Zack Moss likely out for the remainder of the season. Herbert doesn’t have much appeal in regular-sized fantasy leagues.
Lamar Jackson is playing MVP-level football. He enters the week with a five-game streak of 275-plus passing yards. He currently leads the NFL in yards per attempt (9.3) and passer rating (120.7). It helps that Zay Flowers has emerged as a key playmaker. Flowers has recorded over 100 receiving yards in four of his last five games. This recent surge comes after having just one 100-yard receiving game in his first 20 career games. In Week 9, he scored two receiving touchdowns in the win against Denver. Expect to see Diontae Johnson worked in more this week, but Flowers remains the only playable wideout in Baltimore. He’s a high-ceiling WR2.
Derrick Henry became the first player since Shaun Alexander in 2005 (who won MVP) to surpass 1,000 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns through nine games. Henry has now recorded seven consecutive seasons with 10 or more rushing touchdowns, tying for the second-longest streak all-time. He currently leads the NFL in rushing touchdowns with 11 and has scored in every game this season.
After a slow start, Mark Andrews has found his rhythm, recording four receiving touchdowns in his last four games. He’s still a volatile fantasy asset, but Andrews is very startable this week because Isaiah Likely will not play in this contest.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.
