Gross Bombs: NFL Props for Week 16
Josh Gross
It’s time to trim the fat. With nearly half of the fantasy football regular season in the rearview mirror, take a long, hard look at your rosters for any dead weight. You know the type of players I’m talking about. Guys who are good enough to not be on waivers but will never start in your lineups. These players are preventing you from stashing upside options who are potential difference makers down the stretch.
Take Keenan Allen for example. Sure, the veteran receiver is a reasonably big name, but he’s done a whole lot of nothing so far this season. Allen is a fantasy space eater who is limiting your roster’s fantasy upside.
On the other hand, there are players like Tyrone Tracy Jr. The rookie flashed major upside last week but is still behind Devin Singletary in the pecking order. Does that mean you should cut him too? Absolutely not. Unlike Allen, Tracy has a high fantasy ceiling. That upside is exactly what you want on your bench.
Fantasy championships aren’t won with middle of the road players. You win your leagues with players who get hot down the stretch, especially running backs and wide receivers. It’s hard to cut loose players like Allen but try to be real with your roster. If you have fantasy space-eaters, get rid of them. Stash for upside right now to give yourself the best chance of taking down your league in January.
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.
San Francisco @ Seattle
Brock Purdy continues to be one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s leading in yards per attempt for the second straight season. The last player to achieve this feat was Philip Rivers, who led from 2008 to 2010. He hasn’t been an elite option, but Purdy is very much in the QB1 conversation this week.
Brandon Aiyuk had a huge week last week, accumulating 147 receiving yards. That’s a major jump from his 167 total receiving yards in the first four games of the season. His connection with Purdy seems to be growing stronger, and that’s great for fantasy. Aiyuk is knocking on the door of WR1 territory, and he’s ahead of Deebo Samuel Sr. in rankings. Samuel has been a bit quiet since returning from a calf injury. In the two games since his return, he’s totaled nine touches for 92 scrimmage yards and no touchdowns. That isn’t good, but Samuel remains a high-ceiling WR2.
Jauan Jennings had a modest showing last week with just 13 receiving yards, a stark contrast from the 263 receiving yards he had over the previous two weeks. His production may fluctuate but he’s still worth a fantasy roster spot. Meanwhile, George Kittle has been a fantasy force at tight end. Here are his fantasy finishes this season: TE10, TE1, TE4 and TE3. It’s fair to consider him the top tight end in fantasy.
Jordan Mason is one of only two running backs with over 500 rushing yards this season, leading the league with 105 carries. His consistency on the ground has been great for fantasy football. He’s locked in as an RB1, but there appears to be an expiration date looming with Christian McCaffrey’s return inching closer. If you roster Mason, but not McCaffrey, it isn’t a bad idea to start shopping Mason in a trade.
Geno Smith leads the NFL in completions, attempts and passing yards this season. If he maintains this pace, he could become the first Seahawks quarterback to ever lead the league in passing yards since the franchise’s inception in 1976. He also could take a crack at 5,000 yards. That’s getting ahead of things, though. For now, he’s a back-end QB1 option.
DK Metcalf has accumulated 421 receiving yards so far this season. He cooled off a bit in Week 5 with just 55 yards, but that came after setting a franchise record with three consecutive 100-yard games. Metcalf remains in the WR1 conversation. Jaxon Smith-Njigba scored his first touchdown of the season last week. The young receiver hasn’t been the most consistent this season, but his upside keeps him ahead of Tyler Lockett in the Seahawks fantasy pecking order. Lockett has had a challenging stretch in fantasy, with his best finish over the past four weeks being WR43.
Kenneth Walker III had a down game last week, managing only 19 rushing yards on five carries. Still, he did catch seven balls for 57 yards. He remains an RB1 option especially after his explosive three-touchdown performance in Week 4.
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