Prime-Time First TD Bets — Sunday Night Football, Week 16
Alex Christenson
We got some awesome shootout games in Week 16, but fantasy managers who relied on players like Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen are certainly fuming after their no-show performances (Hurts due to injury) when they were needed most.
The fantasy season is almost over, but we still have plenty of information to process to secure a fantasy championship. Check out Week 16’s risers and fallers below.
Risers
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Jonathan Taylor is starting to heat up as the Colts work to earn a spot in the AFC playoffs.
Taylor was exceptional against the Titans in Week 16, handling 29 carries for 218 yards and three touchdowns. After two weeks with similarly heavy workloads that didn’t find the end zone, Taylor finally found a way to cross the goal line three times.
Taylor now has 76 carries for 421 yards and three touchdowns over the last three weeks. He has at least 22 rushing attempts in four of his last five games.
The Colts are trying to mitigate Anthony Richardson’s struggles as a passer by leaning even heavier into the run game. In Week 16, that allowed Taylor to break fantasy football.
Marquise Brown, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Marquise Brown made his Kansas City debut in Week 16. And despite playing a limited role as the team attempts to ramp him up before the playoffs (20 of 74 snaps), he still saw a consistent workload in the offense.
Brown finished second on the team in targets (8) despite running the seventh-most routes (15). Brown was able to convert his eight targets into five receptions for 45 yards.
The veteran receiver adds another explosive element to the Chiefs passing attack and should continue to get fed targets on limited snaps as the team figures out their playoff receiver rotation. Expect him to be on the fringe of fantasy relevance with the ability to produce a big play if he can get behind the defense.
Olamide Zaccheaus, WR, Washington Commanders
Olamide Zaccheaus has steadily climbed up the Washington Commanders’ receiver room this season, culminating in a Week 16 performance that saw him finish second among receivers in snaps (47) and routes run (32).
The extra work in the passing game allowed the veteran receiver to have his best game of the season, catching five of eight targets for 70 yards and two touchdowns.
It was the third straight game with at least three receptions for Zaccheaus and his second straight game with 30+ receiving yards.
Trusting Zaccheaus in the fantasy championship is probably a tough pill to swallow, but managers in deep leagues or with injury woes should at least put a waiver claim in on a receiver who is getting an uptick in work in a solid passing offense.
Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
The question with Jameson Williams (aside from him staying on the field due to injuries and suspensions) was whether or not he would get enough targets to pay off in fantasy football.
Since his return from suspension, we have gotten to see exactly how he can improve Detroit’s passing attack.
Williams has seven straight games with at least five targets and three receptions. He’s also earned at least seven targets and five receptions in four of his last five games. During that stretch, he has 529 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
The third-year receiver is becoming an integral part of Detroit’s offense and is putting up fantasy points as a result. Williams is a player who can take any touch the distance. The fact that he is getting more opportunities makes it clear that the receiver is an asset going forward.
Chig Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans
No player has benefitted more from Tennessee switching to Mason Rudolph under center than veteran tight end Chig Okonkwo In the last two weeks, Okonkwo has 17 receptions on 21 targets for 140 yards.
Okonkwo isn’t getting many looks in the red zone during his hot stretch, but he’s still getting enough volume to be on the fantasy radar at the tight end position. He’s a top-10 option at the position purely thanks to his volume.
The Titans will be forced to pass to close out the season thanks to their underwhelming defense. That means even more opportunities for Okonkwo in the fantasy championship.
Fallers
Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
Many fantasy managers were riding Jalen Hurts’ hot streak into the fantasy playoffs. Many of those teams likely found themselves on the losing end of their matchups thanks to a concussion suffered in the first quarter against the Commanders.
Most players miss one additional game after suffering a concussion, which puts Hurts’ availability in the fantasy championship (against the Cowboys’ porous defense) in question. Anything is possible, but it seems unlikely that fantasy’s QB3 in fantasy points per game will be available for the final game of the season.
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Kenneth Walker III’s return from his calf injury was short-lived after the running back suffered an ankle injury during the second half of Seattle’s loss to the Vikings. Walker was having a modest game as a rusher (eight carries for 31 yards) and arguably his best day as a pass-catcher (eight receptions for 28 yards). Walker was also stuffed on the goal line when he suffered his injury.
Fantasy managers who were hoping to get an explosive addition to their lineups for their championship runs are now facing the likelihood that they will be without Walker for the remainder of the season. The running back needs additional imaging done on his ankle and may not be able to make it back in time for Week 17’s game against the Chicago Bears and their underwhelming defense.
The Cleveland Browns Wide Receivers
We got an excellent stretch of fantasy production from Cleveland’s passing attack with Jameis Winston under center. Unfortunately, turnovers gave the Browns an excuse to bench Winston to see what they have going forward in young quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Unfortunately, the transition to DTR brought Cleveland’s passing offense to a screeching halt.
The Browns entered Week 16 with a matchup against one of the best fantasy matchups for quarterbacks. However, their second-year quarterback could only muster 157 passing yards and two interceptions.
Even worse, nobody outside of David Njoku (eight receptions on 10 targets for 66 yards) and Jerome Ford (five receptions on five targets for 39 yards) had a good day catching the ball. The move was especially devastating for Jerry Jeudy, who had just two receptions for 20 yards. In seven games with Winston, Jeudy was averaging 9.9 targets, 7.0 receptions and 112.3 yards per game.
The Browns offense now becomes borderline untouchable for fantasy managers unless you’re relying on Njoku at tight end or Ford as an RB2/Flex play.
Tank Dell, WR, Houston Texans
Tank Dell was in the midst of his best performance of the season (six receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown) before suffering a gruesome knee injury against the Chiefs. It will undoubtedly be the second season-ending injury for Dell.
Houston’s passing offense hasn’t been consistent for fantasy managers this season and now will take another step back with Dell and Stefon Diggs out of the equation. Nico Collins will likely be funneled targets, but it is hard to trust anybody else in this passing attack.
Brenton Strange, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Last week, Brenton Strange was a riser after converting 11 of 12 targets for 73 yards. It seemed like the young tight end had a chance to emerge as the secondary target in Jacksonville’s passing attack.
In Week 16 against the Raiders, Strange caught just two of four targets for 22 yards and lost a costly fumble. More importantly, Strange was seemingly benched during the third quarter after dominating snaps in the first half.
Strange still led the Jaguars in snaps played (34) and routes run (15), but noticeably split time with Luke Farrell (32 snaps and 14 routes run) and Josiah Deguara (17 snaps and 11 routes run).
It was always a long shot trusting multiple weapons in a Mac Jones-led offense. However, Strange has seemingly found himself in the doghouse after a poor showing. He can be dropped in fantasy for the championship round.
