The Cincinnati Bengals defense has struggled to hold opponents in check by allowing 20 points or more in each of their last five games. Despite that, fantasy managers got a strong fantasy performance out of the Bengals defense last week. This unit recorded four interceptions, recovered two fumbles, and got one sack in victory over the Tennessee Titans. Now, the Bengals head into a matchup against unproven quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson in Week 16. The Cleveland Browns are also without lead back Nick Chubb (foot) which puts this offense at a disadvantage. The Bengals defense should be a fine streaming option given the Browns aren't at full strength.

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The Atlanta Falcons defense has struggled throughout most of the season but has finally offered some decent fantasy value over the last few weeks. This defensive unit has held opponents to 11 points or less in two of their last three games. Last week, the Falcons defense recorded four sacks and snagged two interceptions in the win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Now they get another plus matchup against the New York Giants offense, a unit led by quarterback Drew Lock, and they could be without lead back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle), who remains on the injury report heading into this game. Fantasy managers looking for a defense this week might want to consider the Falcons.

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Washington Commanders TE Zach Ertz (concussion, shoulder) is trending towards playing in Week 16's game versus the Philadelphia Eagles, according to a source.

Fantasy Spin: Ertz had been listed as questionable on the injury report after participating in two out of the team's three practice sessions during the week on a limited basis. If he receives clearance to play this afternoon, he can be deployed as a low-end TE1 option in fantasy lineups.

From TheHuddle

Cleveland Browns running back D'Onta Foreman could see more snaps in the backfield with lead back Nick Chubb (foot) done for the season. Jerome Ford takes over as the primary back with Pierre Strong Jr. and Foreman to be the backups. It's worth noting that Foreman hasn't rushed the ball since Week 8, but with Chubb gone he could be more in the mix. However, a three-back committee is not a fun situation for fantasy managers. It's hard to imagine Strong or Foreman being a viable option ahead of the Week 16 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (concussion) has been cleared to play in Sunday's Week 16 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. Ertz suffered a concussion last week, but has been trending in the right direction. Now, Ertz has been officially cleared to suit up, according to head coach Dan Quinn. The veteran tight end has hauled in three touchdowns in his last four games. Ertz also has two six-catch games during that span. Fantasy managers should consider Ertz a TE1 for this Week 16 contest.

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Cleveland Browns QB Jameis Winston (shoulder) is likely to serve as the emergency quarterback for Week 16's game versus the Cincinnati Bengals, according to a source. QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson will be the starter.

Fantasy Spin: Winston had been listed as questionable on the injury report after logging one full practice session and two limited sessions during the week. He had lost his job as Cleveland's starter earlier in the week to Thompson-Robinson because of his high turnover rate. Thompson-Robinson should not be considered as anything more than a low-end QB2 option in deeper fantasy leagues.

From TheHuddle

Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (illness, knee) will make his NFL debut against the New York Jets in Week 16. Higbee was activated off the injured reserve earlier this week after missing the first three months of the season while recovering from a torn ACL. The Rams are going to ease Higbee into action as he's only going to play 20-25 snaps on Sunday. That being said, Higbee won't be on the fantasy radar this weekend and is unlikely to help fantasy managers this season.

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver River Cracraft hauled in his first reception during last week's game against the Houston Texans. The veteran wideout missed the first nine weeks of the season due to a shoulder injury. Since returning, Cracraft has been primarily playing on special teams, but he could see more chances as a wideout in Week 16. Currently, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (knee) is doubtful while Tyreek Hill (wrist) is listed as questionable, but he's expected to play. If one or both receivers sit out that could probably mean more run for Cracraft as a wideout. Despite the increased snaps, Cracraft remains an extremely risky fantasy option given he hasn't done much at all up to this point.

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New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (hamstring) is currently listed as questionable ahead of the Week 16 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The plan is for Williams to test out his hamstring pregame before making a final decision on his status. If active, Williams is going to play a limited role on defense as he's clearly not 100 percent healthy. Having Williams on the field would be a significant boost for this defensive unit. Williams has 35 tackles and six sacks through 14 games this season.

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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor hasn't been much of a factor on offense this season. Nailor hauled in his lone target for five yards during last week's win over the Chicago Bears. The 25-year-old has finished with one reception or less in seven straight games. At this point, Nailor is the fourth option in the passing game, which isn't going to result in much fantasy value. He is only playing around 50 percent of the offensive snaps, so fantasy managers should be able to find a more reliable option for Week 16.

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New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton was once again quiet during last week's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Slayton hauled in his lone target for 16 yards as he continues to be a non-factor in the offense. In fact, Slayton has finished with two receptions or less and 27 yards or fewer in each of his last four games. The 27-year-old is far behind Wan'Dale Robinson and Malik Nabers on the pecking order. It's tough to imagine Slayton being a viable option for Week 16. He does have a good matchup against the Atlanta Falcons defense, but most fantasy managers should be able to find a more reliable option. Slayton should be considered a low-end flex option in deep leagues.

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Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis has consistently occupied a depth role behind James Cook this season, but that hasn't stopped him from earning touches, especially when the Bills need a change of pace or have mounted a large lead. Davis could see a significant share of garbage-time opportunities this week against the New England Patriots, who have allowed an average of 24.1 points per game to opposing offenses amidst their 3-11 start. The Patriots have struggled against NFL backfields, allowing the fourth-most rushing yards and fifth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2024. This all bodes well for Cook more than Davis, but if Buffalo jumps out to an early lead as expected, we could see the rookie carve out a significant workload, too. He's worth considering as a low-end RB3/FLEX option in leagues with at least 14 teams.

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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth caught all three of his targets for a total gain of 16 yards during Saturday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Freiermuth seemed like he was in a great position to excel with George Pickens (hamstring) sidelined, but that didn't prove to be the case. Instead, Russell Wilson spread the ball around effectively, delivering a completion to three of his four tight ends, as well as connecting with four different wide receivers. Most notably, Freiermuth had a touchdown vultured by tight end MyCole Pruitt, who linked up with Wilson for a one-yard score. All in all, Freiermuth was productive when targeted, but he didn't have the volume or yardage needed to thrive in fantasy football. He'll drop back to the TE2 tier next week against the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end MyCole Pruitt caught one of two targets against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, finding the end zone from one yard out. Quarterback Russell Wilson threw to three of his four tight ends in the loss, but Pruitt was the only one to catch a touchdown pass from the veteran signal-caller. This game was somewhat of an outlier for the 32-year-old, who now has six catches, 40 yards, and one touchdown in 2024. He's off the fantasy radar going forward.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Cordarrelle Patterson converted his lone target into a 12-yard touchdown catch during Saturday's Week 16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Patterson touched the ball just once on offense this week, but he made the most of it as he withstood contact from a defender and held on to the football for six points. The 33-year-old continues to have a steady depth role in Pittsburgh, registering a total of 132 rushing yards, 80 receiving yards, and one touchdown this year. He's off the fantasy radar in most leagues.

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (hand) played through a broken hand for most of this season, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Allen reportedly suffered the fracture while diving on a scoring play in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals, and he has been treating the injury ever since. The broken hand only makes Allen's MVP-caliber season all the more impressive. The 28-year-old has been spectacular under center, completing 64.4 percent of his passes for 3,395 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also has 484 rushing yards and a whopping 11 touchdowns, pushing the Bills to an 11-3 record so far.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III caught four of his five targets for 65 yards during Saturday's Week 16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. With George Pickens (hamstring) sidelined, the Steelers called upon Austin to be one of their primary pass-catchers for the second week in a row. Over his last two games combined, he now has nine catches for 130 yards through the air. Austin's big-play upside gives him decent fantasy appeal, but Pickens' potential return on Christmas Day would knock Austin off the fantasy radar once again. Fantasy managers hoping to plug in Austin as a WR3/FLEX play in Week 17 should continue to monitor the Steelers' injury reports.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris rushed for 42 yards on nine carries during Saturday's Week 16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He also failed to haul in his only target of the game. The 26-year-old had one of his most efficient games of the season, but it was all for naught as he finished with fewer touches than Jaylen Warren for the first time in 2024. Warren has flashed efficiency and pass-catching upside, and he'll likely lead Pittsburgh's backfield in touches once again next week. Warren should be viewed as a high-end RB3 while Harris is a mid-to-low RB3.

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Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco rushed nine times for 26 yards and caught one pass for negative one yards in the 27-19 win over the Houston Texans. Despite being the younger back, Pacheco was out-touched and outproduced by the 29-year-old Kareem Hunt. Pacheco averaged just 2.9 yards per carry in this contest, compared to 5.0 yards per carry for Hunt. Hunt was also the only back to score in this game. Pacheco will look to bounce back next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who rank 10th in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season. The 25-year-old has failed to pull away as the clear lead back since returning from injury, which does not bode well since the Chiefs were content leaning on Hunt in Pacheco's absence. If the Chiefs are rolling with a hot-hand approach, it won't be easy to trust either running back in the fantasy playoffs.

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New York Jets running back Braelon Allen (back) is expected to be active for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Allen had been listed as questionable after spending this week on the injury report with fellow rookie running back Isaiah Davis (back). Both Allen and Davis should be good to go for Week 16 against the Rams, but neither player has much fantasy appeal in their given role behind Breece Hall. Both Allen and Davis are low-end RB4 options for fantasy purposes this week.

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