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FFL: Playoff Week 1 | NFL: Week 16

Dolphins WRs Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill ailing for 49ers' clash

Fri Dec 20 7:02pm ET
Field Level Media

Miami Dolphins receivers Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill are both ailing as the team prepares for Sunday's home game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Waddle (knee) was listed as doubtful on Friday's injury report after missing all three practices this week. He was injured in the second quarter of last weekend's 20-12 loss to the Houston Texans.

Hill is listed as questionable with a wrist injury that has bothered him all season. Hill has said he will consider getting the wrist surgically repaired after the season.

Hill has 67 receptions for a team-best 805 yards in 14 games this season. He has caught five touchdown passes.

Waddle has 54 catches this season for 700 yards and two touchdowns.

Miami ruled out long snapper Blake Ferguson (non-football illness) and listed receiver D'Wayne Eskridge (knee) as doubtful.

Also listed questionable were left tackle Terron Armstead (knee), right tackle Kendall Lamm (back) and linebackers Bradley Chubb (knee) and Cameron Goode (knee).

San Francisco will be without left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and running back Isaac Guerendo (foot/hamstring). Questionable for the contest are defensive end Nick Bosa (hip/oblique), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Achilles, knee) and defensive end Robert Beal Jr. (ankle).

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Bender's DFS Pickem Plays: Week 16

Player Notes
Blake Corum Dec 20 9:20pm CT
Blake Corum

Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum received attention from fantasy managers heading into the season, mostly due to head coach Sean McVay indicating he would be involved. While the rookie has gotten some action, amassing 48 carries for 187 yards and six grabs for 46 yards, it hasn't been at the level most envisioned. Instead, Kyren Williams remains the undisputed No. 1 option out of the backfield, with the 24-year-old already seeing more carries in 2024-25 than in his first two seasons combined. With that in mind, the Rams meet the Jets in Week 16. Unfortunately, the ship has sailed on Corum, at least for this season, so fantasy managers should keep him out of the starting lineup.

From RotoBaller

Cooper Kupp Dec 20 9:10pm CT
Cooper Kupp

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp is coming off a rough showing, failing to catch any of his three targets in the Week 15 win over the 49ers. However, outside of the hideous effort versus San Francisco, the wideout has played well during the 2024-25 campaign, catching 63 passes for 657 yards and six touchdowns. With the Jets on tap for Week 16, the Rams need a win to increase their chances of making the playoffs. The Jets defense has allowed only 10 touchdowns to opposing wideouts this season. Still, even with Puka Nacua commanding plenty of attention from Matthew Stafford from week-to-week, Kupp's upside keeps him a must-start in Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Patrick Taylor Dec 20 9:10pm CT
Patrick Taylor

San Francisco 49ers running back Patrick Taylor Jr. is expected to draw his first career start filling in for the ruled-out rookie Isaac Guerendo (foot, hamstring) in Miami on Sunday. With Guerendo healthy enough to play, the undrafted 26-year-old Taylor Jr. received neither touch nor target in last week's loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The last time Taylor was involved was in Week 14 versus Chicago when he took seven carries for 25 yards, one touchdown, and one unfulfilled target. On the surface, Taylor Jr. may seem like a must-start since head coach Kyle Shanahan always rides his lead back heavily, but it's appropriate to temper expectations. If one includes Elijah Mitchell -- who was ruled out for the year in the preseason -- San Francisco is down to their fifth-string running back whose career YPC (3.9) is significantly below all four backs ahead of him. As a result, Shanahan may be compelled to use some combination of Taylor Jr., Israel Abanikanda, and Ke'Shawn Vaughn. Taylor Jr. is also less likely than his injured teammates to produce as a receiver. Miami's D is ranked 14th in running back half-PPR points against. The talent and usage questions place Taylor Jr. firmly in RB3/FLEX territory, even in a decent matchup.

From RotoBaller

Michael Penix Jr. Dec 20 9:10pm CT
Michael Penix Jr.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will make his first career start in Week 16 against the New York Giants. The Falcons are heavy favorites in this one, but that is likely more a product of their one-two punch in the backfield of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier rather than a vote of confidence in the young signal-caller's arm. Not that Penix hasn't been on the big stage before or lacks upside; he led the Washington Huskies to the National Championship game this past January, ultimately losing to Michigan, with Atlanta subsequently taking him with the eighth overall selection in the 2024 Draft, so he's got the talent. But, while the Giants have allowed the third-highest completion percentage and have recorded a league-low two interceptions on the season, they've tallied the seventh-most sacks on the year, so Penix could be under pressure despite some things working in his favor. Hopefully the 24-year-old's receivers have quickly got accustomed to a left-hander throwing a football as well, which could make things a little more challenging than usual on Sunday. Whether it does or not, fantasy managers vying for championships who are also looking for a streaming option should look elsewhere as the former first-rounder projects as a risky, low-end QB2 in Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Puka Nacua Dec 20 9:00pm CT
Puka Nacua

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua has missed time this season due to injury. However, he's been a quality wideout when healthy, as expected, catching 61 passes for 805 yards and three touchdowns in nine appearances. Although a few more end zone trips from the 23-year-old would be nice, fantasy managers are happy as long as he stays on the field. With the Rams currently sitting atop the NFC West, the team needs a win against the Jets in Week 16 to enhance their chances of earning a postseason berth. While the Jets defense can be a problem at times, that shouldn't keep Nacua out of any fantasy lineup on Sunday. Keep him starting.

From RotoBaller

Kyren Williams Dec 20 8:40pm CT
Kyren Williams

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams has had a quality season. He's already gone for over 1,000 yards on the ground while also combining for 14 touchdowns. Although the 24-year-old has averaged only 4.0 yards per carry, fantasy managers have been pleased with his production. With Los Angeles looking to make the playoffs, Williams and company will meet the Jets in Week 16. New York has allowed 23.2 points per contest this season, which isn't the most efficient mark in the National Football League. However, the Jets have surrendered only nine rushing touchdowns during the 2024-25 campaign, which isn't good news for Williams, who has relied heavily on his ability to find the end zone for most of his fantasy production. Still, the 24-year-old is one of the best backs in the league, so he remains a must-start in Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Mac Jones Dec 20 8:40pm CT
Mac Jones

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones is a better-than-usual fantasy option in Week 16 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Jones had a good outing last week against the New York Jets, giving him a good fantasy outing in two of the last three weeks. However, it is still hard to trust Jones beyond two QB/Superflex leagues given his overall body of work. The Raiders do serve as a plus matchup, but the Jaguars offense has struggled for the most part this season. Despite all of the injuries to the Jacksonville receiving core, Brian Thomas Jr. has been dominant as a rookie, and Brenton Strange caught 11 passes in the place of Evan Engram, giving him good enough options to succeed at least. It is hard to trust Jones in an important fantasy playoff matchup, but there are worse options in Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Mac Jones Dec 20 8:30pm CT
Mac Jones

The New York Jets defense struggled in a Week 15 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, allowing a Mac Jones-led offense to score 25 points. New York will look to bounce back when they host the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16. The Rams have been a tough matchup for opposing D/STs this season, allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to the position. New York's defense has been a disappointing unit this season and is not a recommended fantasy option heading into their matchup against the Rams this weekend.

From RotoBaller

Matthew Stafford Dec 20 8:30pm CT
Matthew Stafford

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is coming off a rough showing, throwing for only 160 yards and completing 59.3% of his attempts in the Thursday night win over the 49ers. He also failed to throw a touchdown after hurling two in each of his previous three games heading into Week 15. The Rams are clinging to the top spot in the NFC West, although the team will need a win over the New York Jets to enhance their chances of making the postseason. Unfortunately, Stafford will have his work cut out for him, with the Jets allowing only 13 passing touchdowns this season. Granted, the signal-caller still has some value, at least in multi-quarterback fantasy formats. However, fantasy managers shouldn't expect a big day out of Stafford in Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Drake London Dec 20 8:30pm CT
Drake London

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London popped up as a limited participant in Friday's practice due to a knee injury but does not carry an injury designation for the contest and is expected to play. Of course, with fantasy championships potentially in play for some, managers will want to keep an eye out for any news in the event something changes. In Week 15, the 23-year-old scored for the first time since Week 9, however, his outlook is a bit uncertain with rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. making his first career start in Week 16 against the Giants. New York has been decent in limiting fantasy production to wide receivers but have been poor against the run. With Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in tow, the Falcons would be wise to lean on the run game in this one rather than let the rookie QB air it out, so London figures to be more of a WR2 this week rather than his typical WR1 status.

From RotoBaller

Anders Carlson Dec 20 8:20pm CT
Anders Carlson

New York Jets kicker Anders Carlson made one of his two field-goal attempts and added three extra points in a Week 15 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Carlson will look to keep it going at home against the Los Angeles Rams. The Ram have been generous to kickers this season, allowing the 10th-most fantasy points per game to the position. That being said, the Jets' kickers have not been a fantasy goldmine this season. Treat Carlson as a low-end option heading into Week 16 against the Rams despite the plus matchup.

From RotoBaller

Garrett Wilson Dec 20 8:10pm CT
Garrett Wilson

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson broke a four-game scoreless streak with a short touchdown reception in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15. The veteran receiver will look to keep it going at home in a Week 16 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams have been a decent matchup for wideouts this season as they are allowing the 11th-most fantasy points per game to the position. Wilson has seen Davante Adams overtake him as the preferred target in New York but he is still seeing enough work to stay on the map as a mid-range WR2 in fantasy moving forward. He should be in all lineups in a game against the Rams that has sneaky shootout potential.

From RotoBaller

Tyler Conklin Dec 20 8:10pm CT
Tyler Conklin

New York Jets tight end Tyler Conklin is expected back after missing Week 15's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars with a personal issue. The Jets will host the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16 in what shapes up as a nice matchup for Conklin. The Rams have struggled against tight ends this season, allowing the 10th-most fantasy points per game to the position. Conklin hasn't been a major piece of the Jets offense this season but he has shown a decent floor in PPR leagues with at least three catches and 32 yards in three of his past six contests. Conklin sets up as a mid-range TE3 in fantasy this weekend and should only be started out of desperation.

From RotoBaller

Aaron Rodgers Dec 20 8:00pm CT
Aaron Rodgers

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers put together one of his best games of the season in a Week 15 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, throwing for 289 yards and three touchdowns. Rodgers will look to keep it going in a Week 16 home matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams have been a plus matchup for quarterbacks this season, allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to the position. Rodgers has been playing his best football of the season of late with three multi-touchdown games over his past four contests. Fantasy managers can treat him as a mid-range QB2 heading into Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Davante Adams Dec 20 8:00pm CT
Davante Adams

New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams has been on an absolute tear of late, posting 307 receiving yards and three touchdowns over his past two games. Adams will look to stay hot in a home matchup against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16. Los Angeles has struggled against opposing wideouts this season, allowing the 11th-most fantasy points per game to the position thus far. After overtaking Garrett Wilson as the No. 1 target for the Jets, Adams has drawn double-digit targets in five of his past six contests and should be locked in as a top-six fantasy receiver heading into Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Bijan Robinson Dec 20 7:10pm CT
Bijan Robinson

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson logged at least 20 carries for the fourth time in the last five contests last week and will be expected to carry the load again this week with rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. under center for the Falcons. With eight rushing TDs on the season and a receiving TD to boot, the 22-year-old is a top-five back for fantasy through 15 weeks, and in Week 16 he'll face a generous rush defense in the New York Giants. The Giants have yielded 14 scores on the ground, the second-most rush yards on the season, and the second-highest yards per carry, resulting in the fourth-most fantasy points scored by opposing running backs. While Robinson has seen a drop off in receptions over the last two weeks, his rookie QB will likely use him as a security blanket and the former first-rounder should get back on track in that regard. Deploy Robinson as a top-tier RB1 on Sunday in Atlanta.

From RotoBaller

Sam Darnold Dec 20 6:40pm CT
Sam Darnold

The Seattle Seahawks defense/special teams is heading into a clash with one of the league's hottest offenses when the Minnesota Vikings come to town in Week 16. The Vikings have become an extremely tough matchup for opposing D/STs because quarterback Sam Darnold is protecting the football. Darnold has only thrown one interception since Week 10. He has also been relatively accurate lately while simultaneously putting solid yardage totals on the box score. The team has won seven straight games as a result. The Seahawks defense has played better since their Week 10 bye. However, they were just exposed on Sunday Night Football by the Green Bay Packers in Week 15. The Seahawks completely fell apart and allowed 30 points. While the offense should perform better in this game to take pressure off the defense, the Seahawks D/ST seems likely to allow upwards of 30 points once again. It is difficult to imagine that this unit will be able to stop such a well-coached offense. Additionally, the presence of wide receiver Justin Jefferson on the Vikings makes this a scary matchup. The Seahawks D/ST may be a solid option in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears but they are not worth deploying in Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Noah Fant Dec 20 6:40pm CT
Noah Fant

Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (knee) has had a solid floor this season. However, there is not much ceiling with this player. That is unlikely to change in Week 16 against the Minnesota Vikings. Fant's one saving grace is that he receives decent target volume relative to the Seahawks' passing game volume. He received seven targets in Week 15 and four in the two games before that. Unfortunately, that volume does not translate to yards. Fant has only exceeded 26 yards on three occasions this season. With the Seahawks passing less and less this season and not throwing many touchdowns, Fant has fallen into fantasy-irrelevance. He is better left to the waiver wire while you pursue a win in the fantasy football playoffs this week.

From RotoBaller

Jaire Alexander Dec 20 6:40pm CT
Jaire Alexander

Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) appears to be well on his way to playing on Monday night in Week 16 against the visiting New Orleans Saints. Alexander practiced in full on both Thursday and Friday and could be completely removed from the injury report if he does the same for the third straight day in Saturday's practice. The 27-year-old defensive back has missed the last four games due to a PCL injury that he suffered against the Chicago Bears in Week 11. Alexander is on track to return this week, although we'd expect the Packers to limit his snap count after missing more than a month of action due to his knee injury. The two-time Pro Bowler isn't on the fantasy map in IDP leagues, but his return down the stretch would be a big boost to an underrated Packers defense heading into the playoffs in January.

From RotoBaller

Tyler Lockett Dec 20 6:40pm CT
Tyler Lockett

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett continues to be a disappointment for fantasy. That is unlikely to change in Week 16 despite an excellent matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Lockett has been completely phased out of the Seahawks' game plan. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has shifted most of the attention to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the running game. The Vikings are the worst defense at stopping opposing wide receivers in fantasy. However, that is unlikely to benefit Lockett given how little volume he is receiving. With the Seahawks scaling back their passing attempts over the second half of the season, there simply is not enough to go around for Lockett to be fantasy-relevant. Look elsewhere if you are still alive in the fantasy playoffs.

From RotoBaller