Welcome back to Week 16 of Still Keeping It Real with Fantasy! I’m sure you are having a merry end of the season if you have made it this far. With the holidays just around the corner and one more week remaining of the playoffs until league championships, we’ve got the picks to send to you to the big dance. Meanwhile, if you’re sitting on the couch this week because your NFL or fantasy teams are out of contention, yes we’re talking to you Jets fans (which has been the case since week one), there are some solid matchups to hold you over like Dolphins-Cowboys and a battle of the one seeds on Christmas Day: Ravens-49ers. We wish you a great end to 2023, and we will see you in 2024 when most of you will hopefully be league champs!
News/Injuries:
Keaton Mitchell (RB) – The Ravens lost starting running back J.K. Dobbins earlier this season due to a season-ending achilles tear in week one. Now, UDFA rookie running back Keaton Mitchell falls to the same fate, with a season-ending ACL tear. Mitchell has been a great surprise to the Ravens’ backfield, so it’s quite an unfortunate injury for the team.
Trevor Lawrence (QB) – Lawrence will likely miss an important week 16 matchup against the Buccaneers for fantasy managers. The Jags’ QB suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter of last week’s loss to the Ravens.
Aaron Rodgers (QB) – Aaron Rodgers was supposed to make a return to the Jets offense this week when they face the Commanders however, his health had other plans. On Tuesday, Rodgers revealed on the Pat McAfee show that he is not fully healthy yet and will most likely sit out the rest of the season with the Jets playoff hopes gone. Rodgers also said that next season will not be his last.
Starts:
Davante Adams (WR) – Davante Adams has had a hall of fame career so far. This year with the Raiders, he struggled a little bit at first. His biggest game was against the Steelers when he had 171 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Raiders are coming off a huge win against the Chargers and face the Chiefs this week. The Raiders look to keep their playoff hopes alive so look for Adams to be used a lot.
Tyreek Hill (WR) – Tyreek Hill is set to make his return this week when the Dolphins face the Cowboys. Tyreek has been the fantasy leader in points all year and looks to keep that going this week. After some rest, Hill looks to have the biggest game of his career. If he is not already in your starting lineup, put him in.
Sits:
Terry McLaurin (WR) – McLaurin is one of the has been one of the best receivers in the league the past couple of years. This year, he got off to a slow start. Last week he had his biggest game with 141 yards. This week, the Commanders take a trip to face the Jets. The Jets have of of the best secondaries in the league and are usually able to hold top targets to low yards.
CeeDee Lamb (WR) – CeeDee Lamb has been a top receiver in the league for the past couple of years. His biggest game came against the Eagles when he racked up a whopping 191 yards. This week, the Cowboys face the Dolphins and Lamb will be covered by Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey is one of the top corners in the league with one of the lowest yards allowed rate. Ramsey has been able to lock up a bunch of top targets all season. Look for Lamb to struggle finding open space.
Waiver Wire:
Chris Rodriguez (RB) – With Brian Robinson’s availability up in the air, Rodriguez could see an influx in snaps like he did last week. He could be worth the pickup if you do have Robinson on your team and/or if you don’t have a lot of running back depth.
Zamir White (RB) – Just like Rodriguez, White could and has benefited from the absence of the team’s starting running back. Josh Jacobs missed the last game and is questionable to play again this week. White can also be worth a pickup if you’re short on running backs.