Team of the Week
QB: Dak Prescott, DAL
A full-blown shootout between the Eagles and Cowboys led to plenty of fantasy points, and Prescott currently sits atop the quarterback leaderboard after throwing for 347 yards and three touchdowns (one interception) while also adding six carries for 41 yards. He is in position to have another huge game on Thursday night versus Tennessee.
RB: Cam Akers, LAR
The late-season emergence for Akers continued on Christmas—as he was given 25 touches for 147 total yards and three touchdowns on the ground in a blowout win over Denver. With the Rams still playing hard and a matchup with the Chargers on deck, Akers is suddenly skyrocketing towards the RB1 ranks.
RB: Saquon Barkley, NYG
Barkley only had 14 carries this week, but he caught eight passes for 49 yards in addition to the 84 yards and a score on the ground. Overall, the superstar back again played great and was very close to breaking multiple long runs before finally getting free for a game-tying 27-yard touchdown in the final minutes.
WR: CeeDee Lamb, DAL
Philadelphia had absolutely no answers for Lamb on Christmas Eve, and he was key in the Cowboys’ high-scoring victory with ten receptions (on 11 targets) for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Especially because they have their NFC East hopes alive, Lamb can have another monster game in a dream matchup on Thursday night.
WR: DeVonta Smith, PHI
Smith went blow for blow with Lamb in the highly anticipated matchup over the weekend—catching eight passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns to finish with 27.3 fantasy points. The former Heisman winner routinely made highlight grabs, and he should be trusted as a strong WR2 whether or not Jalen Hurts (shoulder) is back in Week 17.
TE: T.J. Hockenson, MIN
The Giants trying to limit Justin Jefferson allowed Hockenson to do serious damage against them—with the 25-year-old catching 13-of-16 targets for 109 yards and two touchdowns in Minnesota’s thrilling win. Although he’s been mostly a high-floor play this season, Hockenson now has two games with 29.4+ fantasy points.
FLEX: George Kittle, SF
A few tight ends in general came through for fantasy owners in Week 16, and Kittle was among them by staying hot with a 6/120/2 line on eight targets. Since respectfully saying it’d be nice to be more involved in the passing attack, Kittle has been unstoppable in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
D/ST: Rams
The total collapse by Denver yesterday was tough to watch—and even more so if you were facing the Los Angeles defense as they recorded six sacks and four interceptions (including a late pick-six).
K: Matt Gay, LAR
The decisive win for the Rams also allowed Gay to go off—hitting two field goals of 50+ yards on his way to a season-high 19.0 fantasy points. He’ll be a quality option next week against the Chargers with Baker Mayfield steadying the offense.
Surprise of the Week: Greg Dortch
Dortch had essentially fallen out of the Arizona offense since his return from a one-game absence combined with the bye week as the calendar turned from November to December, but he was re-integrated into the attack with ten receptions (on 11 targets) for 98 yards on Christmas Night. He also rushed three times for 25 yards, and Dortch—after zero touches in the previous two games—is back firmly on the FLEX radar.
Disappointment of the Week: Davante Adams
The numbers for Adams in the fantasy playoffs have been an extreme disappointment for fantasy owners—with the superstar wideout combining to catch six-of-18 targets for 43 scoreless yards over the past two games. The Christmas Eve showdown versus the Steelers surely ended the fantasy hopes for many with just two grabs for 15 yards, and the numbers for Adams have dipped some in general despite being on pace for a career-high 181 targets.
Rookie of the Week: Jahan Dotson
On the other end of things, Dotson has been a fantasy playoff hero for those with the foresight to start him—following up a 4/105/1 line in Week 15 by catching six passes for 76 yards and a touchdown in a tougher matchup with the Niners on Saturday. The rookie is up to seven touchdowns in just ten games this season, and he’ll be an upside FLEX against the Browns next Sunday.
Week 16 MVP: Cam Akers
The 33.7 fantasy points for Akers makes him the only option to cross the 30-point mark heading into Monday night—and the performance coming in a standalone window on Christmas made it all the more impactful for fantasy owners. With touch totals of 18, 13, 15, and 25 in December, Akers needs to be in lineups for the fantasy championship.