Fantasy Football Week 16 Streaming Options

Most fantasy owners don't want to stream in their championship game, but some might have to. If that describes your situation, we have options for you at quarterback, tight end and defense.

Week 15 was a home run on the stream. All three quarterbacks—Nick Foles, Blake Bortles and Joe Flacco—finished in the top nine at their position. Two of our three recommended tight ends, Eric Ebron and Charles Clay, were inside the top 11 at their position. The stream remains active and open for business in Week 16, the championship week in nearly all leagues.

For streaming purposes, 4for4’s Schedule-Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed (aFPA) is a metric we rely on heavily to determine weekly matchup strength. As the season progresses and more data is available, aFPA becomes more and more reliable, using rolling 10-week data. Targets and efficiency metrics are also considered when coming up with weekly streamers.

To provide advice that you can actually use, candidates for streaming must be available in at least 50% of Yahoo fantasy leagues.

Quarterbacks

Joe Flacco, Ravens vs. Colts (19% owned)

Flacco has thrown for at least 269 yards in each of his last three games, with six total touchdowns (five passing, one rushing). He has the right matchup to keep it rolling, facing a Colts defense ranked 19th in quarterback aFPA. The Colts somehow just allowed 25.56 points to Brock Osweiler last week defense surrendered 25.46 fantasy points to Brock Osweiler just last week, and allowed Blake Bortles to burn them for 25.06 points in Week 13. Flacco’s recent play, and that of the Colts defense, makes him a worthy streamer for owners who need help at quarterback.

Fantasy Football Week 16 Rankings

Nick Foles, Eagles vs. Raiders (37% owned)

Foles inherited a well-oiled machine and proved he can keep the gears moving, throwing for 237 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-29 win over the Giatns last week. He gets an Oakland defense in Week 16 ranked 24th in quarterback aFPA. With the bright lights of Monday Night Football shining down on Foles on Christmas, he should be able to carve up an overmatched secondary. I’d still start any of the top tier guys over Foles, but if your quarterback is injured, or you were fortunate in a playoff matchup last week with a midgrade signal caller, Foles is a great play this week.  

Eli Manning, Giants at Cardinals (33% owned)

Manning showed us in Week 15 that he still has what it takes to turn in a strong fantasy performance, at least in one week. And, at this point of the season, it’s all about one-week samples. Manning threw for 434 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to the EAgles last week, putting his team in position to pull off a surprising upset. That Manning had his best game of the year against one of the best defenses he has faced should give streamers confidence with the Giants visiting the Cardinals this week. Foles and Flacco are better options, but if they aren’t available to you, Manning can be your savior.

Tight Ends

Eric Ebron, Lions at Bengals (47% owned)

Looking at Ebron’s season-long numbers will only engender disappointment. Taken as a whole, 2017 was another disappointing year for the former 10th overall pick. And yet, he likely hasn’t had as bad a season as you think. He’s 14th among tight ends in PPR leagues with 111.2 points, putting him right on the cusp of the starting class. Break his season up into pieces, and you can find reason for redemption in Week 16. Ebron has had 18 targets over the last two weeks, catching 15 of them for 127 yards and a touchdown. He has led the Lions in targets in both of those games.

Fantasy Football Week 16 Injury Report

Detroit heads to Cincinnati in Week 16 to face a struggling Bengals defense ranked 29th in tight end aFPA. The Lions are still fighting for a potential wildcard berth and must win out to earn one with a little help from a few teams around the league. They have won their last two contests with higher tight end volume, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Matthew Stafford lean on Ebron again on Sunday.

Antonio Gates, Chargers at Jets (15% owned)

Hunter Henry has a small laceration on his kidney, sidelining the starter for the remainder of the season. Gates proved last week that his tank is still far from empty, catching his 113th career touchdown in the Chargers loss to the Chiefs. Gates should assume a much heavier workload with Henry on IR, and gets a soft Jets’ defense that ranks 18th in tight end aFPA in Week 16.

Ben Watson, Ravens vs Colts (16% owned)

The Ravens offense is hard to trust, but Watson has been fairly steady of late. He ranks 13th among tight ends in points per game over the last three weeks, averaging 9.6 PPR points per contest, and 11th in total points in that timeframe with 28.8. The Colts and their defense, which ranks in the bottom-third of the league in aFPA against all positions, visit Baltimore this week. Joe Flacco has turned up his play recently, averaging 19.10 fantasy points over his last three games.

Defenses

Chicago Bears vs. Browns (34% owned)

The Browns travel to Chicago in search of their first win but could be shut down by an underrated Bears defense on its home turf. Chicago should exploit a matchup with DeShone Kizer, who has nine touchdowns and 19 interceptions on the season. Cleveland also ranks 31st in the league in defensive aFPA. The Browns offense should have a tough time moving the ball against this Bears unit, and your championship roster could reap the benefits.

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Washington Redskins vs. Broncos (36% owned)

Denver has yet to announce who will be under center on Sunday in Washington, but it doesn’t really make a difference. Their offensive line has allowed 44 sacks this season, the fifth-most in the league, and the offense as a whole has struggled all season long. Ranking dead-last in defensive aFPA, Denver’s implied total for this contest is just 18.75 points, boding well for the Redskins defense from a fantasy persepctive.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Giants (44% owned)

New York’s weapons are limited, and any defense that can shut down Sterling Shepard or Even Engram can make the Giants life a nightmare. Arizona is just that sort of defense, thanks to Patrick Peterson and, to a lesser degree, Tyrann Mathieu and Antoine Bethea. With an implied total of just 17.75 points, oddsmakers concur that the Giants offense won’t be too successful on the road in Arizona this week.