Which favorites are the best as core lineup builders for Week 16?
- Falcons (vs. Jaguars)
- Colts (vs. Panthers)
- Ravens (at Browns)
- Seahawks (vs. Cardinals)
- Chargers (vs. Raiders)
- Broncos (vs. Lions)
JASON WOOD
Falcons (vs. Jaguars)
Matt Ryan and Julio Jones are each near the top of their respective positional rankings, and stacking them makes a ton of sense in GPPs or cash. A premium tandem in a week full of them.
Ravens (at Browns)
How can Lamar Jackson not be your top-ranked main slate quarterback? Price be damned, he's in a zone and executing to near perfection. The Ravens get to play an undisciplined divisional foe this week in the Browns, and they'll remain motivated as they push for the top seed and a first-round bye. Pairing Jackson with Hollywood Brown, Mark Andrews, or Mark Ingram is a viable strategy. Of the three, I prefer Andrews.
Seahawks (vs. Cardinals)
The Cardinals defense is downright terrible, and the Seahawks are still pushing for playoff positioning. Chris Carson is at, or near, the top of this week's running back rankings. Tyler Lockett appears healthy again and back on top of the pecking order. Both are hyper-valuable options this week. DK Metcalf is a GPP option, but too volatile for cash lineups. Russell Wilson isn't my favorite quarterback this week, but he's certainly worth being overexposed versus the field in GPPs.
PHIL ALEXANDER
Listed in order of priority:
- Falcons (vs. Jaguars) - A Matt Ryan-Julio Jones-Austin Hooper stack is a great way to start a lineup this week. Jones and Hooper should safely command more than half of Ryan's pass attempts against a Jaguars defense that is struggling at every level.
- Ravens (at Browns) - The matchup is ideal for Lamar Jackson-Mark Andrews stacks. Or just run Jackson by himself.
- Seahawks (vs. Cardinals) - Good spot for a Seahawks onslaught. Russell Wilson-Chris Carson-Tyler Lockett (or DK Metcalf) could get you access to all of Seattle's touchdowns. And we can't forget Jacob Hollister in a matchup against Arizona's legendary-bad defense against tight ends.
- Colts (vs. Panthers) - Marlon Mack-Colts defense is an obvious stack against Carolina's bottom-ranked rush defense. Make sure you also have exposure to Jacoby Brissett and his pass-catchers in tournaments.
- Chargers (vs. Raiders) - Between Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry, Austin Ekeler, and Melvin Gordon, it's tough trying to pin down which Chargers player to go heavy on each week. They're all strong plays (and priced well on DraftKings) against Oakland.
- Broncos (vs. Lions) - Courtland Sutton will be the next perimeter receiver to destroy the Lions. Phillip Lindsay is in a great spot also, but his lack of targets in the passing game is a bummer.
DAN HINDERY
The Falcons are a team I want to have exposure to this week. The nice thing about this team right now is that injuries have eliminated options and forced the targets and carries to become more concentrated. Last week, Devonta Freeman was the only back who touched the ball more than one time. Unfortunately, one of those touches was a vultured one-yard touchdown but we can still be confident that Freeman is going to rack up most of the yardage from the backfield. Things were even more stark amongst the pass catchers. Julio Jones saw over half of Matt Ryan’s targets (20) and caught 13 passes on his way to a monster game. With Calvin Ridley injured and Mohamed Sanu traded to New England, we should expect another huge workload for Jones against a poor Jacksonville defense.
JUSTIN HOWE
The Ravens are always in play, and they need a win to clinch the AFC’s top seed. I see smooth sailing ahead against the pitiful Browns, who were simply rolled over last week by the Cardinals’ sluggish offense. Cleveland had no answer for the quickness of Kenyan Drake or Kyler Murray on the ground; maybe the Ravens have a quick-footed quarterback they can mix in Sunday. Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram are consistent, matchup-proof plays, and they project to big-time efficiency and touchdown potential in this one.