Fantasy Football: Week 16 Value Picks

Added on Dec 22, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

The end is here. For most fantasy leagues, Week 16 is when championships are won or lost. Months of dealing with injuries and byes, bidding for free agents and swinging trades all comes down to this. Make one wrong lineup move and it could cost you a league title. If you feel confident about your team then it’s probably best to play it safe. However, if you’re in need of some upside and aren’t afraid to take risks, here are a few options to consider.

Matt Ryan (@ NO) – Ryan has been a solid start for most of the season, be he is still a notch below the game’s elite quarterbacks in both reality and fantasy. He’s on pace to set career highs in both passing yards and touchdowns, and more importantly is playing his best right now. Eleven of his 26 touchdowns tosses have come in the last four weeks. His lowest yardage during that span has been 224. He ripped the Saints back in Week 10 for 351 yards and two scores.If you own him, don’t get cute. Just get him in your lineup.

LeGarrette Blount (@ CAR) – No reason to pull punches with Blount. The guy has been terrible in 2011. He’s missed two games to injury, been held under 60 yards six times and scored only five touchdowns. In fact, the last time he faced the Panthers defense, he netted 19 yards on 11 carries. Awful. So, why am I recommending him during the most important week in fantasy? The Panthers have surrendered 16 rushing touchdowns and are yielding over 130 yards on the ground. I wouldn’t start Blount as a number two back, but he is a decent option as a flex.

Plaxico Burress (vs. NYG) – Motivation is a strange thing. Especially when it comes to players facing their former teams. For whatever reason, guys have a tendency of running a little faster and competing a little harder against teams they once called home. Plax has been largely invisible in the Jets erratic pass attack, but the best way for him to prove he still has gas left in the tank is to shred his ex-employers. Big Blue has allowed 25 touchdowns through the air and rank 29th overall versus the pass. Burress is a huge gamble, but like any gamble, he could pay off.

Brent Celek (@ DAL) – I’m always leery of tight ends coming off giant performances. Unless you own Gronkowski, Graham, Gonzalez or Gates, there’s been little to no consistency from the position in 2011. That being said, Celek is in the midst of a bouce-back year and he did torch the Cowboys in Week 8 for 94 yards and a score. Since that game, he’s caught no fewer than three balls per outing and totaled five or more catches four times. In what will likely be a shootout on Saturday, Celek deserves strong consideration.

Titans D/ST (vs. JAC) – The Titans rank eighth in scoring defense and held Jacksonville to one touchdown and 323 total yards in Week 1. This time around they will be looking across the line at rookie signal-caller Blaine Gabbert, who has thrown at least one interception and been sacked 14 times in his last four starts. With the exception of Week 14′s 41-point explosion, Jacksonville hasn’t scored more than 17 points since Week 5. Roll with the Titans and feel good about it.