This Thursday gives us two teams fighting for their playoff lives. While San Francisco pretty much has the NFC West locked up, the Saints are still in the hunt for the NFC South title. Even though the Saints have a solid defense, I am still leaning toward a shootout in this matchup. Both teams have multiple fantasy options that will play a factor in your fantasy playoffs. This won’t be a game you want to miss.
Week 15 Game Ball: Davante Adams– 8 catches for 101 receiving yards and 1 touchdown
I wish I could put the whole Raiders offense and defense here. Las Vegas was dominant on both sides of the ball, and this game was quickly over as the Raiders raced to a 21-point lead in the 1st quarter. This vintage performance from the 10-year year veteran gave Adams managers a sigh of relief for the playoffs. Next week, he gets a Kansas City match-up in which the Raiders have been known to play them tough. A win against the Chiefs could put them right back in the playoff picture.
TNF fantasy football preview: Week 16 starts
Elite Starts
These are my locked-in starts that you never need to think twice about. Just put them in and watch the magic happen.
Kyren Williams – A once-afterthought at the start of the fantasy season, is now a stud running back who will help people win championships. Since coming back from injury, Williams has been on quite the tear. Over the last four weeks he is averaging 146 all-purpose yards per game and has become a clear focal point of the offense. During that span he has accounted for 89 of the 115 (77.4%) designed runs play to the running back. The coaching staff loves him, and there is no sign of him slowing down. Keep him in your lineup, as he’ll be getting fed all night.
Projection: 1 catch for 122 all-purpose yards and 1 touchdown
Alvin Kamara – There is no denying Kamara’s usage has been elite. Since serving his suspension, he is averaging 20.63 touches per game and has yet to have a game this year with under 3 catches. Kamara has been known to shine during the fantasy playoffs. Let’s not forget about his 6-touchdown performance during championship week in 2020. The Rams are currently giving up 110.79 rushing yards and 4.3 receptions to running backs per game. I expect Kamara to hit the over on that reception mark and get used early and often for the Saints.
Projection: 6 catches for 110 all-purpose yards and 1 touchdown
Solid Starts
These are the starts you shouldn’t be nervous about but certainly aren’t locked in for top-tier production.
Chris Olave – After taking a week off for some recovery, Olave should be back in the lineup for the Saints. He hasn’t had the big sophomore leap we were all hoping for, but he has still put up solid numbers. Derek Carr certainly limits his upside versus having Jameson Winston in, but it’s in the best interest of the Saints to keep Olave heavily involved. In his 13 games played this year, he has only scored single-digit fantasy points in 3 of these games in full PPR formats. Unfortunately, Carr hasn’t exactly been a touchdown machine when on the road this season, with six touchdowns in seven road games. Keep an eye on Olave’s status before kickoff, as he was limited in Tuesday’s practice with an ankle injury.
Projection: 6 catches for 85 receiving yards
Cooper Kupp/Puka Nacua – Kupp is starting to heat up at the right time for fantasy managers, and Nacua might be the free-agent acquisition of the year in most leagues, along with Kyren Williams. While both of them demand targets with their talent, the Rams have proven they are capable of providing enough targets for both of them. They get a tough matchup this week against a Saints defense that ranks 5th in passing yards given up and 6th in passing touchdowns given up. With this being the case, I think it will be difficult for both of them to go off this week. I lean towards the side of chemistry with Kupp and Stafford. Regardless, you’ll be starting both of them this week in hopes of Stafford finding some flaws in this defense.
Projections:
Kupp – 8 catches for 98 receiving yards and 1 touchdown
Nacua – 5 catches for 88 all-purpose yards
Flex Worthy Starts
They are worth a start, but no one is going to blame you if you want to bench them.
Matthew Stafford – If you’re looking for a quarterback play that won’t sink your team in round 2 of the playoffs, Stafford may be your guy. Certainly, there will be better options out there, but many managers are in need of quarterbacks with a solid floor. Stafford hasn’t scored under 18 in the last four weeks, including 23-point games against a stingy Browns and Ravens defense. As much as the Rams run the ball, they throw it just as much. Stafford currently has a 4-game multiple touchdown streak going along with throwing over 225 yards in all those games. If you need a quarterback that won’t sink your team, stick with Stafford’s hot hand in this one.
Projection: 250 passing yards and 2 touchdowns
Tyler Higbee – Here is another “you could do worse” situation. Higbee certainly won’t win you the week, but he’ll provide you with some average tight-end numbers. As good as the Saint’s defense has been, they actually rank 26th in the league in fantasy points given up to the tight end position. Add that to Stafford playing well, and you could have the making of a solid fantasy performance. I’ll stick to the conservative side with his projections, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he gave us a solid outing.
Projection: 4 catches for 42 receiving yards
Break Glass in Case of Emergency Starts
Starts that will have questionable usage, and you are just hoping you can sneak a touchdown out of them. Pick your poison.
- Derek Carr
- Juwan Johnson
- Jimmy Graham
- Demarcus Robinson
- Taysom Hill
- Rashid Shaheed
- A.T. Perry
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