Fantasy Football: The best plays at each position for Week 16
BOSTON -- This is it now. Don't get scared... of your fantasy football playoffs.
We've hit Christmas, which means if your fantasy season is still going, you have an extremely important matchup this week. And as tends to be the case after 15 weeks of a football season, you're likely looking to fill an injury or two.
That can be a frustrating endeavor with all the holiday needs mixed in, so we turn to CBS Sports fantasy football expert Chris Towers for his Week 16 position rankings for your best options. Whether you're in a season-long league or building a roster for a daily league, Towers has you covered.
Quarterbacks
The quarterback position has been hit hard with injuries all season. And three must-start QBs -- Houston's C.J. Stroud (concussion), Seattle's Geno Smith (groin), and Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence (concussion) -- could be out in Week 16.
Who are your options if you need a replacement? Towers has some suggestions.
"[Baker] Mayfield (74% [rostered]) and Gardner Minshew (59%) have decent matchups and are mid-to-high-end QB2s, and Joe Flacco (42%) isn't far behind with a matchup against the [Texans]. If none of them are available, your best bet might be hoping Aidan O'Connell (21%) can replicate Week 15's magic or hoping that a solid supporting cast can elevate Nick Mullens (18%) against a beatable Lions defense," writes Towers.
Here are his top quarterback plays for Week 16:
- Jalen Hurts vs. New York Giants
- Josh Allen at Los Angeles Chargers
- Justin Fields vs. Arizona
- Dak Prescott at Miami
- Lamar Jackson at San Francisco
If you want to spend your Christmas Eve rooting for a quarterback in the Patriots-Broncos game, Russell Wilson checks in as the No. 18 QB this week, while Bailey Zappe is at No. 28. If you're in some kind of special fantasy league that only counts first-half stats, then Zappe would be ranked much higher.
Read Chris Towers' full quarterback rankings for Week 16 of the fantasy football season
Running Backs
At least running back is a much more stable position at this point in the season. And Jonathan Taylor's return to the Indy offense would only strengthen the running backs table for Week 16.
Here are Towers' top plays at the position:
- Christian McCaffrey vs. Baltimore
- Alvin Kamara at Los Angeles Rams
- Kyren Williams vs. New Orleans
- Bijan Robinson vs. Indianapolis
- Rachaad White vs. Jacksonville
Ezekiel Elliott has a very good matchup against the NFL's worst rushing defense, and checks in as the No. 14 running back this week. The Patriots have one of the stingiest run defenses in the NFL, but Denver's Javonte Williams is ranked 20th for this week, while his backups Samaje Perine (54th) and Jaleel McLaughlin (58th) are toward the bottom of the list.
New England's Kevin Harris, who scored on an 18-yard touchdown run against the Chiefs last weekend and was signed to the 53-man roster from the practice squad on Tuesday, does not crack Wilson's top-60 at running back.
Read Chris Towers' full running back rankings for Week 16 of the fantasy football season
Wide Receivers
Receivers are tough because of all the quarterback injuries, but you should have a decent amount of playmakers to pick from for your playoff (or consolation) matchup. Here are Towers' top plays at receiver in Week 16:
- CeeDee Lamb at Miami
- Amon-Ra St. Brown at Minnesota
- AJ Brown vs. New York Giants
- Justin Jefferson vs. Detroit
- Jaylen Waddle vs. Dallas
Of the receivers in Sunday night's Patriots-Broncos matchup, Denver's Courtland Sutton is your best bet at No. 23 for the week. New England's Demario Douglas returned to action last week after missing two games with a concussion, and checks in at No. 41 in Week 16. Denver's Jerry Jeudy is right behind him at No. 44, while DeVante Parker is at No. 55 after his five-catch afternoon against the Chiefs last week.
Read Chris Towers' full wide receiver rankings for Week 16 of the fantasy football season
Tight Ends
- Travis Kelce vs. Las Vegas
- Trey McBride at Chicago
- Sam LaPorta at Minnesota
- TJ Hockenson vs. Detroit
- David Njoku at Houston
New England's Hunter Henry had seven catches and a touchdown last week against the Chiefs. He has three touchdowns over the last two games (and had one called back because of a penalty last week) but Henry doesn't crack Towers' top-24 this week. He might be worth a flyer against the Broncos, but keep an eye on his status at practice this week after he suffered a knee injury against the Chiefs.
Read Chris Towers' full tight end rankings for Week 16 of the fantasy football season