QUARTERBACK

Aaron Rodgers (New York Jets)

Rodgers hasn’t been good most of the season, but has looked more comfortable the last few games. He passed for 289 yards and 3 TDs in a favorable matchup last week against the Jaguars. He now has at least 35 pass attempts in three of the last five games and multiple touchdowns in three of the last four. The Rams allow the ninth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.

RUNNING BACK

Kendre Miller (New Orleans Saints)

Alvin Kamara is unlikely to play due to a groin injury and could be out for the season. Miller has been involved in the offense the last two games since coming off the IR, logging 9 carries for 46 yards last week against the Commanders. The Saints are 14-point underdogs in Green Bay, but Miller should see a lot of touches and catch several passes.

WIDE RECEIVER

Jalen McMillan (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

McMillan couldn’t take advantage when Mike Evans and Chris Godwin were out and it appeared it would be a lost rookie season. It takes time for some rookies to get going and McMillan is becoming a big part of the Buccaneers offense. He had 6 targets last week against the Chargers and caught 5 passes for 75 yards with a TD. The week before against the Raiders, he caught 4 of 7 targets for 59 yards and 2 TDs. McMillan gets a Cowboys defense that has allowed five receivers to get at least 69 receiving yards in the last four games. He has become the No. 2 target in a good offense.

TIGHT END

Brenton Strange (Jacksonville Jaguars)

It’s difficult to ignore a tight end coming off 12 targets. Strange replaced the injured Evan Engram and caught 11 passes for 73 yards. While we can’t expect those stats again, Strange gets a good matchup against the Raiders, who allow the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends. The offense ran through Brian Thomas and Strange last week.

If you need more streamers to consider, remember to check out our start/sit tool to compare options and double down to see how our expert rankers view fringe options this week.

What else is in today’s newsletter?

1. Week 16 Cheat Sheet: Start, Sit, Cut—WR Edition

2. Watercooler: The best and worst WR/CB matchups
   

The Best Sweat in Fantasy Football Just Got Sweatier.

Playoff Guillotine League contests are now LIVE.

Week 16 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

Fantasy Life's Week 16 Fantasy Football Cheatsheet serves as a roundtable between Geoff Ulrich, Jonathan Fuller, and Mark Drumheller to catch you up with everything you need to know for the weekend:

Start One, Sit One, Cut One - Week 16 WR Edition

• Cooper Kupp (consensus WR15)

• Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR16)

• Jauan Jennings (WR17)

Geoff:

Honestly, I like all three of these guys this week, so I'd be fine having to roll out anyone of them if forced.

Still, here is how I would rank them. 

Start: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Smith-Njigba has taken over as the primary read in the Seattle offense. This makes sense as neither Geno Smith nor Sam Howell are great downfield passers, but Smith is pretty solid on short-intermediate routes, and Smith-Njigba is great at creating separation. 

This week he plays the Vikings, who allow the most fantasy points to opposing WRs. As much as I fear DK Metcalf will wake up soon and steal all the targets and TDs back for a week or two, you can’t sit JSN in this spot. 

Sit: Jauan Jennings

Jennings has essentially taken over as the primary read in the 49ers offense. He’s produced target shares of 27% or more over his last six games alone and faces a Dolphins defense that has allowed 5 TDs to opposing WRs over their last three starts. 

Add in the injuries at RB for the 49ers and I could see Jennings racking up 8-9 catches this week, easily. Still, he’s just a hair underneath Smith-Njigba for me, so I’ll sit him.

Cut: Cooper Kupp

As mentioned above, I like all three guys this week. Kupp had the goose egg against the 49ers, but is in a terrific bounceback spot against a Jets defense that is likely going to be down at least one corner and allowed a ton of receptions to the slot against Jacksonville. 

The issue with Kupp is that he’s playing alongside a legit stud in Puka Nacua, who demands targets every week. I think Kupp bounces back in a big way against the Jets but, long term, he’d be the player I’d want the least for the final three weeks. So he gets the boot. 

Mark:

Start: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

In case you are late to the party, the Seahawks offense belongs to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Against the Packers, JSN hauled in 10 receptions for 83 yards, and his 12 targets were five more than any other Seahawks player. Last week was Smith-Njigba’s sixth straight game with 70-plus yards receiving. That type of consistency is too valuable to turn away this time of year. Factor in a very favorable matchup against the Vikings, and there is no way you will find this man on my bench.

Sit: Cooper Kupp

This one stings a bit because I do believe we are in for a make-up sesh between Matthew Stafford and Kupp. I know the Rams are focused on winning the NFC West, but this Jets defense provides the perfect opportunity to rekindle that “king of the wide receiver room” feeling for Kupp.

That being said, the man is sharing targets with Puka Nacua—who checks in as the second-best option this week in our consensus rankings. While I expect the Rams’ offense to explode, banking on Kupp becoming the main beneficiary is an unnecessary risk, especially during the playoffs.

Cut: Jauan Jennings

I just don’t see the upside with this 49ers offense. Last week’s debacle against the Rams was the third time in four games the Niners were held to 10 points or less.

The Dolphins defense is far from perfect. However, they do a solid job of limiting opposing quarterbacks. Miami falls in the middle of the pack in terms of EPA allowed (15th), but ranks in the Top 10 in both passing yards allowed per game (8th) and passing touchdowns surrendered (T5th).

I was not surprised when our DvP tool revealed that the Dolphins have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers (27.1).

Will Purdy muster up enough production to make Jennings relevant? I am not convinced. Jennings might have a bright future, but we are in win-now mode.

Jonathan:

• Start: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

• Sit: Jauan Jennings

• Cut: Cooper Kupp

This wasn't too tough of a decision for me. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is in the midst of a breakout campaign and is just four yards shy of a 1,000-yard season. He is seriously challenging DK Metcalf to be the top target in the offense and has recorded at least 74 receiving yards in each of his last six games.

Jauan Jennings has been pretty boom-or-bust over the last six weeks. In full PPR scoring, he has three weeks as the WR14 or better and three as the WR36 or worse, nothing in between. His routes and target share have been much more consistent, however, so you can still feel good starting him, just not quite as good as you can about JSN.

Cooper Kupp is the clear third on this list. Over the last four weeks, Kupp has had a solid 22% target share but is a distant No. 2 to Puka Nacua. I also expect the Week 16 matchup between the Rams and Jets to be a slower-paced game environment that features the running game for both teams. Kupp is definitely still a good play this week, but of these three WRs, he is the one I am least confident in.

Looking for the most immersive and custom fantasy football tool experience? Sync your league(s) with our League Sync tool to cross-check all of our Week 16 rankings, NFL player projections, and more!

The latest analysis and insights from our merry band of football nerds:

🏈 So many RB injuries! Ian and Dwain know what to do and throw in bold predictions for the fantasy semis.

🥳 Psyched for the first round of the College Football Playoff bracket? Thor, Coach Gene, and Froton get you ready at 10 a.m. ET.

✈️ Will Davante Adams stay hot? His matchup gives us a clue …

📝 With Bowl season in full swing … let’s peek at an updated 2025 NFL Mock Draft.

✋ The top five player props for Week 16—Yes, Cooper Kupp can bounce back.

👀 Surprisingly good news … this RB’s season may not be over quite yet.

🚑 Everybody hurts. It only feels that way. Here’s the Week 16 Injury Roundup.

Win your leagues. Win your bets. Get 12 months of fantasy football and sports betting coverage with FantasyLife+.