Methodology
In this weekly article, I’m going to look ahead to the following week. I’ll point out a few players below 40% owned on ESPN who have strong matchups next week that you can pick up ahead of time to beat the waiver run. With added IR spots in most leagues, you can also shift injured players there, opening up a roster spot for these options.
Since most of these additions will occur on the weekend, I’ll exclude any players from the Thursday night game, as you won’t be able to add them to your rosters. This season more than any other, it’s essential to remain active and stay ahead of your league mates. I hope you find value in this column and that it helps you succeed on a week-to-week basis.
I won’t limit myself to any specific number of players or force myself to choose specific positions, outside of a few exceptions. Each week, I’ll provide one look ahead streamer at quarterback and D/ST, as those positions are easy to predict every week. Quarterback streaming mostly comes from the opposing defense and D/ST from the opposing offense, and we know those schedules ahead of time.
This will be my final looking ahead article of the season, as Week 16 is championship week for almost all fantasy football leagues. It’s been a great ride bringing you this content all season, even with multiple schedule disruptions due to COVID-19, among other craziness. I’ve listed the players in the order I would add them to my roster. Let’s jump right in!
Must Adds
Jeff Wilson, 38.6% owned
Wilson is the only must-add for the week, given his potential upside. Raheem Mostert has struggled with injuries, and the 49ers’ other running backs are either also injured or phased out of their offense. They have minimal healthy receiving weapons, and Kyle Shanahan’s run schemes always succeed. Therefore, if Wilson gets the backfield mostly to himself in Week 16, he would be an RB2. Add him to your roster, just in case.
Deeper Options
Keke Coutee, 33.7% owned
Coutee has emerged from the doghouse under interim head coach Romeo Crennel. In Week 13, he played 75% of offensive snaps and caught eight receptions on nine targets for 141 yards. While he didn’t have the same success in Week 14, Coutee still caught all three of his targets for 24 yards and a touchdown. The Texans don’t have many receiving weapons outside of Brandin Cooks and Coutee, and they play the Bengals’ porous defense in Week 16. Therefore, Coutee will be a strong start in championship week.
Tim Patrick, 22.6% owned
Patrick cannot be a must-add because he plays in the Broncos’ weak offense with inconsistent quarterback Drew Lock. However, he consistently sees starter’s reps, and he leads the Broncos in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, ahead of Jerry Jeudy. The Broncos play the Chargers in Week 16, so it’s not a perfect matchup, but Patrick provides a solid floor. You’ll be able to play Patrick as a low-end WR3 or high-end WR4 in your championship matchup.
Lynn Bowden, 10.2% owned
Bowden is a bizarre player to consider. He’s listed either as a running back or running back and wide receiver on most fantasy websites, as the Raiders declared him a running back when drafting him. However, he’s playing as a wide receiver for the Dolphins. In Week 14, he caught seven of nine targets for 82 yards, playing 71% of the offensive snaps.
The Dolphins have multiple injuries among their receiving weapons, including DeVante Parker, Jakeem Grant, and Mike Gesicki. Therefore, they might rely on Bowden to provide a spark for their offense. The Dolphins traded for Bowden before the season, and he’s a versatile gadget player who can contribute at running back, receiver, and even as a quarterback. Starting Bowden in your fantasy playoffs is a massive gamble, but if you need the upside, you can try to throw him in your lineup.
Gus Edwards, 24.5% owned
Edwards is an interesting option. He took the backup role behind J.K. Dobbins but ahead of Mark Ingram in Weeks 13 and 14. But, he only saw 33 and 27% of the offensive snaps, despite taking 14 total carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns. The Ravens play the Giants in Week 16, which should provide Edwards the positive game script he needs to find fantasy value. I doubt you’ll need to start Edwards on a playoff roster, but he’s a decent desperation play if you need a running back.
Cole Kmet, 10.8% owned
Kmet is starting to become a must-start tight end. He had seven targets in Weeks 13 and 14, catching nine of them for 78 yards and a touchdown. The Bears have moved away from Jimmy Graham, as Kmet has dominated the snaps at tight end since Week 10. New starter Mitch Trubisky also has said that he wants to get Kmet the ball, as Kmet has found success once the Bears switched from Nick Foles to Trubisky. Considering that the Bears play the Jaguars in Week 16, I might have Kmet as a borderline TE1 in fantasy championship week.
Allen Lazard, 27.6% owned
Lazard can always be a serviceable option, as he can always catch a deep pass or a touchdown from Aaron Rodgers. However, Robert Tonyan seems to be Rodgers’ second-favorite target after Davante Adams, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling has also played as a decent deep threat. Lazard does face a weak Titans’ secondary in Week 16, but he’s only a desperation play at best.
QB of the Week: Jalen Hurts, 24.6% owned
I’m not going to rehash everything I said about Hurts in last week’s looking ahead article or in this week’s streamers article. However, suffice it to say that Hurts has a strong matchup in Week 15 against the Cardinals, followed by a dream matchup in Week 16 versus the Cowboys. He will almost certainly be a top-five quarterback in my Week 16 rankings, especially if he continues to run wild as he did in Week 14. Hurts should be on a roster in all leagues.
D/ST of the Week: Cardinals, 31.0% owned
I don’t recommend picking up the Cardinals a week in advance. They play against the 49ers in Week 16, who have almost no usable healthy offensive weapons remaining. However, I would probably look elsewhere or wait for another opportunity to open up based on the Week 15 games. You never know who will have a quarterback injury or something like that. The Cardinals are too weak a D/ST option to add before we arrive at Week 16.
Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Karp. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.
Previous Look Ahead Articles: Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 13, Week 14, Week 15
