HomeSPORT7 Fantasy Football Smash Starts: Week 16 (2024)

7 Fantasy Football Smash Starts: Week 16 (2024)


If you’re reading this you are still alive in your fantasy football playoffs. That is awesome news.

Hopefully, the Week 15 Smash Starts assisted in reaching this point. Let’s review. What was supposed to be a shootout between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers turned out to be a blowout by the Bucs. Baker Mayfield had the blow-up game, while our selection, Justin Herbert, provided modest yardage and two passing touchdowns. Aaron Jones led the running back brigade with an RB7 finish due to producing 106 total yards and a scoring plunge. That was a bad call on Isiah Pacheco, who had a quiet Sunday afternoon against the Cleveland Browns and sad faces around the fantasy football world.

We had two selections leave early in Week 15 — hot waiver wire addition running back Sincere McCormick and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. Both provided practically zeroes when you needed them the most, which was disappointing and frustrating. One player who did not disappoint was Jerry Jeudy. Jeudy continues to be on fire, producing 11 receptions on 14 targets for 108 yards. Tucker Kraft was a disappointment at the tight end position. However, the Atlanta Falcons defense was outstanding. The Falcons’ defense forced three turnovers, produced four sacks and added a safety while holding the Raiders to nine points. That was a smash start.

Here is to you making your championship game with a little tush push help from this week’s smash starts.

FantasyPros MyPlaybook League Sync

Fantasy Football Smash Starts For Week 16

Quarterback

Cooper Rush (QB – DAL) vs. Tampa Bay

This might be a tough pill to swallow with your fantasy titles on the line, but Cooper Rush continues to provide positive fantasy production. Rush produced his best fantasy total of the season last week with 19.1 fantasy points, throwing for 214 yards and three touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers. Rush has thrown for multiple touchdowns in three of the past four weeks, which led to three low-end QB1 finishes.

The Cowboys take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their defense is worse than the Panthers in fantasy at stopping quarterbacks. The Bucs allow 21.2 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks (second-highest). Opposing quarterbacks possess a 96.4 passer rating versus Todd Bowles’ defense.

The Cowboys’ offense is powered by the Rush-CeeDee Lamb connection and sprinkled with Rico Dowdle‘s ground game success. This combo will be too much for the Bucs’ defense to capture in what should be a shootout. Rush has sneaky QB1 upside fueled with multiple touchdowns that even Cris Collinsworth will be impressed with on Sunday Night Football.

Running Back

Jerome Ford (RB – CLE) at Cincinnati

The hottest name on this week’s waiver wire is a Week 16 smash start. Jerome Ford steps into the lead back role for the Cleveland Browns with Nick Chubb‘s season-ending foot injury. Ford took over after Chubb went down and produced 104 total yards and a score, highlighted by a 62-yard touchdown run against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Ford handled the No. 1 RB duties without Chubb to kick off this season. He averaged 10 carries and five targets per game with a struggling Browns offense. Ford holds RB2 value in a juicy matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals this week. The Bengals’ run defense is dismal. Their 20th-ranked rushing defense allows 126.9 rushing yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry.

We should see plenty of Ford on Sunday while trying to keep the ball away from Joe Burrow and the explosive Bengals offense. If, or I should say when, the Browns fall behind, Ford has the pass-catching chops to be a weapon via the passing game. Ford should have a massive statistical game and be a massive smash start.

Bucky Irving (RB – TB) at Dallas

Bucky Irving continues to be a stud running back for fantasy managers. The rookie probably frustrated many managers with his Week 14 early exit. However, for those who stuck with Irving, he played huge dividends in Week 15 by rushing for 117 yards. More importantly, Irving proved healthy. What you’re heading is a gigantic sigh from his fantasy managers.

Week 16 brings a fantastic matchup for Irving, with Tampa Bay heading to AT&T Stadium to take on the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys’ defense ranks as the worst run-stopping unit in the league, ranking 30th in opponent rushing first downs per game (8.1) and 29th in rushing yards allowed per game (136.1).

Irving and Rachaad White will feast on Sunday Night Football. Both running backs will finish as RB1s this week, make incredible smash starts and win many fantasy matchups.

BettingPros Free Trial

Wide Receiver

Malik Nabers (WR – NYG) at Atlanta

Despite his explosiveness, you have to admire the intensity and integrity of Giants rookie wideout Malik Nabers. Nabers continues to gut it out on the field, although he has been fighting with hip and groin injuries. The rookie has also faced catching passes from multiple mediocre, at best, quarterbacks the Giants are forced to trot out.

Nabers is heavily targeted, but his quarterback’s inefficient play rears its ugly head too often. Nabers’ quarterback rating per target is a dismal 89.0%, which ranks 61st in the league. Still, Nabers ranks 15th in the league with 901 receiving yards.

The former LSU Tiger is coming off a fantastic game with 10 receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown, his first score since Week 3. Nabers maintains his hot streak in a plus-matchup against the Atlanta Falcons defense in Week 16. The Falcons have surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. In addition, the Falcons have allowed 20 receiving touchdowns to wide receivers, the most in the NFL. Enjoy watching Nabers score for consecutive weeks with another double-digit reception game.

Romeo Doubs (WR – GB) vs New Orleans

The Green Bay Packers have transformed into a run-first team, and Josh Jacobs reminds us what a bell-cow running back is all about. Jordan Love has not attempted more than 30 passes in a game since Week 9, but do not overlook who Love wants to throw the ball to when he drops back to pass.

Romeo Doubs is second on the team with 58 targets despite missing three games. He caught three of his five targets for 40 yards and two scores in Week 15 in his first week back from concussion protocol.

On Monday Night Football, Doubs has a juicy matchup against the New Orleans Saints, who have surrendered the fifth-most receptions and receiving yards to wide receivers this season. The Saints just gave up two touchdowns to Terry McLaurin in Week 15, so viewing a replay of that production with Doubs seems smash-start-worthy.

Tight End

Brenton Strange (TE – JAX) at Las Vegas

Every season, some players come out of nowhere and shock us. One of those players this season is tight end Brenton Strange of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags are 3-11, lost their star quarterback Trevor Lawrence for the season and will likely have a new head coach next season. However, do not overlook the Jags for help getting you a victory this weekend.

Strange has stepped up to take over at tight end with Evan Engram ruled out for the season. Strange produced TE1 numbers in Week 15 thanks to 11 receptions on 12 targets for 73 yards against the New York Jets. He will continue to see increased opportunities in the Jags’ offense and seems to have developed chemistry with quarterback Mac Jones.

Strange is a sneaky insert in your fantasy lineups again this week with a favorable matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders’ defense is on a downward spiral with the loss of Maxx Crosby, and they have difficulties defending the tight end position. The Raiders allow the fourth-most points to tight ends (12.5) on the season. That trend continues this week, with Strange seeing plenty of targets. A trip to the end zone would not surprise me.

Defense

Atlanta Falcons D/ST vs. New York Giants

It makes sense to stay with the hot hand. Combine that with a plus-matchup and you will have the selection of the Falcons defense in consecutive weeks. After probably helping win playoff matchups last week with a stellar defense against the Raiders.

The Week 16 matchup against the New York Giants is juicy. The Giants allow an average of three sacks per game despite who is behind center for the Giants. Consider that the Falcons also average a forced turnover per game and we have a defense that will smash in Week 16.

Join the FantasyPros Discord

Dennis Sosic is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Dennis, check out his archive and follow him @CALL_ME_S.OS



RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular

Recent Comments