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The Examiner Fantasy Football League Est. 2002
FFL: Playoff Week 2 | NFL: Week 16

Week 16 Numbers Game: History, trends and records on the line Sunday

Thu Dec 18 11:44am ET
Field Level Media

Denver has 12 consecutive home wins and the NFL's longest active win streak as the Broncos attempt to keep their stride toward the AFC's No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

Ahead of Sunday's game against the Jaguars, Denver's winning streak stands at 11 and Jacksonville has won five in a row to jump to the lead in the AFC South.

If quarterback Bo Nix gets the Broncos to the finish line with two more wins to close out the regular season, he'll break a current tie with Andrew Luck (Colts), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) and Dak Prescott (Cowboys) for the second-most wins in the first two seasons of a quarterback's career (22) and tie the record held by Russell Wilson (Seahawks).

With three wins to end the regular season, Nix would set that NFL record with 25 victories.

--The Bears and Patriots are in line to give the NFL a worst-to-playoffs -- and perhaps worst-to-first -- turnaround story.

Since 1996, at least one team has made the playoffs the season after finishing in last or tied for last place in 26 of 29 seasons.

Chicago can clinch a playoff spot on Saturday with a win and Detroit loss to the Steelers on Sunday, or a Chicago tie and Detroit loss, after ending the 2024 season in last place in the NFC North.

The Patriots were last in the AFC East in 2024. But New England has a win-and-in game at Baltimore on Sunday night.

--New England is trying to improve to 7-0 on the road this season. A victory would be the Patriots' 12th of the season and their 14th 12-win season in team history, ranking behind only the San Francisco 49ers (16) and Dallas Cowboys (15).

--Don Shula (51 years and 308 days old) and Curly Lambeau (48 years and 222 days old) are the only coaches who achieved 200 career NFL wins at a younger age than Mike Tomlin, who can become the 11th member of the 200 Club. Tomlin, 53, has 199 career wins since being hired by the Steelers in 2007. He's also in position to produce his 19th season with a record of .500 or better.

Marty Schottenheimer (19 seasons) is fourth on the list dating to 1970.

Shula (24 seasons), Andy Reid (23) and Bill Belichick (21) are the only coaches with more .500-or-better seasons.

Rams coach Sean McVay, 39, can record his 100th career win on Thursday night at Seattle and at least three other opportunities after that given Los Angeles clinched a playoff berth last week.

Only two coaches in won their 100th game before age 40. Pro Football Hall of Famers Curly Lambeau (36 years and 174 days old) and George Halas (39 years and 254 days old).

--Browns defensive end Myles Garrett leads the NFL with 21.5 sacks and is first with 124 sacks since entering the league in 2017, the second-most by a player in his first nine seasons.

Garrett can surpass Michael Strahan (22.5 sacks in 2001 with the New York Giants) and T.J. Watt (22.5 in 2021 with Pittsburgh) to claim the record for most sacks in a season since the league made it an official statistic in 1982.

--Green Bay has won 26 of the last 31 meetings between the Packers and Bears at Soldier Field, including 14 of the last 15, and 17 of the past 19 overall in the series. This is only the second all-time Saturday game between these division rivals, who've played 211 times. The Packers lead 109-96-6.

--The 49ers have allowed 41 total points in the fourth quarter this season (2.9 per game). Only the Packers (16 fourth-quarter points in 14 games this season) have given up fewer.

--The Los Angeles Chargers are the only one team in the NFL with four players over 500 receiving yards this season: wide receiver Quinton Johnston (533 yards), tight end Orande Gadsden II (602), and receivers Keenan Allen (688) and Ladd McConkey (715 yards).

--Buccaneers wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr. are approaching the combined 17K Club. With 16,858 yards in their nine seasons together, the tandem is No. 5 in league history for combined receiving yards in the regular season and within striking distance of Colts greats Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne (17, 155 in 10 seasons) and Dolphins WRs Mark Clayton and Mark Duper (17,512 in 10 seasons). Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt are No. 1 on the list with 21,310 yards in nine seasons. Jerry Rice and John Taylor had 18,224 in nine seasons with the 49ers.

--Colts running back Jonathan Taylor can climb to third on the single-season rushing yards list with 111 yards on Monday against the San Francisco 49ers. Counterpart Christian McCaffrey needs seven receptions to pass Roger Craig for the team single-season record for catches by a running back.

Top Headlines
The Paur Report

Starts, Sits, Sleepers: Week 16

Player Notes
Josh Jacobs Dec 18 12:30pm ET
Josh Jacobs

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (knee) will not practice on Thursday, according to head coach Matt LaFleur. The Athletic's Matt Schneidman guesses that Jacobs will be listed as questionable on the final Week 16 injury report, but he will play on Saturday night against the division-rival Chicago Bears. Jacobs was also questionable with his nagging knee injury last week, but he managed to suit up in the Week 15 loss to the Denver Broncos, where he handled 12 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown and added two receptions for 19 yards and another score as a receiver. Jacobs has not practiced all week, and it's clear that his knee is bothering him, but he plans to tough it out and play in a big divisional game this weekend in Chicago. Expecting 20-plus carries from Jacobs probably isn't wise, but as long as he's active, fantasy managers shouldn't be benching a RB who has 14 total touchdowns in 13 games in 2025.

From RotoBaller

Emari Demercado Dec 18 12:30pm ET
Emari Demercado

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado missed three games with an ankle sprain but returned in the Week 15 loss to the Houston Texans to handle one carry for one yard while hauling in two of his three targets for no gain. The 26-year-old third-year back has only 32 carries on the year for 242 yards and no touchdowns, adding 10 receptions on 15 targets for 64 yards and one score in 10 games played. He hasn't really been worthy of rostering in 12-team fantasy football leagues. However, with Bam Knight (ankle) now done for the final three games of the season with a bad ankle sprain, Demercado should at least become interesting in deep PPR leagues as Arizona's primary third-down option the rest of the way. Michael Carter is expected to take over on early downs, but Demercado shouldn't be completely ignored in a pass-happy Cardinals offense that has been thinned out by injuries to the receiving corps. Demercado is rostered in only 10% of Yahoo leagues.

From RotoBaller

Jawhar Jordan Dec 18 12:20pm ET
Jawhar Jordan

Houston Texans second-year running back Jawhar Jordan could have a significant workload for the second straight week this Sunday in an excellent matchup against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders with Houston's backfield beat up at the moment. Nick Chubb (ribs) missed the Week 15 win over the Arizona Cardinals, and rookie Woody Marks (ankle) was forced from Sunday's game and never returned. In his NFL debut against Arizona after Marks left, Jordan carried the ball 15 times for 101 yards and also caught two passes for 17 yards as the lead back over Dare Ogunbowale. Chubb has returned to practice this week and Marks apparently could have gone back into Sunday's game if it wasn't a blowout, but it's unclear if either back will be available in Week 16. That puts the 26-year-old Jordan on standby for potential lead-back duties for the Texans if Chubb and Marks cannot go. Jordan is still only rostered in 7% of Yahoo leagues.

From RotoBaller

Harold Fannin Jr. Dec 18 12:20pm ET
Harold Fannin Jr.

When asked about tight end Harold Fannin Jr.'s involvement in the game plan during the team's 31-3 loss to the Bears, Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees gave the rookie a vote of confidence. "The Harold Fannin well is a good one to go to," Rees replied when asked about the 21-year-old's spike in targets. In fact, Fannin accounted for a whopping 40% of quarterback Shedeur Sanders' looks in their Week 15 defeat and has commanded at least 11 in consecutive contests. The third-round pick of April's draft has been on the field for at least 90% of Cleveland's offensive snaps across the past four weeks, and is on the rise with an elevated opportunity share since teammate David Njoku (knee) went down with injury.

From RotoBaller

Anthony Richardson Dec 18 12:00pm ET
Anthony Richardson

According to head coach Shane Steichen, the Indianapolis Colts are opening the 21-day practice window for third-year quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (orbital). Richardson has been sidelined since fracturing his orbital bone before Indianapolis' Week 6 win against Arizona, reportedly due to an accident with a training band. While it's unclear if the team will have him practice ahead of Week 16's home matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, it's excellent news for his potential to return to the field, particularly if the Colts make a playoff run. With veteran Philip Rivers in the picture, the 23-year-old is unlikely to garner another chance at starting under center for the team in 2025. That said, fantasy managers should still stash him in dynasty formats.

From RotoBaller

Darren Waller Dec 18 11:50am ET
Darren Waller

Despite having to deal with a new quarterback in Week 16, Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller (knee, rest) is expected to maintain a critical role in the team's passing game when they line up with the Cincinnati Bengals at home. The 33-year-old is fresh off his best outing of the campaign, hauling in a season-high seven passes and two more touchdowns, giving him six scores in seven appearances. Unfortunately for Waller, any rapport he'd built up with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa won't translate when rookie signal-caller Quinn Ewers takes the field for his first NFL start. With the current state of Miami's offense, there's little reason to believe the veteran's role would shrink, although it's fair to expect diminished production. Favorably, Cincinnati's defense has allowed the most fantasy points per game to TEs (22.66), leaving Waller as a back-end TE1 for the outing.

From RotoBaller

Dalton Schultz Dec 18 11:40am ET
Dalton Schultz

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz has quietly had a solid season for the team, and figures to be productive again in Week 16's home matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. Schultz is coming off one of his better games of the season last Sunday (8/76/1). Despite just two trips to pay dirt in 2025, the Stanford alum has not been short of opportunity. Since Week 3, Schultz has had at least six targets in all but three appearances, and eight or more in six of his last nine. Additionally, he leads Houston in receptions (70) and is well on his way to surpassing his personal best in that category (78). While the veteran doesn't offer much in the way of YAC, he's been a reliable target for quarterback C.J. Stroud and should continue to work as the second option in the passing game behind wide receiver Nico Collins. For what it's worth, Las Vegas has been tough against tight ends, but Schultz should be involved enough to matter for fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Rome Odunze Dec 18 11:20am ET
Rome Odunze

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (foot) is expected to miss this Saturday night's clash with the visiting Green Bay Packers. Odunze has been shelved for a few weeks now. Unfortunately, he was scheduled to suit up for Week 15's win against the Browns, but aggravated his stress fracture pregame and seems to be trending toward being inactive again, considering he's yet to log even a limited practice session since. It's an unideal situation for the Bears' offense, particularly with rookie Luther Burden III (ankle) also in danger of missing with an injury of his own. As it stands, DJ Moore, Olamide Zaccheaus, Devin Duvernay, and Jahdae Walker are the only wideouts heading into this weekend sans a designation.

From RotoBaller

Josh Jacobs Dec 18 11:10am ET
Josh Jacobs

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (knee) is expected to play in Week 16, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Jacobs has been fighting through a knee injury since Week 11, when he slammed his knee onto the turf against the New York Giants. While he may be fighting through an injury, his production hasn't changed, putting up 92 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 14 attempts against the strong Denver Broncos defense. He faces the Chicago Bears in Week 16, who have been middle-of-the-pack against the run this season. While Jacobs will likely be limited in practice this week, he should be able to play and be an RB1 for fantasy managers this week.

From RotoBaller

Kyle Pitts Dec 18 11:00am ET
Kyle Pitts

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. had a historic day in the Week 15 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, setting career highs in targets (12), catches (11), yards (166), and touchdowns (three). His 45.6 PPR points were the most by a tight end this century, narrowly edging out Shannon Sharpe's 45.4-point performance in Week 7 of the 2002 season. The No. 4 overall pick back in 2021 is taking full advantage of the boost in targets with receiver Drake London (knee) out of the lineup and is showing why he was the highest-drafted tight end ever with a game for the ages. With London practicing on Wednesday and trending positively to play on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, Pitts likely won't have this kind of nuclear performance again. However, the 25-year-old looked dominant against the Bucs and still profiles as a top-three tight end for the second round of the fantasy playoffs.

From RotoBaller

Rashid Shaheed Dec 18 11:00am ET
Rashid Shaheed

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed had the most productive game of his Seahawks career in Week 15, hauling in five of seven targets for 74 yards in the 18-16 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Shaheed was traded from the New Orleans Saints to the Seahawks at the trade deadline, but hasn't quite seen his former production until recent weeks. In Week 14, Shaheed had 67 yards and a huge kick return for a touchdown that changed the game against the Atlanta Falcons, and his best receiving output in Week 15. Shaheed faces the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16, which should be one of the biggest games of the regular season in 2025. The Rams have allowed he fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season, so watch for Shaheed to make an impact on this game.

From RotoBaller

Jauan Jennings Dec 18 10:50am ET
Jauan Jennings

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings has had a solid season and had his first two-touchdown game in the Week 15 win over the Tennessee Titans, hauling in three of five targets for 37 yards. It was Jennings' fourth multi-touchdown game of his career, and first since Week 14 of last season. The 28-year-old has now scored in three straight games and five of the last six, ranking as the WR16 in PPR points in that time. Jennings is third on the 49ers in target share (18.2%) this season, behind star running back Christian McCaffrey (21.3%) and tight end George Kittle (19.7%), after leading the team in that area last season (22.7%). He's been running hot on touchdowns in recent weeks, and projects as a solid WR2 for the Week 16 Monday night matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

From RotoBaller

Adonai Mitchell Dec 18 10:50am ET
Adonai Mitchell

New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell scored the second touchdown of his career in Week 15 against the Jaguars, catching six of nine targets for 58 yards. Even with undrafted rookie Brady Cook at quarterback, Mitchell earned another nine targets on Cook's 33 pass attempts. Excluding his first game with the Jets, where he played only 49.1% of the snaps, the second-year wideout ranks as the WR20 in PPR points in four games since joining the team. He's played 85.4% of the snaps, ranking 10th among all wide receivers in targets (33) and posting the highest air yards share (53.4%) in the league over that span. The quarterback situation will limit his ceiling, but Mitchell is flashing the upside that fantasy managers want to see. It'll be a challenge for Mitchell to produce on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, who have now strung together five straight games where they've held the opposing quarterback to under 200 passing yards. He is in flex consideration for Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Jalen Coker Dec 18 10:50am ET
Jalen Coker

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker has scored in back-to-back games and is starting to emerge as a reliable option in the passing game. Coker led the Panthers in receiving in their Week 15 loss to the Saints, catching all four of his targets for 60 yards. He notched a season high of 74 receiving yards on four catches (six targets) before the Week 14 bye. The second-year wideout could be in line for an increased role in the Week 16's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers if rookie Tetairoa McMillan (ankle, foot) is unable to play. McMillan missed Wednesday's practice, but more information about his status will be available on Thursday and Friday. Coker's usage has been modest in recent weeks, with four targets in four of the past five games, but he's been a playmaker as the team's WR2, posting the fourth-highest explosive-catch rate (22.2%) among wide receivers with at least 15 targets over those five weeks. The Holy Cross product will look to continue his strong production into Week 16 against a Buccaneers defense that just allowed 74 yards on six catches to David Sills V last week.

From RotoBaller

Mike Evans Dec 18 10:50am ET
Mike Evans

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans exploded in his first game back from injury, hauling in six of 12 targets for 132 yards in the 29-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Against the defense that has allowed the most fantasy points to outside receivers this season, Evans took advantage, putting up his best stat line of the 2025 season. While his 1,000-yard streak is likely to come to an end this season, that doesn't mean he can't win fantasy managers' championships. Despite being limited to just 51% of the snaps in Week 15, Evans produced as the WR1 in this offense. He faces a Carolina Panthers defense in Week 16, which he has decimated in recent seasons. Evans has tallied over 90 receiving yards in eight of his last ten games against Carolina and has scored 10 touchdowns during that span. The Buccaneers are in must-win mode, so expect Evans to play a ton this week and beyond.

From RotoBaller

Chris Rodriguez Jr. Dec 18 10:30am ET
Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (hip) was a full participant in both Tuesday's and Wednesday's practice sessions and is expected to return in Week 16 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Rodriguez missed Week 15's game against the New York Giants with a hip injury but was reportedly close to playing last week. Even if the third-year back is fully healthy entering Week 16, rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt had a big game on the ground in Week 15 and may have cut into Rodriguez's workload. Rodriguez has played only 30% of the snaps this season, and with Washington's offensive struggles with quarterback Jayden Daniels, it's hard to trust any back on this team. Assuming he's good to go for their divisional showdown against the Eagles, Rodriguez offers low-end FLEX value in Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Evan Hull Dec 18 10:20am ET
Evan Hull

New Orleans Saints running back Evan Hull could see an expanded workload this week when the Saints host the New York Jets. In three games with the Saints this season, Hull has only had 10 carries for 31 yards, while adding one reception for six yards. However, with Alvin Kamara (knee/ankle) still not practicing and rookie Devin Neal (hamstring) already ruled out for Week 16, Hull has a chance to play a significant role this week. After Neal left the game in Week 15, both Hull and second-year back Audric Estime carried the backfield, with Estime playing 39% of the snaps while Hull played 31%. Even if it's a committee in New Orleans, they face a Jets defense that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to running backs this season. Both backs carry fantasy value this week and are worth monitoring heading into Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Patrick Mahomes Dec 18 10:13am ET
Patrick Mahomes

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (knee) has begun rehabbing from surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament in his left knee. The team is hopeful he could return early next season, possibly by Week 1.

Fantasy Spin: It's pretty uncommon to undergo surgery so soon to repair an ACL as you usually have to allow swelling to subside first. So you can tell Mahomes' mind is set on Week 1. Whether or not that is possible is still unknown. He'll be a midrange QB1 option in next year's drafts with some risk. As for the rest of this season, Gardner Minshew will be a matchup play in two-QB leagues or superflex leagues. The Tennessee Titans are the second-best matchup for QBs the last five weeks.

From TheHuddle

Colby Parkinson Dec 18 10:10am ET
Colby Parkinson

With the Los Angeles Rams unlikely to have receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) available on Thursday night against the Seattle Seahawks, tight end Colby Parkinson is emerging as an increasingly important pass catcher for one of the NFL's top offenses. Under head coach Sean McVay, the Rams haven't exactly been renowned for their favoritism of tight ends. Lately, however, Parkinson's production has been unavoidable. In the six weeks since Tyler Higbee (ankle) sustained an injury, the veteran tight end has finished among the top 15 among PPR tight ends five times, including two games in the top five. After a monster Week 15 in which he caught two touchdowns in a win against Detroit, Parkinson is a viable option in all formats in a massive game against Seattle.

From RotoBaller

Troy Franklin Dec 18 10:00am ET
Troy Franklin

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin was one of the biggest surprises of Week 15, going for six catches, 85 yards, and a touchdown in a victory against Green Bay, though changes could be coming. Franklin's increase in targets was correlated to the absence of fellow wide receiver Pat Bryant (hamstring), who was unavailable last week but practiced in full on Wednesday and looks likely to return for Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Franklin is a top-30 PPR receiver on the season, but he's been a boom-or-bust player throughout. He has three top-10 finishes among receivers, but five outside the top 50. Against a Jags' defense that ranks 20th against fantasy receivers, Franklin has a quality matchup, but remains a volatile option prone to big swings in production.

From RotoBaller