The fantasy football title push: Priority adds for NFL Week 16

Hopefully, if you’re reading this gallery, you’re just one win away from making it to your league’s championship matchup. It’s been a long season full of trials and tests, but you’ve been able to navigate through them to make it this far. We’ve got a fresh list of reinforcements for fantasy managers to scoop up at the most critical point of the year. All statistics are sourced from Football Reference.

Fantasy managers shouldn’t risk making strange pickups with glory on the line, but Strange has emerged as a real threat in Jacksonville. He caught 11 passes for 73 yards on Sunday, on 12 targets. He didn’t do much in previous weeks, but figures to have a long leash to close out the season with the Jaguars going nowhere.

Sports Illustrated kind of called the breakout game coming. SI’s Dominic Minchella talked about starting tight Evan Engram and his injury, which opened the door for Strange. They pointed out that the young tight end had averaged over 10 yards per catch this season before his performance against the New York Jets, which turned out to be a harbinger of things to come.

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He’s not Chris Godwin, but McMillan has produced like his veteran teammate each of the last two weeks. ESPN’s Eric Moody implored fantasy managers to add McMillan after his Week 15 performance, and we second the notion. He caught five passes for 75 yards and a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

This performance comes after a two touchdown game in Week 14, so it’s becoming apparent that McMillan has earned the trust of Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield. He should be matchup proof, as Tampa Bay squares off with the Dallas Cowboys next week, and the Carolina Panthers in Week 17.

While he may not be as attractive of a fantasy target as McMillan, Coker shares the same first name and a spot on this list. Coker broke free for an 83-yard touchdown scamper on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. Matt Alquiza of Sports Illustrated wrote that Coker’s season line stands at 21 catches, 373 yards and two touchdowns, which is respectable for someone who has only played in seven games.

It wouldn’t be stunning to see the Panthers hand over the keys of the offense to the kids in the final few games. Veteran pass catcher Adam Theilen remains an important presence on the team thanks to his experience, but head coach Dave Canales might want to get his younger playmakers more time on the field. Coker could pay major dividends in fantasy as a result.

Sometimes in sports, it’s not how you play, but who you play and when you play them. The same lesson holds true in fantasy football, as the Atlanta Falcons are in the midst of a favorable stretch of games against struggling opponents. They’ll take on the New York Giants at home in Week 16, and there should be no hesitation to plug them into fantasy lineups.

The Giants have been awful this season, and appear to have once again changed quarterbacks due to injury. It doesn’t really matter whether Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito or Tim Boyle gets the nod under center for them; New York packed their season in weeks ago. Atlanta’s defense should have plenty of chances to make plays on Sunday.

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We discussed a strange fantasy pickup earlier in the gallery, and now it’s time we bring up a Smartt one. The Chargers tight end had a productive day on Sunday, drawing six looks from quarterback Justin Herbert. He turned that into five catches for 50 yards, which is a serviceable line for a streaming tight end.

If you’re in the market for a tight end to keep things moving in your lineup, it would be Smartt to take a look at him. Starter Will Dissly might not be ready to go in Week 16 due to a shoulder injury, and Herbert does not have a plethora of options that are better established. The only downside is that the Chargers play a strong Denver defense in Week 16 on a short week.

Houston scratched and clawed their way to a victory on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, but it wasn’t always pretty. Starting running back Joe Mixon came in and out of the game multiple times, as he didn’t look right limping around. With a game on Saturday and another game the following Wednesday, head coach DeMeco Ryans might choose to get his lead back some rest. Enter Ogunbowale.

Mixon’s health status is going to be crucial to monitor this week. If he’s unable to go, Ogunbowale and Dameon Pierce stand to pick up the backfield work for Houston. Looking ahead to Week 16, we like Ogunbowale slightly more, considering that he’s a better pass catching back. The Texans may not be playing with the lead against Kansas City, which could render Pierce less attractive.

Is it 2014 or 2024? Fantasy football managers aren’t used to seeing Rodgers as part of the fantasy football discussion anymore, due to his largely lackluster campaign. With that said, don’t look now, but he’s stepped up his play in the last couple of weeks. He threw for 339 yards two weeks ago, and authored a vintage three touchdown performance on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It’s possible that Rodgers’ play perked up with back to back games in Florida playing in pristine weather conditions, but he’s got the talent to replicate these performances in Week 16 at home against the Los Angeles Rams. At the very least, he’s made Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams relevant again.

Given the boatload of talent Detroit has on offense, it’s understandable for fantasy managers to be hesitant to trust Patrick. With that said, he’s caught three touchdowns in the last two weeks, and drawn 15 targets combined in that span. He appears to have caught the eye of quarterback Jared Goff down the stretch.

The Lions might not find themselves in the same type of shootout against the Chicago Bears next week as they have played in the prior two weeks against better competition, but there’s still a strong case for Patrick. Detroit’s defense has been beset by injuries, so they’ll need to pile on the points the rest of the way. KSL News’ Sean Walker covered Patrick’s resilient story, which included debilitating injuries during his time with the Denver Broncos.

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