Fantasy Focus

Week 16 fantasy football rankings: Mike drop

Week 16 fantasy football rankings: Mike drop
Mike Evans has a fantastic matchup against a Panthers D that has given up almost 39 FPTS/G to the WR position over the last month. Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Facebook

Below are my early 1/2 PPR fantasy rankings for Week 16. Most leagues are using points per reception these days, so take that into consideration when looking at the ranks. Six points are awarded for every receiving and rushing TD, and four points for every passing TD. If you are playing in a non-PPR league, pass-catching running backs lose a bit of value and so do possession receivers. Make sure you check the status of players that have been limited or out of practice.

QB

1 T. Brady NE

2 C. Newton CAR

3 R. Wilson SEA

4 B. Roethlisberger PIT

5 M. Stafford DET

6 D. Brees NO

7 B. Bortles JAX  

8 N. Foles PHI  

9 P. Rivers LAC

10 J. Goff LAR

11 C. Keenum MIN 

12 D. Prescott DAL 

13 J. Garoppolo SF  

14 M. Ryan ATL

15 J. Winston TB

RB

1 T. Gurley LAR 

2 L. Bell PIT

3 E. Elliott DAL

4 D. Freeman ATL

5 A. Kamara NO

6 K. Hunt KC

7 L. McCoy BUF 

8 M. Ingram NO

9 M. Gordon LAC

10 A. Collins BAL

11 L. Fournette JAC 

12 K. Drake MIA

13 D. Lewis NE * White and Burkhead won't play, so Lewis should get a ton of touches.

14 J. Howard CHI

15 C. McCaffrey CAR

16 C. Anderson DEN

17 L. Murray MIN

18 M. Lynch OAK 

19 J. Ajayi PHI

20 J. Williams GB

21 J. Stewart CAR  

22 D. Murray TEN

23 J. Mixon CIN
  
24 C. Hyde SF

25 T. Coleman ATL

26 L. Miller HOU  
  
27 M. Davis SEA

28 T. Riddick DET  

29 J. White NE *Inactive

30 J. McKinnon MIN  

31 I. Crowell CLE

32 P. Barber TB  

33 D. Johnson CLE

34 B. Powell NYJ

35 K. Bibbs WAS

WR

1 D. Hopkins HOU

2 M. Thomas NO

3 K. Allen LAC 

4 J. Jones ATL

5 M. Evans TB * DeSean Jackson is inactive, so Evans should be peppered with targets.

6 T. Hill KC  

7 B. Cooks NE 

8 D. Baldwin SEA 
 
9 A. Thielen MIN 

10 A. Green CIN

11 M. Jones DET 

12 D. Bryant DAL  

13 J. Landry MIA

14 J. Gordon CLE

15 D. Funchess CAR

16 J. Smith-Schuster PIT

17 L. Fitzgerald ARI

18 M. Crabtree OAK

19 A. Jeffery PHI 
 
20 M. Wallace BAL  

21 M. Bryant PIT

22 D. Thomas DEN 

23 G. Tate DET
 
24 S. Shepard NYG 

25 S. Diggs MIN 

26 M. Sanu ATL
 
27 D. Westbrook JAC 

28 R. Woods LAR 
  
29 S. Watkins LAR 

30 M. Goodwin SF
 
31 R. Cobb GB

32 J. Crowder WAS 

33 C. Kupp LAR 

34 N. Agholor  PHI

35 R. Matthews TEN 

36 T. Williams LAC

37 J. Nelson GB

38 K. Cole JAX

39 R. Anderson NYJ

40 A. Cooper OAK *Questionable, and he plays on Monday night. Hard to trust him.

TE

1 R. Gronkowski NE

2 T. Kelce KC

3  Z. Ertz PHI

4 G. Olsen CA

5 D. Walker TEN

6 E. Engram NYG

7 J. Graham SEA

8 K. Rudolph MIN

9 J. Doyle IND

10 C. Brate TB

11 V. Davis WAS

12 E. Ebron DET

13 J. Witten DAL

14 C. Clay BUF

15 B. Watson BAL

DEF

1 Ravens 

2 Jaguars 

3 Chiefs

4 Vikings

5 Eagles  

6 Steelers 

7 Bears 

8 Redskins

9 Lions  

10 Chargers  

11 Cardinals 

12 Rams

13 Panthers 

14 Patriots

15 Seahawks

Kicker

1 J. Tucker BAL 

2 S. Gostkowski NE 

3 C. Boswell PIT 

4 H. Butker KC

5 J. Elliott PHI

6 M. Bryant ATL

7 S. Ficken LAR

8 P. Dawson ARI 

9 W. Lutz NO

10 J. Lambo JAX  
 
11 M. Prater DET 

12 K. Forbath MIN 

13 D. Bailey DAL
 
14 G. Gano WAS   

15 R. Gould SF  

 

 

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The Rockets are in it to win it this year. Composite Getty Image.

While the rolling Astros have a week of possible World Series preview matchups against the Phillies and Cubs, it’s the Rockets who made the biggest local sports headline with their acquisition of Kevin Durant. What a move! Of course there is risk involved in trading for a guy soon to turn 37 years old and who carries an injury history, but balancing risk vs. reward is a part of the game. This is a fabulous move for the Rockets. It’s understood that there are dissenters to this view. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including people with the wrong opinion! Let’s dig in.

The Rockets had a wonderful season in winning 52 games before their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Warriors, but like everyone else in the Western Conference, they were nowhere close to Oklahoma City’s caliber. While they finished second in the West, the Rockets only finished four games ahead of the play-in. That letting the stew simmer with further growth among their young players would yield true championship contention was no given for 2025-26 or beyond.

Kevin Durant is one of the 10 greatest offensive players the NBA has ever seen. Among his current contemporaries only Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic make that list. For instance, Durant offensively has clearly been better than the late and legendary Kobe Bryant. To view it from a Houston perspective, Durant has been an indisputably greater offensive force than the amazing Hakeem Olajuwon. But this is not a nostalgia trip in which the Rockets are trading for a guy based on what he used to be. While Durant could hit the wall at any point, living in fear that it’s about to happen is no way to live because KD, approaching his 18th NBA season, is still an elite offensive player.

As to the durability concern, Durant played more games (62) this past season than did Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, and Tari Eason. The season before he played more games (75) than did VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun. In each of the last two seasons Durant averaged more minutes per game (36.9) than any Rocket. That was stupid and/or desperate of the Suns, the Rockets will be smarter. Not that the workload eroded Durant’s production or efficiency. Over the two seasons he averaged almost 27 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor, 42 percent from behind the three-point line, and 85 percent from the free throw line. Awesomeness. The Rockets made the leap to being a very good team despite a frankly crummy half-court offense. The Rockets ranked 21st among the 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage, and dead last in free throw percentage. Amen Thompson has an array of skills and looks poised to be a unique star. Alas, Thompson has no credible jump shot. VanVleet is not a creator, Smith has limited handle. Adding Durant directly addresses the Rockets’ most glaring weakness.

The price the Rockets paid was in the big picture, minimal, unless you think Jalen Green is going to become a bonafide star. Green is still just 23 years old and spectacular athletically, but nothing he has done over four pro seasons suggests he’s on the cusp of greatness. In no season has Green even shot the league average from the floor or from three. His defense has never been as good as it should be given his athleticism. Compared to some other two-guards who made the NBA move one year removed from high school, four seasons into his career Green is waaaaaay behind where Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker were four seasons in, and now well behind his draft classmate Cade Cunningham. Dillon Brooks was a solid pro in two seasons here and shot a career-best from three in 2024-2025, but he’s being replaced by Kevin Durant! In terms of the draft pick capital sent to Phoenix, five second round picks are essentially meaningless. The Rockets have multiple extra first round picks in the coming years. As for the sole first-rounder dealt away, whichever player the Rockets would have taken 10th Wednesday night would have been rather unlikely to crack the playing rotation.

VanVleet signs extension

Re-signing Fred VanVleet to a two-year, 50 million dollar guarantee is sensible. In a vacuum, VanVleet was substantially overpaid at the over 40 mil he made per season the last two. He’s a middle-of-the-pack starting point guard. But his professionalism and headiness brought major value to the Rockets’ kiddie corps while their payroll was otherwise very low. Ideally, Reed Sheppard makes a leap to look like an NBA lead guard in his second season, after a pretty much zippo of a rookie campaign. Sheppard is supposed to be a lights-out shooter. For the Rockets to max out, they need two sharpshooters on the court to balance Thompson’s presence.

For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!

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