- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
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- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Fantasy Football Week 16: Waiver-Wire Pickups, Rankings and Stat Projections
- Updated: December 19, 2016
The panic meter is running high in fantasy football with Week 16 of the NFL season rapidly approaching. This is the championship round for many leagues, leading to a lot of scrambling for those final roster additions in order to secure that long-awaiting title.
Keep in mind there will be less time than usual to finalize your rosters for this week’s games because most of the games will be played on Saturday for Christmas Eve, though there will be two Christmas Day games and the usual Monday night game to tide you over.
Looking ahead to this week’s crucial fantasy week, here are rankings and points projections for each skill position and a closer look at waiver-wire pickups to boost your roster.
Note: Waiver-wire players were based on being owned in less than 60 percent of ESPN.com fantasy leagues. Players who missed Week 15 (e.g. Julio Jones, Melvin Gordon) were kept off projections until their status for next week is confirmed.
Quarterbacks
Waiver Pickup of the Week: Matt Barkley, Chicago Bears
While the Chicago Bears will enter the offseason with a lot of questions about their future quarterback, Matt Barkley has at least given the franchise something to ponder with a strong late-season performance.
Fantasy owners have yet to take notice of what Barkley has done since Week 12, as he entered Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers owned in 1.8 percent of all ESPN leagues.
In this four-game stretch since taking over as Chicago’s starting quarterback, Barkley has recorded double-digit point totals three times with six touchdown passes while surpassing 300 yards twice.
Prior to Week 15, Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus noted Barkley was keeping some pretty good company among NFL quarterbacks:
Over the 3 weeks/games he has started Matt Barkley has the 3rd-highest PFF QB grade in the NFL. Only Tom Brady + Aaron Rodgers are higher.
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) December 14, 2016
Barkley was far from perfect against the Packers, showing his inexperience at times with three interceptions and a lost fumble, but there were still plenty of positive signs to take away from the game.
Per Elias (via ESPN Stats & Info), Barkley’s effort against the Packers was one for the Bears’ record books:
Matt Barkley’s 362 passing yards were the most ever by a Bears quarterback vs the Packers (via @EliasSports) pic.twitter.com/cbZ4C9TzOc
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 18, 2016
Next week, Barkley will be taking on a Washington defense that ranks in the bottom 10 in pass yards allowed and opponent completion percentage. It’s a favorable matchup for the young quarterback as he looks to strengthen his resume for a starting job in 2017.
Running Backs
Waiver Pickup of the Week: Ty Montgomery, Green Bay …
