It’s Christmas Week, and fantasy managers are hoping Santa Claus leaves them the gift of a league championship appearance under their tree! If you started the right running back(s) this week, there’s a good chance you’ll be moving forward. More on that below.
With that said, here’s my Fabs’ Five Storylines from Week 16 that stood out the most. For all of the latest news and fantasy advice, be sure to check out Fantasy Dirt five days a week!
Running backs run wild for fantasy managers
Including Gus Edwards’ 20.1 points on Thursday night, we’ve seen 12 running backs score 20-plus points this week. That’s right—12! Among them, six backs scored more than 25 points, with Jonathan Taylor leading the charge. He carried the ball 30 times for 218 yards (the second-best total of his career), scored three touchdowns, and finished with 39.8 points (also his second-best total). Maybe he was looking to make up for dropping the ball before crossing the goal line last weekend!
Chuba Hubbard also shined, rushing for 152 yards with two touchdowns and scoring a personal-best 32.5 fantasy points. De’Von Achane’s late touchdown pushed him to 31 points, while James Cook racked up 27.6 points. Even Saquon Barkley had a stellar performance, rushing for 150 yards and two scores to finish with 30 points in a loss to Washington. Unfortunately, James Conner recorded 166 total yards, a touchdown, and 26.6 points before leaving the game in the third quarter with a knee injury, which could have boosted his numbers even higher.
We also saw Jahmyr Gibbs record four catches, 154 total yards, a touchdown, and 28.4 PPR points in a Lions’ win over the Bears. My favorite Week 16 “sleeper,” Jerome Ford, put up five catches, 131 total yards, a touchdown, and 26.6 points in a loss to the Bengals. Talk about a running back bonanza!
Jalen Hurts injured, scores just 4.5 points
We never want to see a player get injured, but it’s especially impactful when a superstar goes down in the fantasy semifinals. That, unfortunately, was the case for Jalen Hurts and his managers. The talented quarterback suffered a concussion in the first quarter of a loss to the Commanders, finishing with just 11 passing yards, 41 rushing yards, and 4.5 points.
Kenny Pickett took over for most of the game, throwing for 143 yards with one touchdown. Luckily, Hurts’ absence didn’t hurt A.J. Brown, who had eight catches for 97 yards and that one scoring strike. However, DeVonta Smith was mediocre, scoring just 11.1 points, and all but one of Pickett’s 24 pass attempts was thrown to either Brown or Smith in the contest.
Those managers that lost Hurts, who entered the week as the third-best quarterback in fantasy land, will probably be hard-pressed to move on to their league’s championship. It’s a painful way to exit, but untimely injuries are a part of both real and fantasy football.
Josh Allen giveth, Josh Allen taketh away … sadly
Josh Allen is the favorite to win the NFL MVP, and he’s been the best quarterback in fantasy land this season. Unfortunately, he put up one of his worst stat lines at the worst possible time. After scoring a combined 121.6 points in his last three games (an impressive 40.5 PPG), Allen crashed back down to earth with a thud, scoring just 11.2 fantasy points in a win over the Patriots.
Among the 22 quarterbacks who had more points than Allen before Sunday night’s game were Aidan O’Connell, Mac Jones, Mason Rudolph, Drake Maye, Anthony Richardson, and Geno Smith. It’s enough to make fantasy managers cry in their holiday egg nog, as an Allen statistical stinker was probably difficult to overcome in their semifinal matchups.
Justin Jefferson has his best game of the season
Remember that three-week stretch when we started to worry about Justin Jefferson? Yeah, me neither. He’s looked every bit like the superstar wideout we drafted in the first round over the last three weeks, including Sunday’s banger in Seattle. Jefferson put up 10 catches for 144 yards, scored two touchdowns, and finished with 39.4 points—his best game of 2024.
What’s more, Jefferson was one of only two wideouts this week (alongside Keenan Allen – 32.1 points) to score 30-plus points before Sunday night’s game. Next up for Jefferson is an NFC North battle against the Green Bay Packers, who he beat for 20.5 points way back in Week 4. Can he do it again? Fantasy managers will be watching closely!
Jayden Daniels tosses five touchdown passes
While it hurt to start Hurts this week, managers who started Jayden Daniels were all smiles. The rookie threw for 258 yards with five touchdowns in a thrilling 36-33 win over the Eagles. Daniels, who also had nine carries for an additional 81 yards, finished with a season-high 34.4 fantasy points. He has now scored at least 23.6 points in each of his last four games, making him integral for managers in their race to not only make the playoffs but advance in them.
Daniels’ scores went to Jamison Crowder (2), Terry McLaurin, and Olamide Zaccheaus (2). The latter led the trio in fantasy points (24) to the benefit of basically no one in fantasy, while McLaurin posted 17 points and Crowder (like Zaccheaus, started by no one) posted 15.7 points. As for Daniels, who is now averaging 21.3 points per game on the season, he has a great matchup against fellow rookie Michael Pennix Jr. and the Falcons in Week 17.
Managers, keep your fingers crossed and your lineups sharp as we head into the final stretch of the fantasy season!
