Fantasy football lineup advice: Week 16 boom or bust
Fantasy Football – Running Back
Boom: Marlon Mack, IND vs. CAR
Mack has struggled to get much of anything going since returning from a broken hand, totaling just 57 total rushing yards against two of the league’s best run D’s in Tampa Bay and New Orleans. The Saints completely eliminated the Colts’ ground game last week after jumping out to a big lead early, forcing Jacoby Brissett to try beating them with his arm instead of letting this team play to their biggest strength. Make no mistake about it, however – Mack is still the workhorse on this offense.
He should get back on track this week, and do so in a big way. The Panthers are a bottom-of-the-barrel run defense, surrendering an absurd 23 rushing scores already on the season along with 140.2 rushing yards per game (third-most). Chris Carson was masterful in this matchup last week, and there’s no reason to think Mack can’t put up similar numbers.
Boom: Phillip Lindsay, DEN vs. DET
In what should have been a smash-spot against an inept Kansas City front seven this past Sunday, Lindsay was a big disappointment, seeing only seven total touches for 3.2 fantasy points. While he was effective in those opportunities (4.6 YPC), Denver’s offense as a whole struggled to find any rhythm. He’ll have a nice chance to bounce back in what will be a much more competitive game.
Lindsay is still the lead-dog in the Broncos’ backfield. Even though he garnered only seven carries, running-mate Royce Freeman had two less. This game should be looked at as an outlier with Lindsay drawing a fantastic upcoming matchup with the Lions. Detroit’s defense has been a colossal let-down, allowing the fifth-most FPPG to opposing tailbacks.
Honorable Mention: Alvin Kamara (NO @ TEN), Raheem Mostert (SF vs. LAR)
Bust: Le’Veon Bell, NYJ vs. PIT
Speaking of let-downs, Bell cracks the wrong part of the list this week after scoring under 11 fantasy points in each of his past two outings. Simply put, Bell just hasn’t looked like himself in his first year with Gang Green, constantly butting heads with head coach and offensive play-caller Adam Gase. He’s scored just four touchdowns on the season and has yet to hit the 90-yard rushing mark in any game.
If you’re looking for a revenge narrative to give Bell an extra boost leading up to this weekend’s game against his former team, you’re likely going wind up disappointed. The Jets’ O-line is a massive issue, which isn’t going to cut it against a team like Pittsburgh, who ranks top-10 in FPPG allowed to RBs, tied-second in rushing TDs allowed, and second in takeaways.
Bust: Carlos Hyde, HOU @ TB
Last week against the Titans, Hyde hit the 1,000-yard threshold for the first time in his six-year career. He’s been a productive option for Houston’s offense, handling a respectable 16 carries per game. What has hurt him in fantasy, however, is his lack of a receiving role, as he’s collected just nine total receptions on the season. For Hyde, it’s generally been touchdown-or-bust.
This calls for owners to think twice before starting him this week against Tampa Bay’s top-ranked run D. On the season, the Buccaneers have given up a miniscule 73.2 rushing yards per game on 3.4 YPC. The way to beat them is through the air, as they’ve allotted an average of 276.7 passing yards per game. Deshaun Watson will be busy in the one, but the same cannot be said for Hyde.
Dishonorable Mention: Aaron Jones (GB @ MIN), James Conner (PIT @ NYJ)
Sleeper: Tarik Cohen, CHI vs. KC
Chicago’s offense has run more fluently down the stretch this season, something that’s aided Cohen as he’s caught 13 passes over his past two contests. The 5-foot-6 scat-back may not see many chances as a rusher, but he’s got sneaky PPR value against a Chiefs team surrendering the most receiving yards in the league by running backs.