Fantasy football lineup advice: Week 16 boom or bust

Fantasy Football – Wide Receiver

Boom: Amari Cooper, DAL @ PHI

Just when you think you can trust him, Cooper puts up a clunker last week at the most inopportune time of the season (2.9 fantasy points). His two targets also tied a season-low. Cooper fell victim to a shadow date in this one with cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and with the Cowboys running the ball down the Rams’ throat with ease, there was no need to take the unwarranted risk of getting the ball to their lead WR.

In what’ll be a must-win game for Dallas battling for the division crown, they’ll need Cooper to come up big against the Eagles. Philly has had issues suppressing opposing pass-attacks all season (39.7 FPPG to wideouts) and don’t have anyone in their secondary capable of covering a receiver of Cooper’s caliber. In these two teams’ first meeting, he went for over 100 yards. Expect the Alabama product to bounce back in a tremendous way.

Boom: Mike Williams, LAC vs. OAK

As the second quarter came to a wrap last week against the Vikings, it looked as if Williams were on his way to a monster afternoon. He went into the break with four catches for 71 yards and a touchdown, but an ugly second-half showing by the rest of the Chargers’ offense in the second half derailed his big day. The positive takeaway – Williams has now 14.3 or more fantasy points in each of his last three games.

Los Angeles is a tough team to gauge from week to week, as it’s impossible to tell which team will come to play. The Raiders, however, are trending in the wrong direction after dropping four straight games. Their secondary has permitted WRs 37.2 FPPG, something Williams should exploit. The 6-foot-4 giant is becoming a force near the goal line and has a ton of touchdown upside in this spot.

Honorable Mention: Breshad Perriman (TB vs. HOU), Tyler Boyd (CIN vs. MIA)

Bust: Kenny Golladay, DET @ DEN

Poor Kenny Golladay… What once looked like a promising season for the third-year wideout has now become bleaker than ever with the extensive struggles of Detroit’s David Bough-led offense. While he’s still over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season, these last couple weeks could be rough-sledding. The Lions’ offense has been decimated by injuries this season, and Golladay finally fell victim to a lackluster supporting cast in Week 15, posting just three catches for 44 yards.

A road date in Denver is a tall task for anyone to overcome, let alone the current state of the Lions’ roster. The Broncos have boasted a rock-solid defense across the board this season, placing in the top-10 in FPPG given up to enemy wideouts. It’s all but guaranteed that Golladay draws shadow coverage by Chris Harris, putting a cap on his ceiling. It’s tough to bench him with his upside, but there’s just too much risk here for championship week.

Bust: Cooper Kupp, LAR @ SF

Like Golladay, Kupp is another player who got off to a memorable start to the 2019 campaign. In Weeks 1-8, he was the No. 2 overall WR in all of fantasy just behind Michael Thomas. While he’s still posted serviceable numbers since then, he’s no longer a must-start asset. Kupp has fallen out of favor in L.A.’s aerial-attack, taking a backseat to Robert Woods and Tyler Higbee over the past several weeks.

The shifty slot receiver was kept in-check for just 5.7 fantasy points the first time these two teams met, and It’s no secret that the 49ers possess one of the NFL’s top coverage units. Kupp has managed to save his fantasy scores with touchdowns in each of his last three games, but they don’t tell the entire story. He’s now seen six or fewer targets in five of his past six contests, something that should concern owners leading up to this brutal matchup.

Dishonorable Mention: Stefon Diggs (MIN vs. GB), Tyrell Williams (OAK @ LAC)

Sleeper: Greg Ward, PHI vs. DAL

With Ward being the next man up in Philly’s injury-riddled WR corps, he’s going to see a fair share of looks from Carson Wentz. He’s gotten nine targets in each of his past two games and even reeled-in the game-winning touchdown last week. You never know which Cowboys’ defense is going to show up, making Ward a decent dart-throw.