5 breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 16

The semifinals are coming up in the fantasy football playoffs. These five players could help you pick up a win in Week 16.

The fantasy football playoffs are well underway and there has been a lot of drama in the first round of the playoffs this week. Explosive performances from teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts led to some interesting weekly winners in the fantasy game.

Week 16 means the semifinals for most leagues and every pickup you make can be the difference between reaching the championship game or getting bounced one week shy of glory. As we do each week, let’s take a look at the five top pickups to help fantasy owners win in Week 16. All rostered percentages are based on Yahoo! leagues.

5. Top Fantasy Football Pickups For Week 16 – Detroit Lions D/ST

The red-hot Lions continue to make a push for the real-life NFL playoffs by scoring a dramatic win over the New York Jets in Week 15. The offense was a bit cold for Detroit, which managed just one offensive touchdown against a strong Jets defense, but Detroit’s own defense and special teams made the difference with four sacks, an interception of Zach Wilson and a punt return touchdown.

The unit, which is rostered in just four percent of leagues, has a good matchup on tap for Week 16 as they welcome in the Carolina Panthers. There are few explosive weapons on Carolina’s offense and their offensive line allowed Sam Darnold to be sacked four times in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which is a good blueprint for Detroit’s ferocious pass rush to follow.

Playing the matchup game is a good strategy in the fantasy playoffs and Detroit has one of the best matchups of the week. Be sure to scoop up the Lions if you are streaming defenses or if your primary unit faces a difficult matchup in Week 16.