Week 15 of the 2022 NFL season is in the books. Last week’s action was full of wild and crazy moments. However, the exciting week led to several touchdowns by non-relevant fantasy players, as Noah Brown, C.J. Uzomah and Russell Gage combined for six touchdowns. Sadly, Week 15’s streamers struggled partly because of the unusual action. Hopefully, fantasy players were able to pull out a victory and advance.

However, the only easy win was last week’s win. So, let’s look at the top streaming options for Week 16.

All the quarterbacks in this article are rostered in under 50% of ESPN 1QB leagues and under 25% in superflex leagues.

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Streaming Targets in 1QB Leagues

Jared Goff (DET) vs. Carolina Panthers (47.9% Rostered)

Last week Goff was my streamer to avoid, thanks to his matchup against the New York Jets. However, he played better than I expected. Yet he still only scored 14.1 fantasy points. Over the previous three games, the veteran quarterback had averaged 2.3 passing touchdowns and 21.8 fantasy points per game, scoring 17.6 or more in all three contests. More importantly, Goff has played well during Detroit’s winning streak, averaging 242.9 passing yards and 16 fantasy points per game. Meanwhile, he has a fantasy-friendly matchup this week.

While the Panthers have won three of their past five games, their defense hasn’t done well shutting down quarterbacks. They have surrendered 15.3 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks during that span despite giving up only six passing touchdowns. More importantly, Carolina has surrendered 15.9 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this season, giving up 17.7 or more fantasy points in nearly half of the contests. The Lions are only half a game out of the playoffs, so expect Dan Campbell and the coaching staff to have the team focused and ready this week. Goff should have another 17 or more fantasy points performance in Week 16.

Brock Purdy (SF) vs. Washington Commanders (22.6% Rostered)

Since taking over for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, Purdy has won every game and has only one turnover. More importantly, the rookie has averaged two passing touchdowns and 17.5 fantasy points per game over the past three weeks. Furthermore, he scored 16.5 or more fantasy points in both starts this year. The last pick in this year’s draft has been a massive boost for fantasy players streaming the quarterback position. Purdy has completed 69.1% of his pass attempts over the past three games, averaging 0.91 fantasy points per completion. Meanwhile, the rest of his fantasy playoff schedule is fantasy-friendly, starting with a matchup this week against the Commanders.

Washington’s defense has played better lately. Over their past seven games, they have held their opponents to only 17.1 points per game, holding every team to 21 or fewer points. By comparison, the Commanders surrendered 25.6 points per game over the first five games this year, giving up 21 or more points in every contest. However, Washington has struggled to slow down quarterbacks all season. They have surrendered 16.2 fantasy points per game to the position, giving up 17.1 or more fantasy points in nearly half of the contests. Expect Purdy to have his second career game with 20 or more fantasy points this week against Washington.

Streaming Targets in Superflex Leagues

Zach Wilson (NYJ) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (6.9% Rostered)

Yesterday, head coach Robert Saleh said Mike White continues to be evaluated and that the team isn’t ready to announce a starter for Thursday night’s matchup against the Jaguars. However, it is unlikely White can play, given the short week, which means Wilson will make his second consecutive start. While his play was erratic, the second-year quarterback had a productive fantasy performance last week. Wilson had 317 passing yards, two touchdowns, and 19.4 fantasy points against the Lions. Furthermore, the 19.4 fantasy points were a season-high for the quarterback. Last week’s matchup was excellent, and the second-year quarterback has another fantasy-friendly matchup on Thursday.

The Jaguars have been one of the hottest teams in the NFL lately, winning four of their past six contests. However, their defense continues to struggle. Jacksonville has surrendered 1.7 passing touchdowns and 19 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks during their hot streak. Furthermore, they have given up 282.3 passing yards, 2.3 passing touchdowns, and 22 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this season. Last week, Dak Prescott scored 20.2 fantasy points against the Jaguars despite having two interceptions. The star quarterback totaled 256 passing yards and three touchdowns in defeat. Wilson won’t have a top-10 performance against the Jaguars, but he is a solid QB2 for fantasy players in superflex leagues.

Sam Darnold (CAR) vs. Detroit Lions (1.8% Rostered)

After missing the first 11 games this season with an ankle injury, Darnold has started the past three contests for the Panthers. Despite being labeled an awful quarterback, the former third-overall pick has played well this year. He doesn’t have eye-popping numbers, averaging only 169.7 passing yards per game. However, the former USC star has averaged 14 fantasy points per game this season. Furthermore, Darnold is coming off his best passing performance this year, throwing for 225 yards last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. More importantly, he has not committed a turnover this season and has an excellent fantasy matchup on Christmas Eve.

There might not be a hotter team in the NFL than the Lions. They have won six of their past seven games, with the only loss coming by three points against the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving. However, their defense has been awful during their hot streak, surrendering 1.6 passing touchdowns and 24.1 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Furthermore, Detroit has given up 23 fantasy points per game to the position this year, the most in the NFL. Last week they gave up 317 passing yards, two touchdowns, and a season-high 19.4 fantasy points to Zach Wilson. Darnold should have his best game of the year this week against the worst defense in the NFL.

Streamer to Avoid

Taylor Heinicke (WAS) vs. San Francisco 49ers (15.2% Rostered)

Typically streaming articles tell you which players to target off the waiver wire. However, I will give one quarterback each week that you should avoid.

Heinicke made last week’s streamers article but only scored 13.3 fantasy points against the New York Giants. His performance was disappointing since he scored 17.6 fantasy points against the Giants two weeks ago. However, the former Old Dominion quarterback has averaged only 13.2 fantasy points per game as the starter this season. Furthermore, Heinicke has totaled fewer than 13.7 fantasy points in 62.5% of his starts. The former backup quarterback only has 10 passing touchdowns this season, throwing one or fewer touchdowns in three of the past five contests.

Meanwhile, Heinicke couldn’t have an uglier matchup this week. The 49ers held quarterbacks to only 12.9 fantasy points per game this season, one of the lowest averages in the NFL. Furthermore, they have completely shut down quarterbacks lately. Over the past five weeks, San Francisco has held quarterbacks to only 0.8 passing touchdowns and 11.2 fantasy points per game, surrendering 11.8 or fewer fantasy points in all but one contest. Washington’s offense has struggled lately, and now they have to face Nick Bosa and an elite defensive line. There is a higher chance Heinicke gets benched for Carson Wentz than him scoring 12 or more fantasy points.

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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.