10 Most Intriguing Players of Week 16 (2025 Fantasy Football)

Making it to Week 16 of the fantasy football season is an accomplishment worth savoring. You’re here either because you fought your way through the first round of the playoffs or because you had such an excellent regular season that you qualified for a first-round bye.

If you’re still alive, you are a bad man or woman. You’ve earned the right to carry the wallet Jules Winnfield carried in “Pulp Fiction.”

Losing in Week 15 is a bummer. You made the playoffs; you got bounced from the playoffs. But people generally don’t agonize over Week 15 losses unless they’re extraordinarily bad beats. The teams that get eliminated in Week 15 usually aren’t favorites to take home the trophy.

Week 16 is another matter. You’re just one win away from the championship game and two wins away from glory.

If you lose this week, it’s going to sting.

To come this close to championship glory and fall short might put you in a Grinchy mood just days before Christmas. Your heart might feel two sizes too small.

I play in an absurd number of fantasy football leagues, and I’m in seven semi-finals this week. Barring some remarkably good fortune, I’m going to lose at least a couple of them.

Do you know what’s going to make me feel better about those losses (aside from a couple of IPAs)?

Congratulating the people who beat me.

I’m not trying to cast myself as some sort of saint. Trust me: I’m no angel. But I do want to be magnanimous in defeat.

For one thing, it will help me get over a tough Week 16 loss. I’ll stew on it for a bit, but then I’ll reach out to the winning manager with a call, a text or an email — even if I don’t know this person well. Offering congratulations to the winners helps bring me closure.

Also, winning managers usually appreciate a congratulatory note or call from the people they defeated. Those managers will remember the gesture. Trust me.

Make it a heartfelt concession. Don’t make it about yourself. “I had the better team, but you had the better day” is not a message worth conveying, even if it’s true.

A congratulatory message after a loss will help you turn the page, your opponent will appreciate it and it will add a touch of geniality to your league. You’ll be putting good vibes out into the universe and adding a touch of civility to the world.

But of course, you aren’t going to lose this week. You’re going to stomp your opponent’s guts out and skip rope with their entrails.

Now, let’s get to the 10 most intriguing players of Week 16.

The 10 Most Intriguing Fantasy Football Players of Week 16

1. Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL)

Now this is the Kyle Pitts we thought we were getting when the Falcons made him the fourth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. It’s taken four-plus years, but Pitts is finally delivering the goods to fantasy managers.

Pitts had the best game of his career in Week 15, catching 11 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns in the Falcons’ Thursday-night upset of the Buccaneers. That bravura performance came on the heels of a seven-catch, 82-yard game against the Jets and a six-catch, 90-yard performance against the Seahawks.

But here’s the rub: Pitts’ phenomenal three-game run has come while wide receiver Drake London was recovering from a knee injury. And now Pitts has a knee issue of his own, although he’s been practicing on a limited basis this week and doesn’t seem to be in any danger of missing this week’s game against the Cardinals.

Before the injury, London had rattled off three consecutive 100-yard games. A true target hog, London has averaged 10.4 targets and 6.7 catches a game this season.

Can Pitts continue to shine with London back in action, or will Pitts go back to being the tight end fantasy managers love to hate?

2. James Cook (RB – BUF)

If the NFL’s end-of-season awards were presented as Oscars, Bills quarterback Josh Allen would undoubtedly be up for the Best Actor award. And James Cook would probably be among the nominees for Best Supporting Actor.

It’s impossible to overstate how valuable Allen is to the Bills. But can we take a moment to appreciate how good Cook has been this season?

(Mea culpa: I foolishly faded Cook in my preseason fantasy football rankings, and his short-lived training camp holdout didn’t help inspire confidence.)

Cook has been a terror this season, rushing for 1,415 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s added 31 receptions for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Cook is averaging 120.4 scrimmage yards per game and is on pace to finish with 2,047.

Yowza.

Cook has topped 100 rushing yards in three of his last four games and should have a run-friendly game script this Sunday with the Bills 10.5-point road favorites against the Browns. Cleveland was tough against the run early in the season, but the Titans’ Tony Pollard rocked the Browns for 161 rushing yards and two touchdown runs in Week 14, and the Bears’ D’Andre Swift ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns against the Browns in Week 15.

The mise en place has been prepared. It’s time to let Cook cook.

3. Saquon Barkley (RB – PHI)

Saquon Barkley’s 2025 season has been an unsatisfying sequel to a monstrous 2024 season in which he ran for 2,005 yards and scored 15 touchdowns.

Barkley’s 2024 season was “Saturday Night Fever.”

Barkley’s 2025 season is “Staying Alive.”

A relatively small percentage of Barkley’s investors have managed to stay alive, but those who have are hoping the Eagles’ lead back can finish the regular season on a high note worthy of the Bee Gees.

After going four straight games without a touchdown, Barkley had 122 rushing yards and a score against the Chargers in Week 14. He ran for 78 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers last week.

The Eagles visit the Commanders on Saturday. Washington has allowed the sixth-most rushing yards and sixth-most fantasy points to running backs. In two games against the Commanders last season, Barkley ran for 296 yards and four touchdowns.

Time for Barkley to put on his boogie shoes.

4. Ladd McConkey (WR – LAC)

Remember how terrific Ladd McConkey was down the stretch last season? Over his final seven games of the 2024 season, McConkey averaged 6.4 catches and 93.9 yards.

This year, McConkey is staggering toward the finish line. Over his last four games, he has 10 catches for 84 yards and one touchdown. That’s an average of 2.5 catches and 21 yards per game. McConkey is the WR70 in PPR fantasy points per game over that stretch.

It’s not McConkey’s fault. The Chargers’ starting offensive linemen are traffic cones. Justin Herbert‘s well-being is in jeopardy every time he drops back to pass.

In the five games since star offensive tackle Joe Alt went on injured reserve, Herbert has averaged 160.2 passing yards and one touchdown pass per game.

McConkey will be at the crux of a lot of difficult fantasy start sit decisions this week. The trajectory of the Chargers’ passing game suggests that he’s a sit. But the Dallas pass defense says, “Hold my beer.”

The Cowboys have allowed the most touchdown catches (24) and third-most receiving yards (2,359) to wide receivers. No team has given up more fantasy points to wide receivers than the Cowboys.

Can the Dallas defense liven up Ladd?

5. Travis Kelce (TE – KC)

Is this how Travis Kelce’s NFL career ends? With the Chiefs playing out the string, their playoff hopes dead and Patrick Mahomes out for the season with a major knee injury?

What a melancholy swan song this would be for one of the greatest tight ends of his generation. If this is really the end for Kelce, it’s a shame that his final games won’t mean much.

But they mean a lot to his fantasy stakeholders. And would it really be a surprise if Kelce went out with a bang?

Kelce has been a fantasy rainmaker since his second NFL season in 2014. He’s finished as the TE1 in PPR scoring six times, including five straight TE1 seasons from 2016 to 2020.

Mahomes won’t play any more games for the Chiefs this season, but replacement Gardner Minshew is competent. And with Chiefs wideout Rashee Rice in the concussion protocol and in jeopardy of missing Week 16, Kelce could very well see 10+ targets against the Titans.

How fun would it be to see Kelce go out in a blaze of glory?

6. Audric Estime (RB – NO)

You never know when a player is going to come out of the ether and carry fantasy teams to championships.

Late in the 2015 regular season, journeyman running back Tim Hightower took over as the Saints’ lead back after Mark Ingram went on IR with a shoulder injury. Hightower churned out 349 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in the three weeks of the fantasy playoffs.

The Saints had cut Hightower the day before their season opener, re-signed him two days later, cut him again the following day, then re-signed him for a second time in early November.

The Broncos selected Audric Estime in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He appeared in 13 games last year and had 76 carries for 310 yards and two touchdowns. Denver released Estime in August of this year. He was signed to the Eagles’ practice squad, but the Eagles released him. Then the Saints signed Estime in November.

After Devin Neal sustained a hamstring injury last week, Estime and Evan Hull split running back duties for New Orleans. Estime played 25 snaps, Hull 22. Estime had 3-11-0 rushing and 3-39-0 receiving. Hull had 4-12-0 rushing and wasn’t targeted in the passing game.

It was interesting that Estime was more involved in the passing game, considering he had 26 catches during his entire college career at Notre Dame, while Hull had 54 catches in his final college season at Northwestern. Estime was the far more accomplished runner in college.

It’s hard to tell how the Saints will deploy their running backs this week, but Estime would seem like the favorite to get a majority of the touches, and he’ll be facing a Jets defense that has given up the second-most fantasy points to running backs.

It’s been 10 years since the Saints gave us Tim Hightower as a surprise league winner. Could Audric Estime be the Tim Hightower of 2025?

7. Quinn Ewers (QB – MIA)

Let’s be clear: Quinn Ewers is capable of throwing a spiral.

Fantasy managers tend to panic about what things might look like when a young, backup quarterback with modest draft pedigree is thrust into the starting lineup.

No, Ewers probably isn’t going to conjure memories of 1984 Dan Marino when the seventh-round rookie from the University of Texas makes his first NFL start on Sunday against the Bengals.

But it’s not as if Ewers is replacing a Marino-esque figure. He’s replacing NFL interceptions leader (15) Tua Tagovailoa.

Ewers isn’t going to be starting in many fantasy semi-finals. Perhaps he’ll find his way into a few Superflex lineups. In 1-QB leagues? Doubtful.

What’s important is that Ewers plays well enough to sustain the three Dolphins who offer tangible fantasy value: running back De’Von Achane, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and tight end Darren Waller.

We’re not asking Ewers to be Marino. But we’ll settle for Jay Fiedler.

8. Michael Carter (RB – ARI)

Being a running back for the Arizona Cardinals is more hazardous than being a drummer for Spinal Tap.

James Conner started the season as Arizona’s feature back but sustained a season-ending foot injury in Week 3. Trey Benson took over as the starter and promptly suffered meniscus damage in Week 4. He was placed on season-ending IR last week. In Week 15, Bam Knight injured his ankle on the Cardinals’ first offensive play of the game and was carted off the field. He’s been shut down for the rest of the season.

After Knight left, Michael Carter played 53 snaps in Arizona’s 40-20 loss to Houston, and Emari Demercado played seven snaps. Carter had 14 carries for 56 yards and four catches for 38 yards against a Texans defense that might be the best in the league.

Demercado may get a bigger share of the work this week when the Cardinals face the Falcons. But based on last week, it seems reasonable to think Carter will be the Cardinals’ primary back. Carter offers dual run-catch ability, and his matchup against the Falcons is much softer than last week’s matchup against the Texans.

9. Mike Evans (WR – TB)

After missing six games with a broken collarbone, Mike Evans was back with a vengeance in Week 15, catching six passes for 132 yards against the Falcons on 12 targets.

It was just the fifth game of the year for Evans, who also missed time with a hamstring injury early in the season. A 12th consecutive 1,000-yard season is probably out of reach. But the 32-year-old Evans could still help carry fantasy gamers to championships.

Evans had a 35.3% target share against the Falcons. It’s probably not reasonable to expect such hefty target shares in the coming weeks when the Buccaneers have two other good receivers in Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin, but Evans will be heavily involved.

Evans’ return might be just the tonic that Baker Mayfield needed. Mayfield threw for 277 yards against the Falcons last week. It was the first time in more than a month that Mayfield had thrown for more than 200 yards in a game.

10. Jayden Reed (WR – GB)

The FantasyPros expert consensus rankings (ECR) had Jayden Reed at WR26 as of Thursday night. That suggests Reed is a worthwhile start this week.

But Reed’s usage might not justify such an aspirational ranking.

Reed has played 40 career games, including playoff games. He’s drawn more than six targets in only seven of those 40 games, and it’s only happened once since his rookie year in 2023.

Typically, Reed doesn’t play in 2-WR sets. He’s usually only on the field in three-receiver sets, which means his snap shares usually hover around 60%. That’s why Reed’s target counts are more modest than his investors would like.

Even if Christian Watson is out this week — and Watson hasn’t been ruled out yet after sustaining a chest injury last week — Reed is still unlikely to play in 2-WR sets. It will be Romeo Doubs with either Matthew Golden or Dontayvion Wicks.

But a Week 16 matchup against the Bears would seem to bode well for Reed. Chicago has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers. Reed mostly works out of the slot, and Bears top slot corner Kyler Gordon is on IR.