The Perfect Lineup: Week 16's FantasyScore Team
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Not sure who to build your lineup around? Let's take a look at who our algorithms think you should play.
Quarterback
Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
Smith is tied with Colin Kaepernick as the 20th-most expensive quarterback this week on FantasyScore, but his matchup tells us that he'll outperform that price. Since Week 7, every quarterback to face the Steelers has finished as a weekly top-10 option. That list includes players like Zach Mettenberger, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Michael Vick. The Pittsburgh secondary is the 25th-best one in the NFL per our Net Expected Points (NEP) metric, too, making Smith a great Week 16 play.
Running Back
Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs
Smith's running back is in play as well, as the Steelers' rush defense is a middle-of-the-road one, per our metrics. Since Week 4, Charles has ranked worse than 12th in PPR scoring at the running back position just twice, something matched by only a handful of backs. Though he's coming off a disappointing Week 15 outing, Charles should have no trouble bouncing back this weekend.
Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
What more is there to say about Le'Veon Bell? He's posted a silly 146 PPR fantasy points over the last four weeks combined, which is more than all but 20 running backs have compiled this entire season. The Chiefs' defense is much more beatable on the ground than through the air, making Bell an obvious top play this week.
Wide Receiver
Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
Thanks to a poor Week 15 performance, Calvin Johnson's price on FantasyScore this week is eighth highest among all wide receivers. The matchup for Megatron and the Lions is a beautiful one, as Chicago has allowed the 10th-most PPR wide receiver points this season, and rank 29th against the pass according to NEP.
Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers
Like Megatron, Jordy Nelson underperformed last week, and his price is a reasonable $7,800 as a result. The Buccaneers have struggled against the pass all season long, and while they're no longer the worst secondary in the league, our advanced metrics peg them as a bottom-three unit. Without Gerald McCoy, Aaron Rodgers should have all day to throw, making Nelson a great option.
Tight End
Scott Chandler, Buffalo Bills
With all the aforementioned studs in the lineup, we had to take a hit somewhere, and that's where Scott Chandler comes in. The Bills' tight end has seen inconsistent volume all season long, but does have five games with six or more targets this season. Oakland's allowed a tight end touchdown in four of their last six games, too, giving Chandler some upside.
Flex
Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints
The Falcons and Saints will surely put up points this weekend, so having exposure to the game is a good thing. Colston won't tear it up on the gridiron -- those days are over -- but he will provide reasonable consistency. Since Brandin Cooks' season-ending injury four weeks ago, Colston's hit the double-digit fantasy point mark (PPR) in every contest. Expect the same this week.
Kicker
Shayne Graham, New Orleans Saints
Graham isn't the best kicker in the league, but using him in what should be a high-scoring affair is a smart move. Kickers are generally unpredictable, so slotting one that will be in a likely shootout makes a lot of sense.
Defense
Buffalo Bills' Defense
The Bills' defense has been on a roll, holding both the Broncos and Packers to pedestrian offensive days. This week they'll be in Oakland to take on the Raiders, a team that's allowed six top-five defensive performances this season.
