Alvin Kamara played the role of Santa Claus and delivered a ton Fantasy Football Championships on Christmas Day. Here is a look back at studs and duds from Week 16 action.
Tom Brady – Destroys Detroit Defense Over Two Quarters
Tampa Bay secured a Wild Card playoff berth with a 47-7 win against Detroit on Saturday. Brady had a monster performance with 348 pass yards and four touchdowns. Despite playing just two quarters, he finished with 33.40 fantasy points. The Buccaneers are in contention for the top Wild Card spot and host Atlanta in Week 17. Brady will be a mid-range QB1 in DFS contests at DraftKings.
Deshaun Watson – Another Strong Performance in Houston Loss
Houston lost a fourth straight game, falling 37-31 on the road in Cincinnati, but Watson continues to shine for the Texans. He completed 24-of-33 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns to finish with 32.00 fantasy points. While a late-game injury needs to be monitored, Watson has a very favorable matchup against Tennessee in Week 17. If healthy, he will be worth his $7,700 DFS price.
Andy Dalton – Season-High Championship Week Numbers
Set up in a prime spot, against the injury-depleted Philadelphia defense, Dalton completed 22-of-33 pass attempts for 377 yards and three touchdowns. With the Monday night game still to be played, his 31.35 fantasy points are the third-highest in Week 16 and set a personal season-high. With a $5,600 Week 17 DFS price, Dalton will be a mid-range QB2 when Dallas visits New York to face the Giants.
Kyler Murray – Held Without a Touchdown by San Francisco
During a rough game for the Arizona offense, Murray was held without a TD for just the second time this season. He completed 31-of-50 passes for 247 yards and one INT. Adding 75 rushing yards somewhat salvaged his day as he finished with 18.85 fantasy points. Murray was injured on the Cardinals' last play of the game but is expected to start when Arizona visits the L.A. Rams in Week 17.
Tua Tagovailoa – Benched in Fourth Quarter Versus Las Vegas
Struggling for most of the game, Tagovailoa was benched in the fourth quarter in favor of Ryan Fitzpatrick. The rookie had a rough start against the porous Las Vegas defense as he posted 94 passing yards and one TD to finish with 9.80 fantasy points. Coach Brian Flores said Tagovailoa would start when Miami visits Buffalo in Week 17. He has a low $5,100 price but is a risky play in DFS contests.
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Alvin Kamara – Monster Championship Weekend Performance
Leading many fantasy owners to their league championship, Kamara racked up 155 yards and six touchdowns on Christmas Day. He added three catches for 17 yards and finished with 56.20 points. That's the second-highest total this season behind Tyreek Hill, who posted 57.90 points in Week 12. New Orleans can earn the lone NFC playoff bye with a Week 17 win in Carolina and a Green Bay loss.
Myles Gaskin – Gashes Raiders For Season-High Fantasy Total
After missing two games due to COVID-19 issues, Gaskin returned to the Miami lineup against the Raiders. He was a huge part of the Dolphins' offense as he posted 87 rushing yards plus caught five passes for 82 yards and two scores. The result was as season-high 33.90 fantasy points. Gaskin will be a high-end RB2 in Week 17 DFS contests at DraftKings when Miami visits Buffalo.
AJ Dillon – Green Bay Rookie Outperforms Veteran Aaron Jones
Not what most fantasy players wanted, during championship week, Dillon was the top RB in the Packers' 40-14 win over the Titans. He racked up 25.90 points after posting 129 total yards and two touchdowns. Jones had 108 total yards but did not score, and finished with 12.80 points. Green Bay has a tough Week 17 matchup in Chicago as the Bears have allowed just 10 rushing touchdowns.
David Johnson – Continues Late Season Fantasy Scoring Surge
After posting a season-high 24.30 fantasy points last week, Johnson topped that with 28.90 points in Week 16. Ignored by many fantasy players, Johnson recorded 128 rushing yards and one TD. Houston hosts Tennessee to close their season in Week 17. The Titans defense allows 394.3 yards per game, and Johnson is priced at $6,800 in the NFL $3M Fantasy Football Millionaire contest at DraftKings.
Dalvin Cook – Quick Start Ends With Disappointing Finish
Following a quick start, with 10.20 points during the Vikings' first drive against New Orleans, Cook finished with a disappointing 16.50 total points. That's his third-lowest total over 14 starts. Minnesota was eliminated from the playoffs following a 52-33 loss to the Saints. It's difficult to know how much Cook will play in Week 17, but he has a great matchup against the terrible Detroit defense.
Josh Jacobs – Late Slide Backfires on Las Vegas Raiders
Fantasy players were fuming on Saturday after Jacobs chose to slide down rather than take a walk-in TD with under a minute to play against the Dolphins. It was a costly decision as Miami was able to kick a last-second field goal and eliminated the Raiders from the playoffs with a 26-25 victory. Jacobs was a fantasy bust as he finished with 6.90 points. The Raiders visit Denver to close out their season.
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Davante Adams – Takes Over as Top Fantasy Wide Receiver
Dashing through the snow in Green Bay and the porous Tennessee pass defense, Adams delivered during championship weekend. He caught 11-of-12 targets for 142 yards and three touchdowns. Adams finishes as the leading fantasy receiver with 343.80 points over 13 games. Green Bay earns the lone NFC playoff bye with a win against Chicago, so Adams will be an excellent starter in Week 17 DFS contests.
Mike Evans – Records Career-High Touchdown Receptions
Racking up a season-high 40.10 fantasy points, Evans hauled in 10 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns. He now has 13 TD catches this season. That surpasses the team record 12 TD receptions he had in 2014 and 2016. Evans has a favorable Week 17 matchup when Tampa Bay hosts Atlanta, who have allowed 30 TD passes this season. He caught six passes for 110 yards against the Falcons in Week 15.
Michael Gallup – Posts Season-High Fantasy Points Against Philadelphia
Rewarding patient fantasy owners, Gallop caught six passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns during the Cowboys' 37-17 win over the Eagles. After recording just 17.90 total points during the first two weeks of the fantasy playoffs - Gallop finished with a season-high 30.10 points during championship weekend. He has WR2 potential when Dallas visits New York to battle the Giants in Week 17.
Tyreek Hill – Another Disappointing Championship Week Performance
For the second year in a row, Hill left his fantasy owners wanting more during championship week. Kansas City played Chicago in Week 16 last season, and Hill posted 12.70 points. He dipped lower this year as he caught four passes for 65 yards and had just 10.50 points in a prime matchup against Atlanta. The Chiefs have locked up the top seed in the AFC, so Hill should be avoided in Week 17.
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Irv Smith Jr. – Leads All Week 16 Tight Ends With 23.30 Fantasy Points
Delivering on Christmas Day, Smith caught six passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns during the Vikings' 52-33 loss to the Saints. Kyle Rudolph inactive the last three straight games - Smith has filled the void with 153 yards and three touchdowns. He is poised to take over as the top TE in Minnesota next season. He is set up for a strong finish when the Vikings visit Detroit in Week 17.
Jimmy Graham – Helps Keep Wild Card Playoff Hopes Alive in Chicago
An unlikely Week 16 fantasy stud, Graham caught four passes for 69 yards and two scores during the Bears' 41-17 win in Jacksonville. Graham finished with 22.90 points and almost exceeded the 23.00 points he posted in his previous five games combined. Temper expectations when Chicago hosts Green Bay in Week 17. The Packers have allowed just five tight end touchdowns this season.
Travis Kelce – Record-Setting Game Helps Chiefs Clinch Top AFC Seed
Capping a record-setting season, Kelce caught seven passes for 98 yards and one TD during the Chiefs' 17-14 win over Atlanta. Kelce set career highs with 1,416 receiving yards, 105 receptions, and 11 touchdowns. He moved past George Kittle, who set the NFL single-season TE record with 1,377 yards in 2018. DFS players should avoid Kelce in Week 17 as he won't play much against the Chargers.
Darren Waller – Finishes Second Overall in Tight End Scoring
Adding to his impressive totals, Waller caught five passes for 112 yards during the Raiders' 26-25 loss to Miami. He finished second behind Kelce (314.80) with 253.90 points in season-long PPR leagues. Career-high goals are still within reach as he needs two catches to reach 100 and 67 yards to surpass the 1,145 receiving yards he posted last year. He is a solid DFS play in Week 17 against Denver.
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