Week 16 of the 2021 fantasy football season has arrived, and most leagues have entered the fantasy football playoff semifinals. Let's dive into the best streamers at the quarterback, tight end and defense/special teams positions for those who are still alive.
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The quarterback and tight end positions are barren, but Detroit Lions' quarterback Jared Goff could string together his best stretch of the season with a strong matchup this week.
Quarterback
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints | 61% rostered
Hill was bound to eventually miss out on QB1 honors, and he disappointed with a sub-10-point performance this past week. Still, his 9.5 points demonstrated just how high the floor is for a player with Hill's rushing capacity.
Hill doesn’t have one of the best matchups of the week against the Miami Dolphins, but the quarterback position is very limited in terms of matchup opportunities. While the defense hasn’t surrendered many fantasy points, it does rank 28th in passing yards and 19th in explosive pass percentage allowed. The Dolphins aren’t a defense that has been susceptible to rushing quarterbacks, but Hill is better at running than most.
Even in a tough matchup, the tight end-turned-quarterback should be able to secure a top-15 scoring week and has a much higher floor than most options. Bet on the dual-threat ability over the matchup.
Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers | 41% rostered
The quarterback position is limited this week across the spectrum. Most players either have a terrible matchup or aren’t coming into the week playing too hot, but Jimmy G is one of the better options on this slate.
He doesn’t offer the same upside as Hill, but Garoppolo has been very consistent of late, scoring between 12 and 20 fantasy points seven times in his past eight games. He has only eclipsed 20 points twice in that span, as he is limited by the team's potent rushing attack.
Garoppolo plays a Tennessee Titans defense that has allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to the position this season. The Titans have been good in coverage, but there are areas where Jimmy G can take advantage.
Titans defensive rankings | 2021
| Category | Figure (Rank) |
| Passing yards allowed | 3,657 (25th) |
| Passing touchdowns allowed | 20 (10th) |
| Passing YPA allowed | 7.02 (12th) |
| Explosive pass percentage allowed | 12.3% (8th) |
| EPA per play against | -0.076 (9th) |
Tight End
Jared Cook, Los Angeles Chargers | 55% rostered
If the quarterback position is bad, the tight end position is in absolute despair. This week offers almost no mix of good matchups and strong-performing players, so we’ll target whoever has been the most productive.
Cook is one of the top options on this slate and he hasn’t even scored double-digit points since Week 12. He’s only topped 10 fantasy points once since Week 10. His usage has fallen in recent weeks but he's still sitting at a 13.2% season-long target share.
Cook has a good chance to produce a startable game against the Houston Texans this week. Their defense ranks below average in yards and touchdowns allowed, fantasy points conceded and EPA per play against tight ends. Houston is just PFF’s 29th-ranked defense in grading this season.
Gerald Everett, Seattle Seahawks | 36% rostered
Everett might be the one good play at the position who is available for streamers, and I’d suggest snagging him while you can. He has become a mainstay for the Seahawks’ offense since Week 10 (excluding Week 15), ranking seventh in targets, third in receptions, 11th in yards and 13th in red zone targets at the position.
He doesn’t have an easy matchup against the Chicago Bears, but sometimes we have to bet on usage. With the dearth of options at the position, Everett makes a lot of sense in Week 16.
C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals | 16% rostered
Uzomah hasn’t scored double-digit fantasy points since Week 7. That is not a typo — he’s become an irrelevant player for the most part, yet he is still a streamer worth considering in deep leagues.
At the very least, Uzomah does have a weak opponent in the Baltimore Ravens, who have struggled to cover the position. Uzomah has already produced a 24.1-point performance against them way back in Week 7, and the Ravens allow the sixth-most fantasy points to the position this season.
Ravens defense vs. tight ends | 2021
| Week | Fantasy points allowed (Rank) |
| Week 1 | 26.5 (29th) |
| Week 2 | 26.9 (32nd) |
| Week 3 | 8.5 (13th) |
| Week 4 | 18.7 (24th) |
| Week 5 | 13.3 (19th) |
| Week 6 | 16.4 (19th) |
| Week 7 | 24.1 (24th) |
| Week 9 | 11.0 (11th) |
| Week 10 | 9.7 (13th) |
| Week 11 | 6.7 (7th) |
| Week 12 | 20.5 (26th) |
| Week 13 | 10.6 (16th) |
| Week 14 | 14.0 (17th) |
| Week 15 | 14.8 (26th pre-MNF) |
Uzomah doesn’t have a high floor by any means, but he is one of the few options that could at least avoid an absolute stinker performance.
Defense/Special Teams
Indianapolis Colts D/ST | 54% rostered
The Colts are a good play most weeks considering their third-ranked scoring output. This is a defense that doesn’t get to the quarterback often to create sacks, but no team has more fumble recoveries, and only two defenses have more interceptions.
The Indianapolis defense is worthy of starting regardless of matchup, but the good news is they get a Cardinals offense that has hit rock bottom over the past few weeks. Kyler Murray has thrown three interceptions in the same time frame.
Los Angeles Chargers D/ST | 50% rostered
The Chargers are one of the worst-performing fantasy defenses, but fantasy football is a matchup game, and the Chargers have a strong one with the Texans on the docket. Houston’s offense ranks dead last in EPA per play and 31st in offensive scoring (touchdowns plus field goals). They're tied for 23rd in interceptions thrown with 14.
It would be disappointing if the Chargers can’t put together a D/ST1 week in this fruitful matchup.
Philadelphia Eagles D/ST | 49% rostered
The Eagles host the New York Giants with an NFC playoff bid still in sight. The Giants could be without starting quarterback Daniel Jones for the fourth straight week. Backup QB Mike Glennon has thrown five interceptions and just two touchdowns over the last three weeks.
Philadelphia will have a field day, regardless of whether the Giants trot out Glennon or third-string quarterback Jake Fromm.
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