NFL Week 16 Recap: Immediate fantasy football takeaways from Sunday's games

• Jonathan Taylor reaches 200 rushing yards: Taylor became just the second running back to accumulate over 200 yards in a game, and the only one with over 150 rushing yards in addition to three rushing touchdowns.

• All Detroit Lions players help their fantasy managers: Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta scored at least 14 PPR points against the Chicago Bears.

• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all of our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now!

Estimated reading time: 20 minutes

PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2024.

New York Giants @ Atlanta Falcons

Bijan Robinson: 22 carries, 94 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 receptions, 9 receiving yards
Tyrone Tracy Jr.: 7 carries, 26 yards, 4 receptions, 43 receiving yards, 1 touchdown

Monitor Drake London’s health: The Falcons lead wide receiver suffered a hamstring injury late in the third quarter.

The Falcons started this game down multiple wide receivers. Casey Washington was active due to a concussion. KhaDarel Hodge was questionable for the game due to a rib injury. Hodge is usually the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart. He was active but didn’t play any snaps on offense.

To help make up for the lost depth, Chris Blair was signed to the 53-man roster while Dylan Drummond was a practice squad elevation. Blair was an undrafted player from Alcorn State in 2020. After a successful season with the XFL’s DC Defenders, he joined the Falcons in 2023. He had one career NFL game prior to Sunday – Week 12 of 2023.

Over the first six drives, London played 46 of 47 snaps. Blair was rotated in more often than a backup wide receiver usually is in this Falcons offense during that time. London was hurt early on the following drive. Blair took London’s place and played each of the final 17 plays of the game. That included playing ahead of Ray-Ray McCloud III in two-receiver sets.

If London misses next week, Hodge would be the primary replacement if he is healthy. If not, it would be Blair, who only received one target, where he made his first NFL catch, but a London injury would likely just mean more targets for both Darnell Mooney and McCloud.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. scores but lacks volume: Tracy was the Giants' clear lead running back, but another blowout hurt his fantasy potential.

Tracy’s value has fluctuated over the last two months. He fumbled three times over two games, which led to a temporary decrease in playing time. Last week, he ran 10 times while Devin Singletary ran eight, and Singeltary scored a touchdown last week.

This week, Tracy was the clear lead running back on early downs and short-yardage situations. He ran the ball seven times compared to just Singletary's four, but the Giants focused almost entirely on the passing game this week.

Tracy ended up playing less than usual because the Giants were down by 27 points in the fourth quarter, so Eric Gray played all nine of his snaps in the game's last six minutes. Tracy should have a more favorable opportunity next week against the Indianapolis Colts, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs prior to this week.

Miscellaneous Notes

Tight end Kyle Pitts has played in less than 50% of the Falcons' offensive snaps in three of the last four games.
Newly signed Giants tight end Greg Dulcich played five of his eight snaps in the last five minutes of the game.

Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers

Chuba Hubbard: 25 carries, 152 yards, 2 touchdowns, 4 receptions, 13 receiving yards
James Conner: 15 carries, 117 yards, 1 touchdown, 4 receptions, 49 receiving yards

Monitor James Conner’s health: The Cardinals star running back suffered a knee injury in the third quarter and didn’t return.

The Cardinals started this week down multiple running backs. Their third down back Emari Demercado landed on injured reserve before Week 15, and DeeJay Dallas took his place. Trey Benson has been the primary backup all season, but he was inactive due to an ankle injury. Dallas was also questionable due to an illness.

The injury to Benson led Conner to playing more than usual over the first six drives, as he played 31 of a possible 40 snaps. Dallas played eight snaps during that time, primarily as a third-down back. Once Conner left due to his injury, Carter took over as the

Veteran Michael Carter was elevated from the practice squad to take Benson’s place. Carter continued where Conner left off, running five times for 18 yards and catching five passes for 60 yards.

The Cardinals running backs should be the top players to pick up off the waiver wire this week unless we hear some very positive news on Conner. Benson would be the clear early down back if he’s healthy, and if not, it will be Carter. The Cardinals have a relatively average matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Whoever starts should receive 15 or more carries, which could be good enough for some fantasy starting lineups during championship week.

The Cardinals play on Saturday night. That gives both Conner and Benson one fewer day to recover. On the bright side, we should know who the starter is in time for fantasy managers to make an informed decision on their lineup.

Adam Thielen leads Panthers despite limited playing time: The game script led to Thielen not playing as much in other weeks.

Thielen spent most of his career as an outside wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings. Last season, when he joined the Panthers, he played on the outside in two-receiver sets and in the slot in three-receiver sets. That changed this season under the new coaching staff, as he’s only played in three-receiver sets.

That hadn’t mattered much the last four weeks because the Panthers used 11 personnel on 80% of their plays. This week, the Panthers were playing with a lead for most of the game, which led to more two-tight end sets. Carolina used 11 personnel on two-thirds of their snaps, and there were a few plays out of 11 personnel where Thielen wasn’t on the field. This meant Thielen wasn’t on the field as often as usual.

This happened despite Xavier Legette being inactive due to a hip injury while Jalen Coker and David Moore were listed as questionable on Friday. The injuries likely impacted everyone's target share, as Thielen led the team in targets, receptions and receiving yards.

Thielen is a likely fantasy starter next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Coker is one of the top waiver options in deeper leagues. Coker only caught two passes for this game but had a relatively high target share and almost scored a touchdown.

Miscellaneous Notes

The Panthers elevated Mike Boone from the practice squad to be one of their backup running backs. Raheem Blackshear had been dealing with injuries recently, but he served as the primary backup in this game.

Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears

Keenan Allen: 9 receptions, 141 yards, 1 touchdown
Jameson Williams: 5 receptions, 143 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 carry, 7 rushing yards

Jahmyr Gibbs dominates touches without David Montgomery: The Lions’ usual starter is out for the foreseeable future due to a knee injury.

The injury to Montgomery left Gibbs as the consensus top running back for fantasy purposes this week. Gibbs touched the ball 20 times in the first half alone, recording 17 carries and three receptions. He was on the field for all 15 snaps on the first two drives and 30 of the Lions' first 34 offensive snaps on the first five drives, which all ended up being scores. After that point, the Lions started rotating Gibbs out more frequently.

Craig Reynolds has been the third-string running back all season, and he was the first backup on the field. Jermar Jefferson was elevated from the practice squad for this game, and he also played some snaps. Fourth-round rookie Sione Vaki was used particularly for the two-minute drill to end the first half.

In the second half, Gibbs played 15 of Detroit's 26 offensive snaps, taking half of the running back carries while Reynolds and Jefferson took a quarter each. If anything, it was surprising Gibbs played as much as he did in the second half given the three-score lead and his importance in the playoffs.

Gibbs remains an obvious must-start, but if he were to suffer an injury, it would likely be a committee that would replace him.

Roschon Johnson returns for Chicago: Johnson missed the last two games due to a concussion.

Johnson was a full participant in practice all week, so it was no surprise that he returned. Johnson had been the third-down back and primary backup for most of the season. While he was out, Travis Homer took his place. Homer started the season as the third-down back. Homer suffered a hamstring injury last week and was inactive for this game.

This made a seamless transition back to Johnson as the primary backup. The Bears had been relying even more heavily on D'Andre Swift over the past month compared to earlier in the season, and that continued to be the case this week. Swift played a very high percentage of Chicago's early down snaps and also split third downs.

Neither running back had much success this week, as the Bears were playing from behind by multiple scores all game. Next week, the Bears will face the Seattle Seahawks, where they should find a little more success.

Miscellaneous Notes

The Lions signed wide receiver Tom Kennedy to the 53-man roster from the practice squad on Saturday and released Maurice Alexander.

Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals

Jerome Ford: 11 carries, 92 yards, 1 touchdown, 5 receptions, 39 receiving yards
Ja’Marr Chase: 6 receptions, 97 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 carry, 7 rushing yards

Jerome Ford leads the way without Nick Chubb: The Brown's former All-Pro suffered a season-ending foot injury.

Ford’s role in the offense was very similar to most games from early in the season, where Ford was the primary early-down and receiving back. Ford showed a spark on the first offensive play of the game with a 66-yard run. He scored a touchdown in the third quarter and was the clear leader in the backfield in both carries and targets.

Ford ended up playing just over 80% of Cleveland's offensive snaps, which is a new career-high. The Browns played from behind throughout the game, but Ford still touched the ball 16 times despite the game script.

The only problem is he wasn’t always the running back once the Browns got to the goal line. D’Onta Foreman had been a healthy inactive during the past several weeks when Chubb was active, but he was also the goal-line back during the first six weeks. Foreman fumbled on one of his opportunities, which potentially impacted his playing time over the rest of the game.

The Browns have a similar matchup against the Miami Dolphins next week, a run defense that Ford could play well against, but if the Browns fall behind, he might not see enough volume to fully trust him.

David Njoku plays through injury: Njoku was questionable for this game due to a hamstring injury.

Njoku didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday and was limited on Friday. There was no clear indication as to whether he was playing or not until inactives were announced an hour and a half before kickoff.

Njoku’s playing time was limited compared to most weeks. He had consistently played over 75% of Cleveland's offensive snaps when healthy and recently was closer to 100%. In this game, Njoku was consistently on the field with 12 personnel with Jordan Akins. In 11 personnel, he played only 24 of 46 snaps, while Akins and Blake Whiteheart rotated in. Njoku has never graded notably well as a run blocker, making this usage a little surprising. Typically, if one of the best receiving tight ends is on a snap count, they are off the field in 12 personnel and more consistently on the field in 11 personnel.

This kind of usage would usually be rough for a tight end for fantasy purposes, but Njoku was targeted on a ridiculous 38.5% of his routes. That was the third-best rate for a tight end in a game with at least 25 routes.

Even if Njoku misses most of practice throughout this week, he should be in fantasy starting lineups as long as he’s active next week.

Monitor Tee Higgins’ health: Higgins missed a little time due to an ankle injury.

Higgins was limited in practice this week due to a knee injury. His playing time was relatively normal in the first half, playing 29 of a possible 34 snaps. He spent a little time in the injury tent in the third quarter.

He was able to return in the fourth quarter but didn’t play in the last six minutes of the game. The Bengals were up by two scores and running out the clock, so this simply could have been a precaution, as the Bengals didn’t need his run blocking. Regardless, if you plan on starting Higgins this week, it would be worth keeping an eye on the injury report just to make sure he has no setbacks.

Miscellaneous Notes

Jerry Jeudy averaged 38 receiving yards per game with Deshaun Watson as the starting quarterback, 112 yards per game with Jameis Winston, and 20 yards Sunday with Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Similarly, Elijah Moore averaged 19 yards per game with Watson, 49 yards per game with Watson, and 21 yards Sunday with Thompson-Robinson.
Cedric Tillman has missed four consecutive games due to a concussion. Michael Woods II has been his replacement throughout this stretch.
The Browns elevated James Proche from the practice squad for this game. He didn’t play on offense but was the team's punt returner.
Bengals wide receiver and returner Charlie Jones was inactive for the seventh straight week due to a groin injury.
Bengals backup tight end Tanner Hudson was inactive due to a knee injury, leading to more playing time for both Cam Grandy and Tanner McLachlan.
Bengals’ receiving tight end Mike Gesicki has played 43% of Cincinnati's offensive snaps in seven of the Bengals' eight losses and 36% or less of the snaps in their seven wins, including a 34% snaps rate in this game.

Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts

Jonathan Taylor: 29 carries, 218 yards, 3 touchdowns
Tyjae Spears: 10 carries, 27 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 receptions, 39 receiving yards

Tyjae Spears leads the Titans offense again: Spears played in over 50% of the Titans' offensive snaps for a second-straight week.

Throughout this season, Tony Pollard has done a great job in the run game, keeping Spears in a limited role. Spears has also dealt with multiple injuries, which likely impacted Spears playing time.

Now, Pollard has been playing with injuries. He was questionable this week due to an ankle injury. Despite this, he played 11 of Tennessee's 15 offensive snaps in the first quarter, which included five carries. In the second quarter, the Colts scored three touchdowns and a field goal. A combination of the game script and Pollard’s injury left Spears playing 33 of 46 snaps over the rest of the game, leaving only 13 snaps for Pollard.

Spears scored two touchdowns for the second straight week. The Titans play the Jacksonville Jaguars next week, and that game is a little less likely to be a blowout loss. That means the distribution of snaps between the two running backs will likely depend on Pollard's health. If Pollard is healthy, he should play over 50% of the snaps, get most of the touches and be the running back who will most likely score. If not, then Spears could have a huge week.

Chig Okonkwo posts another great game: The Titans' lead tight end caught nine passes 81 yards.

Okonkwo has spent all season sharing the receiving snaps with Josh Whyle. His playing time has generally increased throughout the season, but if anything, it declined in recent weeks.

He was a non-factor for the first 11 weeks, with 20 or fewer receiving yards in eight of 10 games and only one touchdown. In Week 12, he showed some promise with a 70-yard touchdown reception. That was his only catch in that game, but he had set a new career-high in receiving yards. In Weeks 13 and 14, he caught three passes each.

Last week, he caught a career-high eight receptions. The only concern was that once Mason Rudolph took over at quarterback, Whyle started catching more passes. In this game, Okonkwo dominated snaps in a way we haven’t seen throughout his career. He was Mason's primary target, leading to a new career high in both reception and receiving yards.

The Titans play the Jacksonville Jaguars next week, which is a generally favorable matchup. While Okonkwo only caught three passes for eight yards against them in Week 14, there is certainly a chance he has a much better game this time after these last two weeks.

Miscellaneous Notes

Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce was inactive due to a concussion. Adonai Mitchell took his place in the starting lineup, as he’s done every time a starting wide receiver for the Colts has missed time this season.
Titans wide receiver Tyler Boyd has seen his playing time slowly but surely decline throughout the season. He’s generally only played in 11 personnel. This week, he played 31 of 46 snaps in 11 personnel, while Mason Kinsey took 13 snaps from him.
Titans wide receiver Colton Dowell has been on injured reserve but returned to practice this past week. He was not activated for this game.
The Titans signed kicker Brayden Narveson to the 53-man roster on Saturday. Their usual kicker, Nick Folk, was inactive for this game.

Los Angeles Rams @ New York Jets

Davante Adams: 7 receptions, 68 yards, 1 touchdown
Kyren Williams: 23 carries, 122 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 reception, 7 receiving yards

Breece Hall’s playing time returns to normal: Hall appears to be fully healthy after playing on a limited basis last week.

Hall missed Week 14 and did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday leading up to Week 15, making it seem like his season could be over. However, he was a full participant last Friday and played in a three-man committee for that game.

This week, Hall didn’t appear on the injury report, and Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis were both limited with back injuries. Allen was listed as questionable but ultimately played. Hall ran 14 times for 52 yards and caught five passes for 38 yards. He wasn’t as effective as usual and didn’t score a touchdown, so his 13 PPR points were less than ideal.

The Jets play the Buffalo Bills next week. The Jets will likely need to spend the entire day passing the ball, which could lead to a lot of receptions by Hall.

Tyler Higbee makes his season debut: Higbee tore his ACL and MCL in the wild-card round of the playoffs last season.

Colby Parkinson began the season as the clear starter. At one point, the team turned more toward Davis Allen but ultimately settled on a rotation led by Parkinson in recent weeks. The Higbee addition caused the tight end room to move to a four-man rotation.

Higbee was the top tight end in 11 personnel, but all four played at least five snaps from that personnel grouping. In 12 personnel, the team primarily used Hunter Long and Parkinson. While Higbee scored a touchdown, that was the only reception by a tight end in this game. Parkinson ran the most routes but only on 42% of the Rams' pass plays. There is certainly a chance Higbee plays more next week, but that is too big of a risk for a fantasy championship game. Higbee should be left on the waiver wire.

Miscellaneous Notes

Rams backup wide receiver Tyler Johnson was a healthy inactive for the first time this season. He was a starter at times early in the season when Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp were injured. He doesn’t play on special teams and had only caught one pass in the previous five weeks.
This left Tutu Atwell as the clear backup wide receiver. Jordan Whittington played more often, but he only played on run plays. Half of them occurred in the last two minutes of the game.
Aaron Rodgers, at one point, left for the medical tent after a sack-fumble, but he was able to return to the game on the next drive.
Jets rookie wide receiver Malachi Corley was active after being a healthy inactive in recent weeks, but he didn’t play an offensive snap. This was a rare game where a team only used three different wide receivers on offense. The Jets only used three different wide receivers on offense. It was only the fourth time this season that a team stuck with three wide receivers in a game.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Commanders

Saquon Barkley: 29 carries, 150 yards, 2 touchdowns
Olamide Zaccheaus: 5 receptions, 70 yards, 2 touchdowns

Olamide Zaccheaus emerges as the new WR2: Zaccheaus posted one of the best games of his career against his former team.

Zaccheaus started the season competing with Dyami Brown for the outside receiver spot opposite Terry McLaurin despite being more experienced in the slot. The Commanders signed Noah Brown after the Houston Texans released him, pushing both players down the depth chart.

Zaccheaus eventually emerged in the slot, splitting time with Luke McCaffrey. Recently, Noah Brown landed on injured reserve while slot receiver Jamison Crowder returned from injured reserve. This allowed Zaccheaus to play both in the slot and out wide.

This week, both he and Crowder played more snaps, leading to less playing time for both Brown and McCaffrey. Zaccheaus has a second-straight revenge game next week, going up against the Atlanta Falcons. While Zaccheaus can be left on the waiver wire in most leagues. In very deep leagues, he could be an excellent option off the waiver wire.

Monitor Jalen Hurts’ health: The Eagles Pro Bowl quarterback suffered a concussion in the first quarter and was ruled out for the game in the second.

Kenny Pickett took over at quarterback for the rest of the game. A combination of the quarterback change and the game plan had a remarkable impact on the target share of the Eagles players. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 22 of the Eagles' 24 targets. Brown was targeted five times on the first two drives compared to Smith's one target. Brown continues to be the leader even with Pickett, earning a target on 35.7% of his routes.

While Hurts will ideally be ready to play in Week 17, anyone who has him will need a backup plan. As for anyone with Saquon Barkley, Brown or Smith, it’s probably safe to have all three players in fantasy starting lineups regardless of the quarterback. The Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys, which is a favorable matchup for all three players. The Cowboys' biggest strength on defense from a fantasy perspective is stopping tight ends, but that doesn’t matter when the Eagles aren’t targetting their tight ends.

Miscellaneous Notes

Eagles third-string running back Will Shipley suffered a concussion on a special teams play in the first quarter and was also ruled out.
Eagles backup wide receiver Britain Covey was inactive due to a neck injury.
Commanders tight end Zach Ertz was questionable this week due to both a shoulder injury and a concussion, but he was active for this game, and his playing time was normal.
The Commanders claimed wide receiver K.J. Osborn off waivers 11 days ago, but he’s been inactive for the team each of the last two games.

Minnesota Vikings @ Seattle Seahawks

Justin Jefferson: 10 receptions, 144 yards, 2 touchdowns
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 8 receptions, 95 yards, 1 touchdown

Monitor Kenneth Walker III’s health: Walker missed the last two games due to a calf injury.

Walker didn’t practice on Wednesday but was a full participant on Thursday and Friday. While he was good to go, there was some concern about his playing time. Zach Charbonnet played well during Walker’s absence and was named a captain for this game. Charbonnet also wasn’t 100% due to an oblique injury that kept him out of practice on Wednesday.

Despite this, the playing time split between the running backs was very similar to most games this season. Walker was the clear early down back, and Charbonnet was the clear third-down back. Walker played two-thirds of the two-minute drill snaps when healthy this season, so seeing him take two-minute drill snaps in this game wasn't surprising. Walker had a quiet day in the run game but tied his career-high in receptions with eight, making his fantasy production very different depending on your league’s scoring settings. The biggest surprise is Kenny McIntosh also got involved for a few snaps on offense and received his first carry before Charbonnet did.

Walker suffered an ankle injury with six minutes left in the game and was quickly ruled doubtful. Sometimes, when an injury happens late, it’s hard to know the severity, but the fact that he was ruled doubtful quickly was not a good sign. After the injury, Charbonnet and McIntosh split time, suggesting Charbonnet still isn’t 100%.

The Seahawks have a favorable matchup against the Chicago Bears. The game script and the Bears' defense should lead to several carries by whoever is starting at running back. It could be worth picking up McIntosh off the waiver wire, just in case both Walker and Charbonnet can’t play. That would be a better use of a roster spot with one week left than another player you’re confident you won’t be starting.

Aaron Jones dominates carries: Jones was sharing the backfield with Cam Akers for most games in the second half of the season.

Jones had a very large role in the Vikings offense early in the year, finishing multiple games over 70% of Minnesota's offensive snaps, including one game with a 92% snap rate. However, he’s been held under 64% in five of his previous six games. Akers was consistently playing 16-27 snaps during that stretch. The one exception was an away game against the Chicago Bears, where the team won in overtime.

This was a similar game where no team ever had a multiple-score lead in a back-and-forth performance. This suggests that the Vikings still trust Jones to be their clear lead running back but haven’t wanted to overwork games when they don’t need him as much later in the game. The Vikings have been winning all of their games since Akers became part of the offense.

The Vikings face the Green Bay Packers next week. That is another game that should be relatively close, so Jones should constantly be on the field again. That should be good news for any Jones fantasy manager.

Miscellaneous Notes

Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson‘s snap rate was slightly higher this week, although he’s still not at the same level as last season.
Vikings fullback C.J. Ham was questionable for this game and didn’t travel with the team, but he was ultimately active and played.
The Seahawks signed quarterback Jaren Hall to the 53-man roster on Saturday since Geno Smith wasn’t 100%.
Seahawks backup tight end Brady Russell was inactive due to a foot injury.

New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills

James Cook: 11 carries, 100 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 receptions, 26 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
Kayshon Boutte: 5 receptions, 95 yards, 1 touchdown

Antonio Gibson leads the Patriots running backs in snaps: Rhamondre Stevenson posted his second-lowest snap rate of the season.

The snap distribution between Stevenson and Gibson was normal in most ways. Stevenson was the lead running back on early and third downs. The one area where Gibson dominated was in the two-minute drill to end both the first half as well as the last four minutes of the game when the Patriots were running a two-minute offense.

While it’s normal enough for a passing-down back to take two-minute drill snaps, in this case, it’s noteworthy because Gibson only played 10 of New England's 88 two-minute drill snaps over the first 15 weeks. Regardless, we shouldn’t expect the Patriots to run 19 two-minute drill plays again next week.

Dalton Kincaid only runs 14 routes: Kincaid led the team in targets with seven, but a 50% targets per route rate is unsustainable.

The Bills spent all of the first half playing from behind. That is the kind of game script where Kincaid should be leading the tight end room in offensive snaps. Kincaid had a lead in the first half, but with 13 of 24 snaps compared to Dawson Knox‘s 12. The Bills tied the game in the third quarter and took a lead with Kincaid only playing five of 18 snaps in the quarter. The Bills had a lead in the fourth quarter, so Kincaid only played two of the 17 snaps. The Bills were running the ball for most of the quarter, which included a sixth offensive lineman and fullback Reggie Gilliam on the field, and not as much of Kincaid or Knox.

Kincaid only caught four of his passes for 15 yards. No Bills player had more than 26 receiving yards. Curtis Samuel was questionable for this game due to a rib injury, leading the four other wide receivers to all see a slight increase in snaps, but it didn’t help any of their fantasy production.

The Bills have another home game against the New York Jets next week. Luckily the early forecast doesn’t suggest weather will be much of a factor, but it’s entirely possible the team again focuses on the run game and none of the Bills receivers put up much production. It’s possible Josh Allen and James Cook are the only viable fantasy starters for that game.

Miscellaneous Notes

Patriots rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk‘s playing time has generally declined since Week 6. This was his clear worst game that he’s played, finishing with only three offensive snaps.
Patriots third-string running back JaMycal Hasty was inactive due to an ankle injury. Terrell Jennings was signed to the active roster to serve as the third running back.
The Patriots elevated wide receiver Alex Erickson off the practice squad for the first time this season.
Bills running back Ray Davis played significant snaps, but most of it came in the second half. He played four snaps and ran the ball once in the first half. His playing time is largely dictated by the game script.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Las Vegas Raiders

Brian Thomas Jr.: 9 receptions, 131 yards, 1 touchdown
Brock Bowers: 11 receptions, 99 yards

Alexander Mattison leads a two-man rotation: Sincere McCormick landed on injured reserve last week, leaving the Raiders thin at running back.

The Raiders had also lost Zamir White weeks ago, leaving Mattison and Ameer Abdullah as the top running backs on the depth chart. Both started the season as passing-down backs but ended up playing in all situations in this game.

The Raiders would have one running back take a feature-back role for a few drives and then switch. Mattison played 14 of the Raiders' 15 offensive snaps on the first three drives, and Abdullah took 11 of 14 on the following two. Mattison played 17 of 19 snaps on the following five drives, and then Abdullah played 17 of 25 to close the game over three drives.

This means Mattison should have more fantasy value of the two, but Abdullah was more effective as a runner and caught more passes this week. There is a chance that, based on Abdullah’s good play this week, Abdullah will get the start next week. Because of the split and uncertainty, it’s probably best to avoid this backfield next week.

Brenton Strange likely gets benched: Strange did not play a single offensive snap in the fourth quarter.

Evan Engram landed on injured reserve. In his absence, Strange caught 11 passes for 73 yards last week. That put Strange in the fantasy starter conversation this week. Strange played 27 of Jacksonville's 38 offensive snaps in the first half. He stayed in to pass block a little more often than ideal, but his playing time was relatively normal for a Jaguars starting tight end this season.

At the end of the first half, the Jaguars made it to field goal range, but Strange fumbled. Strange played four of nine snaps on the first drive of the third quarter, all for run plays. Luke Farrell ran two routes on the drive while Josiah Deguara ran one route. On the following drive, Strange was targeted on second-and-20. The ball hit Strange in the back of the hand. Strange wanted a penalty on the defender on the play and didn’t get one. He didn’t appear injured on the play, and that was his last play of the game.

It will be hard to trust Strange or any other Jaguars tight end this week given the likely benching. Ideally, we can get an explanation from coaches during the week. The Jaguars play the Tennessee Titans, which is not a favorable matchup, giving more reason to look elsewhere at tight end for Week 17.

Miscellaneous Notes

Raiders tight end Brock Bowers caught 11 passes. This was the 14th time this season that a tight end had double-digit receptions. Bowers has four of those 14 games while no other tight end has more than two.
Jaguars wide receiver Josh Reynolds played slight increase more snaps in his second game with the team. This led Devin Duvernay to play fewer snaps this week.

San Francisco 49ers @ Miami Dolphins

De’Von Achane: 17 carries, 120 yards, 1 touchdown, 6 receptions, 70 receiving yards
Deebo Samuel: 7 receptions, 96 yards, 1 touchdown, 5 carries, 25 receiving yards

Patrick Taylor is the next man up at running back: Taylor had a very similar role to Jordan Mason or Isaac Guerendo when they started.

The 49ers have Christian McCaffrey, Jordan Mason and Elijah Mitchell on injured reserve while Isaac Guerendo was out due to both a foot and a hamstring injury. This left Taylor, who started the season as their fifth running back on the depth chart, as the starter.

He was the only true halfback to take a snap. Deebo Samuel lined up in a halfback position 10 times, while fullback Kyle Juszczyk took three snaps as the primary running back on third downs. Samuel and Juszczyk were essentially the backup running backs in this game, which had been true for other games this season.

Ke’Shawn Vaughn was elevated off the practice squad for a third-straight game, and Israel Abanikanda was on the gameday roster for the first time this year, but neither played a snap on offense. Taylor only ran the ball eight times, in part due to the game script. He was thrown to five times but dropped multiple passes. He caught one of those passes for one yard.

The 49ers play the Detroit Lions next week, so the game script may be even worse than this. Taylor can be an option for that game because every running back who dominates snaps has a chance to put up a fantasy starting performance. However, there will likely be at least 24 better options for a running back next week.

Malik Washington steps up without Jaylen Waddle: Waddle was inactive due to a knee injury.

Washington has been one of Miami's few constants at wide receiver this season. He’s run the third-most routes behind Tyreek Hill and Waddle. The only other wide receivers with at least 100 snaps for Miami this season are Braxton Berrios, who is on injured reserve, and Odell Beckham Jr., who was released.

Washington’s playing time has steadily improved this season, and this was his first time as a clear every-down starter. He caught three passes for 28 yards, with most targets and receptions going to De’Von Achane, Hill and Jonnu Smith.

The Dolphins also needed depth beyond Washington. Dee Eskridge was also inactive due to a knee injury, while Grant DuBose went back on injured reserve after a scary blow to the head last week. Veteran River Cracraft served as the third wide receiver this week, while Erik Ezukanma was a practice squad elevation as the fourth wide receiver.

The Dolphins also used more formations with multiple running backs on the field. Achane lined up in the slot 11 times, which was the most for him in a game since Week 4. If Waddle misses another game, it’s probably best to leave Washington and the other wide receivers on the waiver wire. It will mostly mean more touches for their usual fantasy starters.

Miscellaneous Notes

Dolphins rookie running back Jaylen Wright appears to have fallen to fourth on the depth chart. He didn’t play an offensive snap, while Jeff Wilson Jr. played seven. Wright had gained 63 yards on 26 carries since Week 9 (2.4 yards per carry).
This game was the 20th 100-yard receiving performance of George Kittle’s career, and his third performance of the season.
49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall caught four passes for 37 yards. While that wasn’t the best performance by a wide receiver, that is more than his receptions and receiving yards from the previous five games combined.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Dallas Cowboys

Coming soon!

Table Notes

Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.
Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.
Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.