4 Must Start Wide Receivers: Fantasy Football Week 16 (2024)
Looking for must start wide receivers ahead of Week 16 of your fantasy football season? We’ve identified four must start wide receivers who are primed for big performances. Whether it’s a favorable matchup or an opportunity for targets, these must start wide receivers will give your roster the edge it needs to dominate your league’s postseason. Don’t miss out on these key players for a fantasy football Week 16 victory.
Must Start Wide Receivers in Fantasy Football Week 16
Each week there are wide receivers that emerge as difference makers for your fantasy football team. Choosing the correct players at this volatile position on a weekly basis is a necessary skill on the path to a fantasy football championship. These wide receivers highlighted below have a combination of positive matchups and game scripts, opportunities for targets, and the skill to help you win your Week 16 matchup. Continue reading to check out my four must-start wide receivers for Week 16.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba looks to continue his run of strong play that’s seen him finish as a top 20 WR in PPR scoring in five of his past six games. The second-year receiver has developed excellent chemistry with quarterback Geno Smith that’s led to consistent volume for Smith-Njigba, who leads the team in targets. The Ohio State product has finished with fewer than 10 fantasy points only once since Week 3 and ranks in the top 10 in the NFL in receptions and receiving yards.
Now in Week 16, the Seahawks are underdogs as they take on the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings have allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers so far this season and the second most over the past four weeks. The secondary has faced significant volume due to their stout run defense and the team’s explosive offense (8th in the NFL in scoring). This has resulted in the Vikings giving up completions and receiving yards at a top-five rate, a place where Smith-Njigba should be able to dominate in this matchup.
The former first-rounder is a must-start in Week 16 due to his recent performance, elite matchup, and workhorse volume. Smith-Njigba is a low-end WR1 for me this week and should be in every lineup during this pivotal fantasy playoff time.
Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
A rookie wide receiver is eighth in fantasy points per game despite dealing with a QB carousel that’s included Daniel Jones, Danny Devito, Tim Boyle, and current starter Drew Lock. In spite of this roadblock, Malik Nabers has continued to demand targets at an elite rate. The LSU product leads the league with 11.7 targets per game, over a full target per game more than the next closest receiver. In Lock’s two previous starts, the rookie produced 11.5 targets per game and 74 receiving yards per game.
Nabers and the New York Giants take on the Atlanta Falcons, who rank in the bottom five against wide receivers on the season. The team hasn’t improved in recent weeks, ranking sixth worst over the past four weeks. The Falcons are heavy favorites with new starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr., which should lead to plenty of opportunities for Nabers in the passing game.
The Louisiana native ranks as a solid WR2 for me this week despite questionable quarterback play. Nabers is a must start wide receiver for Week 16 with his talent that continues to draw elite target share, a matchup that can be exploited, and a game script that should lean heavily towards passing volume.
Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens’ leading receiver, Zay Flowers, has had a mediocre stretch of fantasy performances and has not finished with over 12 PPR fantasy points since Week 9. The second-year pro continues to lead the team with a 24.7% target share on the season while seeing six or more targets in every game dating back to Week 7.
Looking to this week, the Boston College graduate will push for a fourth consecutive game above 50 receiving yards. Flowers has been a top 5 WR at separating against man coverage according to FantasyPoints, a defense that his Week 16 matchup plays at the highest rate in the NFL.
While the Ravens Week 16 opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been a below-average matchup on the season for wide receivers, there are reasons for hope in this showdown. The Steelers have been the seventh worst against wide receivers over the past four weeks and will have T.J. Watt at less than 100%, if he’s able to play come Saturday. Despite the team’s season-long success against wide receivers, they’ve been a bottom 12 team when adjusted for competition according to our free fantasy football tool, the D-PAC Score.
Flowers has a high floor and a massive ceiling in this divisional rivalry, making him a must start in Week 16. A positive matchup from a scheme perspective, a consistent target from an elite quarterback in Lamar Jackson, and productivity from the young wide receiver land him as a low-end WR2 this week.
Jalen McMillan, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rookie Jalen McMillan has been rapidly improving on a red-hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense. The young receiver out of Washington has set new career highs in receptions and receiving yards each of the past two weeks while finishing with three touchdowns over that span.
The Buccaneers take on the Dallas Cowboys this week in a game with the highest over/under on the week according to DraftKings. The Cowboys have been a bottom-10 team against wide receivers on the year and rank fourth worst over the past four weeks.
McMillan is in my top 30 wide receivers on the week, well above his WR44 consensus ranking on FantasyPros. The rookie is a must start wide receiver in Week 16 and can be counted on due to his increased offensive role on a great offense and above-average matchup in this projected shootout.
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