Make the Wright Move
Kendall Wright has ascended to the top of the Bears receiving depth chart over the last two weeks, as it seems Mitch Trubisky has finally found a “favorite” receiver. Kendall Wright has been a revelation for PPR owners recently, tallying a whopping 17 catches in just the last two games. He’s managed to parlay those into 188 yards, and is quickly becoming a reliable flex target. He will continue to see the majority of work out of the slot for Chicago, and he should be able to exploit the below-average Browns secondary in Week 16. The Browns rank 21st in the NFL in passing defense, and while there is some marginal talent there it’s not enough to overcome the sheer volume that Wright will likely see. He’s gotten 24 looks in the past two weeks alone, and the Bears certainly won’t be in “run the clock out” mode against anyone, even the Browns.
Flacco Flying High
For as pitiful as the Ravens offense has been in 2017, Joe Flacco has quietly put together a useful (from a fantasy perspective) second half for Baltimore. Flacco has at least 269 passing yards in each of his last three games, and has a 5:1 TD-INT ratio in that time frame. He even added in a rushing touchdown last week against the Browns, and has posted at least 16 fantasy points (ESPN default scoring in each game. The veteran draws the soft Indianapolis secondary in Week 16, and he could be the savior for teams who were depending on Carson Wentz or Aaron Rodgers in their fantasy championships. The Colts rank 30th in pass defense, and are allowing 257 passing yards per game to opposing quarterbacks. Combine that with Flacco’s recent hot streak and suddenly Flacco is a sneaky high-end QB2 for Week 16.
Tough Sledding For Perine
Rookie Samaje Perine has been ice cold lately, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry across his last three contests. He hasn’t been faced with top-notch defenses either–while the Cowboys and Cardinals are respectable, Perine managed a measly 45 yards on 17 carries in Week 14 against the 30th-ranked Chargers run defense. He’ll face the Broncos in Week 16, who currently rank as the fourth-best run defense in the NFL with just 88.1 yards allowed per game on the ground. Any notions of PPR value being salvaged can probably be discarded, as Kapri Bibbs has risen from the practice squad to claim the Chris Thompson-esque pass-catching role. There is very little upside here, and in the fantasy playoffs it’s very difficult to roll out players who have so little hope for a big game. Look elsewhere for running back production if you can, as Perine will almost certainly underwhelm.
NFL Pickups of the Week
Damiere Byrd, WR, Carolina Panthers – The speedster is establishing himself as the WR2 on the Panthers with eight catches over the past two weeks, and is coming off a two-touchdown outing to face the burnable Tampa Bay secondary.
Wayne Gallman, RB, New York Giants – Gallman continues to lead the New York backfield in touches, and should merit flex consideration as one of the only players in the New York offense that can be counted on for touches.
Benjamin Watson, TE, Baltimore Ravens - Watson is coming off of a 4-74-1 game and gets a crack at the terrible Colts secondary with his team in a must-win situation. Don't expect fireworks but Watson has a great chance at finding the end zone.
