It's that time of year again. Championship week has finally arrived in the NFL and there are numerous games in Week 16 that feature valuable fantasy assets. Teams looking to bring home the bacon can't afford to miss out on any fantasy points this week. Here are some players that should star for their teams on Sunday.
Scoring for this article is based on a Yahoo fantasy league with one point per reception, one point for every 30 passing yards, one point for 10 rushing yards, one point for 10 receiving yards and six points per touchdown.
QUARTERBACK
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys
Brees has arguable been the best player in fantasy football this season and any team that has him as quarterback is looking for a big game against Dallas. The Cowboys have the 14th ranked passing defense in the league and are solid at cornerback with Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne.
Last week Brees posted 31.33 fantasy points in a 41-0 win over the Tampa Buccaneers and has increased his point total in three straight weeks after scoring just 1.37 points against the Atlanta Falcons. On Sunday Brees passed for 307 yards and four touchdowns and is catching the Cowboys at the right time, as they are giving up the eighth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks over the past five weeks.
Brees has a wide array of options in the passing game, including wide receivers Marques Colston, Lance Moore and Joseph Morgan as well as running back Darren Sproles. The Saints playoff hopes are long gone, but Brees will not go down easily and should post another high-scoring game.
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers vs. Oakland Raiders
Newton has been the hottest fantasy player in the league over the past four weeks, notching at least 30 fantasy points in three of the past four games. Newton has a great matchup against a Raiders team this week that gives up the eighth-most points to quarterbacks in fantasy.
In the win last Sunday against the Chargers, Newton posted 18.40 fantasy points and threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Although the Panthers have nothing to play for playoffs-wise, Newton can set a record for most passing yards in a player's first two seasons if he can add 373 passing yards over the next two weeks.
Newton is a top-five fantasy point earner this year and has made up for a sluggish start when he had just two 20-plus point games over the first eight weeks of the year. The Raiders are ranked 27th in passing defense this season and have given up big plays in the secondary. Newton should have a big day against Oakland, along with tight end Greg Olsen and wide receiver Brandon LaFell.
Tom Brady, New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Brady and the Patriots have a playoff spot locked up already, but are still going after a top-two seed and home field advantage in the postseason. Luckily for Brady and fantasy owners, it's championship week and he is playing against the worst team in the league.
Jacksonville is ranked 24th in the league in passing yards allowed and have given up the fourth-most fantasy pints to quarterbacks over the past five weeks. Brady has posted at least 26 fantasy points in four of the past five games, including 30.47 against the Texans two weeks ago.
Brady is the top fantasy performer with 312 points this season and has thrown for 4,276 yards and 30 touchdowns with just six interceptions. Over the past five weeks he has thrown for 12 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
RUNNING BACK
Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. St. Louis Rams
Martin and Alfred Morris (who is listed below) have been two of the most impressive rookie running backs to come along in a while. Along with David Wilson and Trent Richardson, this year's rookie class could turn out to be one for the ages. Martin has been a solid, but inconsistent fantasy player this year, rushing for 1,250 yards and 10 touchdowns while posting 259 points, third best in the league among running backs.
Last week he had a great matchup against the Saints, but the Buccaneers were completely dominated, forcing the team to abandon the run. He posted just 5.87 points and rushed for 16 yards to go along with three receptions for 19 yards.
Martin faces a tougher defense in the Rams, who are ranked ninth in rushing, but the team gave up 212 yards to Adrian Peterson last Sunday. Martin is poised for a bounce-back game against a team who doesn't have much to play for after being eliminated from the playoff hunt. Last week's game snapped a nine game double-digit fantasy points streak, including the 59 he posted against Oakland in November.
Alfred Morris, Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Morris has combined with Robert Griffin III to form one of the best rookie tandems in the league, maybe in history. Morris has played like a veteran this season and has earned 194 fantasy points and is ranked in the top 10 among running backs.
Over the past four weeks Morris has put up double-digit fantasy points and had 23.10 last week against the Browns after rushing for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Morris has a tough matchup against an Eagles defense that is giving up the eight-fewest points to running backs, but the Redskins need this game way more than Philadelphia, who have already been eliminated from the playoffs.
Last week the Eagles gave up 157 yards in a loss to the Bengals and are struggling as a team under the pressure of a losing season. Morris rushed for at least 110 yards in three of the past four weeks and has notched double-digit fantasy points in all but five games this year. Expect a solid day from Morris with Robert Griffin still not 100 percent after hurting his knee two weeks ago.
