Fantasy WR PPR Rankings Week 16: Who to start, sit at wide receiver in fantasy football

Most fantasy football owners — at least the ones still alive in their playoffs — are aware of the ridiculous amount of players that have been on and off of the reserve/COVID-19 list in the past week, and it’s likely we’ll have to continue dealing with that going forward. As such, it’s important to become very familiar with our Week 16 fantasy WR PPR rankings, as you never know who will wind up inactive when game day rolls around. Hopefully, the worst is past us, but either way, you’ll still have to make some tough start ’em, sit ’em decisions in this must-win week.

A.J. Brown (vs. 49ers) and Antonio Brown (@ Panthers) are eligible to return this week, and there’s little doubt many fantasy owners are patiently waiting to insert one of the Browns back into their lineups. Neither have particularly favorable matchups, but as long as they’re active, they should both be starting for fantasy owners.

WEEK 16 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Mike Evans and Chris Godwin (vs. 49ers) are too good to sit despite the same tough matchup Antonio is facing. (Update: Godwin is out for the rest of the season and Evans is week-to-week with a hamstring injury.) The same goes for Stefon Diggs (@ Patriots). Brandin Cooks (vs. Chargers) is a boom-or-bust option, but he’s actually played better with Davis Mills, so you can still take your chances with him if you’re looking for a high ceiling.

WEEK 16 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Jamison Crowder (vs. Jaguars), Amon-Ra St. Brown (@ Falcons), and Russell Gage (vs. Lions) look to be the best PPR plays among players less than 51-percent owned in Yahoo leagues. In deeper leagues, Braxton Berrios (vs. Jaguars) and Josh Reynolds (@ Falcons) can be considered, too. The loss of T.J. Hockenson, Elijah Moore, and Corey Davis has opened the door for more opportunities among Lions’ and Jets’ pass-catchers, and in matchups as glorious as these, we’re fairly confident they will deliver.

Boom-or-bust players are more attractive in standard leagues, but at some point in the rankings, you have to consider them in PPR, too. Players in that group include Marquez Callaway and Tre’Quan Smith (vs. Dolphins), Marvin Jones and Laquon Treadwell (@ Jets), Robby Anderson (vs. Buccaneers), and Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard (vs. Browns). All but the Packers have solid matchups, but at this point, those WRs can boom or bust in any matchup when tied to Aaron Rodgers.

Jerry Jeudy (@ Raiders), Gabriel Davis and Cole Beasley (@ Patriots), Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney (@ Eagles), Rashod Bateman (@ Bengals), T.Y. Hilton (@ Cardinals), and K.J. Osborn (@ Rams) are in rocky matchups, and since we haven’t been able to count on them with any sort of consistency, it’s possible — even likely — you have better options. You can actually extend that to Michael Pittman (@ Cardinals), Marquise Brown (@ Bengals), and possibly Adam Thielen (@ Rams) if he returns, as all have either struggled or been dinged up lately. Brown has a high PPR floor, though, so he’s the safest of that group.

At this point in the season, you have to be aware of non-contending teams taking it easy with dinged-up players, as well as the obvious COVID worries. Have backups ready — then have backups for your backups — and when in doubt, trust the matchups. 

Note: We’ll be updating these WR PPR rankings as needed throughout the week, so check back for the latest changes and analysis.

​Fantasy WR PPR Rankings Week 16: Who to start at wide receiver

Rankings based on full-point PPR scoring