Fantasy Football: 5 Major sleepers with tasty Week 16 matchups

Five fantasy football sleepers that deserve consideration for your Week 16 lineup.

Congratulations, as if you are reading this you are likely in your fantasy football league’s championship. In most cases, you want to stick with the team that got you to the championship, though there are always situations where a sleeper deserves a spot on your championship roster.

The sleepers highlighted in my Week 15 article were a bit of a mixed bag, with Jalen Hurts finishing as the QB1, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Rashard Higgins putting up admirable weeks with Tim Patrick and Irv Smith Jr. failing to produce in strong matchups.

Looking ahead to Week 16, we are entering the part of the NFL season where some teams will be playing to win with their season on the line while others would gain more from a loss. Even though we saw the Jets upset the Rams for their first win of the year last week, we simultaneously saw Jacksonville take the field without a punter and make no attempt to win.

Additionally, with highly competitive divisions, it does not look like any team will coast to a first-round bye. These scenarios are the reason why most leagues do not play in Week 17 and something you should at least consider in Week 16.

Without further ado, here are five fantasy football sleepers that can be apart of your championship-winning roster!

Note: All stats and info via Fantasy Pros. 

Fantasy football sleeper No. 5: QB Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago (vs. Jacksonville)

Ever since Trubisky has reclaimed his spot as starting quarterback, the Chicago Bears have gone from one of the worst offenses in the league to a legitimate playoff contender. They have dropped 30+ points in each of their past three games and now get a matchup against a Jacksonville team more than happy to lose their final two games.

Look past the name as Trubisky can easily put up a QB1 performance and bring you home a championship against a bottom three Jacksonville defense.

Fantasy football sleeper No. 4: RB Jeff Wilson Jr, San Fransisco (vs. Arizona)

Wilson Jr. managed a respectable Week 15 performance, turning 16 rushing attempts into 60 yards and a touchdown. He also notably saw four targets, though was unable to haul any of them in. Much of this was in the absence of Raheem Mostert, who will be missing their Week 16 game against Arizona with a high ankle sprain.

Even though the San Fransisco backfield has been a place to avoid for most of the year, Wilson Jr. is clearly the most talented back and Kyle Shanahan’s favorite remaining option which gives him RB2 upside in a plus matchup against Arizona.

Fantasy football sleeper No. 3: WR Emmanuel Sanders, New Orleans (vs. Minnesota)

Sanders was the hot pickup in Week 15 when it was announced that Micheal Thomas was headed to the IR. He put up a solid stat line of four receptions for 76 yards, though most of them came on an early 51-yard reception. Brees certainly did not look to be himself, throwing for an uncharacteristic 44.1 completion percentage.

In Week 16, the Saints draw a much better matchup against the Minnesota Vikings who are allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. With Brees likely back to full health, Sanders could put up a big game for fantasy owners on Christmas Day.

Fantasy football sleeper No. 2: WR Keke Coutee, Houston (vs. Cincinnati)

Coutee had a solid Week 15 performance, turning 5 receptions into 53 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, his respectable day was overshadowed by a last-second goal-line fumble that could have given Houston a chance at victory.

However, it is clear that Coutee is receiving the looks between the twenties and in the red zone to have fantasy relevance, especially in a plus matchup against Cincinnati. If you are looking for a safe FLEX play that won’t lose you your fantasy championship, Keke Coutee is your guy.

Fantasy football sleeper No. 1: TE Cole Kmet, Chicago (vs. Jacksonville)

Kmet had been trending up before posting a weak two receptions for 12 yards in a nice matchup against Minnesota in Week 15. The rookie could finish off the season on a high note with a Week 16 matchup against a Jacksonville defense allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.

With the Bears being able to move the ball the way they have these past few weeks, Kmet should see both a high volume of targets and many opportunities in the red zone. Fire him up as a borderline TE1 if you are dealing with the tight end wasteland.