1 of 5 | Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (R) fist bumps teammate Jameson Williams before battling the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at Ford Field in Detroit. Photo by Rena Laverty/UPI | License Photo
Jared Goff and Bo Nix are among my five must-start fantasy football quarterbacks for Week 16.
Lamar Jackson leads my Top-20 quarterback rankings, which are below. Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts are among my other Top-5 plays. Jordan Love, Goff, Kyler Murray, Jayden Daniels and Sam Darnold round out my Top 10. Advertisement
My Week 16 running back and wide receiver rankings remain available for your preparation. My positional rankings will continue to be updated for developments, including injuries.
Aaron Rodgers joins Goff, Nix, Mayfield and Murray among my must-start options. Several streaming options also can be found within my rankings. Advertisement
No players are on bye for the rest of the season, leaving fantasy football players with a full complement of quarterbacks to choose from for starting lineups. Each of my must-start options land inside the Top 14 of my quarterback rankings.
Baker Mayfield
Mayfield is the No. 2 player in my Week 16 quarterback rankings. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers passer ranks fifth among quarterbacks in fantasy points per game.
Mayfield threw for at least 200 yards in 10 of his first 14 starts this season. with more than 250 yards in eight of those matchups. He also accounted for at least two touchdowns in 10 starts, including seven over the last two weeks.
He now will face a Dallas Cowboys defense that allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks so far this season. Look for Mayfield to throw for 300 yards and to account for three scores in this matchup. He remains an elite option.
Jared Goff
Goff ranks seventh among quarterbacks in points per game, but posted the fourth-most points per bout over the last four weeks. The Detroit Lions veteran could be leaned on more after a season-ending injury sustained by running back David Montgomery in Week 15. Advertisement
This week, Goff and the Lions will face the Chicago Bears. The Bears allowed at least two passing scores to quarterbacks in three of their last four games, including once to Goff.
Goff, who totaled the most fantasy points among quarterbacks last week, when he threw for 494 yards and five touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills, should stay in lineups until further notice.
Look for at least two passing scores from Goff, who found the end zone with his arm 10 times over the last three weeks. He is my No. 7 option.
Kyler Murray
Murray sits at No. 8 in my Week 16 rankings. The Arizona Cardinals playmaker failed to find the end zone in Week 15, but has a great matchup and can be plugged in if your typical starter is injured or faces a good defense.
Murray and the Cardinals are set to face a Carolina Panthers defense that allowed the sixth-most fantasy points and tied for allowing the most passing touchdowns (1.9) per game to quarterbacks through 15 weeks. They also just surrendered three passing scores to Cooper Rush.
I expect Murray to account for at least two scores in this meeting. He also should eclipse 200 passing yards and provide value as a runner. Advertisement
Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers has not been a consistent fantasy football QB1, on a fantasy points per game basis, so far this season, but that could be changing.
The New York Jets veteran ranks eighth among quarterbacks in points per game over the last four weeks. He threw for 289 yards and three scores in Week 15. Rodgers threw multiple passing scores in seven of his last 10 starts. He has a great shot to do so again this week against a Los Angeles Rams defense that allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks so far this season.
I expect Rodgers to continue his trend of multiple-touchdown efforts in this matchup. He also should eclipse 250 passing yards. Rodgers, my No. 11 play, can be used as a low-end QB1.
Bo Nix
Nix was a fringe fantasy football QB1, in terms of points per game, over the first 15 weeks of his career. The Denver Broncos quarterback threw three passing scores in Week 15. He found the end zone at least twice in four of his last five starts.
This week, Nix and the Broncos will battle a Los Angeles Chargers defense that just allowed 288 yards and four scores to Mayfield. Nix also threw for 216 yards and two scores, while picking up another 61 yards on the ground, in the Broncos’ Week 6 matchup with the Chargers. Advertisement
I expect similar production from the rookie in this spot. He is my No. 13 option.
Week 16 fantasy football quarterback rankings
1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens vs. PIT
2. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at DAL
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills vs. NE
4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals vs. CLE
5. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles at WAS
6. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers vs. NO
7. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions at CHI
8. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals at CAR
9. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders vs. PHI
10. Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings at SEA
11. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets vs. LAR
12. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins vs. SF
13. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos at LAC
14. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams at NYJ
15. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs vs. HOU
16. Cooper Rush, Dallas Cowboys vs. TB
17. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears vs. DET
18. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks vs. MIN
19. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers vs. DEN
20. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers at MIA
NFL: Kansas City Chiefs defeat Cleveland Browns
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster for a first quarter touchdown against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on December 15, 2024. The Chiefs defeated the Browns 21-7. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
