Whether you’re hunting for a safe cash‑game anchor or a low‑rostered tournament swing, Week 16’s QB pool offers plenty of ways to differentiate your builds and chase a big finish as the fantasy season winds down. Although we have fewer games on the slate, there is still value to be had.
Salary Savers
Here are a few of the players we are trusting and starting in Week 16 due to the savings we get on DraftKings.
Bryce Young, Carolina vs. Tampa Bay ($5.1K Draft Kings)
Bryce Young and the Panthers have an excellent chance to take the NFC South against a defense that blew a huge lead to Kirk Cousins, Kyle Pitts, and the Falcons. The Buccaneers defense has given up massive shootouts or given up 100+ yards on the ground on multiple occasions this season. With his salary, he is one of the cheaper stacking quarterbacks this Sunday that you can pair with a Tetairoa McMillan (if he is active), Jalen Coker, or Xavier Legette.
J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota @ New York Giants ($4.9K Draft Kings)
With back-to-back 20+ fantasy point games, it looks like “9” is back, as this is also an advantageous matchup against the soft Giants secondary. Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy should get his third 20+ point fantasy day in MetLife, as this could be a juicy back-and-forth with Jaxson Dart on the opposite side. This could also be the game where Justin Jefferson comes back to life with his disappointing season.
- Other Options: Quinn Ewers, Miami vs. Cincinnati ($4K DraftKings)
Pay Up Option for Week 16
Josh Allen, Buffalo @ Cleveland ($7.2K DraftKings)
Although he is the most expensive quarterback on the slate and against a tough Browns defense in Cleveland, Josh Allen is a slate breaker and could be the player you need to cash. In tournaments, I wouldn’t go up to his price, but he is the best player in fantasy for a reason. Although the passing volume could be muted, his rushing floor for the Bills gives him a great fantasy ceiling every week, regardless of the matchup.
- Other Options: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati @ Miami ($6.5K DraftKings)
Fades at Cost
On the flip side of things, here are a few of the players we are sitting.
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville @ Denver ($5.9K Draft Kings)
If this were in Jacksonville, this would be a different story, but in Denver, you can’t chase last week’s points against the Jets for the Jaguars this week. Even though Trevor Lawrence can continue his hot streak from the past month as a fantasy viable quarterback and stable option, the Broncos’ pass rush and secondary are good enough to mute this game of points in a hostile environment, potentially.
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay @ Carolina ($5.7K Draft Kings)
Baker Mayfield hasn’t been himself lately, and even with Mike Evans back, the offense just hasn’t clicked like it did the first two months of the season. The Panthers have been one of the better defenses, and while it could get into a higher scoring affair for the division, there are better quarterback options that cost less.
Contrarian Plays
C.J. Stroud, Houston vs. Las Vegas ($5.5K Draft Kings)
In another soft matchup against the Vegas Raiders, C.J. Stroud could hit again as a cash game quarterback to have. He and Nico Collins have recently found their stride for the Texans and look to put up points against a struggling defense in a dome.
Tyler Shough, New Orleans vs. New York Jets ($5.4K Draft Kings)
If the rushing utilization is stable, Tyler Shough could be fantasy viable once again, and gets a Jets defense that just fired their defensive coordinator after letting up 6 touchdowns to Lawrence last week. While the passing volume isn’t as good in New Orleans, Shough has some playmakers like Chris Olave to work with, who went over 20 fantasy points in PPR in Week 15 against the Panthers.
Other Options: Jacoby Brissett, Arizona vs. Atlanta ($5.3K DraftKings)
