Fantasy Football Week 16 Stock Report: Which players are running the hottest, coldest going into championship week?

We’re here. (Or at least after Monday Night Football, we’ll be here.) After 16 weeks, the fantasy football championship has arrived. Unless you’re fighting for third place, or to avoid the last-place punishment or compete in a league with a Week 18 final, this is for all the marbles. So, heading into the final weekend of most fantasy seasons, I’ve got a special Stock Report column looking at the hottest and coldest players deserving of a lineup decision as we head into the week. Buckle up and let’s go win some titles!

???? Stock Up at RB

Saquon Barkley, Eagles

No, you probably weren’t considering benching Saquon Barkley at any point. But through November, it was starting to feel like the star running back was hurting you more than he was helping you. Fortunately, Barkley has kicked it into gear at just the right moment, logging three straight games with 16+ fantasy points heading into a glorious matchup with the Bills defense in Week 17. Barkley found the end zone in each of those three contests and hit 120+ rushing yards in two of three. After a mostly lackluster encore to his 2024 campaign, the Eagles back is poised to win people fantasy championships (again) this weekend.

Blake Corum, Rams

Somewhat quietly, Blake Corum has become one of fantasy’s most consistent backs the last month. He has 12+ fantasy points in four straight games, with five touchdowns over that stretch and 70+ rushing yards in three of four. The last two outings came against extremely tough run defenses, and Atlanta (in Week 17) does not belong in that group. That sets Corum up for another great game as part of Sean McVay’s elite committee — he should be played as an RB2 or flex in nearly every fantasy championship.

Tony Pollard, Titans

Okay, I’m not sure what sort of “Michael’s Secret Stuff from Space Jam” Tony Pollard got a hold of in Week 14, but after a season of mediocrity, he has now put together three straight games with 100+ rushing yards (including Sunday against the Chiefs defense, even with Tyjae Spears having a day of his own). It’s been too consistent to ignore any longer. Simply put, Pollard should be in starting lineups for Week 17 against the Saints.

???? Stock Up at WR

Justin Jefferson, Vikings

After a horrendous two-month stretch that had legitimately lowered Justin Jefferson to must-sit territory, the All-World wide receiver snagged six catches for 85 yards on eight targets on Sunday. The production was especially impressive considering J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer combined for just 160 passing yards. McCarthy’s health is to-be-determined for Christmas Day on Thursday, but honestly I don’t know that Brosmer is a downgrade. Jefferson should be tentatively playable in a great matchup with the Lions — against whom he scored his only touchdown of the last 15 weeks.

DJ Moore, Bears

Catapulted heavily by the recent absences of Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, DJ Moore has now posted back-to-back games with 19+ fantasy points. And while he did score 11.1 of his 19.4 points on the last play of overtime on Saturday, the fact that he’s the one making that play does matter. He’s scored five touchdowns over the last five weeks and will likely play a major part in the offense again on Sunday night against the 49ers in Week 17 … pending injury statuses. Stati? The point is, if Odunze, Burden or both are inactive for Chicago, Moore should be active for your fantasy team.

George Pickens, Cowboys

A week after hitting the “Stock Down” section of this column — coming off 11 fantasy points combined in Weeks 14 and 15 — George Pickens absolutely exploded against the Chargers for 130 yards and a touchdown on seven catches. Considering he had 15 targets over that two-game mini-slump, and was dominant the rest of the year, I think we can confidently write that stretch off as an aberration. Most importantly, he and the Cowboys get the Commanders on Christmas. They’re an awful defense and a division rival Dallas will be motivated to wallop despite being eliminated from the playoffs. Pickens is a must-start once again.

Chris Olave, Saints

With Tyler Shough playing surprisingly decent quarterback for the Saints, Chris Olave has now hit double-digit fantasy points in five of his last six games and has scored 49.3 over the last two weeks in particular. He scorched the Jets for 10 catches, 148 yards and two touchdowns on 16 targets Sunday, and takes that momentum into a matchup with the soft Titans secondary next weekend. Olave started the season somewhat slow, but at this point he’s a borderline must-play WR2 with a high, volume-based WR1 ceiling against the Titans.

???? Stock Up Elsewhere

Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence’s 44.3 fantasy points against the Jets two weeks ago was impressive. But his 31.16 points against the Denver defense is honestly more impressive. T-Law tagged the Broncos for 279 yards and three scores through the air, plus 20 yards and a TD on the ground. He hasn’t thrown an interception in four straight games and has 12 touchdowns over that stretch. Heading into a meeting with the Colts — with big playoff hopes building in Duval — Lawrence is too hot to sit and should be streamed as a top-six-or-so QB in fantasy championships. 

Kyle Pitts Sr., Falcons

This. This is what Kyle Pitts Sr. truthers have dreamed of for several years now. Over the past month, Pitts has scored four touchdowns and logged 31 catches and 395 yards. Importantly, he still put up 15.2 fantasy points on Sunday with Drake London back in the lineup. Given the dearth of reliable starts at the tight end position, Pitts is a Week 17 must-start who’s even hot enough to play in a flex if you also happen to have Trey McBride, George Kittle or Brock Bowers.

???? Stock Down at RB

Rico Dowdle, Panthers

Rico Dowdle has just one touchdown over his last five games, and that score saved what would have been an otherwise abysmal Week 15. Moreover, he’s logged fewer than 60 rushing yards in six straight games and was particularly bad on Sunday, when he totaled just 43 scrimmage yards on 13 touches. Chuba Hubbard hasn’t been all that much better, but he does remain involved and Dowdle has not been able to recapture that ceiling from early in the year (for going on two months now). He has fallen considerably from his RB1 peak and has a terrible matchup with the Seahawks in Week 17, making him an RB3 or flex, if he even cracks your lineup.

David Montgomery, Lions

After three straight games with a touchdown, David Montgomery failed to find the end zone on Sunday … and scored just 1.4 fantasy points as a result. In fact, in his eight games without a rushing touchdown this year, Montgomery has averaged just 5.0 fantasy points per game. It’s been particular bad the last six weeks, as he’s topped 35 rushing yards just once over that span. On Christmas against the Vikings, playing Montgomery is purely targeting a TD — if he misses it, he could ruin your week.

???? Stock Down at WR

Emeka Egbuka, Bucs

Former Rookie of the Year frontrunner Emeka Egbuka has graced this section of the column before, but at 97% rostered on Yahoo, it’s time for a reminder. You cannot play this kid in the fantasy championship. He’s scored single-digit fantasy points in nine of his last 10 games, and just logged his fifth straight with four or fewer catches (specifically, he had one reception on two targets against Carolina). With a tough matchup against the Dolphins, it doesn’t matter who you find to play over him, but find someone. Parker Washington, for example. Heck, Chimere Dike has been better the past month. 

DK Metcalf, Steelers

As I write this piece late on Sunday night, we don’t have much in the way of details regarding DK Metcalf’s altercation with a Lions fan. If he gets suspended before Week 17, this “Stock Down” is pretty self-explanatory. But even if he doesn’t, I’d be avoiding him in the fantasy championship. The Browns have been very tough on wide receivers and Metcalf has been very spotty, despite his Week 14 fantasy explosion against the Ravens. He has five or fewer catches in all but one game this season, and has only topped 60 receiving yards once in his last 10 games. 

???? Stock Down Elsewhere

Travis Kelce, Chiefs

As it turns out, losing Patrick Mahomes and dropping to Gardner Minshew and then to third-stringer Chris Oladokun is not good for Travis Kelce’s fantasy prospects. The future Hall of Famer caught just one of his four targets for six yards on Sunday against the Titans. And the entire offense managed just 126 passing yards. Unfortunate as it is, you’ll need to find another option for your tight end slot against the Broncos on Christmas Day.

Dalton Kincaid, Bills

Dalton Kincaid looked great early in the year. Then he missed three games. Then he looked solid again in his Week 14 return … admittedly against the Bengals. But over the past two weeks, he’s caught just three of five targets for 34 yards — including a goose egg on Sunday against the Browns. Next week brings an extremely ugly matchup with the Eagles, and as with Kelce, you’ll need to find another option for your tight end slot.