NFL Nation Fantasy Update: Trust Jonathan Taylor, Ty Chandler?
Each Tuesday and Saturday during the season, ESPN fantasy analyst Eric Moody will ask our NFL Nation reporters the most pressing questions heading into the weekend and what to make of the fallout after games are played. Who is primed for a big performance, who is impacted by injuries and what roles might change? Here’s what our crew had to say about some of the biggest storylines heading into the first week of the fantasy playoffs.
Need a boom or bust candidate for your critical fantasy football matchup? Here are some player outlooks, with help from AI-generated insights built with IBM watsonx.
Aaron Jones has been dealing with injuries this season, but we’ve seen his upside in limited action. Jones has a high-end boom projection of 22.2 FPTS in Week 16, the 2nd-highest of any RB.
Jameson Williams has gotten more involved in the Lions’ offensive gameplan recently. He has a 27% chance to boom this week, the 2nd-highest among WR this week.
De’Von Achane has been involved in the pass game, which elevates his weekly floor when combined with his extreme efficiency. His low-end projection of 13.2 is the highest of any player in Week 16.
David Njoku‘s targets have spiked with Joe Flacco under center, and his high-end boom projection of 16.2 FPTS trails only Travis Kelce among tight ends this week.
The 49ers have been an unstoppable force of late, but run into an immovable object on Christmas night as the Ravens defense ranks among the league’s best. Brock Purdy‘s 28% bust chance is the highest among QBs in Week 16.
Taylor missed three games after thumb surgery, but he insisted he remained in good cardiovascular shape during his absence and does not expect his conditioning to be impacted by the missed time. If that proves true, Taylor could get a healthy workload considering the questionable status of Zack Moss heading into the game. If Moss missed the game, the Colts do have some depth in their backfield. Reserves Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson combined for 157 yards last week. But look for Taylor to get his usual workload, as he averaged 19 carries in the three games before his injury. — Stephen Holder
I’d expect a pretty big game from Chandler, who has put it all together late in the season to earn the trust of coaches, especially in pass blocking. As a runner, he has developed strong vision and confidence in his instincts, and has a burst that gets him through holes. The Lions’ run defense has a 27% run stop win rate, the worst in the NFL, and the Vikings hope to exploit that so their offense can control the ball and time of possession. — Kevin Seifert
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Wilson will get more than four targets against Washington — that’s a lock. The Commanders don’t have a cornerback on the level of Jalen Ramsey, who covered Wilson on 55% of his pass routes last week in Miami. The Commanders have allowed a league-high 2,785 yards to wide receivers, which bodes well for Wilson. The problem is, the Jets are starting their fourth quarterback, Trevor Siemian, who hasn’t looked good in two relief outings. — Rich Cimini
Tight end Dallas Goedert would almost certainly see a bump in targets. He has had a couple games now to get re-acclimated following an absence for forearm surgery and appears to be rounding into form. Olamide Zaccheaus is another player to consider. He has been the most productive wide receiver outside of A.J. Brown and Smith (8 catches, 144 yards, 2 TD). After another failed Jalen Hurts–Quez Watkins connection against Seattle on Monday, the Eagles might be inclined to lean more towards Zaccheaus for the near future. — Tim McManus