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Week 16 of the NFL regular season means one thing to most fantasy players: It's time for the fantasy football league championship games.
There are fantasy games to play in Week 17 and throughout the postseason, but Week 16 is almost always the last week of full action in which all superstars play and all coaches are not holding anything back in an attempt to win.
That's why this is championship week in most leagues, and it's vital to find the best matchups. We have been extolling the talent level of the Pittsburgh Steelers' trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown throughout the season, but we're somewhat leery this week as the Steelers host the Baltimore Ravens in a battle for the AFC North title.
The Ravens shut down the Steelers when the two teams met in Week 9 in Baltimore, and the Ravens have played consistent defense all season long. The Ravens have also won the last four games between the two teams and six of the last seven, so we're hesitant to recommend that favored trio this week.
Here's our flex rankings for Week 16.
DeMarco Murray has been a consistent force for the surging Tennessee Titans throughout the season, and confidence has never been higher for Mike Mularkey's team after the Titans' last-second victory at Kansas City in Week 15.
The Titans will almost certainly be playing for the AFC South title when they host the Houston Texans in Week 17, but before they get to that game, they must play and beat the Jacksonville Jaguars.
That should be an ideal matchup for Murray, who has rushed for 1,224 yards while averaging 4.6 yards per carry and scoring nine touchdowns. Murray has also caught 50 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns, and while the Jaguars rank seventh in yards allowed, they are a team in disarray.
The Jaguars fired head coach Gus Bradley after last week's come-from-ahead loss to the Houston Texans, and it may be difficult for Jacksonville to match Tennessee's intensity.
Look for Murray to tear apart the Jaguars in Week 16.
If we like Murray this week, we also have to like Dallas Cowboys rookie Ezekiel Elliott against the Detroit Lions on Monday night.
The Cowboys have beaten every team they have played this year with the exception of the New York Giants (twice). The Lions were just stopped by the Giants last week but have been a very competitive team this year and remain in first place in the NFC North.
However, the Lions have been somewhat vulnerable on defense, ranking 14th in yards allowed. Elliott has rushed for 1,551 yards with a 5.0 yard-per-carry average and 13 rushing touchdowns. The Lions may not have the capabilities of stopping Elliott or even slowing him down in this game.
The Lions are not a sham just because they lost to the Giants last week. If Matthew Stafford can have a bounce-back game and the Lions can keep this game competitive by matching the Cowboys score for score, Elliott could turn a good opportunity into a superb one.
Oakland's Latavius Murray has an opportunity for one of his best games of the season when the first-place Raiders host the Indianapolis Colts.
The NFL is often a knee-jerk league, and the Colts played a sensational game on both sides of the ball in their 34-6 triumph on the road against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15. However, the Colts are one of the most porous defensive teams in the league, and there's no reason to believe that they have suddenly found the formula to play shutdown defense.
The Raiders are a much more accomplished offensive team than the Vikings, and Murray has a chance to exploit the Colts' 27th-ranked defense.
Murray has rushed for 737 yards and 12 touchdowns and should find plenty of open running lanes as the Colts try to slow down Derek Carr and his receivers. We don't think they will be successful in any of their defensive assignments.
Wide receiver Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be ready to play one of the team's best and most explosive games of the year against the New Orleans Saints.
The Bucs suffered a big blow when they lost to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night but got an unexpected break when the Washington Redskins lost at home on Monday night to the Carolina Panthers.
That defeat improved the Bucs' chances to compete for a playoff spot, and quarterback Jameis Winston will be looking for his best receiver at the Superdome in Week 16.
Evans has the size, strength and talent to dominate against the Saints. He has caught 84 passes for 1,159 yards and 10 touchdowns and has been targeted by Winston 155 times.
The Saints rank 31st in pass defense, so there should be no stopping Evans. He has had three quiet games in a row, but it's time for him to break out of his funk.
In addition to Murray's running, we like Amari Cooper to have a huge game against the Colts' pass defense. Cooper has been a game-breaking receiver for the Raiders in each of the last two years and has 19 receptions that have gone for at least 20 yards this season.
Cooper has caught 74 passes for 1,038 yards and four touchdowns and should have at least 125 receiving yards against the Colts.
On the other side, Indianapolis wideout T.Y. Hilton should be prepared to have a high-scoring game against the Raiders' 30th-ranked defense.
Hilton has explosive speed and is especially fast into and out of his cuts. Once he runs by a defensive back and quarterback Andrew Luck zeroes in on him, there is no stopping Hilton.
He has caught 81 passes for 1,248 yards with six touchdowns and has an amazing 25 plays of 20 yards or more. The Raiders don't have the talent in their secondary to slow Hilton down, and if Khalil Mack doesn't get in Luck's face on a consistent basis, Hilton should have huge numbers.
Tight end Greg Olsen of the Carolina Panthers is one of the most consistent players in the NFL. He almost never gets hurt and is quarterback Cam Newton's best receiver. Olsen is just about to go over the 1,000-yard mark in receiving for the third consecutive season.
He has caught 74 passes for 992 yards, and while his three TD receptions are somewhat painful for his fantasy owners, he had six catches for 85 yards in the Monday night win over the Redskins.
Olsen knows how to get open and is a tough runner after the catch. The Panthers have played well in back-to-back wins over the San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins and should give the Atlanta Falcons a battle here.
This should be a high-scoring, back-and-forth type of game, and Olsen should be ready to produce.
The same holds for Delanie Walker of the Titans. Tennessee has to take advantage of the Jacksonville Jaguars this week, and while we like Murray's chances at running back, we also think that Walker will take advantage of a team that is playing out the string.
Jacksonville plays its first game without Bradley, and a coaching change at this point in the season means players will mouth words about how hard they will work for the interim coach and try to set the tone for the following season.
They won't mean those words, at least not on a 60-minute basis. Instead, the Jaguars will lose interest, and Walker will pile up receptions and yards. He has caught 57 passes for 742 yards and six touchdowns and should be ready for a huge game.
Waiver Wire
The return of running back Adrian Peterson to the Minnesota Vikings for Week 15 created some huge movement on the waiver wire last week, but it turned out to be a disaster for those who activated Peterson and played him against the Colts.
Peterson was added to 33.1 percent of all ESPN rosters but was held to 22 yards on six rushing attempts. Peterson may be healthy enough to play and practice for the Vikings but is not in top game shape and is running behind one of the worst offensive lines in the game. The Vikings go to Green Bay this week, and it's not likely to get a lot better.
The Jets turned to Bilal Powell in their Week 15 game against the Miami Dolphins, and he came through with 84 rushing yards and 78 receiving yards in the New York's defeat to Miami. Look for Powell to once again dominate for the Jets as they attempt to slow down the New England Patriots.
Powell was added to 48.1 percent of all rosters last week.
Wideout Taylor Gabriel of the Atlanta Falcons needs to be given strong consideration because of his speed and explosiveness. The Falcons play at Carolina this week, and Gabriel's ability to run after the catch could make him a solid pickup. Gabriel was added to 11.6 percent of all rosters last week.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
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