Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

—Written by Ryan Boser
—Edited by Allie Fontana

Here’s a look at 10 fantasy football matchups that just might help you and your fantasy team come away with a victory in Week 16.

1.  Matt Moore, QB (Miami Dolphins) vs. New England Patriots D/ST

Although Miami’s Matt Moore isn’t blowing anybody away with his modest yardage totals, he’s averaged 2.0 touchdown passes in his last four games, and he’s been picked off just once in his last five. We like that kind of dependability in our fantasy backups, and a date with the Patriots could push him over the 300-yard mark for the first time this season. New England’s No. 32 pass defense has allowed below-average quarterbacks like Chad Henne, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jason Campbell, Vince Young and Dan Orlovsky all to crack 340 passing yards, so unless you have a top-tier signal caller, Moore deserves strong starting consideration this week.

2. Rex Grossman, QB (Washington Redskins) vs. Minnesota Vikings D/ST

Washington Redskins signal caller Rex Grossman has been up and down all season, but this week’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings is certifiably fail-proof. The Vikings secondary has been decimated with injuries this season. Their best remaining back, Asher Allen (in reality he’s a No. 4 cornerback in a quality secondary) is in jeopardy of missing the contest due to a concussion. Grossman will face little resistance in his quest to become the 10th consecutive quarterback to notch multiple scores against the Vikings. If you’re worried about “Bad Rex” showing up, consider this—Minnesota has allowed the most touchdown passes (31) and collected the fewest interceptions (six). Consider Rex a surefire top-10 option this week.

3.  DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan Stewart (Carolina Panthers) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers D/ST

DeAngelo Williams has had the hot hand of late in the Carolina Panthers backfield—four scores in as many games—however his backfield teammate Jonathan Stewart still owns the short-yardage and passing down duties. Although Williams might be the preferred back to start at this point, both Panthers are viable fantasy RB2 options on Saturday, regardless of how the workload shakes out. Tampa Bay’s fantasy run defense ranks No. 32 in both combo yardage and total touchdowns. Opposing backfields are averaging 173 all-purpose yards, so there will be ample opportunity for both Williams and Stewart in Week 16.

4.  Kahlil Bell, RB (Chicago Bears) vs. Green Bay Packers D/ST

Kahlil Bell has overtaken Marion Barber (known locally as Marion “Bartman”) in the Chicago Bears backfield, and he makes for an interesting flex option this week against the Green Bay Packers. In Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks, he carried 15 times for 65 yards and added five catches for 43 yards and a touchdown through the air. While Green Bay is an ordinary run defense, the versatile Bell’s receiving chops should come into play. No team has surrendered more receptions or receiving yards to the running back position as the Packers have. Owners dealing with injuries could do much worse than Bell. He’s particularly viable in PPR leagues.

5.  Jabar Gaffney, WR (Washington Redskins) vs. Minnesota Vikings D/ST

The Washington Redskins’ Jabar Gaffney has been targeted at least seven times in four of his last five games, and in the past two weeks he has hauled in 12 catches for 177 yards and a score. A meeting with the Minnesota Vikings is like injecting Gaffney’s typical production with HGH. As mentioned in the Rex Grossman write-up in this article, Minnesota is pulling warm bodies off the street to insert into their “Tampa Zero” pass defense. No team has given up more touchdowns to the wide receiver position (19) than they have, and the Vikings also rank No. 27 in yardage. Eleven of those scores have come in the last six games, so get Gaffney in your lineups.

6.  Malcom Floyd, WR (San Diego Chargers) vs. Detroit Lions D/ST

Since he returned from injury to the San Diego Chargers starting lineup, Malcom Floyd has scored in two of his three games and also topped 95 yards in two of three. This week he gets a banged up Detroit Lions secondary that embarrassed itself last week against Carson Palmer. The veteran quarterback completed 32-of-40 passes (80 percent) for 367 yards and a score. Six different receivers have scored against Detroit in the last four games, and secondary guys like James Jones and Robert Meachem have topped 90 yards in recent weeks. If you’re looking to add some punch to your receiving corps this week, check your league’s waiver wire. Floyd is still available in roughly 50 percent of leagues, and he’s a legitimate WR3 during fantasy “Super Bowl” week.

7.  Dustin Keller, TE (New York Jets) vs. New York Giants D/ST

New York Jets tight end Dustin Keller’s 73 receiving yards last week against the Philadelphia Eagles marked his highest total since Week 2. Good news fantasy owners—he has a fantastic opportunity to build on the solid effort this week against the New York Giants, a team that sports a bottom-10 fantasy defense against opposing tight ends. They’ve given up a touchdown per game to the position over their last four contests, and eight tight ends have scored and/or reached 60 yards over the Giants last seven games. Plug Keller in as a low-end fantasy TE1 this week.

8.  Greg Olsen, TE (Carolina Panthers) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers D/ST

Greg Olsen’s production has really tapered off over the past two months, as Jeremy Shockey’s role in the Carolina Panthers offense has increased over the same span. In fact, Olsen has only one touchdown and topped 50 yards once in his last six games. However despite his recent struggles, Olsen has a solid chance to make a big play this week against a Tampa Bay secondary that’s given up a league-worst 14.6 yards per reception to opposing tight ends. Jason Witten and Marcedes Lewis topped 75 yards against the Bucs in consecutive weeks, so Olsen has sneaky upside if you’re strapped at the position.

9.  Cincinnati Bengals D/ST vs. Arizona Cardinals Offense

The Cincinnati Bengals once-strong fantasy defense has understandably backslid without elite-level cornerback Leon Hall. Fortunately, the loss hasn’t affected their pass rush. The Bengals have 11 sacks and three fumble recoveries in their last three games. Cincinnati will take on a John Skelton-led Arizona Cardinals this coming week. While Skelton has more upside than Kevin Kolb, he also has more downside, as he’s thrown multiple interceptions in four of his six games. Beanie Wells poses minimal threat on the ground, so look for the Bengals to bring the heat and force Skelton into mistakes.

10.  Carolina Panthers D/ST vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offense

Carolina is one of the worst fantasy team defenses in the league, so it would take a prime matchup— along with a certain amount of desperation—to even consider them for your lineup at this time. Enter Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal caller Josh Freeman. Only Buffalo’s Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown more interceptions than Freeman, who has been picked 12 times in his last seven games. Despite their lousy ranking, Carolina has been more opportunistic of late, notching multiple sacks in five straight games, and totaling seven interceptions in that same five-game span. The Panthers deserves a look at home this week, especially by fantasy owners in deep leagues.