It's crazy to think that Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed will both be healthy and active for the first time all season in Week 16 at the Raiders. And now we'll get to see how the Dolphins view both running backs. It could make for a difficult decision for Fantasy managers.
Gaskin has been Miami's lead running back for most of the season. But when he hurt his knee and went on injured reserve following Week 8, Ahmed came off the practice squad and was the best running back for the Dolphins while Gaskin was out.
When Gaskin was finally healthy in Week 13 against Cincinnati, Ahmed was out with a shoulder injury. Gaskin then went on the reserve/COVID-19 list for Weeks 14 and 15, and Ahmed returned in Week 15 against the Patriots with an excellent performance.
There's no definitive answer of who will lead the way in Miami's backfield against the Raiders. I talked to two sources familiar with the situation, and one said Gaskin will return to the lead role "if he's healthy," which appears to be the case. Another said to expect a split, but hopefully that means Gaskin getting the majority of touches.
I'm planning to start Gaskin as a No. 2 running back in Week 16, and I'm hopeful he'll get close to his usual workload. He has at least 21 total touches in four games in a row, and he's scored at least 12 PPR points in each game over that span.
Ahmed can still be considered a flex option if you're counting on the Dolphins to split the workload evenly, and he's scored at least 12 PPR points in his last three games. It's tough to trust Ahmed with Gaskin back, but again, we just don't know exactly what Miami will do.
The nice thing is it's a great matchup against the Raiders, who have allowed a running back to score in five games in a row and are tied for second in the NFL with 19 total touchdowns allowed to the position. The best-case scenario is both running backs score, and hopefully both deliver quality production this week.
Now, let's look at other sleepers for Week 16, including some DFS lineups to consider on FanDuel and DraftKings.
Editor's Note: Projections are provided by CBS Sports and not Jamey Eisenberg. Projected points are for PPR leagues.
More Week 16: Start 'Em & Sit 'Em | Starts & Sits, Sleepers & Busts | PPR Cheat Sheet | Non-PPR Cheat Sheet | QB Preview | RB Preview | WR Preview | TE Preview | Matchup Notes | Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: QB | Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: RB | Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: WR | Waiver Wire | Who Can You Trust?
Week 16 Sleepers
Mayfield has been amazing for the past four games, and he should stay hot this week against the Jets. He's scored at least 22 Fantasy points in four games in a row, and he's averaging 28.8 points over that span. The Jets held Jared Goff to 18 Fantasy points in Week 15, but prior to that six quarterbacks in a row scored at least 23 points.
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Trubisky is playing surprisingly well over the past four games after regaining his starting job from Nick Foles, and he should have the chance for another quality Fantasy outing in Week 16 against the Jaguars, who have allowed eight quarterbacks in a row to score at least 20 Fantasy points. Trubisky has at least 24 Fantasy points in two of his past four outings.
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Tagovailoa only has two games with more than 18 Fantasy points as a starter, but he could be useful this week in deeper leagues with his matchup against the Raiders, who have allowed three quarterbacks in a row to score at least 21 Fantasy points. It would help Tagovailoa if DeVante Parker (hamstring) and Mike Gesicki (shoulder) return from their injuries this week, and Tagovailoa also has three rushing touchdowns in his past two games.
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Even though Ezekiel Elliott (calf) appears on track to play in Week 16, I still like Pollard as a flex option in most leagues. With Elliott out in Week 15 against San Francisco, Pollard was a star with 12 carries for 69 yards and two touchdowns, along with six catches for 63 yards on nine targets. He also caught a touchdown in Week 14 at Cincinnati, and he's looked much more explosive than Elliott for most of the season. The Eagles have allowed a running back to score or gain at least 100 total yards in six games in a row, and it would have been great if Elliott sat out one more week to give Pollard another chance to be a star.
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McKissic remains a starter in PPR and a flex in non-PPR leagues even if Antonio Gibson (toe) is back in Week 16. Hopefully, Alex Smith (calf) returns this week, and McKissic has scored at least 17 PPR points in two of his past three games. Carolina is among the league leaders in receptions allowed to running backs with 82, and eight running backs have at least four catches against the Panthers this year.
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Moss gets the Patriots this week, and New England has allowed back-to-back 100-yard games against Cam Akers and Ahmed. Moss, who had 14 carries for 81 yards and two touchdowns against the Patriots in Week 8, has back-to-back games with 13 carries, and the Bills are giving him the chance to be the lead back ahead of Devin Singletary. While both have flex appeal this week at New England, I expect Moss to have the better performance and hopefully find the end zone.
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Wilson should be considered a borderline starter in all leagues with Raheem Mostert (ankle) out. Wilson took over for Mostert in Week 15 at Dallas and had 16 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown and no catches on four targets. That's now five games this season with double digits in carries for Wilson, and he's scored a touchdown in four of them, including three outings with at least 12 PPR points. The Cardinals have also allowed opposing running backs to score six touchdowns in their past five games.
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I didn't expect to buy back into Bernard this season, but it was nice to see him get 25 carries and 26 total touches in Week 15 against Pittsburgh. He converted that into 97 total yards and two touchdowns, and hopefully the Bengals stick with him in Week 16 at Houston. The Texans are No. 2 in Fantasy points allowed to running backs, and only once this season has a running back failed to score against this defense. It's risky to trust Bernard or any Bengals player at this point in the season, but Bernard has flex appeal given the matchup.
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Gage has been hot lately with Julio Jones (hamstring) and Olamide Zaccheaus (toe) out. In his past three games, Gage has scored at least 15 PPR points in each outing, along with at least seven targets. He should continue to see plenty of targets with Jones likely out again, and the Falcons should be chasing points this week at Kansas City. Gage is a solid No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues, with his value higher in PPR.
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Brown scored his first touchdown with the Buccaneers in Week 15 at Atlanta, and he might be on the verge of starting a hot streak. The Lions have been miserable against opposing receivers all season, and in the past five games, they've allowed 79 catches for 1,103 yards and seven touchdowns to the position on 101 targets. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin should take advantage of this matchup as well, and Brown also has at least 13 PPR points in three of his past five games.
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Ward has three touchdowns from Jalen Hurts since he took over for Carson Wentz in Week 13, and hopefully Hurts continues to look for Ward in the end zone. Now, Ward doesn't have more than five targets in each game or more than 57 receiving yards, and it appears like Jalen Reagor (ankle) will play this week. But if Reagor is out then Ward could be a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. That might be the case for Ward even if Reagor plays.
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It's been a rough stretch for Higgins without Joe Burrow (knee), and Higgins has one touchdown and no more than 56 receiving yards in a game since Burrow was hurt in Week 11. But Higgins could rebound this week with Tyler Boyd (concussion) potentially out. Higgins could get an uptick in targets in a great matchup at Houston, which might also help A.J. Green. The Texans are No. 5 in Fantasy points allowed to receivers over the past five weeks, allowing 67 catches for 846 yards and seven touchdowns over that span on 93 targets.
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Mooney has scored a touchdown in consecutive games coming into Week 16, and hopefully he makes it three in a row. This is a great matchup against the Jaguars, who have struggled with opposing receivers all season. In their past five games, Jacksonville has allowed 74 catches, 875 yards and seven touchdowns on 106 targets to opposing receivers from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Minnesota, Tennessee and Baltimore, with six guys scoring at least 15 PPR points. Allen Robinson should have a huge game against his former team, but Mooney could be a No. 3 receiver in deeper leagues.
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Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling are both in play as sleepers this week given the matchup with the Titans, but I'll give the edge to Lazard as the safer option. Tennessee has allowed six touchdowns to receivers in their past four games, with six guys scoring at least 17 PPR points over that span. Davante Adams should go off this week, but Lazard can be a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in this matchup. He just had five catches for 56 yards on six targets against Carolina in Week 15, and hopefully he can build off that performance this week.
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Last year, the team we started every tight end against was the Cardinals. This year, it's the Jets, who allow the most touchdowns to tight ends with 13. In their past seven games, the Jets have allowed eight touchdowns to tight ends, including a tight end scoring in five games in a row. Hooper just had five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown on six targets in Week 15 at the Giants, and hopefully he can replicate that level of performance this week.
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Ertz had seven targets in Week 15 at Arizona, and hopefully he's back as a featured option in the offense. He only had two catches for 69 yards, but he's still worth a look in deeper leagues where available with the hope he starts getting more attention from Jalen Hurts. He faces Dallas in Week 16, and the Cowboys have allowed a tight end to score in three of their past six games.
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Kmet didn't have a great game in Week 15 at the Vikings with two catches for 12 yards on two targets, but he should rebound this week. Prior to Week 15, he had seven targets in each of his two previous games against Detroit and Houston, and he averaged 11.0 PPR points in those outings. The Jaguars have allowed four touchdowns to tight ends in their past five games, including two in a row, and this is a good spot for Kmet to be a low-end starter in all leagues.
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DFS LINEUPS
FanDuel
QB: Jalen Hurts ($8,200) at DAL
RB: Melvin Gordon ($6,400) at LAC
RB: J.K. Dobbins ($6,300) vs. NYG
WR: Allen Robinson ($7,500) at JAC
WR: Robert Woods ($7,300) at SEA
WR: Diontae Johnson ($6,700) vs. IND
TE: Tyler Higbee ($5,800) at SEA
FLEX: Austin Ekeler ($7,000) vs. DEN
DEF: Bears ($4,700) at JAC
I'll play Hurts this week even though he'll be popular, but I expect him to have a dominant performance against the Cowboys. There's no one you have to stack him with, but if you wanted to take a flier, look for Ward given his touchdown potential.
I love the setup for Gordon against his former team with Phillip Lindsay (hip) out, and I'll play Dobbins here with the hope he scores for the fifth game in a row. I also love Ekeler in the flex spot, and Justin Herbert should lean on Ekeler a lot in the passing game with Hunter Henry (illness) out, as well as Keenan Allen (hamstring) banged up.
I'll play Robinson in this lineup as well, and I'll use him with Johnson and Woods as my other receivers. Woods should do well against the Seahawks, as well as Higbee in that same matchup.
DraftKings
QB: Mitchell Trubisky ($5,700) at JAC
RB: David Johnson ($6,100) vs. CIN
RB: Melvin Gordon ($5,600) at LAC
WR: Allen Robinson ($7,700) at JAC
WR: D.J. Moore ($5,800) at WAS
WR: Russell Gage ($5,100) at KC
TE: Austin Hooper ($3,500) at NYJ
FLEX: Miles Sanders ($7,000) at DAL
DST: Steelers ($3,500) vs. IND
I'll stack the Bears here with Trubisky taking on the Jaguars, as well as Robinson with the revenge game against his former team. Robinson has the chance to go off in this matchup.
I'll play Gordon in this lineup as well, and I'll pair him with Johnson, who is our Start of the Week. Sanders should also be great in the flex against a banged-up Cowboys defense.
My other receivers along with Robinson are Gage and Moore, and I hope Moore stays hot for one more week against Washington. I also love Hooper against the Jets with all the receivers missing for the Browns.
