For the majority of fantasy owners still battling for a title, this is it.  The final week, so who should you trust?  Who should you avoid?  Let’s take a look at our Week 16 quarterback rankings:

1. Tom Brady – New England Patriots – at Jacksonville
2. Cam Newton – Carolina Panthers – vs. Oakland
3. Robert Griffin III – Washington Redskins – at Philadelphia
4. Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay Packers – vs. Tennessee
5. Tony Romo – Dallas Cowboys – vs. New Orleans
6. Peyton Manning – Denver Broncos – vs. Cleveland
7. Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints – at Dallas
8. Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons – at Detroit
9. Andrew Luck – Indianapolis Colts – at Kansas City
10. Sam Bradford – St. Louis Rams – at Tampa Bay
11. Ben Roethlisberger – Pittsburgh Steelers – vs. Cincinnati
12. Josh Freeman – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – vs. St. Louis
13. Matt Schaub – Houston Texans – vs. Minnesota
14. Matthew Stafford – Detroit Lions – vs. Atlanta
15. Eli Manning – New York Giants – at Baltimore
16. Russell Wilson – Seattle Seahawks – vs. San Francisco
17. Andy Dalton – Cincinnati Bengals – at Pittsburgh
18. Colin Kaepernick – San Francisco 49ers – at Seattle
19. Nick Foles – Philadelphia Eagles – vs. Washington
20. Chad Henne – Jacksonville Jaguars – vs. New England
21. Carson Palmer – Oakland Raiders – at Carolina
22. Brandon Weeden – Cleveland Browns – at Denver
23. Joe Flacco – Baltimore Ravens – vs. New York Giants
24. Ryan Fitzpatrick – Buffalo Bills – at Miami
25. Philip Rivers – San Diego Chargers – at New York Jets

Thoughts:

• Cam Newton produced another big day for the Panthers, throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns against the San Diego Chargers.  While he didn’t add much on the ground (seven yards on four carries), you have to keep in mind that the Panthers opened up a 21 point in the first quarter and then simply had to protect it.  That’s not going to be commonplace and, with another favorable matchup against the Oakland Raiders on the horizon, Newton should be viewed as a Top 5 option once again.
• Fantasy owners who have been waiting for Aaron Rodgers to have a typical performance were finally rewarded in Week 15 (291 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT).  It was actually the first time he threw more than one touchdown in a game since Week 11.  He has a favorable matchup against the Titans in Week 16 and is an obvious top option.  However, if he hadn’t been struggling he likely would’ve found himself at the very top.
• Tony Romo threw for 341 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions against the Steelers in Week 15.  It’s the fourth time in the past five games he’s thrown for over 300 yards and he’s now thrown for nine touchdowns in his past four games.  With a matchup against a Saints passing defense that entered Week 15 allowing 284.5 passing yards per game and 27 TD, there is every reason to consider Romo a Top 5 option.
• Does anyone want to trust Sam Bradford as their QB option?  The thing is, he’s coming off a monster game (377 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) and draws the worst passing defense in the league (the Buccaneers have now allowed 27 passing TD after Drew Brees torched them for 307 yards and 4 TD in Week 15).  There’s every reason to think that Bradford will be a productive option once again and should be considered a low-end QB1 for the desperate.
• Yes, Russell Wilson had a monster performance (rushing for 3 TD and throwing for another one), but does anyone really expect anything even close against the 49ers?  You have to keep him as a QB2, at best.
• Both Matthew Stafford and Eli Manning were high draft picks, though both are struggling at the very worst time.  With matchups that are not favorable, they are QB2 but nothing more.
• Colin Kaepernick has proven his value.  However, he takes on the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle, where they are a complete powerhouse.  He’s a viable QB2, but I would highly consider going with an alternative.

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