The Week 16 fantasy championship did not disappoint, as there were championship performances on the field almost every night of the week. Alvin Kamara kicked off the week on Christmas with a six touchdown performance, Mike Evans went for 181 yards and a pair of scores on Saturday, Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams hooked up in the end zone three times Sunday night, as Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs then did the same Monday night.
Besides from Kamara’s season-high 56.2 points, three other players eclipsed the 40-point mark, while another three scored 30-plus. In total, a whopping 19 players scored over 25.0 fantasy points this weekend, making for an extremely interesting and chaotic championship weekend.
So, for the final time this season, let’s look at the best, and worst, performances from this past week:
Quarterbacks
Studs
Josh Allen (355 total yards, 4 TDs, 32.3 fantasy points)
Allen continued his outstanding season with another 300-yard and four touchdown effort against the Patriots Monday night. Firmly a MVP candidate, Allen set a new Buffalo record with 34 passing touchdowns on the year. The addition of Stefon Diggs has done wonders for Allen and the Bills offense, as the two again showcased their strong relationship connecting for three scores on Monday. Allen will look to finish his best professional season strongly next week versus the Dolphins.
Tom Brady (348 yards, 4 TDs, 29.92 fantasy points)
Brady needed just one half to dominate the shorthanded Lions. The 43-year old set a personal best for most passing yards in any first half of his career, while becoming the second QB this year to throw four touchdowns in a half this season. Brady broke Tampa Bay’s single-season record for most touchdown passes with 36 and has now thrown for 668 passing yards over his last four quarters. A red-hot TB12 and the Bucs will rematch with the Falcons in Week 17 before heading to the playoffs.
Honorable Mention: Andy Dalton (26.58 fantasy points)
Dud
Baker Mayfield (291 total yards, 2 FUML, 8.0 fantasy points)
In what projected to be an ideal matchup for the scorching Mayfield, he did not find the end zone and lost two fumbles against the Jets. Without his top four receivers, Mayfield threw a season-high 53 times, but completed just 52.8 percent of his passes in a 23-16 loss. He should be better prepared with a full plethora of receivers next week against the Steelers, as the Browns need a win to secure a playoff spot.
Running Backs
Stud
Alvin Kamara (172 total yards, 6 TDs, 56.2 fantasy points)
The best fantasy performance from any player this season. The third best fantasy performance from any player EVER. Kamara’s six touchdowns tied the NFL record for most by any player in one game since the NFL merger. He scored from 40, one, five, six, seven and three yards out, and even lost a rushing score to Taysom Hill. Surprisingly, his 155 rushing yards - a career-high - was his first 100-yard performance on the ground this season. Kamara’s Christmas Day performance was the best present many owners could have gotten.
Alvin Kamara has 6 touchdowns today — tying the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns in a game.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 26, 2020
AK6 (via @thecheckdown) pic.twitter.com/CKV62IPitV
Honorable Mentions: Myles Gaskin (33.9 fantasy points), Samaje Perine (29.6 fantays points)
Dud
Le’Veon Bell (39 total yards, 4.9 fantasy points)
Projected to take over as RB1 in Kansas City, taking over as RB1 is exactly what Bell did not do on Sunday. Darrel Williams led the Chiefs backfield with 10 carries as they threw the ball 45 times against the Falcons. Despite the pass-heavy approach, Bell managed just one reception, again taking a back seat to Williams who hauled in four receptions. His workload continues to be unpredictable in the Chiefs’ offense and with the No. 1 seed in the AFC wrapped up, could be rested next week.
Wide Receivers
Studs
Davante Adams (11 catches, 142 yards, 3 TDs, 43.2 fantasy points)
The fantasy wide receiver of the year was at it again Sunday night, hauling in 11 of 12 targets for 142 yards and three scores. He dominated the Titans secondary all night, as not even the snow fall could slow him down. Adams’ posted his seventh 100-yard, one-score game of the season and has now scored 17 touchdowns on the season, despite missing two games to injury. With the Packers needing a win next Sunday to lock up the NFC’s No. 1 seed, Adams should add to his totals in Week 17 against the Bears.
Stefon Diggs (9 catches, 145 yards, 3 TDs, 41.5 fantasy points)
After Adams’ dominant Sunday night performance, Diggs did his best to provide a Monday night encore. With Stephon Gilmore (quad) sidelined, Diggs feasted on the Patriots secondary en route to his third straight game over 130 receiving yards. He also hauled in touchdown receptions of 50, 18, and eight yards on the night. Diggs’ first year in Buffalo has gone better than anyone’s expected, as he has shattered his previous career highs in both receptions (120) and receiving yards (1,459).
Honorable Mention: Mike Evans (40.1 fantasy points)
Dud
Corey Davis (0 fantasy points)
Davis played 82 percent of Tennessee’s offensive snaps Sunday, but failed to haul in either of his two targets. Despite trailing for the entirety of the game, the Titans stayed true to who they are and threw just 28 passes compared to 27 runs. The snowy conditions also factored into the equation, as Davis went catch-less for the second time this season. He’ll need 55 yards next Sunday against Houston to break the 1,000-yard mark.
Tight Ends
Stud
Irv Smith Jr. (6 catches, 53 yards, 2 TDs, 23.3 fantasy points)
Smith recorded season highs in both receptions (six) and targets (nine) as he found the end zone twice on Christmas Day. It was the second time this season Smith found the end zone twice in one game, as the second-year tight end has now hauled in five touchdowns in his last five games. He’ll get a rematch with the Lions defense he first scored twice against in Week 17.
Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Graham (22.9 fantasy points), Travis Kelce (22.8 fantasy points)
Dud
Robert Tonyan (1 catch, 17 yards, 2.7 fantasy points)
A string of six straight double-digit fantasy performances came to an end for Tonyan Sunday night. Like other Green Bay receivers, Tonyan watched as Davante Adams dominated all night. Besides from Adams’ 11 catches, no other Packer hauled in more than two receptions. Tonyan’s streak of five straight games with a score also came to and end, but the tight end did see a red zone target. He’ll look to rebound next week against Chicago.
Patriots Player of the Week
Jakobi Meyers (4 catches, 45 yards, 8.5 fantasy points)
One of the few positives from the Patriots season has been the emergence of Jakobi Meyers. The second-year UDFA again led the Patriots in receiving Monday night, despite the team again using both Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham. Leading the team with just 45 receiving yards sums up the Patriots offense this year, but Meyers has certainly looked like a piece that will stick in New England. He’ll get a Week 17 rematch against the Jets defense he went for 12/169 against in Week 9.
That is all for this week’s recap. Thank you for following along and make sure to reach out on Twitter @iambrianhines!