Raiders QB Geno Smith back as starter vs. Texans

Fri Dec 19 8:03pm ET
Field Level Media

Quarterback Geno Smith will return to the starting lineup for the Las Vegas Raiders after a one-game absence, coach Pete Carroll said Friday.

Smith missed last Sunday's 31-0 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles due to shoulder and back injuries. He returns to face the Houston Texans, who feature the NFL's top defense.

Smith sat out the final quarter of a 24-17 loss to the Denver Broncos on Dec. 7 due to the right shoulder injury and a cut on his throwing hand.

Kenny Pickett replaced Smith in the Denver contest and started against the Eagles. Things didn't go well against Philadelphia as Las Vegas managed just 75 total yards and seven first downs. Pickett was 15-of-25 passing for 64 yards and one interception and he was sacked four times.

Smith has thrown for 2,648 yards, 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also has been sacked 49 times in 13 games.

The Texans feature two of the best pass rushers in the NFL in defensive ends Danielle Hunter (12 sacks) and Will Anderson Jr. (10.5). Houston leads the league in scoring defense (16.3 points per game) and total defense (269.2 yards per game) and also has intercepted 16 passes.

The Raiders (2-12) have lost eight straight games while Houston (9-5) has won six in a row.

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Starts, Sits, Sleepers: Week 16

Player Notes
Tyrone Tracy Jr. Dec 20 10:10am CT
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. posted his best fantasy performance of the season in Week 15's loss to the Washington Commanders, handling 15 rushes for 70 yards and a touchdown to go with three catches (four targets) for 27 yards and another score as a receiver. The second-year back played his highest snap share (76.1%) of the season, while veteran Devin Singletary played his lowest (23.9%) since Cam Skattebo (ankle) went down for the season in Week 8. Tracy has recorded at least 15 touches in four of the past five games and has delivered solid results for fantasy managers, averaging 15.7 PPR points per game and ranking as the RB12 in that span. He profiles as a solid RB2 again for Week 16's matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, who have allowed the ninth-most rushing yards per game this season.

From RotoBaller

Dawson Knox Dec 20 10:10am CT
Dawson Knox

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox caught three of four targets for 37 yards and two touchdowns in the 35-31 victory over the New England Patriots. Despite Dalton Kincaid's return in Week 14, Knox has dominated, totaling 130 yards and two touchdowns over his past two games. Knox played 70% of the snaps in Week 15, while Kincaid played only 34%. With his connection to star quarterback Josh Allen, Knox has starting value in Week 16. He faces a Browns defense that ranks middle-of-the-pack against tight ends this season. The door is open for Knox to have another big outing in Week 16, but he remains a low-end option with Kincaid in the picture.

From RotoBaller

Tyler Shough Dec 20 10:10am CT
Tyler Shough

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough completed 24 of 32 passes for 272 yards and one touchdown in the Week 15 victory against the Panthers. He was also a threat on the ground, rushing eight times for 32 yards, though he drew multiple unnecessary roughness penalties, including one with 12 seconds left that helped set up the game-winning field goal. This was Shough's second meeting with Carolina, and he is now 2-0 against the division rival and has now lead the Saints to a two-game win streak. He will look to carry this momentum into Week 16's home matchup against the Jets, who are allowing the third-most points per game and the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Shough ranks as a QB2 this week with intriguing upside for that one.

From RotoBaller

Audric Estime Dec 20 10:10am CT
Audric Estime

New Orleans Saints running back Audric Estime rushed three times for 11 yards and added 39 yards on three receptions in the Week 15 victory against the Panthers. Devin Neal exited in the second quarter, and with Alvin Kamara also out, Estime split touches with fellow back Evan Hull for the remainder of the game. With both Neal and Kamara out again this week, Estime is expected to take on a larger role and will "probably" draw the start against the Jets, according to Nick Underhill. Even if touches are shared, New York presents a strong matchup, allowing the third-most PPR points to running backs and the fourth-most rushing yards per game. The favorable matchup boosts Estime into FLEX consideration for Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Dalton Kincaid Dec 20 10:00am CT
Dalton Kincaid

Despite missing practice on Wednesday and Thursday, Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (hamstring) is off the injury report and slated to play against the Cleveland Browns. Despite fighting through hamstring injuries throughout the season, Kincaid has had a breakout year, hauling in 36 of 45 targets for 523 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games. He has averaged 11.8 PPR fantasy points per game, ranking 10th among tight ends this season. He faces the Cleveland Browns in Week 16, who have ranked in the middle of the pack against tight ends this season. Despite his breakout season in Buffalo, Kincaid is a risky TE1 this week against the Browns.

From RotoBaller

Jaxson Dart Dec 20 9:50am CT
Jaxson Dart

New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has put together a promising rookie campaign and has become one of the best fantasy options at the position. Dart ranks as the QB2 in fantasy points per game (22.5) since becoming the starter in Week 4, averaging 200.2 passing yards and 44.4 rushing yards per game while throwing 13 touchdowns to four interceptions and adding seven more scores on the ground. His seven rushing touchdowns only trail Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts, two perennial mainstays atop the leaderboard in that category. Dart faces a challenging matchup on Sunday against the blitz-happy Minnesota Vikings, who have allowed just one rushing touchdown to quarterbacks all season and allow the third fewest fantasy points per game. Dart remains a reliable starting QB option and is ranked as RotoBaller's QB12 in Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Khalil Shakir Dec 20 9:50am CT
Khalil Shakir

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir hauled in all five of his targets for 65 yards in the 35-31 win over the division rival New England Patriots. With struggling weapons in the Bills' receiving room, Shakir has retained his WR1 role in the offense, giving him fantasy value moving forward. Shakir has caught 62 passes for 650 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games this season, placing him as WR33. However, production may be hard to come by against this Browns secondary, which has given up the second-fewest receiving yards to wide receivers this season. They've also allowed only 6.4 fantasy points per game to slot receivers this season, which is where Shakir consistently lines up. Despite being the WR1 in this strong Bills offense, Shakir is a fade this week against this strong Browns secondary.

From RotoBaller

Josh Palmer Dec 20 9:50am CT
Josh Palmer

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer returned in Week 15, catching just one pass for 16 yards against the New England Patriots. Palmer has been fighting through an ankle sprain that caused him to miss the previous two games. He was limited last week, playing only 33% of snaps, which ranked fifth among Bills receivers, behind Khalil Shakir, Tyrell Shavers, Brandin Cooks, and Keon Coleman. He also faces the strong Cleveland Browns secondary, which has allowed the second-fewest receiving yards to wide receivers this season. It will be intriguing to see whether Palmer's role increases this week, but fantasy managers should pivot in Week 16.

From RotoBaller

John Metchie III Dec 20 9:40am CT
John Metchie III

New York Jets wide receiver John Metchie III has cooled in recent weeks, but holds low-end PPR appeal for Sunday's road matchup with the New Orleans Saints. Metchie kicked off his tenure with New York, corralling an excellent 91% of his targets through his first three appearances (10-of-11). However, in the three games since, the 25-year-old has posted a paltry 57% catch rate while racking up 78 yards total. In spite of the minimal production, he's remained heavily involved, ranking only behind teammate Adonai Mitchell in targets over that span (27-21). With Garrett Wilson (knee) ruled out for the remainder of the season, Metchie and Mitchell are poised to lead New York's WR corps, though they'll do so with rookie Brady Cook at the helm. Cook's performance through two weeks has undoubtedly left fantasy managers wanting, but there's been some good along with the bad. If he continues to develop, the aforementioned duo will be in a decent spot. For now, Metchie ranks as RotoBaller's PPR WR49 against the hosting Saints.

From RotoBaller

Ty Johnson Dec 20 9:40am CT
Ty Johnson

Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson carried the ball four times for 13 yards and added 15 receiving yards on three catches against the New England Patriots. Johnson entered the 2025 season as the expected RB3, behind James Cook and second-year back Ray Davis. However, Johnson's receiving ability has earned him more snaps than Davis, outsnapping him 29% to 12% on the season. He faces a Cleveland Browns defense that has ranked middle-of-the-pack against running backs this season but has struggled to slow down Tony Pollard and D'Andre Swift in back-to-back weeks. While Johnson carries a safe floor with his strong skill set in the receiving game, his upside is capped by Cook's dominance of touches. Johnson should be out of starting lineups in fantasy leagues this week.

From RotoBaller

Isaiah Williams Dec 20 9:40am CT
Isaiah Williams

New York Jets wide receiver Isaiah Williams saw a modest increase in target share during Week 15's 48-20 loss to the Jaguars, although he'll be challenging to trust for fantasy when the team takes on the hosting New Orleans Saints this Sunday. Williams has been a strong special teams contributor for New York this season. While it's taken him a bit longer to carve out a role on offense, the University of Illinois product has seen that come to fruition in recent weeks, culminating in his best outing of the season last weekend (6/53). Williams' uptick in work has correlated with rookie quarterback Brady Cook handling duties under center, which should be beneficial for him, considering the latter has garnered the starting role for New York's final three games. As encouraging as that seems for the second-year pro, he still doesn't project to slot in any higher than the third option in the Jets' aerial assault behind teammates Adonai Mitchell and John Metchie III, leaving questions about the stability of his Week 15 output. For the time being, owners can continue to ignore Williams for fantasy purposes, but may benefit from keeping an eye on him as New York closes out the campaign. He'll rank as RotoBaller's PPR WR90 for Sunday's outing.

From RotoBaller

Isaiah Davis Dec 20 9:40am CT
Isaiah Davis

New York Jets running back Isaiah Davis won't be in fantasy consideration this weekend despite an excellent matchup with a vulnerable New Orleans Saints defense. Davis is coming off his best game of the season in Week 15, racking up 58 yards on a season-high nine carries and his first touchdown of 2025. He added seven yards on his lone target, while playing his highest percentage of team snaps since way back in Week 8 (38%). It's unclear if Davis' workload was due to game script or the fact that backfield mate Breece Hall was dealing with an injury, considering the latter was listed on the team's practice report with a knee issue, although he missed no time. Davis and Hall have a dream matchup on tap in Week 16 in a sieve-like Saints' rush defense (130.6 YPG [seventh-most]). However, a volatile touch share and a rookie quarterback in Brady Cook calling signals spell a staggeringly low fantasy floor for the former. The South Dakota State product retains his low-end handcuff role and is RotoBaller's PPR RB62 for the weekend ahead.

From RotoBaller

Adonai Mitchell Dec 20 9:30am CT
Adonai Mitchell

New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell will attempt to keep the good times rolling in Week 16 when his team squares off with the hosting New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mitchell's output with the Jets has been anything but predictable. In five games since joining the team, the former second-round pick has notched three outings with two or fewer receptions and two with six or more and a touchdown, presenting as a true boom-bust option in New York's attack. With the news that teammate Garrett Wilson (knee) will miss the remainder of the campaign, Mitchell should act as, at worst, a 1B option in tandem with John Metchie III. Metchie and Mitchell complement each other nicely, though an inexperienced signal-caller in rookie Brady Cook lowers the team's overall ceiling. That said, New Orleans' defense is by no means a juggernaut, leaving the door open for fantasy viability as the Jets try to close out the campaign on the right foot. Mitchell lands as RotoBaller's PPR WR36 for his outing with the Saints.

From RotoBaller

James Cook Dec 20 9:30am CT
James Cook

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook had a monster game in Week 15, totaling 111 yards and three total touchdowns against one of the strongest run defenses in the NFL, the New England Patriots. Cook has ascended every season of his career, as he ranks second in the NFL in rushing (1415) behind only Jonathan Taylor. They face the Cleveland Browns in Week 16, who started the season as one of the best defenses against the run, but have struggled in recent weeks. Both Tony Pollard and D'Andre Swift had over 100 scrimmage yards and multiple touchdowns against this Browns defense, so watch for another explosive game from the fourth-year back. Cook is a high-end RB1 who carries as much upside as any back in the NFL in Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Brady Cook Dec 20 9:20am CT
Brady Cook

New York Jets quarterback Brady Cook will get another chance to prove he's the solution under center in this Sunday's road matchup with the New Orleans Saints. Cook took the field for his first start in Week 15's 48-20 loss to the Jaguars. While the outcome and stat line aren't anything to write home about, the 24-year-old showed at least a little capability in moving the offense, leaving a trace of hope that New York's skill players may still hold a bit of fantasy value down the stretch. New Orleans' defense has, on paper, been decent against quarterbacks, allowing the sixth-fewest passing yards per game (180.6). However, some of that might be in part to a front seven that's vulnerable to the rush (130.6 YPG [seventh-most]). If the rookie can contribute on the ground weekly, he may boast some streaming appeal in superflex formats over the season's final few weeks. That said, fantasy managers will want to look elsewhere for another game as he continues to grow accustomed to life in the NFL. Cook is RotoBaller's QB29 for Week 16's outing.

From RotoBaller

Josh Allen Dec 20 9:20am CT
Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen continues to dominate in December, as he looks to take down the Cleveland Browns. Over the past two games, Allen has completed 73% of his passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns on average, while adding 126 yards and a touchdown on the ground. In his career, he has thrown 60 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 32 career games in December, while scoring 24 rushing touchdowns on top of that. It's clear that no matter the weather conditions, Allen can overcome them, and he'll have to do so again this week in Cleveland. The Browns have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, and winds are expected to gust over 25 mph on Sunday. The "Winter Soldier" will look to dominate yet again in Week 16, as he's a locked-in QB1 against this Browns defense.

From RotoBaller

Breece Hall Dec 20 9:20am CT
Breece Hall

New York Jets running back Breece Hall is coming off one of his worst performances of the season in last weekend's road loss to the Jaguars, but he will look to rebound against a porous New Orleans Saints rush defense in Week 16. The Nebraska native tied a season-low percentage of team plays last Sunday (54%) while totaling 35 scrimmage yards on 14 combined touches. It was a disappointing output for him, even in a less-than-ideal matchup. Despite not missing any time in practice this week while designated with a knee injury, it's unclear if the issue played a part in his Week 15 workload. Fortunately, New Orleans presents as a much more favorable matchup, and he'll have a chance to bounce back against a unit that's yielded 130.6 yards per game on the ground to the opposition (seventh-most). Hall will still be a risky play with rookie Brady Cook under center, but slots in as a low-end RB2, and, officially, RotoBaller's PPR RB18 for this week's slate of action.

From RotoBaller

Ka'imi Fairbairn Dec 20 8:20am CT
Ka'imi Fairbairn

Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn is in a great spot at home against the Raiders, and he's a great option for your fantasy lineups this week. He went 4-for-5 on field-goal attempts last week and made all four of his extra-point attempts. He's 33-for-37 on field goals for the season with all four of his misses from beyond 50 yards. The Texans' offense typically plays conservatively in the red zone and takes points, giving Fairbairn plenty of chances to kick field goals. He has two or more field goals in 11 of his 12 regular-season games, with four or more in three of those contests. With so many chances and playing indoors at home against the Raiders, Fairbairn is the No. 1 kicker in RotoBaller's Week 16 rankings.

From RotoBaller

Geno Smith Dec 20 8:00am CT
Geno Smith

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (shoulder, back) will return this Sunday on the road in Houston against the top-rated Texans defense in Week 16. He practiced in full all week and was removed from the team's injury report heading into Sunday's game. Smith has failed to pass over 175 yards in five of his last eight starts, and the Texans have held opposing quarterbacks to a league-best 12.9 fantasy points per game this season. In his previous start in Week 14 against the Denver Broncos, Smith completed 13 of his 21 pass attempts for 116 yards and one touchdown. In Week 16, the veteran quarterback will need to rely on rookie running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers for short, quick passes as the Texans' defense allows quarterbacks a mere 2.73 seconds to throw, which is tied for first in the league. Only desperate two-QB Superflex league fantasy managers should consider the 35-year-old Smith as a starter in Week 16.

From RotoBaller

Tre Tucker Dec 20 8:00am CT
Tre Tucker

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker failed to haul in a single catch on three targets in the team's 31-0 defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15. The 24-year-old pass catcher has a terrible matchup in Week 16 on the road against the Houston Texans and their top-rated defense. Tucker is primarily an intermediate-to-deep threat with his 10.5 average air yards per target. Still, the Texans are giving up an average of 5.1 passing yards per play this season, which is likely to limit Tucker's upside. Since Week 9, Tucker has averaged a 96% snap share and a near-perfect route participation rate, but has only 17 receptions for 185 yards and one touchdown over that span. The third-year wide receiver is still getting ample opportunities to produce, which may be appealing to deep league fantasy managers. However, Tucker is being profiled as a WR4/Flex and is outside starting lineups in most Week 16 formats.

From RotoBaller