Matthew Freedman highlights his top wide receivers for fantasy football in Week 16.

Week 16.

The wheat has separated from the chaff. The cream has risen to the top. The ale has aged in the barrel. The cheese has molded.

Actually, I'm not sure if that last one is a good thing.

But you get the idea.

In most fantasy leagues, just four teams remain in the playoffs.

We have arrived at the semifinals.

The penultimate challenge one must overcome on the way to a championship.

Whether you had a Round 1 bye, dominated your competition last week, or just squeaked out a win to reach this all-important point, you're here.

This is where everything gets real.

From here on out, there are no easy wins, no soft matchups, no pretenders.

In Week 16, legitimate contenders for the crown are all that remain.

The weather may be cold, but this is the time of the season that forges the sword of victory.

You are now in the fire.

All that's left is to determine if you're a human … or a dragon.

Freedman's Favorites

As of Tuesday evening, here's an early look at my (preliminary) favorite Week 16 fantasy plays—the guys who (in some combination) …

• Might be high in my fantasy rankings relative to the industry consensus.
• Need to be started in most season-long leagues.
• Must be added if they are on waivers.
• Possess underappreciated upside.
• Have advantageous matchups.
• Should be considered in daily fantasy.
• Make for desirable dynasty acquisition targets.
• Are on teams with player-friendly betting odds.
• Stand out in our Fantasy Life Player Prop Tool.

Some customary notes.

Updates: After I submit this piece, any changing opinions I have will be reflected in my rankings and my projections (accessible with a FantasyLife+ subscription), which I will update throughout the week.

Scoring & Ordering: All fantasy points are half-PPR scoring unless otherwise stated. Players in separate sections are ordered within position roughly (but probably not precisely) according to my rankings.

Abbreviations: Check out the end of the piece for abbreviations I might use.

Sports Betting Data: Odds are as of 10:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 17, and based on the consensus lines in our Fantasy Life Odds Page.

Freedman's Favorites: Although we publish this piece as four separate articles broken out by position, I think of it as one cohesive whole and write it as such. With that in mind, please be sure to check out the rest of my favorite Week 16 fantasy football plays in the other positional previews.

• QBs for fantasy football Week 16
• RBs for fantasy football Week 16
• TEs for fantasy football Week 16

BEST WRS FOR FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 16

Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals) vs. Browns

• Bengals: -7.5
• O/U: 47
• TT: 27.25

Long gone are Weeks 1-2, when Ja'Marr Chase started the season with a modest 97 scoreless yards on 11 targets.

Now, Chase has a dominant lead in all the receiving Triple Crown categories.

• Receptions: Chase (No. 1) - 102 | Amon-Ra St. Brown (No. 2) - 95
• Receiving Yards: Chase (No. 1) - 1,413 | Justin Jefferson (No. 2) - 1,243
• Receiving TDs: Chase (No. 1) - 15 | Terry McLaurin (No. 2) - 11

As a betting man, I'm a little tempted to open a position on Chase to win OPOY at +400 (DraftKings). I haven't made that wager yet … but I'm thinking about it. Any WR who wins the Triple Crown is live to win the award.

Chase had a relatively disappointing performance against the Browns in Week 7 (66 yards, one TD on six targets, one carry), but they're No. 31 in defensive pass DVOA against No. 1 WRs (20.9%), without slot CB Greg Newsome (hamstring, IR), and potentially without perimeter CB Martin Emerson (head).

In a game the Bengals must win to keep their dying playoff hopes alive, they could inundate Chase with targets.

Jerry Jeudy (Browns) at Bengals

• Browns: +7.5
• O/U: 47
• TT: 19.75

I should probably highlight Jerry Jeudy in this article every week.

Since Week 8 — one week after the team traded away former No. 1 WR Amari Cooper and the game directly following the season-ending injury for QB Deshaun Watson (Achilles, IR) — Jeudy has looked like the guy who was drafted in Round 1 five years ago.

In his seven games with Winston and without Cooper, Jeudy has 49-786-3 receiving on 69 targets with a two-point conversion.

Jeudy could once again be without WR Cedric Tillman (concussion) and TE David Njoku (hamstring), and the Browns might lean into the passing game more without No. 1 RB Nick Chubb (foot, IR).

Over the past three weeks without Tillman, Jeudy has a 93% route rate, 24% target rate, and 27% target share, which he has leveraged into 33 targets and a 9.1 Utilization Score.

The Bengals are No. 28 in defensive pass DVOA (20.2%).

Jeudy is a little less attractive now that the Browns are starting QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, but he will still be likely to get double-digit targets.

Drake London (Falcons) vs. Giants

• Falcons: -8.5
• O/U: 40.5
• TT: 24.5

Drake London disappointed last week with just three targets, but he still managed a livable 3-53-1 receiving, and in three games since the Week 12 bye he has 29 targets and a carry, which he has transformed into 206 yards and a TD. 

With his usage, London has an elevated fantasy floor. Since the bye, he has an outrageous 98% route rate and robust 43% share of air yards.

And with his matchup he has a sky-high ceiling: The Giants are No. 29 in defensive dropback EPA (0.161), and they could be without … counting … counting … counting … three starting CBs, as Deonte Banks (ribs), Cor'Dale Flott (quadriceps), and Andru Phillips (shoulder) all missed last week.

I expect rookie QB Michael Penix to give London multiple chances to win deep in his first NFL start.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Saints) at Packers

• Saints: +14.5
• O/U: 42.5
• TT: 14

“If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?”

I have a sickness: This is my fourth straight week to mention Marquez Valdes-Scantling in this piece.

But I truly believe it's warranted.

The circumstances are less than ideal in that QB Derek Carr (hand, concussion) is not guaranteed to return to action for this game.

Even so, I think the downgrade at QB is more than outweighed by the lack of competition Valdes-Scantling has for opportunities within the Saints offense. This week, the Saints could be without WRs Chris Olave (concussion, IR), Rashid Shaheed (knee, IR), and Bub Means (ankle, IR), plus TE Taysom Hill (knee, IR), and RB Alvin Kamara (groin).

In his five games without Olave since Week 10, Valdes-Scantling has served as the team's No. 1 WR.

• Utilization: 80% route rate | 39% air yards share | 29% endzone target share
• Production: 13-347-4 receiving | 14.5 yards per target

And in his two games without Hill since Week 14, Valdes-Scantling has 14 targets and a carry.

That's real usage — especially for a guy with a 20.8-yard aDOT since joining the team midseason.

The Packers are No. 31 in defensive dropback SR (49.9%), and No. 1 CB Jaire Alexander (knee) and slot CB/safety Javon Bullard (ankle) could both be out after missing last week.

In this #RevengeGame against his former team, Valdes-Scantling has legitimate 100-yard, two-TD upside.

The Deep Route

Mike Evans (Buccaneers -3.5, TT: 25.75) at Cowboys: Evans missed most of Week 7 and all of Weeks 8-10 with a hamstring injury, but since returning to action he has 26-414-3 receiving on 34 targets in four game as he seeks to extend his NFL-record streak of career-opening 1,000-yard campaigns to 11. With just 749 yards on the season, Evans could still benefit from the team forcing extra targets in his direction. For the Cowboys, CBs Trevon Diggs (knee) and Jourdan Lewis (elbow) could be out.

Davante Adams (Jets +3, TT: 21.75) vs. Rams: Since reuniting with QB Aaron Rodgers on the Jets in Week 7, Adams has 651 yards and five TDs on 81 targets in eight games. And since the Week 12 bye, he has 23-373-4 receiving on 35 targets in three games. Age is just a number to Adams. The Rams could be without CB Cobie Durant (chest).

Cooper Kupp (Rams -3, TT: 24.75) at Jets: Kupp did a dead-on Voldemort impersonation last week by using the Killing Curse (a three-target, zero-reception performance) to dispose of his foolish fantasy investors. Even so … Kupp has a respectable 29-355-4 receiving on 45 targets in six full games with WR Puka Nacua this year, and this feels like a spot in which HC Sean McVay and QB Matthew Stafford will try to get the ball to Kupp consistently to keep him involved. The Jets are vulnerable in the secondary, where they're dealing with cluster injuries to CBs Michael Carter (back), D.J. Reed (groin), and Brandin Echols (shoulder) and FS Jalen Mills (chest).

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks +3, TT: 19.5) at Vikings: The Seahawks might be without QB Geno Smith (knee), but Smith-Njigba has been the No. 1 WR on the team since the Week 10 bye with a 92% route rate, 23% target rate, and 27% target share, which he has leveraged into 35-426-2 receiving (along with 3-17-0 rushing) in five games. The Vikings could be without CB Stephon Gilmore (hamstring), and they're No. 1 in largest fantasy boost allowed to WRs (+8.2).

Calvin Austin (Steelers +6.5, TT: 19) at Ravens: No. 1 WR George Pickens (hamstring) hasn't played the past two weeks, and in his absence Austin has led the team with a 21% target share, and specifically last week — when the team had more time to game plan without Pickens — Austin had a 92% route rate, 21% target rate, and 28% target share. With his ability to line up across the formation, the Steelers can scheme easier catches for Austin, and his explosiveness (9.6 yards per target this year) gives him a chance to turn any reception into a TD. The Ravens are No. 2 in most fantasy points allowed to WRs (30.3).

Jalen Coker (Panthers +4.5, TT: 21.25) vs. Cardinals: Coker missed Weeks 12-14 with a quadricep injury, but he had good usage last week in his return to action with an 84% route rate, 19% target rate, and 23% target share, which he turned into 4-110-1 receiving on six targets. He should continue to have a full-time role with WR Xavier Legette (groin) dealing with an injury, especially with his inside/outside versatility.