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Week 16 was definitely an interesting one. With the holiday weather being a major concern for many games around the league, there was bound to be some interesting offensive play and fantasy outputs. Hopefully, you made it out of Week 16 and are gearing up for the time of the season when fantasy champions are made, Week 17.
Fortunately, there were still some solid fantasy performances to save the week from being a complete dud. In addition to those solid performances, there were also a few players that had career days completely out of the blue.
With many shocking outputs from numerous players, here are the most unexpected boom performances from a wild Week 16.
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Fantasy Football Risers - Surprise Performances
Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams
Welcome back, Cam Akers. After returning from his Achilles surgery to full-time football, many had high hopes for Akers in 2022. Unfortunately, his performance and usage were incredibly disappointing, as he was considered one of the biggest fantasy busts up to this point in the season. However, thanks to his most recent performance, the third-year back is creating a major redemption story late in the year.
MAKE IT 3️⃣ TDs FROM 3️⃣!
📺 @thereal_cam3 | @Nickelodeon pic.twitter.com/pZKQaEi2tU
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 25, 2022
In the Rams’ Week 16 shellacking of the Denver Broncos, Akers had 23 carries for 118 yards and three touchdowns along with two receptions for 29 yards. That massive performance resulted in a league-leading total of 33.7 Half-PPR fantasy points. Could this be the start of Akers’ career resurgence? Maybe, but let’s not jump to lofty conclusions just yet before we look at this game.
First, the Broncos are an absolute disgrace to professional football. They were consistently putting the Rams in solid positions through offensive stagnation and turnovers. This led to a 31-6 halftime score which favored the run game for Los Angeles. So, while Akers’ performance was one for the ages, let’s keep the game script in mind before we expect this on a weekly basis.
But with a strong matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers’ porous run defense on the schedule for Week 17, there is a chance that the 23-year-old has another solid performance for fantasy managers.
Shane Zylstra, Detroit Lions
We can consider this the “what the heck?” performance of the week. Coming into Week 16, I can guarantee that nobody had even uttered the name Shane Zylstra regarding fantasy-relevant players. In Week 16, the third-string tight end had the most productive performance of his short two-year career.
TD No. 3 for @ShaneZylstra84!#DETvsCAR | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/nhKT3dIJgS
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 24, 2022
Against the Carolina Panthers, Zylstra caught five-of-six targets for 26 yards and three touchdowns. That insanely unpredictable performance resulted in 23.1 Half-PPR fantasy points, making him the TE4 in a strong week for tight ends.
While this performance was strong, and frustrating for anybody counting on other Detroit Lions for production, it's clear that Zylstra is not a fantasy-relevant player. Unless he can continue to get looks in the end zone, this is looking more like an anomaly. Expecting more touchdowns from a player who had just one prior to this week is not a recipe for success. Zylstra should return to his previous role against the Chicago Bears in Week 17.
Kendrick Bourne, New England Patriots
In Week 16, a receiver that has shown flashes while lacking usage throughout 2022 had a strong performance. Prior to the start of this season, most Patriots fans would’ve told you that Kendrick Bourne would continue to be a big part of this New England offense after a solid 2021. Unfortunately, it’s been hard for the 27-year-old to earn opportunities in this confused Matt Patricia-led offense. Luckily, he finally saw more usage against the Cincinnati Bengals.
In New England’s Week 16 loss, Bourne caught six-of-nine targets for 100 yards and a touchdown along with one carry for 29 yards. That output resulted in 21.9 Half-PPR points on the day, making the sixth-year pro the WR6 on the week.
Bourne in the back of the end zone 🙌@BournePoly11 | #ForeverNE
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/MElky3V82B
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 24, 2022
Some would argue that Bourne is the best receiver on the Patriots, and a certainly looked like it against the Bengals. Maybe he sees an uptick in opportunities to close out the season, but this New England offense is not one that fantasy managers want pieces of heading into championship weeks. Unless you’re desperate, Bourne is a player that should be left on waivers.
Trenton Irwin, Cincinnati Bengals
Week 16 had some interesting performances, one of them being from a Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver. Oddly enough, this was not a strong fantasy day from Ja’Marr Chase or Tyler Boyd, but Trenton Irwin. The 27-year-old has had some random solid fantasy outings this year, but none were better than his output against the New England Patriots.
In Week 16, Irwin caught three-of-four targets for 45 yards and two touchdowns. That performance led to 18 Half-PPR points and a WR8 finish on the week. This was a solid day for the fourth-year receiver, but it’s not one that really matters much for fantasy.
Tuddy number ✌️ for @Trenton_4#CINvsNE | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/zmj4l5avDF
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 24, 2022
Irwin is the fourth wide receiver in Cincinnati behind two monsters in Chase and Tee Higgins and one solid player in Boyd. There’s limited upside for him with that much target competition, making him a player that should remain on waivers in championship weeks.
Isaiah Hodgins, New York Giants
The New York Giants wide receiver room has been a complete mystery all season. On a weekly basis, it seems like a different wide receiver leads this team in fantasy production. In Week 16, Isaiah Hodgins emerged as the most fantasy-relevant receiver.
Against the Minnesota Vikings, Hodgins caught eight-of-11 targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. His most productive performance of the season resulted in 18.9 Half-PPR points, making him the WR7 in Week 16.
LET'S GO!!! 🔥
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/Z22ykNW5A3
— New York Giants (@Giants) December 24, 2022
Hodgins has been on an underrated stretch as of late with double-digit fantasy outputs in three of his last four games. With an upcoming matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, the third-year receiver could provide another strong performance as they’ve been allowing the most fantasy points to wide receivers over their last four weeks.
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