Some star players are facing great matchups during Week 16. One of them is Dolphins RB De’Von Achane, who is already having the best season of his career.
The other is Vikings WR Justin Jefferson, who is trying to finally get going after struggling to make much of an impact for most of the current campaign.
Below, we'll discuss Achane, Jefferson, and get into more of the top NFL Week 16 picks for PrizePicks and NFL DFS, including some quick picks to keep in mind.
Quick PrizePicks Picks for NFL Week 16
Here are some quick PrizePicks DFS picks for NFL Week 16, including projections for pass yards, rush yards, and receiving yards.
Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett vs. Falcons Projection – 249.5 Pass Yards
- With the Cardinals dealing with injuries at RB, QB Jacoby Brissett has attempted at least 40 passes in each of his last six games.
- The veteran signal-caller turned his hefty workload into at least 249 passing yards in all six games. In three of them, he racked up 300+ yards.
Vikings RB Aaron Jones Sr. vs. Giants Projection – 51.5 Rush Yards
- Vikings RB Aaron Jones Sr. has averaged at least 4.4 yards per carry in every season of his career.
- In the three games in which Jones has been given at least 10 carries this year, he posted at least 70 rushing yards two times.
- Per 4for4 Football, the Giants have allowed the second-highest explosive rush percentage (13.6%) in the league.
Buccaneers WR Mike Evans vs. Panthers Projection – 56.5 Receiving Yards
- In his return from injury last week, Buccaneers WR Mike Evans caught 6 of 12 targets for 132 yards in a 29-28 loss to the Falcons.
- The star WR has never averaged fewer than 13.6 yards per reception for a season in his career.
- The Panthers have allowed 8.10 yards per target to WRs, which is tied for 12th-most in the NFL.
NFL Week 16 Picks for PrizePicks, NFL DFS
Here are the top NFL DFS picks for Week 16. Player projections are via the PrizePicks real-money NFL game.
Dolphins RB De’Von Achane vs. Bengals Projection – 84.5 Rush Yards
- After receiving 203 rush attempts over 17 games last season, Achane already has 205 carries this year.
- Not only is the third-year RB getting more work, but he's been more efficient. He's averaging 5.8 yards per carry, up from 4.5 yards per carry in 2024.
- Achane has racked up at least 92 rushing yards in four of his last five games. In three of those matchups, he rumbled for a minimum of 120 yards.
- The Bengals have the worst rush EPA per play allowed (0.1) in the league.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson vs. Giants Projection – 55.5 Receiving Yards
- With the Vikings’ issues at QB, it's been a depressing campaign for Jefferson. He has never finished with fewer than 1,400 receiving yards during a season in which he has played at least 16 games. This year, he has 832 receiving yards through 14 games.
- The former first-round pick has finished with fewer than 50 receiving yards in six of his last seven games.
- Jefferson’s lack of production has not been because of limited opportunities. He has accounted for 29.3% of the team’s targets.
- Despite his muted stat line, Jefferson could be a problem for a Giants team that has given up the sixth-highest yards per target (8.46) to WRs.
Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown vs. Steelers Projection – 84.5 Receiving Yards
- Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown was targeted 18 times in the Lions' 41-34 loss to the Rams in Week 15, emerging with 13 receptions for 164 yards.
- Not only was that the 26-year-old's fourth game of the season with at least 100 receiving yards, but it was his seventh game with at least 10 targets.
- The Lions have thrown the ball St. Brown's way on 31.1% of his routes.
- The Steelers have given up the second-most receptions to WRs (182), in addition to allowing the sixth-most passing yards per game (242.4).
Saints QB Tyler Shough vs. Jets Projection – 210.5 Pass Yards
- Saints QB Tyler Shough helped the team pull off a 20-17 upset victory over the Panthers last week, throwing for 272 yards and a TD.
- The rookie has settled into his starting role, throwing for at least 239 yards in four of his last five games.
- The Saints have not been overly cautious with him, resulting in his average target depth being 8.3 yards.
- The Jets’ secondary isn’t nearly as formidable after they dealt CB Sauce Gardner to the Colts.
- New York’s issues at CB have contributed to them allowing the fourth-highest explosive pass percentage (14.5%).
Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. vs. Vikings Projection – 13 Rush Attempts
- Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka has leaned heavily on his running game since taking over the team. In his four games at the helm, RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. finished with 15+ carries three times.
- The one game that Tracy failed to record at least 15 carries, he was limited to 10 attempts before leaving his Week 13 matchup with the Patriots because of a hip injury.
- During his rookie campaign, the Purdue product led the Giants with 192 rush attempts.
- The way to have success against the Vikings has generally been on the ground. They have allowed the ninth-most rushing yards per game (127.6), compared to the fifth-fewest passing yards per matchup (180.4).
Panthers RB Rico Dowdle vs. Buccaneers Projection – 14.5 Receiving Yards
- Panthers RB Rico Dowdle has finished with at least 21 receiving yards in three of his last four games. During that span, he was targeted 14 times.
- The former Cowboy has a 9.2% target share this season, compared to an 8.4% target share for fellow Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard.
- The Buccaneers allowed 8 receptions and 82 receiving yards to Falcons RB Bijan Robinson last week.
- Covering RBs has been an issue for Tampa Bay. They have allowed 9.91 yards per target to the position. The next-worst team in the league is the Cowboys at 7.55.
Make NFL Picks on PrizePicks
Achane and Jefferson are two big names with great matchups for Week 16. While players like Shough, Tracy, and Dowdle don’t generate as much fanfare, they could also provide juicy stat lines.
With plenty of positions and projection categories to consider, now is the time to make NFL picks on PrizePicks. Just predict More or Less on at least two NFL player stat projections and earn real-money rewards if you're right.
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