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USATSI

We're dealing with a lot of absences or potential absences heading into Week 16 of the Fantasy Football season, and that means there are a ton of open questions about the rankings as we head into the weekend. But there's one question with an easy answer: Yes, you are starting Alexander Mattison. 

Cook was placed on the COVID list Thursday, and since he is reportedly not vaccinated, he'll have to sit out 10 days, as per the league's COVID policy. That means he is out for Week 16's matchup against the Rams (and possibly Week 17 against the Packers, though we'll cross that bridge when we get there), and while that isn't an ideal matchup, there's no world in which you aren't starting Mattison. He's played five career games with Cook inactive, per the RotoViz Game Splits App, and he's averaged 87.2 rushing yards on 21.6 attempts per game while adding 37.4 receiving yards on four catches per game; he's averaging 21.26 PPR points per game in those five games with four touchdowns, a relatively low number given his usage!

That's an easy question to answer. And, as of Saturday, starting Joe Mixon and Ronald Jones are pretty easy calls, with Mixon looking unaffected by his ankle injury while Leonard Fournette was added to injured reserve with his hamstring injury. There are plenty of others we're still waiting for answers about, however. And Justin Jackson looks like someone you want to trust as well after Austin Ekeler announced he will not play Sunday due to COVID. Jackson is actually a top-10 RB for me for the matchup against the Texans, just ahead of Jones. 

By Sunday, hopefully we'll have some of those answers. Here are my rankings as of Thursday afternoon, and to see the rankings of Jamey Eisenberg, Dave Richard, and Heath Cummings, make sure you head here. 

Week 16 RB Rankings

  1. Jonathan Taylor @ARI
  2. Alexander Mattison vs. LAR
  3. James Robinson @NYJ
  4. Joe Mixon vs. BAL
  5. Alvin Kamara vs. MIA
  6. Josh Jacobs vs. DEN
  7. David Montgomery @SEA
  8. Najee Harris @KC
  9. Nick Chubb @GB
  10. Justin Jackson @HOU
  11. Ronald Jones @CAR
  12. Chase Edmonds vs. IND
  13. Ezekiel Elliott vs. WAS
  14. Javonte Williams @LV
  15. Cordarrelle Patterson vs. DET
  16. Aaron Jones vs. CLE
  17. Miles Sanders vs. NYG
  18. Sony Michel @MIN
  19. D'Andre Swift @ATL
  20. Saquon Barkley @PHI
  21. Clyde Edwards-Helaire vs. PIT
  22. Devin Singletary @NE
  23. AJ Dillon vs. CLE
  24. Melvin Gordon @LV
  25. Myles Gaskin @NO
  26. Michael Carter vs. JAX
  27. Damien Harris vs. BUF
  28. Devonta Freeman @CIN
  29. Antonio Gibson @DAL
  30. Ameer Abdullah vs. TB
  31. Chuba Hubbard vs. TB
  32. Rex Burkhead vs. LAC
  33. Rashaad Penny vs. CHI
  34. DeeJay Dallas vs. CHI
  35. Darrel Williams vs. PIT
  36. Jamaal Williams @ATL
  37. Darrell Henderson @MIN
  38. Brandon Bolden vs. BUF
  39. Le'Veon Bell @CAR
  40. Mike Davis vs. DET
  41. Joshua Kelley @HOU
  42. Latavius Murray @CIN
  43. Nyheim Hines @ARI
  44. Jordan Howard vs. NYG
  45. Tevin Coleman vs. JAX

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