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NFL fantasy football takeaways: A tale of two QBs — one awful, another surprising
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NFL fantasy football takeaways: A tale of two QBs — one awful, another surprising

NFL Week 16 brought star performances and shocking duds in the fantasy football world. Let's unpack the chaos with our four biggest fantasy takeaways before the championship round in Week 17. 

Bills QB Josh Allen torpedoed fantasy managers

Team owners drafted Allen so they could have the best quarterback in fantasy football for the playoffs. Unfortunately for them, he fell apart when they needed him most. In Week 16, he failed to score a touchdown and finished with a season-low 6.9 fantasy points against the Cleveland Browns in the semifinals.

Allen's dud perfectly illustrates the volatile nature of fantasy football. You can build a perfect roster and still lose before the championship, making this the most frustrating hobby for sports fans everywhere. There's always next year, Allen owners. 

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is the league winner we never saw coming

If you've been riding the Lawrence train recently, chances are he propelled you to your fantasy championship. The Jacksonville Jaguars QB scored 44.3 fantasy points in Week 15 and followed it with 31.16 points in Week 16, making him the highest-scoring quarterback in the fantasy playoffs so far.

Over his past five games, Lawrence has thrown for 1,338 yards and accounted for 17 touchdowns. He should be in starting lineups when the Jaguars play the banged-up Indianapolis Colts in the fantasy championship. 

Cardinals WR Michael Wilson cements himself as pick-up of the year

If you snagged Wilson off the waiver wire in the middle of the season, congratulations. He has been a revelation down the stretch of the fantasy football season. Since Week 11, Wilson has been the WR3 in PPR scoring.

In a poor game from Arizona's offense in Week 16 against Atlanta, Wilson still scored 13.2 PPR points thanks to an acrobatic, 32-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. If Wilson helped you reach your fantasy championship, keep him in your starting lineup in a juicy matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17. 

Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson could win you a championship

Stevenson fell off down the stretch because of rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson's emergence, but he's set up to smash in the fantasy football championship in Week 17. Henderson left Sunday night's win over Baltimore with a head injury, so he's unlikely to suit up in Week 17.

That's great news for Stevenson owners, as the New England Patriots get to play a New York Jets defense that's given up 111 points over its past three games. Stevenson will get a majority of the backfield work, making him a must-start RB in the fantasy Super Bowl. 

Jack Dougherty

Jack Dougherty has been writing professionally since 2015, contributing to publications such as GoPSUSports. com, Centre Daily Times, Associated Press, and Sportscasting. com

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