Fantasy Football: Here are the top-10 players who helped managers advance in Week 16 playoff matchups

It's fantasy football championship week for the vast majority of leagues and if you've made it this far, congratulations! It's always interesting when you compare players who performed well early in the season to players who helped you get to the title game. Sure, you have your lineup mainstays, the players who have been there for you all season. Then, there's those few who stepped up when it mattered the most. Let's go over the top-10 most commonly found players on winning Yahoo fantasy football teams in Week 16.

1. Puka Nacua, WR, Rams (Won 81.7% of matchups)

If you got blown out in your Week 16 matchup, chances are people are referring to that occurrence as getting "Nacua'd" by your opponent. On TNF against the Seahawks, Nacua posted the best fantasy score of any WR all season with 12-225-2 for over 40 fantasy points. For many, the fantasy playoff semifinals were over before it even began.  

2. Chris Olave, WR, Saints (76.2%)

Olave has been pretty consistent all season despite inconsistency on offense for New Orleans. While he always had a decent floor, the elevated play of rookie QB Tyler Shough has lifted Olave into WR1 territory. He posted a season-high 31.8 fantasy points in Week 16 against the Jets with a 10-148-2 line. 

3. Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers (72.4%)

Purdy has spent most of the 2025 season injured but for managers who held onto hope he'd return, he paid off in a big way on MNF in Week 16. The 49ers QB carved up the Indy secondary with five touchdowns and nearly 300 passing yards to finish with 31.9 fantasy points, sneaking past Trevor Lawrence for the QB1 spot on the week. 

4. Chase Brown, RB, Bengals (70.5%)

Similar to Olave, Brown topped out in Week 16 against the Dolphins with a season-high 30.9 fantasy points. The Bengals decided to keep the pedal to the metal and not rest Joe Burrow the remainder of 2025. As a result, Cincy dropped 45 points and Brown's prospects look great for the final round with a matchup against the Cardinals in Week 17. 

5. Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams (69.3%)

Nacua doesn't get the top spot on this list without his potential MVP quarterback. Stafford benefitted from the extra time, finishing with 457 passing yards and three TDs in the OT loss to Seattle. The Rams have plenty left to play for in Week 17 against the Falcons, lining up Stafford as a great play in your title matchup.

6. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Raiders (69.2%)

We're beginning to sense a trend here. Jeanty is another player who has widely disappointed as a rookie this season (not necessarily because of his doing). So of course his second-best game came in an impossible spot against the toughest defense in the NFL. We had seen this ceiling earlier in the season, but didn't think it would resurface against the Texans. Jeanty finished Week 16 with 31.3 fantasy points on 188 total yards and two scores. You can safely fire up Jeanty on your final going up against the Giants. 

7. Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals (68.6%)

Joey B said let's see if we can finish this season strong and that's exactly the type of performance he turned in against Miami. After an abysmal performance the week before, Burrow bounced back with a season-high 28.96 fantasy points on 309 yards passing and four TDs. Like Brown, the Cincy QB is lined up for another good spot in Week 17 agaainst Arizona.

8. Saints D/ST vs. Jets (68.3%)

New Orleans' defense loves to pick on teams from New York (really, New Jersey) this season. Back in Week 5, the Saints D/ST had 18 fantasy points against the Giants. Last week, New Orleans topped that with 19 fantasy points against the Jets thanks to eight sacks and two turnovers. This week, NOLA has another quality draw against the Titans.

9. Jaylen Warren, RB, Steelers (67.3%)

The Steelers have been operating with two backs for most of the season — Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. While Gainwell has led the team in receptions (62) it's been Warren getting most of the work on the ground (828 rushing yards). We had seen a decent floor all season for Warren but not this type of ceiling, rushing for 143 yards on 14 carries with two TDs in the wild win over the Lions in Week 16. 

10. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars (67%)

No QB has scored more fantasy points in the playoffs than Lawrence, who has the Jaguars' passing game working at an elite level. He's totaled 75.46 fantasy points over the past two games, scoring 31.16 against the Broncos' tough defense in Week 16. Lawrence has a chance to help managers bring home the hardware in Week 17 against the Colts.