Fantasy football projections, Week 16: Falcons-Panthers featuring Julio Jones, Taylor Gabriel, Jonathan Stewart, more

The Week 16 matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers features a long-awaited rematch between two division rivals. We’ve got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.

Wide receiver Julio Jones has missed each of the last two games while battling a toe injury. The good news is he practice on Wednesday and is fully expected to start against the Panthers in Week 16. Jones caught 12 passes for a career high 300 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Panthers back in Week 4. While it will be hard for him to push off of his injured foot, having Julio Jones in the lineup at less than 100% is still better for fantasy owners than many of the alternatives available at this point. Jones should surpass his projections on Saturday as long as he can play a full complement of snaps.

Believe it or not, he may actually get plenty of opportunities now that a clear No. 2 receiver has emerged in Atlanta. That receiver is Taylor Gabriel. Gabriel caught three out of six targets for 60 yards and a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers last week. He has touchdowns in back-to-back games and has now scored four times in the last four weeks. Only two teams have given up more points to the wide receiver position than Carolina. If Mr. Jones is that all hobbled on Saturday, Gabriel will be counted on to provide the fantasy production in the wide receiving corps. He’ll be in starting lineups in Week 16. As far as reaching his projections goes, it’s a boom or bust gamble for Gabriel owners.

Going into Week 15, running back Jonathan Stewart had yet to post a single 100-yard rushing game on the season. He finished last week’s win over Washington with a season-high 132 yards on 25 carries. The effort marked just the third time this season that Stewart has rushed for more than 90 yards. While it’s hard to trust him to put together two straight fantastic efforts, it should be noted the Falcons rank near the bottom of the league against the run. Stewart just may surprise some people and surpasses projections in Week 16, though he likely won’t be a starter in 10 or 12-team leagues.

If Stewart’s production levels come crashing back down to earth against the Falcons, quarterback Cam Newton will have to carry the load as usual. Newton threw for exactly 300 yards against Washington last week to go with two touchdown passes. He and the Panthers are clearly still playing for pride. Newton now has three 300-yard passing games on the season. While he only threw for 165 yards against the Falcons back in Week 4, it should be noted only one team has conceded more fantasy points to quarterbacks than Atlanta this season. Newton should put together a second straight solid game. It’ll likely be enough to push him past his projected totals.