Higgins, Sutton among 4 must-start Week 16 fantasy football wide receivers

MIAMI, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Tee Higgins and Courtland Sutton are among my four must-start wide receivers for Week 16 of the fantasy football campaign, with teams battling for postseason glory.

Ja'Marr Chase leads my Week 16 Top-50 rankings, which are listed below. Mike Evans, Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson and Puka Nacua join Chase inside the Top 5 of my rankings.

A.J. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, D.J. Moore and Nico Collins join those pass catchers in my Top 10. Jaxon Smith-Njigba join Higgins, Sutton and Adams as my four must-start plays.

Those who roster George Pickens, Jaylen Waddle, Cedric Tillman and other players dealing with injuries should monitor their status before plugging them into starting lineups.

My rankings, which will be updated based on injuries and other factors, should assist in your starting lineup deliberation.

Davante Adams

Adams scored just twice through the first 12 weeks of this season. He found the end zone four times over his last three games, including a monster 198-yard, two-score effort in the New York Jets' Week 15 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

He also averaged the most fantasy points per game among wide receivers over the last four weeks.

This week, he will take on a Los Angeles Rams defense that just allowed the 11th-most fantasy points and tied for surrendering the third-most receiving scores per game to wide receivers through 15 weeks.

I expect Adams to eclipse 100 yards and find the end zone for the fourth-consecutive game. He is my No. 3 option.

Tee Higgins

Ja'Marr Chase rightfully earned most of the attention out of the Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers room, but Tee Higgins also continues to provide stellar statistics for his fantasy football stock owners.

Higgins found the end zone and/or eclipsed 75 receiving yards in five of his last seven games.

The Bengals now will face a Cleveland Browns defense that allowed the fifth-most fantasy points, ninth-most receiving yards (154.1) and tied for surrendering the fifth-most receiving scores (1.1) per game to wide receivers so far this season.

Higgins, who caught four passes for 82 yards and a score against the Browns in Week 7, should have similar success in Week 16.

Look for at least 75 yards and a score from the Bengals playmaker, who sits at No. 11 in my rankings.

Courtland Sutton

Sutton is my No. 12 wide receiver for Week 16, when his Denver Broncos face the Los Angeles Chargers. The Broncos pass catcher averaged the 11th-most fantasy points per game among wide receivers over the last four weeks. He also scored and/or eclipsed 100 receiver yards in six of his last seven games.

He will now take on a Chargers defense that allowed the 12th-most fantasy points and receiving yards (150.4) per game to wide receivers through 15 weeks. They also just allowed 159 yards and two scores to Mike Evans and 75 yards and a score to Jalen McMillan in Week 15.

Sutton can be used as a low-end WR1 or high-end WR2 play in the fantasy football playoffs.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Smith-Njigba has been the Seattle Seahawks' top fantasy football wide receiver this season. The second-year playmaker totaled at least 69 receiving yards in each of his last seven appearances. He also scored four touchdowns during that span, including two in his last four appearances.

Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks will host the generous Minnesota Vikings pass defense Sunday in Seattle. The Vikings allowed the most fantasy points, catches (15) and receiving yards (190.9) per game to wide receivers so far this season.

The Seahawks pass catcher, who is my No. 14 play, is another low-end WR1/high-end WR2 play in Week 16.

Week 16 wide receiver rankings

1. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals vs. CLE

2. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at DAL

3. Davante Adams, New York Jets vs. LAR

4. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings at SEA

5. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams at NYJ

6. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles at WAS

7. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys vs. TB

8. Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns at CIN

9. D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears vs. DET

10. Nico Collins, Houston Texans at KC

11. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals vs. CLE

12. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos at LAC

13. Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars at LV

14. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks vs. MIN

15. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions at CHI

16. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders vs. PHI

17. Malik Nabers, New York Giants at ATL

18. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons vs. NYG

19. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens vs. PIT

20. Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings at SEA

21. Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders vs. JAX

22. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams at NYJ

23. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins vs. SF

24. Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions at CHI

25. Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals at CAR

26. Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans at IND

27. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets vs. LAR

28. Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills vs. NE

29. Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers vs. NO

30. Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers at MIA

31. Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers vs. DEN

32. Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons vs. NYG

33. Keenan Allen, Chicago Bears vs. DET

34. Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers vs. ARI

35. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tennessee Titans at IND

36. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers at MIA

37. DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles at WAS

38. Calvin Austin III, Pittsburgh Steelers at BAL

39. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks vs. MIN

40. Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs vs. HOU

41. DeAndre Hopkins, Kansas City Chiefs vs. HOU

42. Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers vs. DEN

43. Amari Cooper, Buffalo Bills vs. NE

44. Tank Dell, Houston Texans at KC

45. Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens vs. PIT

46. Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers vs. NO

47. Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts vs. TEN

48. Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at DAL

49. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts vs. TEN

50. Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears vs. DET