Week 16 Picks By: Mike Krueger

Matchups ------------------- Wk 17 Quarterbacks Wk 17 Running Backs Wk 17 Wide Receivers Wk 16 QBs Wk 16 RBs Wk 16 WRs Wk 15 QBs Wk 15 RBs Wk 15 WRs Wk 14 QBs Wk 14 RBs Wk 14 WRs Wk 13 QBs Wk 13 RBs Wk 13 WRs Wk 12 QBs Wk 12 RBs Wk 12 WRs Wk 11 QBs Wk 11 RBs Wk 11 WRs Wk 10 QBs Wk 10 RBs Wk 10 WRs Wk 9 QBs Wk 9 RBs Wk 9 WRs Wk 8 QBs Wk 8 RBs Wk 8 WRs Wk 7 QBs Wk 7 RBs Wk 7 WRs Wk 6 QBs Wk 6 RBs Wk 6 WRs Wk 5 QBs Wk 5 RBs Wk 5 WRs Wk 4 QBs Wk 4 RBs Wk 4 WRs Wk 3 QBs Wk 3 RBs Wk 3 WRs Wk 2 QBs Wk 2 RBs Wk 2 WRs Wk 1 QBs Wk 1 RRs Wk 1 WRs

Peyton Manning vs DEN
Manning is having a MVP season, leading the league in yards (3901), TDs (28) and has been extremely hot over his last five; completing 67.9% of his passes all the while, amassing a 105.3 QB rating. He'll face the Broncos this week, at home, in the nationally televised Sunday night ESPN game. With both teams still battling for playoff positioning, we should see their best effort. Denver's been pretty solid against the pass this season (7th) but Manning has thrown 6 more TDs at home vs the road and with a healthy Stokley filling the #3 wideout role, he'll have enough weapons (TE Dallas Clark is still sidelined) to continue making his case for league MVP.

Trent Green at MIN
Speaking of MVP... well, maybe not, but in case you haven't noticed Trent Green has done little wrong this season. Only Culpepper, Favre, and Manning have a better completion percentage, he's 2nd in passing yards behind Manning, and his 23 TDs is good for fourth best in the league. Expect Green to add to that TD total this week in what likely will be a shootout. The Vikings and Chiefs both sport two bad defenses and unless Minnesota decides to grind this one out on the ground, both teams should easily wind up in the 30s. And before you start emailing me the numbers on the Vikings pass defense, four games against the Lions & Bears have skewed the curve a bit... plus this will be the best offense the Vikings face all year. Don't take a late afternoon nap on Saturday or you might miss the fireworks!

Tommy Maddox vs SD
This may not be a bad time to dust off Maddox and move him into your starting lineup (weather permitted). San Diego is by far the easiest team for QBs to rack up points against. Just last week they made Brett Favre look like.... well, Brett Favre. 278 yds and 4 TDs was easily Favre's best passing day of the season. Jon Kitna, Jake Plummer, Daunte Culpepper, Rich Gannon, and even Byron Leftwich have found similar success in the Chargers secondary during the course of the season. Only a inclement weather can stop the former XFL star this week.

Drew Bledsoe vs MIA
What a dismal fantasy season Drew. It hasn't helped that Eric Moulds has been bothered by a groin injury, but still the numbers just aren't there and it's not going to get any better this week. The last time these two teams hooked up, Bledsoe went 10-25 for 98 yds. Yuck. Miami is still fighting for the playoff lives and while the Bills played tough against playoff-bound Tennessee last week, they fell victim to Billy Volek... a QB making his first start in the league. Drew Bledsoe and the rest of the Bills are already looking to next year.

Recap - 12/24
At first glance it appears that I might be in for a good week in the QB department, maybe something in the 60% range? With only 4 DNA's this week, I was feeling pretty good about myself until the formula spit out the 44%... what? Is this thing broken? I then realized that 3 of my DNAs (Manning, Green, Hasselbeck) were all in my top 6.... doh! That will knock the percentage down in a hurry. And even though I correctly predicted 16 of the top 20, in general, the QBs near the top of my list this week, should have been near the bottom and vice versa. Plummer(19), Pennington(18), Brooks(17), and Favre(13), were all ranked in the bottom half but all finished in the top 6. On the flip side McNabb(4th) & Kitna(5th) , finished 18th & 19th. So goes the tough business of fantasy prognostication.