NFL Weekly Preview Week 16 2025: Key Injuries, Difference Makers & Projected Upsets
December 19, 2025
Josh Allen (Erik Drost, Wikimedia Commons)
We begin the 16th week of the 2025 NFL regular season on Thursday. Here are the key injuries, fantasy stars and projected upsets.
Key Injuries
Two of the game’s superstars both went down with anterior cruciate ligament injuries in week 15. For Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes of Tyler, Texas, and Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, they will not only be out for the remainder of this season, but a portion of next season too.
You could make the argument that the Parsons injury impacts the Packers more than the Mahomes injury impacts the Chiefs. The reason is because it was a formality at the time of the injury that the Chiefs were going to miss the postseason for the first time in a decade. The Packers meanwhile are in a win-now-mode and were considered by many as a Super Bowl contender. That is no longer the case.
Other players not playing in Week 16 include Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze of Las Vegas, Nevada (stress fracture in his foot), Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III of St. Louis, Missouri (ankle), Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Mettellus of North Miami Beach, Florida (shoulder surgery), Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels of Fontana, California (dislocated elbow), and Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard of Hiram, Georgia (shoulder).
Fantasy Stars
The top rated quarterback is Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen of Firebaugh, California. He is projected to get 210 passing yards, 35 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns. The top rated wide receiver is Amon-Ra St. Brown of Anaheim Hills, California. He is expected to get nine catches for 104 receiving yards and one touchdown for the Detroit Lions on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The top rated running back is Jahmyr Gibbs of the Lions. The native of Dalton, Georgia is expected to get 117 total yards (83 rushing yards and 34 receiving yards) for the Lions.
Projected Upsets
The three underdogs I like this week are the Seahawks, Chargers and Bears. Chicago and Green Bay both have injury issues, but the injury of Parsons will impact Green Bay more.
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