If Odell Beckham Jr. misses the New York Giants' Week 16 game with the Minnesota Vikings, it will be a regular-season contest.
However, for fantasy football owners, the stakes are higher. You see, this week's games will decide the championships in most leagues.
With 91 receptions for 1,396 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns, Beckham certainly would be among the most-owned players heading into the traditional fantasy football championship week.
In standard scoring, Beckham has racked up 217.9 points — second most among wide receivers behind Antonio Brown. Eliminating quarterbacks from the equation, he is also the second-highest scorer overall.
According to CBS Sports via The Big Lead, in 2014 Beckham appeared on 41 percent of championship-game rosters — more than any other player at any position. According to ESPN, he appeared on nearly one-third of championship-winning squads played out on its leagues — nearly 10 percentage points more than any other player.
Now Goodell is trying 2 screw me in fantasy football Doesnt he know next week is the start of the championship game #FreeOdell #OdellBeckham
— Dylan Bressler (@d_money41) December 21, 2015
Of course, those numbers could look a little different in 2015. A preseason injury followed by a four-week absence to kick off the 2014 regular season allowed sharp fantasy owners to acquire Beckham at the cost of a late-round draft pick or as a free agent. In 2015, according to ADP (average draft position) data from FantasyFootballCalculator, Beckham was selected in the second round of fantasy drafts.
With the one-game suspension story breaking Monday, fantasy football managers who have the Giants wideout on their squads are not taking well to the news.
Beckham fantasy owners will want to stay tuned to the developing situation as he appealed the suspension. The case is likely to be heard before Sunday night's Week 16 game, giving fantasy owners enough time to get him in their lineups.
If the suspension is upheld, owners likely will have to turn to the waiver wire. Here are a few options worth considering as a replacement:
Markus Wheaton, Pittsburgh Steelers — It's not often that three wide receivers from one team can thrive in fantasy football, but the Steelers have an explosive passing game that makes this possible. After his breakout Week 12 performance, Wheaton has racked up 50 yards or more in each of his past three games. In Week 15, he had 11 targets and turned them into six receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown. With the leaky Baltimore Ravens secondary on tap in Week 16, Wheaton is the top waiver add at wide receiver.
Rueben Randle, New York Giants — The fourth-year wide receiver has failed to live up to his preseason-breakout hype, but just like at the end of the of 2014 regular season, Randle has turned it on the last four games. He has caught a touchdown pass in three of his past four games, and on Sunday night, he could be Eli Manning's No. 1 target in the passing game if Beckham's suspension is upheld. Randle presents a nice floor for Beckham's fantasy owners based on volume alone against a banged up Vikings pass defense.
Julian Edelman, New England Patriots — He practiced last week before being ruled out for Week 15. There are conflicting reports about his Week 16 status, but more will be known as the week progresses. With the AFC's No. 1 seed on the line, the Patriots are unlikely to sit Edelman if healthy. He was a borderline WR1 when healthy this season, and has the most upside of any Week 16 waiver wire additions.
