It's championship week in fantasy.

If you have made it this far, you likely need a waiver-wire acquisition as much as Brandon Weeden needs another two-interception game.

If you play in a 16-team league and are hoping to find a flex starter -- which is one of the few scenarios I can imagine in which a league finalist would be searching for a starter at this point in the season -- there could be an intriguing choice at running back in Week 16.

It's a risky move -- Curtis Brinkley, anyone? -- but running back has been such a crapshoot this season (see Brown, Bryce; Mathews, Ryan and countless other examples) that nothing would surprise me.

Mathews' season ended the way it started -- with a broken clavicle -- which will sideline the Chargers running back and one of the season's biggest busts for the final two games.

Enter Brinkley, who had six carries for 42 yards and caught three passes for 14 yards last week.

Don't get too excited. Brinkley has averaged 3.2 yards per carry and has 214 yards rushing in his three-year career.

The matchup, however, is favorable -- at the Jets -- as is the fact Ronnie Brown (hamstring) is also injured.

If Brown returns this week, he is the best play among San Diego's running backs, but the guess here is he won't be a factor because of his injury.

Jackie Battle, who has four TDs this season and would have seemed to be the choice to replace Mathews, had only three carries for 2 yards last week.

Norv Turner appears to favor Brinkley. Or maybe the soon-to-be-fired coach was confused and thought Battle was in the game the entire time.

Regardless, Brinkley is our top-ranked running back this week, thanks in part to the Jets ranking 29th against the run. New York is allowing 138.7 rushing yards per contest, 4.5 yards per carry and has given up the fifth-most TDs on the ground (15).

Again, Brinkley is no more than a desperation flex play in a deep league. If that describes your team, I'd go with him unless Brown is said to be healthy heading into Sunday's game.

On to our rankings for the week.

As always, we rank players who are available in more than half of the leagues on ESPN.com, and we usually aim for 40 percent ownership or lower.

QUARTERBACKS
1. Russell Wilson, Seahawks (owned in 27.3 percent of the ESPN leagues)
2. Sam Bradford, Rams (38.2)
3. Kirk Cousins, Redskins (2.2)
4. Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins (9.5)
5. Nick Foles, Eagles (4.9)
Dropped out: Brandon Weeden, Browns
Just missed the cut: Jake Locker, Titans (7.4 percent); Chad Henne, Jaguars (5.8)

RUNNING BACKS
1. Curtis Brinkley, Chargers (0.3 percent)
2. Montell Owens, Jaguars (11.0)
3. Jackie Battle, Chargers (12.8)
4. Joique Bell, Lions (33.8)
5. Jacquizz Rodgers, Falcons (25.8)
Dropped out: David Wilson, Giants (now owned in 74.5 percent of the ESPN leagues, which is too obvious); Marcel Reece, Raiders; Alex Green, Packers
Just missed the cut: Danny Woodhead, Patriots (28.2 percent); Green (29.5); Bilal Powell, Jets (7.2); Mike Goodson, Raiders (2.7)

WIDE RECEIVERS
1. Brandon Gibson, Rams (13.2 percent)
2. Leonard Hankerson, Redskins (38.9)
3. Rod Streater, Raiders (2.0)
4. Golden Tate, Seahawks (17.8)
5. Santana Moss, Redskins (38.2) 
Dropped out: Danario Alexander, Chargers (now owned in 53.3 percent of the ESPN leagues); Josh Gordon, Browns (46.2 percent, also too obvious); Jason Avant, Eagles; Kendall Wright, Titans
Just missed the cut: Greg Little, Browns (14.0 percent); Avant (1.3)

TIGHT ENDS
1. Dennis Pitta, Ravens (29.8)
2. Brandon Myers, Raiders (32.3)
3. Dallas Clark, Buccaneers (25.3)
4. Dwayne Allen, Colts (2.2)
5. Anthony Fasano, Dolphins (2.5)
Dropped out: Joel Dreessen, Broncos; Clay Harbor, Eagles
Just missed the cut: None

Past waiver-wire picks: Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 13, Week 14, Week 15

The Brandon Lloyd trade is rare in two ways.

1. It's an in-season NFL deal involving a decent name. (For some reason, marquee NFL trades are more rare than positive news from the NBA labor talks.)

2. The trade could be a good thing for all fantasy players involved.

And we all know No. 2 is most important.

Lloyd, who was dealt by the Broncos to the Rams on Monday, had 77 receptions for 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. The totals obliterated his previous career bests of 48 catches, 733 yards and six TDs.

This season, he has 19 catches for 283 yards and zero TDs in four games, and the rise of Tim Tebow to starting quarterback wasn't going to help Lloyd's fantasy value. In the lone game in which Tebow played a significant role this season, Lloyd had one reception for 20 yards after catching 18 passes in his first three games of 2011.

Now he's in St. Louis, where he should immediately become the No. 1 receiver.

The only problem: Rams quarterback Sam Bradford has a high ankle sprain. If he is forced to miss time, St. Louis will turn to 34-year-old A.J. Feeley, whose five passing attempts this season are his first since 2007.

If you own Lloyd, the hope should be Bradford misses no more than a game, and the pair get quickly acclimated from that point forward.

The Rams have only two other wideouts of note, and neither should be considered No. 3 receivers in fantasy.

Second-year receiver Danario Alexander has 14 catches for 287 yards and a TD in four games, and third-year wideout Brandon Gibson has 17 receptions for 214 yards and a score in five contests. Alexander is the better of the two, but is best suited to be a fantasy reserve.

In Denver, meanwhile, Eric Decker could be Tebow's No. 1 target. The second-year receiver has 22 receptions for 266 yards and four TDs in five games.

Another name to remember is second-year receiver Demaryius Thomas, who is expected to make his season debut Sunday at Miami.

Thomas was Denver's first-round pick, No. 22 overall, in 2010, but started this season on the sideline because of a torn Achilles.

With Eddie Royal out of the lineup since Week 2 because of a groin injury, coupled with the fact he's been a disappointment since his 91-catch rookie season of 2008, Thomas should be a starter in the next two or three weeks.

The wild card in all this, of course, is Tebow, whose value we discussed recently.

Will he prove to be a decent NFL quarterback? Will he run first and pass second at the first sign of trouble?

That remains to be seen.

For Lloyd, a chance of scenery is a good thing.

For Decker and Thomas, the 2010 Pro Bowl selection's absence might be even better.