Week 16 fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em WR analysis from FlurrySports includes the likes of DK Metcalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Welcome to the semifinals of your fantasy football playoffs (probably)! The wide receiver position has been tricky this season, given how impacted they have been by bad quarterbacks or bad offenses as a whole. Add matchups into the mix, and you may be left wondering who should be in your starting lineup this week. I’ve been swinging a hot bat this season, so I’m here to help you out!
In this weekly Fantasy Football Start ’em, Sit ’em article, we will be talking about the WR2/3 grey area, where you may have some tough decisions that will need to be made. Players like Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will not be discussed. Yes, start them. You drafted them early for a reason! Instead, we are more concerned about the low-end WR2 or WR3 area where a player with a solid matchup should return value that is worth the start, and vice versa.
Now, labeling a player as a “sit” does not mean they are a must-sit player. As always, check out my weekly fantasy football rankings here. You can also become a member to join a group chat with me and other members where all fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em questions are welcomed!
Quarterbacks — Week 16 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Running Backs — Week 16 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Tight Ends — Week 16 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Fantasy Football Start ’em, Sit ’em: Week 16 WRs
Start: DK Metcalf Fantasy Outlook at Lions
Zach Brunner’s Week 16 Fantasy Football Rankings
For our featured “start” of the Week 16 Fantasy Football Start ’em, Sit ’em, we will take a trip to Motown. The Detroit Lions‘ secondary has been bad this season, and they are very injured as well. This is bad news for them, as DK Metcalf and old rival Aaron Rodgers come to town. This season, Detroit has allowed the most passes over 20 yards (54). Good thing they don’t have a history of Aaron Rodgers taking deep shots against them. Oh… wait…
Detroit has allowed seven yards per pass attempt this season, and this has risen to eight over the past three weeks. They have allowed the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season, and DK Metcalf fantasy owners have a bit more trust in the Steelers’ WR after the past couple of weeks. He totaled 148 yards a couple of weeks ago, then he put up 55 yards and a touchdown last week against a Dolphins team that has covered pretty well this season.
Look for DK Metcalf to be used a decent amount by Aaron Rodgers, and the two could even connect on a rare deep shot or two, given the matchup.
Start: DeVonta Smith Fantasy Outlook at Commanders
The Commanders rank dead last in yards per pass attempt allowed (8.0), and they have allowed 46 passes over 20+ yards this season (and 12 passes of 40+). The Philadelphia Eagles were able to get a feel-good win over the Las Vegas Raiders last week, and now the passing offense has a great chance to put up great numbers here. While late-season divisional matchups can be low-scoring, this is actually the first time these teams have met this year (really, really good job, schedulemakers).
DeVonta Smith is a player who should break loose downfield often in this game. AJ Brown will draw the top coverage. Even that coverage is bad, but not being the main focus is a spot Smith can take advantage of. Usage is his only knock for fantasy football, but Smith has at least four catches in seven straight games against Washington. He has been great against them in his career, and that will continue on Saturday!
Treat Yourself, You’ve Earned It!
Christmas is here, and we have some awesome sports shirts that you will love for you, your friends, or your family! Click the image of the design you like (available in t-shirts, sweatshirts and more), or you can visit our store here!
Sit: Brian Thomas Jr. Fantasy Outlook at Broncos
On the “sit” side of the Week 16 Fantasy Football Start ’em, Sit ’em, we are again looking at an outside receiver against the Denver Broncos and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Brian Thomas Jr. fantasy owners have had to suffer all season long, but he has finally come alive over the past two weeks. I’m sorry, but you should sit him once again.
The Broncos rank third in yards per pass attempt allowed (5.6) and second in sack percentage this season (10.6%). Not only does Denver feature an outstanding secondary, but their pass rush is also historic. So, Trevor Lawrence will be under pressure quickly, passing against a secondary that will blanket the receivers. Clearly, this is a bad combo for Jacksonville. The outside matchup against Pat Surtain II is especially scary for Brian Thomas Jr. While Jacksonville could have success passing underneath, that will not be a role filled by BTJ, shown by his 21.6-yard average depth of target over the past four weeks, per my Opportunity Index data here.
Sit: Terry McLaurin Fantasy Outlook vs Eagles
While Terry McLaurin has played well against Philadelphia in recent seasons, the Eagles are playing great football right now, while the Commanders have booked their vacations. McLaurin has played three games since returning from injury. Yes, the raw final fantasy points look alright, but he has had just three receptions in back-to-back weeks. This isn’t enough usage to be valuable against Philadelphia.
Over the past three games, the Eagles’ pass defense has been very good. They have led the NFL by allowing just 3.2 yards per pass attempt and a 50.7% completion rate. A big reason for this has been the pass rush, which also leads the NFL with a 13% sack rate and 4.3 sacks per game over the past three weeks. The Eagles will look to pressure Marcus Mariota early. If the ball is coming out fast, it likely is not going to McLaurin, who nearly has a 15-yard average depth of target this season.
Become a Member, Win Your Fantasy League!
Want to win your fantasy league? Of course you do. To give yourself an edge, you should get our fantasy football membership! For just one coffee per month, you can get access to a group chat with one of the industry’s most accurate fantasy football experts, Zach Brunner, along with other members. Ask or answer fantasy questions, or just talk ball!
Additionally, members get access to league-winning stats and data, including the new Opportunity Index, updated weekly throughout the season. This includes consistency rankings, playoff strength of schedule breakdown, opportunity index, trade value, and much more! If you suggest something you want to see in the membership, we will try to deliver that to make this the most valuable fantasy football membership out there… and it’s only $5!
Simply, check out Buy Me A Coffee to not only support FlurrySports, but also to help you win!
Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok for more great FlurrySports content.
