Congratulations on making it to the title game! Whether this is your first time playing for a championship or you are a grizzled vet, it is always a great accomplishment to make it this far. Now that you are here, time to nail your final lineup of the season to earn the trophy. At this point in the year, you definitely have a good idea as to which players you trust on a weekly basis. In this article, we will be looking at players on the fringes at QB1, RB2 and WR2 in typical PPR fantasy leagues to help you determine which players you should start and sit to help you with your difficult decisions.
Week 16 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Quarterbacks | Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Start: Jalen Hurts at Cowboys
Last week, Jalen Hurts was featured in this article. He proceeded to put up 38 fantasy points on 338 yards passing and three TDs, adding another 63 yards on the ground and a TD. This week, he travels to his home state for a road game with the Cowboys, who are giving up 19.7 fantasy points per game (fppg). Once again, he makes a fine start this week with the floor he provides running the ball. His ceiling is also higher than anticipated prior to last week, with his passing capabilities. If you had the intestinal fortitude to start him last week, he rewarded you with a berth in the championship. Now, let him lead your team to the promised land.
Start: Baker Mayfield at Jets
Baker Mayfield has been on a tear over the last month, finishing as a QB1 in four straight games. Now, he gets a matchup against the Jets, who give up 22.6 fppg to opposing QBs and are poised for a letdown after last week’s big performance. If you have been riding Mayfield’s recent hot streak or have a QB with a tougher matchup this weekend, roll him out there with confidence this week in great matchup.
Sit: Russell Wilson vs. Rams
The last time Russell Wilson faced the Rams, he was a leading candidate for the MVP award in fantasy and reality. Then, he played his worst game of the season, passing for 248 yards and adding 60 on the ground without scoring a TD. Since that game, he has finished as a QB1 in just two out of his last six games. The Rams have given up only 14.2 fppg to opposing QBs. If Wilson is your only QB, or you have no other viable options, you might be stuck with him. But, this is a tough matchup and you are unlikely to get a ceiling game from him.
Sit: Matt Ryan at Chiefs
After four straight weeks finishing outside of QB1 territory, Matt Ryan put up 28 fantasy points last week, good for QB7. This week, he has a tough road matchup against the Chiefs and likely will be without Julio Jones again. If you played “Matty Ice” last week, he led you to the title game, but if you start him this week, you will likely be heading home without the hardware.
Check out our Week 16 Fantasy Football Rankings, including scoring settings for PPR and half PPR leagues! Rankings are updated throughout the week and can be useful for finding the best fantasy football start sit candidates.
Running Backs | Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Start: Le’Veon Bell vs. Falcons
Talk about a change in fortunes. Le’Veon Bell started off the year for the now 1-13 Jets, then he was released and signed with the Chiefs. Now, he will be the starting RB down the stretch, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire going on IR. This week is actually a tougher matchup on paper, as the Falcons have been stingy against opposing RBs, giving up only 15.3 fppg. He stands to receive a full workload, however, and is an excellent receiver out of the backfield. With the Chiefs likely running some clock in the fourth quarter, he makes a solid RB2 this week and possibly more.
Start: Leonard Fournette at Lions
With Ronald Jones looking like he will not be available for Week 16 due to COVID and a broken finger, Leonard Fournette is a locked in RB2 this week. He gets the Lions, who have given up 27.1 fppg, which is worst in the league to opposing RBs. He is also going to get a full workload, similar to last week’s 17 touches, which he turned into 65 yards and two TDs, good for RB12 on the week. While he might not get two TDs again this week, he will almost certainly be more efficient with his touches and end up with more total yardage. Start him this week.
Sit: Steelers RBs vs. Colts
The Steelers continue their free fall. After starting the season 11-0, they have now dropped their last three games. This week, they have a tough matchup against the Colts. After their running game has looked terrible for the past several weeks, Benny Snell Jr. put together a solid game against the Bengals on Monday Night. This week, it looks like James Conner will be back and the carries may be divided up more between both. The matchup is tougher too, as the Colts are only giving up 17.3 fppg to opposing RBs. Leave whoever starts on your bench in this matchup.
Sit: Rams RBs at Seahawks
With Cam Akers suffering a high ankle sprain, adding injury to insult in the Rams loss to the Jets, it may look like an opportune spot for Darrell Henderson and/or Malcolm Brown. The problem is that they very likely may split carries and the matchup is not particularly good against the Seahawks, who are far better at stopping the run than the pass. With your championship on the line, you don’t want to have to count on one of these two in your lineup. Sit both players this week.
Wide Receivers| Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Start: Chris Godwin vs. Lions
Last week, Chris Godwin only had five targets, compared to seven for Mike Evans, Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski. He was able to catch four of them for 36 yards, and he scored a TD to salvage his day. This week, in a matchup with the Lions D, which is giving up 27 fppg to opposing WRs, look for him to return WR2 value. Last year, Godwin had five catches for 121 yards against the Lions. Start Godwin as a WR2 this week.
Start: Emmanuel Sanders vs. Vikings
With Michael Thomas on IR and Tre’Quan Smith dinged up, Emmanuel Sanders is the de facto number one for the Saints again this week and a solid start. He has fared well in this role in four games. Earlier this season, in Weeks 3-5, where he racked up 22 catches on 28 targets for 261 yards and a TD, and last week he led the team with four catches for 76 yards. This week, he gets a matchup with the Vikings secondary. Even better, the game takes place on Christmas Day, and you have to start a guy named Emmanuel on Christmas, right?
Sit: Tyler Lockett vs. Rams
Tyler Lockett has been the definition of boom-bust this season. In Week 3 and Week 7, he was the WR1 overall, putting up 90 PPR points between the two games. Over his last his last eight games, he has 82 points, and 22 of those came in the Cardinals rematch. The Rams are the top D in the league against opposing WRs, giving up only 16.6 fppg to opposing WRs. While Lockett did have five catches for 66 yards when these teams last played, he is more of a WR3/Flex than a WR2 due to his volatility and low floor.
Sit: Curtis Samuel at Football Team
Last week, Curtis Samuel led the Panthers in targets (9) against the Packers, but was only able to catch four for 42 yards. This is a tough matchup against the Football Team, who give up only 192 fppg to opposing WRs. Temper your expectations for the entire Panthers passing game this weekend and, if Christian McCaffrey comes back this weekend, that will take a further bite out of Samuel’s production. Samuel is more of a flex this week in a tough spot, making him a sit candidate.
