How did the first round of your fantasy playoffs go? Did you win? What am I talking about? Of course you did! If you lost, you wouldn’t be frantically Googling who to start or sit next week, right? So, congratulations! You’ve done well to get this far. However, the celebration can’t last long. There’s still more work to do.
Week 16 of the NFL season brings a myriad of lineup questions. With so many tough matchups to think about, there will certainly be championships won or lost based on the decisions made this week. Here is what we say you should do with some of the more questionable players on your rosters.
Fantasy football quarterbacks to start in Week 16
Whoever ends up starting for the New York Jets
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Who is going to get the starting nod for the Jets this weekend? No idea. It could be Zach Wilson, although he was just forced to leave the Dolphins game with a concussion. It could be Trevor Siemian, although he just played horribly in Wilson’s absence. It could even be Aaron Rodgers.
The four-time NFL MVP could come back from his Achilles injury this weekend, which won’t help the Jets playoff chances, but will absolutely mean the world to people who lost Justin Herbert to injury a few weeks ago.
It really doesn’t matter who ends up under center though, because whoever it is will have a juicy matchup against the Washington Commanders’ defense. That defense has given up at least 19 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in all but two games this season. While some of those quarterbacks are fantasy studs like Dak Prescott, Jalen Hurts, and Tua Tagovailoa, there are other names like Tommy DeVito and Desmond Ridder on this list. In fact, the only quarterbacks not to score at least 19 points against the Commanders defense this year are Mac Jones and Joshua Dobbs.
Wilson may not be the sexiest pick if he ends up getting the start, but he has put up 19 points twice this year. This is the best matchup he’s had all season. Oh, and the Commanders defense hasn’t forced an interception since Week 9.
Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Sure, Fields didn’t look great last week in the Bears’ 20-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns, but the Browns have been one of the toughest defenses in the league all season. The Arizona Cardinals have been the opposite. They’ve allowed opposing quarterbacks to score at least 19 points in five of their last six games, and most of that success has come through the air.
Justin Fields has been no slouch as a passer lately, but combining his floor as a rusher with the upside of passing against Arizona makes for a deadly fusion that will instill terror in your opponents.
Fantasy football quarterbacks to sit in Week 16
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Fresh off a 5-TD performance, Jared Goff is a trap play in Week 16. Not only does he play the tough Minnesota Vikings defense this week, but Goff will be on the road. Historically, Goff does far worse away from home.
The Lions have played seven games on the road and seven games at home this season. Goff has nine touchdowns on the road compared to 17 at home. Goff also has two rushing touchdowns on the season. Both came at home.
CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
Stroud did not play in Week 15, nursing a concussion he suffered the week prior. If he returns in Week 16, he will get to face the Cleveland Browns. That’s not a good matchup. Furthermore, there is a chance that Stroud is without each of his top two receivers. We already know Tank Dell is out for the season, but Nico Collins did not practice at all last week. There’s still a chance he returns in Week 16, but even if he does, he may not be at full strength. Stroud has been great this year, but the matchup and availability of his best receivers makes starting him very questionable this week.
Fantasy football running backs to start in Week 16
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Arthur Smith is back to Arthur Smith-ing, but a matchup against the Indianapolis Colts is too much to pass up. Prior to his 0.4 point performance in Week 15, Robinson had scored 14 or more points in three of his last four.
The Colts did well against the Pittsburgh Steelers backfield last week, but still surrendered five receptions to Jaylen Warren. Robinson is the best pass-catching back the Falcons have. Even if Robinson does not do well as a rusher, the Falcons should be behind early in this game, giving Arthur Smith another reason to leave Robinson on the field more often than he’d like.
Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
Finally, after weeks of wondering whether or not Jones was actually healthy and would receive a full workload, Jones finally looked like himself. He did only put up 11 PPR points, but he dominated touches in the backfield, all while averaging over four yards a carry.
Now, Jones and the Packers take on the Carolina Panthers. Although the Panthers did just hold Bijan Robinson to 0.4 points, there were factors that contributed to that. Namely, the weather and Arthur Smith’s incompetency. There is no rain on the forecast for Sunday in Charlotte. Jones should feast against a defense that has allowed at least 80 yards and a touchdown to opposing running backs in five of their last six games.
Fantasy football running backs to sit in Week 16
De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
Last week was a fluke for the Dallas Cowboys defense. This is the same unit that had surrendered more than 20 non-PPR points to running backs only once prior to Week 15. The Cowboys are still a stout defense against the run, and Achane doesn’t appear to have the same role he had prior to his injury. Mostert is the goal-line back, and out-carried Achane 15 to 9 in the Dolphins’ 30-0 victory. That’s a score that would incentivize using your backup running backs more often. They didn’t though. They were fine enough using Mostert more than Achane. Why would that change this weekend?
Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
Williams is the victim of a brutal playoff schedule. A matchup against the Detroit Lions was always going to be tough, but Williams still disappointed with just four PPR points. Now he gets a Patriots defense that hasn’t allowed 75 yards on the ground since Week 9.
While the Chiefs running backs did just score 30 non-PPR points against the Patriots, most of that damage came through the air. Williams hasn’t had more than three receptions since Week 10. He hasn’t scored through the air since Week 10. The streak won’t break in Week 16.
Fantasy football wide receivers to start in Week 16
Gabe Davis, Buffalo Bills
We are all anxiously waiting for the annual Gabe Davis fantasy playoff game. It didn’t happen in Week 15, but it could very well happen in Week 16 as the Bills take on a Chargers defense that just surrendered 63 points to the Las Vegas Raiders. In that game, Davante Adams got his fill, but the Raiders’ deep threat, Tre Tucker, also caught two long balls for touchdowns. Davis will have the same opportunity.
DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
The Tennessee Titans are fresh off a game where they allowed opposing wide receivers to record 113 yards and a touchdown. That’s not bad, right? Wrong! Case Keenum was the quarterback and the Texans’ two best wide receivers were both out.
Not only should Geno Smith return next week, but the Titans have been abysmal against wide receivers this year. In fact, they’ve allowed at least one touchdown to opposing wide receivers in seven of their last nine games. Of every Seattle receiver, Metcalf has been getting the most looks from Smith as of late. He really started to pick things up before Smith got hurt. Hopefully he can pick up right where he left off.
Fantasy football wide receivers to sit in Week 16
Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
Off the heels of his best game of the season, it will be hard to move McLaurin to your bench, but the strongest wills always prevail in fantasy. The New York Jets are a great pass defense. Don’t let Week 15 fool you. They may have allowed a massive performance from Jaylen Waddle, but they’d allowed just three non-PPR points to opposing wide receivers over the two weeks prior.
DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans
The Seattle Seahawks have not been good against wide receivers the last month. However, the offenses they’ve faced in that span are the 49ers, Cowboys, 49ers, and Eagles. The Titans are not on the same stratosphere offensively as the teams just listed.
Hopkins will likely draw a matchup against either Tariq Woolen or Devon Witherspoon. Either one will be tough, and it’s hard to feel confident in a receiver that could only corral two of his nine targets in Week 15 when he’s going up against corners like Seattle has.
Fantasy football tight ends to start in Week 16
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Cincinnati Bengals cannot cover tight ends. They’ve allowed at least double-digit PPR points to tight ends in four straight games. One of those games was against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Freiermuth put up over 100 yards in that game. While you shouldn’t expect such a performance again, odds are the ball will find Freiermuth early and often. Even if he doesn’t gain many yards, he should be a PPR monster this weekend.
David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
Not only has Njoku recorded two straight games with 20-plus PPR points, but he draws a tremendous matchup against the Houston Texans this week. Houston has allowed at least 50 receiving yards to tight ends in five of their last seven games, and not one of those tight ends is a superstar at the position. In fact, the only two who could even be considered solid fantasy options were Evan Engram and Trey McBride.
Njoku is the most talented tight end the Texans have faced in a long, long time. With how he’s been playing, there’s no reason he should be on your bench this weekend.
Tight ends to sit in Week 16
Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
While the 49ers defense has allowed tight ends to score in two straight games, they hadn’t allowed a single tight end to score double digit non-PPR points all season prior. While Likely has seen consistent targets in each of his last three games, the 49ers are just too tough in the middle of the field to have any faith in a strong performance from Likely.
Darren Waller, New York Giants
While the Philadelphia Eagles were a horrendous defense against tight ends earlier in the season, they haven’t allowed more than eight non-PPR points to opposing tight ends in three straight weeks. Waller did earn six targets in his first game back from injury this week, but it’s clear that the Giants are more than happy to lean on the run at this point of the season. Waller is too touchdown-dependent to have faith in him in Week 16.
