Congratulations if you have made it to the fantasy football playoffs, particularly after the mess that was Week 15. COVID-19 looks set to impact a number of lineups this weekend too, making those fantasy decision all the more impactful. Here are the players to start and sit in Week 16.
Quarterback
Start ‘Em
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks – I’m not reading too much into Wilson’s poor performance against the Rams last weekend. In the three previous outings he averaged 19.1 points per game. This weekend he goes up against a Bears defense that ranks 30th in points allowed to opposing quarterbacks this season.
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals – The Bengals have been taking a much more run-heavy approach in recent weeks, but don’t let that deter you from starting Burrow. He goes up against a depleted Ravens defense that was carved up by the Packers last weekend. They are allowing an average of 18.6 points per game to opposing quarterbacks.
Sit ‘Em
Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers – Garoppolo has been solid for the 49ers this season, but this hasn’t translated to much success in fantasy terms, topping 16 points just once since Week 9. This weekend he will go up against a Titans defense that allowed 168 total yards to the Steelers in Week 15.
Carson Wentz, Indianapolis Colts – The Colts’ offense runs through Jonathan Taylor and they know it. Wentz has averaged just 27 dropbacks per game since Week 11, the fewest of any starting quarterback. He has topped 12 points once in that period and faces a Cardinals defense allowing the fourth fewest points to opposing quarterbacks.
Running back
Start ‘Em
Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos – Williams is getting close to being an automatic starter in fantasy and this is the game that could cement that status. You can expect the Broncos to lean on the running game in the absence of Teddy Bridgewater. Williams has averaged 20.8 points per game since their bye in Week 11 and goes against a terrible Raiders run defense.
Michael Carter, New York Jets – From one former UNC back to another. Carter saw limited action in his return from injury last weekend against the Dolphins. With a week of rest I would expect him to feature more heavily this weekend against a poor Jaguars defense. In the four games before his injury, Carter was averaging almost 20 touches per game.
Sit ‘Em
Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders – Jacobs has struggled to produce behind a terrible Raiders offensive line all year, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. Things could be even worse against this Denver defense. The Broncos have been excellent against the run all year and limited Joe Mixon to just seven fantasy points last weekend.
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants – Saquon just doesn’t look like the same player anymore. The situation around him is not conducive to success, but he has still been outproduced by Devontae Booker this season. He has also topped 14 points just once in five games. Since his return from injury he ranks 32nd in yards per carry and is yet to score a rushing touchdown.
Wide receiver
Start ‘Em
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions – Get onboard the St. Brown hype train before it is too late. The rookie has become a big part of the Lions’ passing game in recent weeks. Since Week 13 he has seen 33 targets, which ranks second amongst all receivers. He also ranks sixth in yards and fifth in touchdowns during that period.
Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams – Don’t let the nine points they allowed in Week 15 distract you from how bad this Vikings secondary is. They have been dire against opposing receivers all year and Jefferson is on a hot streak. He has topped 14 points three times in his last four games and looks to be a solid WR2 option this weekend.
Sit ‘Em
Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears – Chicago’s offense is clearly not functioning right now and it has impacted Mooney’s production. He has averaged just 7.4 points per game through his last three starts and this weekend faces a Seahawks defense that has actually been fairly solid against opposing receivers.
Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens – Brown might be getting a bunch of targets, but he’s doing very little with them. Since Week 10 he has averaged just 67 yards per reception, easily amongst the worst in the NFL. He hasn’t exceeded 60 yards or scored a touchdown in that period. This Bengals defense will make life tricky this weekend too.
Tight end
Start ‘Em
Noah Fant, Denver Broncos – Drew Lock will start for Denver in Week 16 and he likes to target Fant. In the 12 games they played together last year, Fant saw an average of 5.6 targets per game. This weekend he faces a Raiders defense who have struggled against tight ends all year, allowing 16.6 points per game to the position.
Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals – Ertz has stepped up as one of the Cardinals’ biggest weapons in recent weeks. He leads the team with 29 targets since Week 11 and has 214 yards and two touchdowns in that span. The Colts have struggled against the position this year and allowed 80 yards and two touchdowns to the position last week.
Sit ‘Em
Jared Cook, Los Angeles Chargers – Cook has been a flat out bad fantasy tight end in recent weeks. He hasn’t exceeded three catches or 32 yards in a game since Week 9. He’s scored double digit points once in that span. Even with a good matchup against Houston I’m not taking any chances.
Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys – Schultz might be the TE4 in fantasy scoring this season, but he’s been a boom or bust option in recent weeks. He scored 20.7 points against the Giants last week, but just 1.4 against Washington the week before. With another game against the Football Team on the horizon, I’m not optimistic.
Defense
Start ‘Em
Kansas City Chiefs – The Chiefs’ defensive turnaround has been outstanding and I think they should be a solid starting option again this week. They face a Pittsburgh team that managed just 168 total yards last week against Tennessee.
Sit ‘Em
Arizona Cardinals – Yes, this defense has been solid this season, but they just gave up 30 points to the Detroit Lions. They struggled mightily on the ground, which is bad news ahead of a game against Jonathan Taylor.