The second round of the fantasy playoffs have officially arrived! If you’re facing tough lineup decisions for this upcoming must-win matchup, I’ve got you covered.
Let’s break down my start/sit fantasy football picks for Week 16 of the NFL season.
Quarterback
Start ‘Em: Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers) at Cowboys
Despite currently ranking as QB5 on the year, Mayfield’s start percentage across major fantasy platforms was shockingly low last week.
The veteran has bounced back nicely from his mid-season slump, racking up a combine 50 points over his last two outings. Mayfield has benefitted greatly from the return of Mike Evans, and should keep the momentum rolling against a Cowboys secondary that allows the seventh-most points to opposing quarterbacks. Fire up Baker as a strong QB1 with upside.
Sit ‘Em: Bo Nix (Broncos) at Chargers
After an incredibly hot stretch from Week 5-11, Nix has come back down to earth as of late.
The rookie has failed to score 20 fantasy points over his last three games, recording a TD-INT ratio of 6:5 over that stretch. Nix’s last outing against the Colts was particularly discouraging, as it took three passing touchdowns to salvage what would have otherwise been an atrocious day. I would recommending sitting him against a tough Chargers defense.
Running Back
Start ‘Em: Jerome Ford (Browns) at Bengals
With Nick Chubb officially done for the year due to a broken foot, Ford has the opportunity to step into a league-winner role depending on his volume and efficiency down the stretch.
The 25-year-old broke off a long touchdown run in Cleveland’s loss to the Chiefs, finishing the day with 18.4 PPR points on nine total touches. Next up for the Browns is a Bengals run defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing backfields this year. In an expanded role, Ford holds legitimate RB2 value with upside in Cincinnati this weekend.
Sit ‘Em: Najee Harris (Steelers) at Ravens
Harris is known for getting stronger as the season progresses, but that hasn’t been the case this year.
Pittsburgh’s lead back is coming off his worst outing of the season against Philadelphia, in which he managed just 3.1 points on seven total touches. This was the third time Najee has been held under 12 fantasy points in his last four contests. To make matters worse, the 26-year-old also received his lowest snap share of the season at just 33%. In a Week 16 matchup with the Ravens, game script could result in a similar outcome.
Check out all of my Week 16 start/sit running back picks here!
Wide Receiver
Start ‘Em: Khalil Shakir (Bills) vs. Patriots
Shakis was my start of the week last time around, and he earns the same nod this Sunday against a horrendous Patriots defense.
The lone bright spot of New England’s unit on that side of the ball is Christian Gonzalez, who has looked like one of the best corners in the game this year. Luckily for Shakir, he won’t see much of Gonzalez, who should shadow Amari Cooper on the perimeter for a majority of the showdown.
That will leave plenty of room for Shakir to assume his usual role as Josh Allen’s No. 1 target. The speedster has seen at least seven targets in eight straight games, and should be incredibly productive at home against the Pats.
Sit ‘Em: DK Metcalf (Seahawks) vs. Vikings
Metcalf’s numbers as of late haven’t exactly been indicative what’s happening on the field.
If you’ve tuned into a Seahawks game as of late and watch a few of their offensive possesions, one thing stands out: Everyone on the defensive side of the ball is aware of where Metcalf is at all times. There were multiple occasions last week against the Packers where DK was triple-teamed in the middle of the field.
The Seahawks have figured this out and are utilizing Metcalf as a smokescreen consistently to open up bigger plays down the field. While that’s worked for them, it’s resulted in four straight underwhelming performances for the superstar receiver. Unfortunately, I expect that trend to continue against Minnesota.
Check out all of my start/sit wide receiver picks for Week 16 here!
Tight End
Start ‘Em: Sam LaPorta (Lions) at Bears
Last week was by far the most impressive performance of the year for LaPorta, who caught seven of 10 targets for 111 yards.
This was the most involved the 23-year-old has been all season, boasting a 97% snap rate. It’s also the fifth time he’s scored double-digit fantasy points in his last seven games, giving LaPorta a legitimate TE1 fantasy floor after a horrendous start to the year. He should remain heavily involved this week against the Bears.
Sit ‘Em: Hunter Henry (Patriots) at Bills
Drake Maye is good at football. Hunter Henry is good at football.
The problem? Virtually all of New England’s remaining offensive players are not. After a solid stretch in the middle of the season, it actually appears that the Pats are regressing on that side of the ball, mostly due to one of the worst offensive lines in football. It’s simply impossible to trust Henry against this imposing Bills defense, as he likely won’t get many extended drives.
Check out all of my Week 16 tight end start/sit picks here!
Those are my start ’em, sit ’em Week 16 fantasy football picks! Stay tuned for more fantasy advice and Week 16 start/sit picks over the next few days.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
