Christmas Day football games are relatively rare, but we’re lucky enough to have two on this year’s slate to kick off fantasy football championship week! The Chiefs will take on the Steelers to start, with the Ravens and Texans closing things out.
Let’s break down my Christmas start ’em, sit ’em fantasy football picks.
Christmas Fantasy Football Must-Starts:
- Travis Kelce
- Nico Collins
- Derrick Henry
- Lamar Jackson
- Joe Mixon
Start ‘Em: Jaylen Warren
Don’t look now, but Jaylen Warren is fantasy relevant once again in PPR leagues.
Pittsburgh’s change-of-pace back has racked up at least 10 points in four of his last six outings, slowly but surely stealing touches from Najee Harris. Warren has now played more snaps than the supposed workhorse in three straight contests, out-touching Harris 17-9 in their loss to Baltimore.
With a potentially similar game script on tap against Kansas City, Warren should see plenty of action on Christmas, presenting high-end RB2 upside.
Sit ‘Em: Kareem Hunt & Isiah Pacheco
This isn’t the type of two-headed monster you want a part of from a fantasy perspective.
While both Pacheco and Hunt possess clear talent in an offense with upside, the former’s return to action has complicated things. In four games back after an extended absence, Pacheco has failed to score double-digit fantasy points. Hunt, whose value had skyrocketed as the lead back, also saw a severe decrease in production. A touchdown against let the veteran hit the double-digit mark for the first time since Week 12.
While it’s very possible that one of these guys finds the end zone, it’s impossible to predict which player it will be. Both should be on your bench in a matchup against one of the more formidable run defense in the league.
Check out my main Week 17 start/sit picks article here!
Start ‘Em: Xavier Worthy
A switch has flipped for the rookie over his last two games.
Worthy’s big play upside has been on display all season long, just alongside plenty of growing pains and inconsistent involvement in the offense. However, over Kansas City’s last two outings, the speedster has hauled in 13 of 22 targets for 111 yards and a touchdown, also carrying the ball six times for 40 additional yards and a score.
Worthy has played at least 80% of snaps in three straight games, and the recent return of Hollywood Brown appears to have unlocked some space for him to take advantage of. Fire up the rookie as a solid WR2 on Christmas despite the tough matchup.
Sit ‘Em: C.J. Stroud
I don’t care that Stroud put up his best fantasy performance since Week 6 against the Chiefs. The second-year signal-caller has still only scored 20 points in one outing on the entire season, and will now be missing Tank Dell for the remainder of the season.
Nico Collins and Joe Mixon should still find ways to be productive, but I wouldn’t trust Stroud in a big-time matchup against a Ravens secondary that has only allowed 163.6 passing yards per game over their last three contests.
Sit ‘Em: Isaiah Likely
Don’t be fooled by Likely scoring double-digit fantasy points in two of his last three outings.
The third-year tight end has caught just 10 balls for 84 yards over that stretch, bolstering his numbers by finding the end zone twice. Mark Andrews has clearly reestablished himself as the top TE in Baltimore, leaving Likely as a touchdown-dependent option against a tough Texans defense.
That’s not a game you want to play in the fantasy championship with better options out there at this position.
Those are my start ’em, sit ’em Christmas day picks! Stay tuned for more fantasy advice later this week.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
