Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em: Week 16

Check out these start/sit decisions for Week 16 of fantasy football.

The Week 16 games officially commenced Thursday night as the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the New York Jets, and now fantasy football managers will be facing some tough decisions going into the weekend.

While there are fantasy managers on the outside looking in, we still can use these start/sits as a way to find an edge in DFS or prop betting during the week with 11 games on Saturday and three games Sunday due to Christmas.

Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.

Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.

You also can check out our start and sit bench list for Week 16:

Fantasy football start/bench list: Week 16

Check out where your roster options fit into our Week 16 start/bench tiers.

Player analysis and projections can be found in our Start/Bench Tool customized to your myHuddle league scoring and rosters. All player listings by groups are in no particular order.

Key: Upgrade / Downgrade / COVID-19 list

QUARTERBACKS WIDE RECEIVERS
BEST BETS Opp BEST BETS Opp
Joe Burrow BAL Cooper Kupp @MIN
Matthew Stafford @MIN CeeDee Lamb WAS
GREAT STARTS Opp Davante Adams CLE
Jalen Hurts NYG GREAT STARTS Opp
Aaron Rodgers CLE Tee Higgins BAL
Justin Herbert @HOU Keenan Allen @HOU
SOLID STARTERS Opp Deebo Samuel @TEN
Tom Brady @CAR SOLID STARTERS Opp
Patrick Mahomes PIT Diontae Johnson @KC
Taysom Hill MIA Christian Kirk IND
Josh Allen @NE Adam Thielen LAR
Dak Prescott WAS A.J. Brown SF
Kyler Murray IND Darnell Mooney @SEA
FRINGE FANTASY PLAYS Opp Mike Evans @CAR
B. Roethlisberger @KC L. Treadwell @NYJ
Kirk Cousins LAR Tyler Boyd BAL
Derek Carr DEN A.J. Green IND
Ryan Tannehill SF Gabriel Davis @NE
Justin Fields @SEA M. Pittman Jr. @ARI
Tua Tagovailoa @NO Mike Williams @HOU
Russell Wilson CHI Amari Cooper WAS
Matt Ryan DET D.J. Moore TB
Jimmy Garoppolo @TEN Marquise Brown @CIN
Tyler Huntley @CIN DK Metcalf CHI
SIT ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM Opp Van Jefferson @MIN
Carson Wentz @ARI Hunter Renfrow DEN
Baker Mayfield @GB Jaylen Waddle @NO
Garrett Gilbert @DAL Nico Collins LAC
Zach Wilson JAC Mecole Hardman PIT
Mac Jones BUF Marvin Jones @NYJ
Drew Lock @LVR R. Gage Jr. DET
Jake Fromm @PHI Antonio Brown @CAR
Tim Boyle @ATL Stefon Diggs @NE
Lamar Jackson @CIN DeVante Parker @NO
Taylor Heinicke @DAL D. Peoples-Jones @GB
Jared Goff @ATL Brandon Aiyuk @TEN
Trevor Lawrence @NYJ Ja’Marr Chase BAL
Davis Mills LAC J. Jefferson LAR
Cam Newton TB O. Beckham Jr. @MIN
RUNNING BACKS Allen Lazard CLE
BEST BETS Opp FRINGE FANTASY PLAYS Opp
Alvin Kamara MIA M. Callaway MIA
Jonathan Taylor @ARI Courtland Sutton @LVR
James Robinson @NYJ Braxton Berrios JAC
C. Patterson DET DeVonta Smith NYG
GREAT STARTS Opp Chase Claypool @KC
D. Montgomery @SEA Josh Palmer @HOU
Dalvin Cook LAR Nelson Agholor BUF
Josh Jacobs DEN Robby Anderson TB
M. Gordon III @LVR Michael Gallup WAS
SOLID STARTERS Opp Jakobi Meyers BUF
Michael Carter JAC Jerry Jeudy @LVR
Najee Harris @KC Freddie Swain CHI
Javonte Williams @LVR A. St. Brown @ATL
Miles Sanders NYG Byron Pringle PIT
Antonio Gibson @DAL Darius Slayton @PHI
Devonta Freeman @CIN Terry McLaurin @DAL
Sony Michel @MIN K.J. Osborn LAR
C. Edwards-Helaire PIT Rashod Bateman @CIN
Justin Jackson @HOU Jamison Crowder JAC
Nick Chubb @GB SIT ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM Opp
Ronald Jones @CAR Kadarius Toney @PHI
R. Stevenson BUF Sammy Watkins @CIN
Ezekiel Elliott WAS Brandin Cooks LAC
Aaron Jones CLE Allen Robinson @SEA
Jamaal Williams @ATL Jarvis Landry @GB
FRINGE FANTASY PLAYS Opp Tyler Lockett CHI
Duke Johnson @NO Tyreek Hill PIT
Joe Mixon BAL Kendrick Bourne BUF
Chase Edmonds IND M. Valdes-Scantling CLE
Tony Pollard WAS Jalen Guyton @HOU
Devontae Booker @PHI Zay Jones DEN
Samaje Perine BAL B. Perriman @CAR
Jeff Wilson Jr. @TEN Kenny Golladay @PHI
D. Henderson @MIN Josh Reynolds @ATL
Myles Gaskin @NO Bryan Edwards DEN
D. Singletary @NE E. Sanders @NE
D. Hilliard SF O. Zaccheaus DET
Mike Davis DET L. Shenault Jr. @NYJ
Ameer Abdullah TB Chris Conley LAC
Jordan Howard NYG Rashard Higgins @GB
Craig Reynolds @ATL Tre’Quan Smith MIA
Nyheim Hines @ARI J. Washington @KC
Saquon Barkley @PHI Cam Sims @DAL
Rashaad Penny CHI Chester Rogers SF
AJ Dillon CLE N. Westbrook-Ikhine SF
D’Onta Foreman SF Adam Humphries @DAL
James Conner IND DEFENSIVE TEAMS
Darrel Williams PIT BEST BETS Opp
SIT ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM Opp Cowboys WAS
Rex Burkhead LAC GREAT STARTS Opp
David Johnson LAC Buccaneers @CAR
Mark Ingram MIA Eagles NYG
Tevin Coleman JAC SOLID STARTERS Opp
Chuba Hubbard TB Packers CLE
Adrian Peterson CHI Patriots BUF
Alex Collins CHI Saints MIA
Austin Ekeler @HOU Chiefs PIT
Damien Harris BUF Falcons DET
D’Andre Swift @ATL Chargers @HOU
TIGHT ENDS Rams @MIN
BEST BETS Opp FRINGE FANTASY PLAYS Opp
Mark Andrews @CIN Bills @NE
Rob Gronkowski @CAR Panthers TB
GREAT STARTS Opp Titans SF
Noah Fant @LVR 49ers @TEN
SOLID STARTERS Opp Cardinals IND
Cole Kmet @SEA Seahawks CHI
Zach Ertz IND Colts @ARI
Kyle Pitts DET Bengals BAL
George Kittle @TEN Broncos @LVR
C.J. Uzomah BAL SIT ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM Opp
Dallas Goedert NYG Lions @ATL
Mike Gesicki @NO Giants @PHI
FRINGE FANTASY PLAYS Opp Bears @SEA
Dalton Schultz WAS Dolphins @NO
Hunter Henry BUF Football Team @DAL
Jared Cook @HOU Raiders DEN
Foster Moreau DEN Jaguars @NYJ
Dawson Knox @NE Texans LAC
Gerald Everett CHI Browns @GB
SIT ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM Opp Vikings LAR
Tyler Conklin LAR Jets JAC
Tyler Kroft JAC Ravens @CIN
Jonnu Smith BUF Steelers @KC
Travis Kelce PIT
Adam Trautman MIA
Darren Waller DEN
Austin Hooper @GB
Tyler Higbee @MIN
Pat Freiermuth @KC
Evan Engram @PHI
Jack Doyle @ARI
J. O’Shaughnessy @NYJ
Marcedes Lewis CLE
David Njoku @GB
Brevin Jordan LAC