Who to Start or Sit in Fantasy Football? NFL Week 16 First Look

The fantasy football playoffs are underway and all 32 NFL teams will be in action during Week 16. Having so many players at our disposal will make for some difficult start or sit decisions for playoff matchups.

We have a wide variety of NFL DFS picks to consider on PrizePicks to help decide who to start or sit in fantasy football. Let’s take an early look at the board and highlight some of the options to start or sit in fantasy football this week at each position.

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Who to Start or Sit in Fantasy Football? Week 16

Here’s our full list of who to start or sit in fantasy football for Week 16. Click the player to view their PrizePicks Projections and more analysis

• Who to Start or Sit: Quarterbacks
• Who to Start or Sit: Running Backs
• Who to Start or Sit: Wide Receivers
• Who to Start or Sit: Tight Ends

Who to Start or Sit in Week 16: Quarterbacks

Start: Eagles QB Jalen Hurts 209.5 Pass Yards – More

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts had one of his best passing performances of the season last week, throwing for 290 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers. He also did plenty of damage on the ground, turning 15 carries into 45 yards and a touchdown. 

While he didn’t record a passing touchdown against the Commanders in Week 11, he did throw for 221 yards and post a rushing touchdown in that game. The Commanders have allowed the third-highest explosive pass percentage (15.9%) in the league per 4for4 Fantasy Football, leaving Hurts with plenty of upside in their Week 16 rematch.

Sit: 49ers QB Brock Purdy 247.5 Pass Yards – Less

Rainy conditions left 49ers QB Brock Purdy with a muted stat line last week against the Rams. He finished with just 142 passing yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. Purdy has thrown for fewer 160 yards in three of his last four games. Things won’t get much easier for him against the Dolphins, who rank 10th in explosive pass percentage allowed (12.61%) in the league, per 4for4.

Who to Start or Sit in Week 16: Running Backs

Start: Bills RB James Cook 68.5 Rush Yards – More

Week 16 brings a significant mismatch between the Bills and Patriots. If the Bills race out to an early lead, we could see plenty of Bills RB James Cook. 

Despite receiving just 14 carries in a pass-happy game against the Lions last week, Cook rushed for 105 yards. That marked the third time over the last five games that he has rushed for at least 80 yards. He also scored six touchdowns across those five games.

Start: Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs 85.5 Rush Yards – More

Lions RB David Montgomery suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Bills last week. That should leave added carries for Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs, which will make him a top RB down the stretch this season. 

After averaging 5.2 yards per carry during his rookie season, he has averaged 5.6 yards per carry this year. He only needed nine carries to accumulate 87 rushing yards against the Bears in Week 13, so the potential for a heavier workload in their rematch could result in Gibbs producing a monster stat line.

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Sit: Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson 49.5 Rush Yards – Less

Patriots RB Rhamondre Steveson has not scored a touchdown since Week 9. He also hasn’t topped 80 rushing yards in a game since Week 5. 

He hasn’t been making up for his lack of rushing yards through the air, posting a total of just 56 receiving yards over his last five games. In a game in which the Patriots might be forced to throw a lot, Stevenson could have a difficult time receiving significant carries.

Who to Start or Sit in Week 16: Wide Receivers

Start: Giants WR Malik Nabers 68.5 Receiving Yards – More

The Giants are a mess at quarterback. That hasn’t stopped Giants WR Malik Nabers from being productive. With the combination of QB Tommy DeVito and QB Tim Doyle throwing him passes last week, Nabers caught 10-of-14 targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. 

That marked his seventh-straight game with at least nine targets. Expect him to be a problem for a Falcons team that is tied for the fifth-most receptions allowed to wide receivers (186) in the league.

Start: Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown 76.5 Receiving Yards – More

With the Lions scoring 42 points against the Bills last week, Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown exploded for 14 receptions, 193 yards, and one touchdown. The last time he faced the Bears, he caught five of seven targets for 73 yards. 

While the Lions likely won’t need to throw as much as they did last week as they trailed vs. the Bills, St. Brown is still an appealing option with the Bears allowing the second-highest explosive pass percentage (16.7%) in the league, per 4for4.

Sit: 49ers WR Deebo Samuel 47.5 Receiving Yards – Less

49ers WR Deebo Samuel had another disappointing performance last week, catching three passes for 16 yards. He hasn’t surpassed 22 receiving yards in any of his last five games, and he had some massive drops on Thursday Night Football. 

He is only averaging 5.5 targets per game this season, and his average depth of target is just 7.4 yards. There just isn’t enough upside here to feel good about deploying Samuel in fantasy.

Who to Start or Sit in Week 16: Tight Ends

Start: Lions TE Sam LaPorta 42.5 Receiving Yards – More

After recording 889 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns during his rookie season, Lions TE Sam LaPorta only has 556 receiving yards and five touchdowns this year. His numbers were even worse before he exploded for 111 receiving yards against the Bills last week. 

The good news is, he has received at least six targets in five straight games. That type of workload could make him dangerous against a Bears team that has allowed the third-most yards per target to tight ends (8.93) in the league. The Bears gave up 5-52 and 7-114 lines to Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson in their last two matchups, and 6-151 to 49ers TE George Kittle last week.

Sit: Bills TE Dalton Kincaid 36.5 Receiving Yards – Less

Bills TE Dalton Kincaid has only received 16.1% of the Bills’ targets this season, as the tight end targets are split between him and TE Dalton Knox. That has contributed to him posting fewer than 37 receiving yards in three of his last four games. He also has just two touchdown receptions all season. 

The Bills might not need to throw much in the second half against the vastly inferior Patriots, so Kincaid could produce another underwhelming stat line.

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Build Your Week 16 NFL DFS Lineup on PrizePicks

As fantasy managers continue to push for a championship, Week 16 brings a packed schedule with every team in action. That will lead to some interesting start or sit decisions across the board.

Even if your fantasy football season is over, there is still plenty of fun to be had. Make your Week 16 NFL DFS picks by building a team on PrizePicks for the Sunday slate.

There are no salary constraints, so pick two or more projections for your favorite players, finalize your lineup, sit back, and enjoy the games.