This is it. It's championship week. You know the players who have gotten you to this point, and you know the ones to avoid. You're ready to go claim your Fantasy Football championship trophy.
Well, maybe.
Listen, even though you're an expert with your Fantasy team, we could all use a little help from time to time. And that's why you're here. We'll give you the little nudge that you need on a player to start -- or maybe steer you away from someone who could struggle.
If you're like me, you're probably agonizing over several moves. Am I playing the right quarterback? Is this the right DST? Should I use this kicker? Why do we still use kickers? We get it. You want to have the perfect lineup to defeat your opponent and call yourself a champion. That's the ultimate goal of your Fantasy season.
Hopefully, we can help you with any small decision you might have. And hopefully that player comes through for you this weekend. Hopefully, the end result is a victory. Congratulations on making it this far. It hasn't been easy. But you've put yourself in a position to win. And now it's up to the players to deliver for you on the field.
Start 'Em & Sit 'Em
Start of the Week
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I never imagined in Week 16 of this season that I would be recommending David Johnson as the Start of the Week. But here we are, and he should deliver a strong performance against the Bengals. Things have set up nicely for him in this matchup.
For starters, Duke Johnson (neck) is hurt, and he didn't practice Wednesday. With Duke Johnson out in Week 15 against the Colts, David Johnson was a monster in the passing game with 11 catches for 106 yards on 11 targets. He also added eight carries for 27 yards.
The Texans have now played three games without Will Fuller (suspension), and twice a running back has at least six catches over that span after Duke Johnson had six catches in Week 14. Hopefully, that's something Deshaun Watson continues to do with David Johnson in the passing game this week.
It's actually been a productive year for Johnson, who has either a touchdown or 100 total yards in seven of the nine healthy games he's played this season. And he should have the chance to add to that against Cincinnati at home.
The Bengals have allowed a running back to score or gain at least 100 total yards in five games in a row. They played Monday night against the Steelers in Week 15, and Benny Snell had 107 total yards and a touchdown with three catches.
David Johnson should be locked into a featured workload if Duke Johnson remains out, and David Johnson has the chance to be a top-10 Fantasy running back in all leagues this week. I never thought I would write those words in 2020, but here we are. And I'm confident that Johnson will help you win a Fantasy title.
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Quarterbacks
Start 'Em
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For those of you who picked up Hurts over the past three weeks and advanced to your Fantasy championship (or semifinals if you play into Week 17), you know to start him. That's obvious, and a Fantasy analyst doesn't need to explain that to you. But it's who you're starting him over that matters, and for me it's everyone not named Mahomes, Rodgers, Allen or Murray. And even the latter two are questionable, especially if Stefon Diggs (foot) is out for the Bills. Hurts has 63 Fantasy points in his past two games, with 269 rushing yards and a touchdown over that span and a great matchup against Dallas in Week 16. The Cowboys have allowed at least 24 Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in four of their past six games.
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Brady got off to a slow start in Week 15 at Atlanta, but he finished strong with 390 passing yards and two touchdowns. He's now scored at least 23 Fantasy points in four road games in a row, and the Lions have allowed three of their past four opposing quarterbacks to score at least 36 Fantasy points. For the season, Detroit allows 25.4 Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, and Brady should be locked in as a top-10 Fantasy passer this week.
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After a three-game lull where Herbert scored 19 Fantasy points or less, he was back to being a star in Week 15 at the Raiders with 31 points. He did that with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams at less than 100%, and hopefully both are back to full strength this week against the Broncos. Herbert had 27 Fantasy points at Denver in Week 8, and the Broncos have allowed three quarterbacks in a row to score at least 20 Fantasy points, including Josh Allen scoring 41 points last week. Herbert also likes playing at home since he's averaging 23.5 Fantasy points in seven games in Los Angeles this year.
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This isn't an easy matchup for Tannehill since the Packers only allow 18.4 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, and three quarterbacks in a row have scored 16 Fantasy points or fewer. But I'm going to stick with Tannehill as a top-10 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues, as he's averaging 28.0 Fantasy points per game in his past five outings. If he's forced to chase points this week at Green Bay then he could have a similar performance to what we saw in Week 13 against Cleveland when he completed 29-of-45 passes for 389 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, and he scored 33 Fantasy points in that matchup.
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Brees returned from his four-game absence with a rib injury in Week 15 against the Chiefs and scored 25 Fantasy points. That's now five games in a row that he's finished and scored at least 23 Fantasy points, and I expect him to be in that range again in Week 16 against the Vikings. While it's not an easy matchup since Minnesota has held four quarterbacks in a row to 19 Fantasy points or fewer, I'll trust Brees' track record at home -- he's averaging 24.4 Fantasy points per game in five healthy games in New Orleans this year -- and his need to get in a rhythm prior to the playoffs. He should be considered a low-end starter in all leagues.
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Sleepers
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Trubisky is playing surprisingly well over the past four games after regaining his starting job from Nick Foles, and he should have the chance for another quality Fantasy outing in Week 16 against the Jaguars, who have allowed eight quarterbacks in a row to score at least 20 Fantasy points. Trubisky has at least 24 Fantasy points in two of his past four outings.
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Tagovailoa only has two games with more than 18 Fantasy points as a starter, but he could be useful this week in deeper leagues with his matchup against the Raiders, who have allowed three quarterbacks in a row to score at least 21 Fantasy points. It would help Tagovailoa if DeVante Parker (hamstring) and Mike Gesicki (shoulder) return from their injuries this week, and Tagovailoa also has three rushing touchdowns in his past two games.
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Sit 'Em
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Things have been unraveling for Roethlisberger over the past few weeks, and he hit rock bottom with his Fantasy production in Week 15 at Cincinnati, scoring a season-low eight points. He's now scored 17 Fantasy points or fewer in three of his past four starts, and it's impossible to trust him in Week 16 against the Colts. While Indianapolis has allowed four of the past five opposing quarterbacks to score at least 20 Fantasy points, this is more about Roethlisberger and less about his opponent. You can't start him with any level of confidence in Week 16.
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In his last road game in Week 14 at Tampa Bay, Cousins scored 19 Fantasy points. That pushed his average on the road this season up to 13.8 Fantasy points per game. This is not a good spot to trust Cousins, and the Saints are allowing just 19.3 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this year. I would only start Cousins in two-quarterback and Superflex leagues this week.
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Rivers has been solid of late with at least 21 Fantasy points in each of his past five games, but I'd be hesitant to start him this week at Pittsburgh. While the Steelers offense has struggled, the defense has still been excellent, and only Josh Allen in Week 14 has more than 19 Fantasy points against Pittsburgh since Week 7. For the season, the Steelers allow just 16.3 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, and Rivers will likely have his five-game streak of scoring at least 21 Fantasy points snapped in this matchup.
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Carr is expected to play against the Dolphins despite hurting his groin in Week 15 against the Chargers, and hopefully he's good for Darren Waller and those of you starting Nelson Agholor. But as for Carr's Fantasy value, he should only be considered in two-quarterback and Superflex leagues. While he did score at least 27 Fantasy points in his two previous starts prior to Week 15 against the Jets and Colts, this Dolphins defense is legit. Only one opposing quarterback in their past six games has more than 11 Fantasy points, which was Patrick Mahomes in Week 14, and he only scored 21 points since he had three interceptions. For the season, Miami allows just 17.6 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks.
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Stafford is playing through his rib injury, but he's clearly not 100 percent. He played in Week 15 at Tennessee and completed 22-of-32 passes for 252 yards and one touchdown, and he added 12 rushing yards. He only has one game with more than 17 Fantasy points in his past five outings, and the Buccaneers should make things uncomfortable for him with his injury. If he was 100 percent then he would be a low-end starting option this week, but since he's hurt -- and without Kenny Golladay (hip) again -- it should be easy to avoid Stafford in most one-quarterback formats.
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Bust Alert
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Wilson scored nine Fantasy points against the Rams in Week 10, and he's been at 16 Fantasy points or less in three of his past four starts. He went from an elite Fantasy quarterback to a question mark, and it's hard to count on him this week. The Rams allow just 14.3 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, and only Josh Allen in Week 3, Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 6 and Kyler Murray in Week 13 have scored more than 19 Fantasy points against Los Angeles. Consider Wilson a low-end starting option at best this week, but he's someone I would prefer to avoid.
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So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 15 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big-time last season.
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Running Backs
Start 'Em
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In two starts with Jalen Hurts, Sanders is back to being the running back we love. He had 18 total touches in each game against the Saints and Cardinals, and he had at least 90 total yards in each outing. He has a great matchup this week against the Cowboys, who are No. 6 in Fantasy points allowed to running backs and No. 4 in touchdowns allowed to the position with 14. And Sanders had 25 PPR points in his last meeting with the Cowboys in 2019, so hopefully history repeats itself this week.
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Fournette is expected to start again in Week 16 for Ronald Jones (illness), and he should have the chance for another big game. Fournette started in place of Jones in Week 15 at Atlanta and finished with 14 carries for 49 yards and two touchdowns, along with three catches for 16 yards on five targets, which was good for 20 PPR points. This week, he's facing a Lions defense that allows the most Fantasy points to opposing running backs and most touchdowns to the position (25). There have been seven times this season where a running back has scored multiple times against Detroit, so hopefully Fournette can accomplish that feat again in consecutive weeks.
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Gordon goes back to Los Angeles for the first time since leaving the Chargers after last season, and hopefully this revenge game goes better for him than the initial meeting with these teams. He faced the Chargers in Denver in Week 8 and was held to eight carries for 26 yards, along with six catches for 21 yards on seven targets, but I'm expecting a better performance in the rematch. He's scored at least 11 PPR points in three games in a row and is averaging 13.3 PPR points over that span. Gordon also has eight games this season with at least 15 total touches, and he's scored at least 11 PPR points in all of them. Hopefully, he gets that type of workload this week.
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Dobbins was solid as the Start of the Week in Week 15 against the Jaguars, and he's worth starting again in Week 16 against the Giants. Now, the Giants run defense has been good this season, but it has allowed a running back to score in three games in a row. And Dobbins has a touchdown in four games in a row, including three outings over that span with at least 70 total yards. I expect him to again be the lead running back for the Ravens, and he's worth starting as a No. 2 Fantasy option in all leagues.
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Bell should be considered a low-end starting option in all leagues with Clyde Edwards-Helaire (hip) now out, and hopefully Bell produces at least as well as he did in Week 15 at the Saints when he scored 14 PPR points. That was a season-high for him, and it also was a season high in touches with 16 (15 carries). He should be in that range for work again, although Darrel Williams will also be a factor and should be considered a sleeper. The Falcons have allowed a running back to score or gain over 100 total yards in three games in a row, and hopefully Bell takes advantage of this opportunity with Edwards-Helaire hurt.
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Sleepers
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Even though Ezekiel Elliott (calf) appears on track to play in Week 16, I still like Pollard as a flex option in most leagues. With Elliott out in Week 15 against San Francisco, Pollard was a star with 12 carries for 69 yards and two touchdowns, along with six catches for 63 yards on nine targets. He also caught a touchdown in Week 14 at Cincinnati, and he's looked much more explosive than Elliott for most of the season. The Eagles have allowed a running back to score or gain at least 100 total yards in six games in a row, and it would have been great if Elliott sat out one more week to give Pollard another chance to be a star.
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McKissic remains a starter in PPR and a flex in non-PPR leagues even if Antonio Gibson (toe) is back in Week 16. Hopefully, Alex Smith (calf) returns this week, and McKissic has scored at least 17 PPR points in two of his past three games. Carolina is among the league leaders in receptions allowed to running backs with 82, and eight running backs have at least four catches against the Panthers this year.
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Moss gets the Patriots this week, and New England has allowed back-to-back 100-yard games against Cam Akers and Ahmed. And Moss had 14 carries for 81 yards and two touchdowns against the Patriots in Week 8. Moss has back-to-back games with 13 carries, and the Bills are giving him the chance to be the lead back ahead of Devin Singletary. While both have flex appeal this week at New England, I expect Moss to have the better performance and hopefully find the end zone.
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Wilson should be considered a borderline starter in all leagues with Raheem Mostert (ankle) out. Wilson took over for Mostert in Week 15 at Dallas and had 16 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown and no catches on four targets. This is now five games this season with double digits in carries for Wilson, and he's scored a touchdown in four of them, including three outings with at least 12 PPR points. The Cardinals have also allowed opposing running backs to score six touchdowns in their past five games.
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I didn't expect to buy back into Bernard this season, but it was nice to see him get 25 carries and 26 total touches in Week 15 against Pittsburgh. He converted that into 97 total yards and two touchdowns, and hopefully the Bengals stick with him in Week 16 at Houston. The Texans are No. 2 in Fantasy points allowed to running backs, and only once this season has a running back failed to score against this defense. It's risky to trust Bernard or any Bengals player at this point in the season, but Bernard has flex appeal given the matchup.
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Sit 'Em
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Things have fallen apart for Gallman in the past two weeks against Arizona and Cleveland, and he combined for 11 PPR points over that span. Prior to that, Gallman had scored at least 12 PPR points in six games in a row. He continues to share touches with Alfred Morris and Dion Lewis, and the quarterback situation has been tough for Gallman with an injured Daniel Jones (ankle) or an ineffective Colt McCoy. I don't expect the Giants to score many points against the Ravens, and Gallman could have another rough outing this week.
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Conner is back after missing Week 15 at Cincinnati with a quad injury, but it's hard to trust him this week. He hasn't played well for most of this season and has only one game with more than six PPR points since Week 8. Now, part of that stretch is missing three games due to illness and injury, but the Steelers will likely still give work to Benny Snell against Indianapolis. And this is a tough matchup against the Colts, who should be able to contain the Pittsburgh ground attack. The Steelers have scored the fourth-fewest Fantasy points among running backs this season.
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Henderson will start for the injured Cam Akers (ankle), but Sean McVay said Henderson and Malcolm Brown will split work. Henderson should be considered a flex option this week against the Seahawks, but I'm hesitant to start him in most leagues. The last three times he had double digits in carries -- Week 6 at San Francisco, Week 7 against Chicago and Week 12 against the 49ers -- he combined for just 18 PPR points over that span. He did score against Seattle in Week 10, but he only had seven carries for 28 yards, as well as one catch for 5 yards. Even though the Seahawks have allowed five total touchdowns to running backs in their past five games, I'm not expecting a big performance from Henderson this week.
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This posting is with the potential of Davis starting and Christian McCaffrey (thigh) still out. You're obviously going to sit Davis if McCaffrey plays. But if Davis remains the starter you might want to put him on the bench in your Fantasy leagues because the Washington Football Team has been tough on opposing running backs all season. Washington is among the leaders in fewest receptions (55) and touchdowns (11 total) allowed to running backs. Davis has scored 10 PPR points or less in six of his past seven games without McCaffrey, and he's become touchdown dependent. If he doesn't score this week, your Fantasy team could be in trouble.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Wide Receiver
Start 'Em
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How great was it to have Moore back in Week 15 at Green Bay? He returned from a one-game absence after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list and had six catches for 131 yards on eight targets. He's now scored at least 19 PPR points in the past three games he's been able to finish (he left Week 12 at Minnesota with an ankle injury), and he should play well again this week. Washington has allowed 84 catches, 844 receiving yards and four touchdowns to receivers in the past five weeks, including six guys to score at least 14 PPR points over that span.
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Aiyuk had another dominant game in Week 15 at Dallas with nine catches for 73 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, and he's now scored at least 20 PPR points in five games in a row. It shouldn't matter to him that C.J. Beathard will start for the injured Nick Mullens (elbow), and I still like Aiyuk as a top 10 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. The Cardinals have allowed four receivers to score at least 13 PPR points in their past four games
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Even though I'm concerned about Matthew Stafford and his ribs, I'm still starting Jones this week. He's done a nice job with Kenny Golladay (hip) out, and Jones has scored at least 25 PPR points in two of his past three games. He has four games in a row with at least eight targets, and Tampa Bay could be without standout cornerback Carlton Davis (groin). And in their past four games, the Buccaneers have allowed 78 catches, 1,007 yards and seven touchdowns to opposing receivers, which bodes well for Jones this week if Stafford plays as expected.
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Sleepers
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Gage has been hot lately with Julio Jones (hamstring) and Olamide Zaccheaus (toe) out. In his past three games, Gage has scored at least 15 PPR points in each outing, along with at least seven targets. He should continue to see plenty of targets with Jones likely out again, and the Falcons should be chasing points this week at Kansas City. Gage is a solid No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues, with his value higher in PPR.
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Brown scored his first touchdown with the Buccaneers in Week 15 at Atlanta, and he might be on the verge of starting a hot streak. The Lions have been miserable against opposing receivers all season, and in the past five games, they've allowed 79 catches for 1,103 yards and seven touchdowns to the position on 101 targets. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin should take advantage of this matchup as well, and Brown also has at least 13 PPR points in three of his past five games.
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