The Biggest Start/Sit Decisions for Week 16 (Fantasy Football)

Welcome to the semifinal edition of the Start/Sit series, where we’ll discuss your most commonly asked “Who should I start?” questions for the week.

The projections between any two players on your roster may appear similar, but this “simple” choice could be the difference between your team’s victory or defeat. Luckily, the Fantasy Footballers have created an amazing Start/Sit tool to easily compare any two (or more) players with insight from the Ballers themselves, and trust me — it’s a precious asset that will help you make these crucial lineup decisions that could ultimately lead you to your #FootClanTitle.

In this article, you’ll find your most popular Start/Sit questions of the week, along with the Ballers’ projections and my personal opinions on the matter. Please note that the Footballers’ rankings are constantly being updated as news breaks, so make sure you check out the tool for yourself to catch any last-second changes.

So, without further ado, let’s kick things off with the biggest Start/Sit questions for Week 16:

QB:
Joe Flacco (CLE), Kyler Murray (ARI), or Nick Mullens (MIN)?

These three QBs were being asked ad nauseam, so I figured I’d lump them all together.

If we go by last week’s results, then it makes sense to put Flacco way ahead of the pack. But despite Kyler’s recent struggles, his rushing propensity always makes him a QB1 contender. And I acknowledge that Chicago’s defense has been quite the gem ever since they traded for Montez Sweat. Still, their recent upswing also happened to coincide with softball matchups against the likes of Bryce Young (in Frank Reich’s penultimate game before unemployment), the pumpkin version of Joshua Dobbs, a nearly 39-year-old Joe Flacco, and a wildly inconsistent Jared Goff. Murray, meanwhile, has faced a gauntlet of tough defenses and will finally have more room to breathe.

The consensus winner is Flacco thanks to his penchant for slinging it, averaging over 44 pass attempts per game. He’s fantasy’s QB6 since being called into action, and with a soft matchup against the Texans on deck, he should continue striking gold. If you need another confidence boost, Andy appointed the Elite Dragon to be his QB Start of the Week. Nick Mullens is also a fun streamer with a healthy stack of weapons to throw to, but it’s hard trusting someone so unproven during the semifinals.

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Flacco deserves to be started in his redemption tour, but I’d personally chase the upside with a rebounding Murray.

The Verdict
Joe Flacco

RB:
Jonathan Taylor (IND) or Aaron Jones (GB)?

Aaron Jones is a smash play this week without AJ Dillon and up against a porous Panthers defensive front. The offense should run through Jones and he should be a clear RB1 with Christian Watson (hamstring) doubtful and fellow receivers Jayden Reed (toe/chest) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) questionable.

But if Jonathan Taylor plays, you simply must play him. He’ll be returning from injury, but it was to his thumb, not legs, so he should be deployed at full speed. The only qualm is that his matchup sucks, though he’ll enjoy bell cow usage with Zack Moss (arm) expected out, meaning he should see a safe floor with TD upside. He’s seen a substantial workload when fully healthy, while Jones has been as inconsistent as they come (RB44 in the consistency chart).

The Verdict
Jonathan Taylor (if healthy)

WR:
Rashee Rice (KC) or Drake London (ATL)?

He has all the talent in the world, but unless his QB and coaching staff change, then Drake London will remain stuck in fantasy purgatory where he’ll enjoy brief glimpses of fleeting success buried with pitiful impotency. On the other hand, Rashee Rice has been a revelation, emerging as Patrick Mahomes’ lone trusty wideout who can help take the load off of an aging Travis Kelce. He’s the overall WR3 since Week 13, making him a great start for your lineups despite the middling matchup and bad weather.

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The Verdict
Rashee Rice

TE:
Trey McBride (ARI) or David Njoku (CLE)?

We should honestly be talking more about Trey McBride vs Travis Kelce rather than anyone else because the guy deserves to be in the conversation for the weekly TE1 going forward. His usage is elite, and his production is absurd. David Njoku is a great start as well, not to mention him being Andy’s TE Start of the Week. But McBride’s role as the team’s lead pass catcher — especially with Marquise Brown (heel) ruled out — makes him the unanimous favorite.

Trey McBride szn is upon us:

Among TEs
* #1 in TPRR (27%)
* #1 in YPRR (2.30)
* #6 in Missed Tackles Forced
* #5 in ESPN's Open Score

Only 24 years old

— Matthew Betz (@TheFantasyPT) December 19, 2023

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The Verdict
Trey McBride

D/ST:
Miami Dolphins or Seattle Seahawks?

The Dolphins have been on fire recently, but that was highly suspected to be due to their Charmin-soft strength of schedule, facing the Raiders, Jets, Commanders, Titans, and Jets again after their bye. But don’t be lured by their recent success, because the gravy train ends on Sunday with an imposing matchup against the Cowboys’ prolific offense. And while the Seahawks haven’t been anything to write home about, they should fare better against a turnover-friendly Titans offense that will either start a hobbling Will Levis or the ghost of Ryan Tannehill. The Ballers like Miami more, but I’d prefer the Hawks this week.

The Verdict
Seattle Seahawks

Good luck Footclan! If you have any questions, hit me up on Twitter. And don’t forget to tune in to the Sunday Live broadcast where Mike will answer your last-second Start/Sit questions!