Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 16: Making the Call on Fantasy Football Fringe Starters

Congratulations if you are competing in your league's championship, but the hard part is still to come.

Going into likely the final week of the fantasy football season, it doesn't matter where players were drafted or how they have fared throughout the year. The only important factor is how many points you will get in the upcoming week.

Although this sometimes leads to some risky moves with a fantasy title on the line, this is no time to be timid. Here is a look at some smart plays for your team at each position to help you win a championship.

Quarterback

Start: Mark Sanchez, Philadelphia Eagles

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With a two-interception performance against the Dallas Cowboys, Mark Sanchez lost a lot of trust he had built up with fantasy owners. ESPN's Skip Bayless provided the thoughts many had watching the recent loss:

However, he has a chance to turn things around with an upcoming matchup against the Washington Redskins.

While much of the discussion from the season has regarded the quarterback play, the poor pass defense has really been the problem in 2014. The unit has a league-low five interceptions while giving up 31 passing touchdowns, second only to the Chicago Bears.

Sanchez should be able to get the ball to the playmakers on the team and put up some big numbers.

Sit: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

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The ability to pick up yards on the ground has helped keep Russell Wilson a consistent fantasy option throughout the year. He has reached at least 10 fantasy points in every single game this year.

However, it's championship time, and simply being average is not good enough. Wilson has only topped 20 points in standard leagues in two of the last eight weeks—not really what you want from a fantasy star.

Things only get tougher with a matchup against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16. St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher noted how good this defense has been this year:

After a rough start, the Cardinals have done a great job of limiting opposing quarterbacks, with an average of just 11.4 fantasy points allowed over the past seven games. The squad has only allowed six passing touchdowns in this stretch.

If you can find a better option than Wilson, don't be afraid to bench the Seahawks star.

Running Back

Start: Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints

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It's understandable to be cautious about starting Mark Ingram after plenty of inconsistency lately. He only has one touchdown in the last six weeks, and that came in garbage time Monday night against the Chicago Bears.

On the plus side, he is still the go-to option in the Saints backfield, getting 17 carries last game while no one else had more than three.

Meanwhile, the Falcons have really struggled against the run, allowing a league-high 21 touchdowns to opposing running backs. Le'Veon Bell scored twice last week even though head coach Mike Smith was proud of the defensive effort:

Considering Atlanta will also have to focus on slowing down Drew Brees and the passing attack, Ingram should have plenty of free running room to have a productive day.

Sit: LeGarrette Blount, New England Patriots

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What have we learned? Never trust Bill Belichick when it comes to fantasy football.

Although LeGarrette Blount scored a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins, he only managed 17 yards on eight carries in the win. Shane Vereen scored the other rushing touchdown in the game while Jonas Gray came back from the dead with 62 rushing yards on 11 carries.

Even if Blount does get the majority of touches in Week 16, the New York Jets' biggest strength is the run defense. The Patriots will know better than to play into their opponent's hand, as shown from the Week 7 matchup when they only rushed the ball 15 times.

In such an important game for your fantasy team, you simply can't trust a player who might get only a few carries against a good defense.

Wide Receiver

Start: Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons

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Even though Julio Jones is expected to return to action against the New Orleans Saints, Roddy White still has an opportunity to be a quality fantasy option in Week 16.

In his last five games in the lineup, White has finished with at least nine fantasy points in standard leagues. He has also been targeted at least 10 times in three of his last four games.

Along the way, he has put himself in the Falcons record books, according to Knox Bardeen of Fox Sports:

Against a Saints defense that has allowed at least one touchdown to an opposing receiver in each of the last six games, White should have a strong performance with or without Jones alongside of him.

Sit: Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills

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Sammy Watkins has had an outstanding rookie season overall and has the potential to be one of the best receivers in the league. Unfortunately, his production simply hasn't been there in the second half of the season.

The first-round pick has 35 or fewer yards in five of his last six games and hasn't scored at all in this stretch. The latest win over the Green Bay Packers featured Watkins totaling just a single catch.

He has been consistently targeted by Kyle Orton, but some bad luck has hurt his ability to add to his numbers, as noted by Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus:

No matter the reason, you simply cannot trust someone who has only one good game since October. Considering the Oakland Raiders also allow the third-fewest points to opposing receivers, benching Watkins is a smart move.

Tight End

Start: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

Travis Kelce has been quite frustrating for fantasy owners, but he finally seems to be part of the offensive game plan for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Over the past two weeks, the tight end has 12 catches for 169 yards and a touchdown to truly become the TE1 he was expected to be all year.

Mike Clay of Pro Football Focus (via ESPN Insider, subscription required) breaks down why he should be in lineups in Week 16:

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Travis Kelce's snaps are way up during the past month, but his absurd efficiency makes one wonder why he's not seeing an even larger role as a pass-catcher. Kelce has caught 81.2 percent of his targets and is averaging 7.9 yards after contact per reception. Both are tops in the league among tight ends who have seen at least 40 targets. 

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Only four teams have allowed more touchdowns to opposing tight ends than the Pittsburgh Steelers, which means Kelce could be ready for another big game.

Sit: Coby Fleener, Indianapolis Colts

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After a huge Week 13 performance against the Washington Redskins, Coby Fleener has only managed 88 total receiving yards in the past two weeks.

The problem is the return of Dwayne Allen, who—when healthy—is still more of a go-to option for Andrew Luck, especially near the end zone. Stephen Holder of Fox Sports 1 provided the breakdown:

Fleener's chances of scoring a touchdown are relatively low, and he is not a big enough part of the offense to justify putting him in your lineup otherwise.

You need to find a better option at the position this week to help you win your championship.

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