Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 16: Final Review Before Thursday Night Football

It's pretty rare to have a Thursday Night Football matchup when you literally can't find a justification for starting any of the players in the contest. This week's game between the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars is nearly that rare exception.

Delanie Walker is the lone player worth starting in this one. I mean, you could make the case for Kendall Wright if he plays, or Nate Washington, or Cecil Shorts III, or Allen Hurns, or...Oh, who am I kidding? Outside of Walker, stay away from this snoozefest. 

But there will be plenty of intriguing starting options out there after Thursday night, and just as many big-name players you should be keeping on your bench for championship week. Let's break down a few of the most intriguing players from each category below.

Start 'Em: Matt Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions

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I love Matt Stafford this week. Love him.

For starters, he smoked this week's opponent, the Chicago Bears, for 390 passing yards and two passing touchdowns in Week 13. While he posted just 10 fantasy points against Minnesota last week—a better defense than they're given credit for—he had 45 combined points in the two games before last week's clunker.

And remember, Chicago is not good on the defensive side of the ball. Far from it. The Bears have given up 20 or more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in three straight weeks and seven times in their last 11 games.

Chicago is a mess right now, while Detroit is fighting for their playoff lives. This one could get ugly. And that's a beautiful thing for Stafford owners.

Sit 'Em: Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago Bears

You knew this one was coming, didn't you?

It's gotten bad in Chicago. Like, everything-is getting-blown-up-in-the-offseason bad. While Cutler is still ninth in fantasy points among quarterbacks this season, there are signs that a regression is coming. 

Losing Brandon Marshall for the season was a killer. So were the following comments from Marshall to WMVP-AM (via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune) last week after reports surfaced that the Bears had "buyer's remorse" after signing Cutler to a long-term extension:

"

What I would say is we all know Jay is more than capable of getting it done. It doesn’t always fall on him. I guess that’s why those guys are the highest paid players out there. Because when you win and everything is going good, they get all the glory. And when it’s bad, they take more than what they should take. But I can understand that as far as as a business man, I would have buyer’s remorse, too.

"

Ouch.

It gets worse, of course, since offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer then cried as he apologized in front of the team this past week for talking to a reporter about his frustrations with Cutler, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

So yes, the distractions have been coming in hard and fast. Maybe they've played a factor in Cutler throwing six interceptions in his last three games, maybe not, but it would be hard to trust Cutler even if he wasn't facing a strong defense like the one Detroit will bring to town.

The Lions are giving up just 12.9 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, fifth-best in the NFL. A quarterback on a dysfunctional team who has regressed of late and doesn't have his top option in the passing game doesn't seem like a smart start against one of the league's best defenses.

So sit Cutler. And be glad that, unlike the Bears, you have the option to do so.

Start 'Em: Fred Jackson, RB, Buffalo Bills

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Fred Jackson hasn't exactly been the most dynamic fantasy option this year, no, but his 20 carries for 71 yards against the Green Bay Packers this past week was a nice reminder that he's still the top dog in this backfield. 

That bodes very well for him against an Oakland Raiders defense giving up 22 fantasy points to opposing running backs per week, 31st in the NFL, and 125.4 rushing yards per contest, 25th in the league. I mean, the Raiders just made Knile Davis look like Terrell Davis, for heaven's sake. 

Jackson should have a solid game against this defense.

Sit 'Em: Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

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There are a few reasons I don't trust either of these players this week.

The primary reason is that the Denver Broncos have actually been quite good against the run this year. They're second in rushing yards allowed per game and fourth in fantasy points allowed to opposing backs per contest. That revamped defense has proved to be tough in the trenches.

But the other reason, of course, is the timeshare between Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard. While the two did carve up the Cleveland Browns—especially Hill, who appears to be the player you want out of this duo for the time being—Johnny Manziel and the Browns offense couldn't get anything going on offense, so the Bengals had plenty of opportunity to grind away in the running game.

Against Denver's tough defense and high-scoring offense, however, that likely isn't going to be the case. You may not have a choice but to start one of these players, but temper your expectations.

Start 'Em: DeSean Jackson, WR, Washington

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Have you seen the Philadelphia Eagles try to cover opposing wide receivers? It's akin to watching an idiot in a hurricane take shelter by putting on a windbreaker.

In other words, Philly is dreadful against opposing wideouts, especially dynamic ones. The Birds are giving up 25.6 fantasy points to the position per week, 31st in the NFL, and in Week 3 DeSean Jackson torched them for 117 receiving yards and a score. 

Even with Washington being the mess that they are, it's a good bet that D-Jax will torch his former team on Saturday. 

Sit 'Em: Sammy Watkins, WR, Buffalo Bills

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It's become pretty tough to trust Sammy Watkins from a fantasy perspective. He hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 8 and he's scored 10 or more fantasy points just once in the last six weeks. It doesn't help that Kyle Orton simply isn't a very good quarterback. 

You might think that a matchup against Oakland would favor the rookie standout, but in fact it's quite the opposite. Perhaps because teams have so little trouble running against them, the Raiders have held opposing wideouts to 16.6 fantasy points per week, third-best in the NFL. 

Buffalo is probably going to run the ball down Oakland's throat, limiting Watkins' opportunities. Add in his recent downtick in production and it shouldn't be hard to keep him on your bench this week.

All point totals and points-against statistics via ESPN standard scoring leagues.