Week 16 Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em

If you are reading this column, then you are one of the Fantastic Four.

Hopefully you're playing like the Human Torch or the Thing—two of the more powerful members of the team.

In the vast majority of fantasy football leagues, Week 16 means it's the playoff semifinals. When the dust settles in Indianapolis Monday night, only two teams will be left standing—the teams that will play for the fantasy championship a week from now.

Everyone wants to be one of those final two teams, but getting there won't be easy—the final four teams left in leagues are all formidable. Lineups need to be maximized, and every fantasy point matters.

Here at Bleacher Report, we're all about spreading joy this holiday season—so we're helping you advance to the championship game with some recommendations for players to start, others who belong glued to the bench, and even some Week 16 sleeper plays.

Quarterbacks

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Packers QB Jordan Love

Start 'Em

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (at CHI) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,700

The Bears have been winning, but the pass defense has been average at best this season, including a couple of weeks ago against the Packers. In that game. Love threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns, finishing the week inside QB1 territory in 12-team fantasy leagues. That's closer to his floor than his ceiling in Week 16.

Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints (vs. NYJ) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,400]

Shough has been fantasy relevant over the past couple of weeks, largely because he has been gaining yardage with his legs—15 carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns over the past two games. Now the QB and the Saints host a New York Jets team that has allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks in 2025.

Sit 'Em

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (at DEN) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,900]

Lawrence just had arguably the best game of his NFL career, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to throw five touchdown passes, score on the ground and gain 50 yards on the ground in a game. However, that eruption came against the New York Jets. The 12-2 Broncos are not the Jets.

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (vs. LAC) [DraftKings DFS Value: $6,700]

Prescott has been a top-five fantasy quarterback this season, but he's coming off his third-worst fantasy outing of the season and draws a Los Angeles Chargers defense that has given up the second-fewest fantasy points to QBs this season. A second straight letdown week could be in the offing.

Sleeper

J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings (at NYG) [DraftKings DFS Value: $4,900]

McCarthy has quietly looked like a genuine NFL quarterback in recent weeks, including setting a new season high in passing yards last week against the Cowboys. Now, he takes on a Giants team that ranks 23rd against the pass and has allowed the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.

Running Backs

AP Photo/Erin Hooley

Browns RB Quinshon Judkins

Start 'Em

Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers (at DAL) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,800]

Hampton has had 15 or more touches in both of his games since returning to the field. With Justin Herbert nursing a broken left hand, the Bolts are riding the ground game hard and should have success running the ball against a Cowboys team surrendering the seventh-most PPR points to running backs this season.

Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns (vs. BUF) [DraftKings DFS Value: $6,000]

Given what the offense has looked like much of the season, trusting any Browns player in a must-win game isn't for the weak-hearted. But the Bills have been soft again the run this year, giving up 143.1 yards per game on the ground and the fourth-most PPR points to running backs.

Sit 'Em

R.J. Harvey, Denver Broncos (vs. JAX) [DraftKings DFS Value: $6,200]

Harvey is averaging over 20 touches per game over the past two weeks. But the rookie has averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, is nursing sore ribs that could lead to a reduced workload in Week 16, and the Broncos host a Jaguars team that leads the NFL in run defense at just 86.3 yards per game.

Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders (at HOU) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,600]

Jeanty's difficult rookie season isn't solely his fault—the Raiders offense has struggled badly. However, he is averaging just 1.3 yards before contact per attempt, and that's not going to get better against a stifling Texans defense giving up less than 93 yards per game on the ground.

Sleeper

Audric Estime, New Orleans Saints (vs. NYJ) [DraftKings DFS Value $5,000]

Saints running back Alvin Kamara hasn't practiced in weeks. Backup running back Devin Neal has already been ruled out for Week 16 with a hamstring injury. That leaves Estime as the next man up as the lead back for the Saints against a Jets defense allowing the third-most PPR points to running backs in 2025.

Wide Receivers

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Steelers WR DK Metcalf

Start 'Em

Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers (at IND) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,400]

Jennings only has 117 receiving yards over the past three games combined, but the fifth-year veteran has scored four touchdowns over that span. Monday night, he and the 49ers face an Indianapolis Colts team that has surrendered the third-most PPR points to receivers this year.

DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers (at DET) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,400]

Metcalf's usage has been inconsistent this season, but he found the end zone last week against the Miami Dolphins. The Steelers are going to have to open up the offense to hang with the Lions in Motown, and Detroit has given up the second-most PPR points to wideouts this year.

Sit 'Em

George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys (vs. LAC) [DraftKings DFS Value: $7,300]

Pickens is having the best season of his career in his first year with the Cowboys. But he has been mired in a funk of late, with just eight catches for 70 yards over the last two games combined. That continues this week against a Chargers team allowing the fewest PPR points per game to receivers in 2025.

Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins (vs. CIN) [DraftKings DFS Value: $6,800]

This was already a tough matchup for Waddle, and relying on rookie Quinn Ewers to consistently push the ball vertically adds significant risk in fantasy playoffs.

Sleeper

Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers (at DAL) [DraftKings DFS Value $4,900]

Johnston is nursing a groin injury, but he's practicing and tentatively expected to play Sunday against the Cowboys. Assuming he does, look out—Dallas has struggled defensively, allowing more passing yards per game and PPR points to wide receivers than any team in the league.

Tight Ends

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson

Start 'Em

Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens (vs. NE) [DraftKings DFS Value: $4,000]

There have essentially been two outcomes with Andrews this season. He has been very boom‑or‑bust, either scoring or providing minimal production. It's going to be the former for the veteran in Week 16—the New England Patriots have given up the ninth-most PPR points to tight ends this season.

Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins (vs. CIN) [DraftKings DFS Value $3,500]

The insertion of Quinn Ewers under center adds a degree of risk to trusting Waller in a must-win week, but the Bengals have been very generous to opposing tight ends this season. They have allowed 5.25 more PPR points per game to the position than any team in the league.

Sit 'Em

Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns (vs. BUF) [DraftKings DFS Value: $4,500]

The Cleveland offense has been offensive most of the season, but Fannin's first year in the NFL has been solid—his 667 receiving yards rank fifth among all tight ends. However, no team has allowed fewer PPR points to tight ends than the Bills this season.

Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys (vs. LAC) [DraftKings DFS Value: $4,400]

Ferguson sits fourth in PPR points among tight ends this season, but his two catches for 16 yards last week was his second-worst stat line of the season. He now takes on the Chargers and a third-ranked pass defense that has surrendered the seventh-fewest PPR points to tight ends this season.

Sleeper

Evan Engram, Denver Broncos (vs. JAX) [DraftKings DFS Value $2,900]

It's fitting to list Engram as a sleeper, because he has been quiet for most of the 2025 season. However, if you are desperate for a tight end to plug into the lineup this week, his former team has been kind to the position this year—seventh in PPR points given up to tight ends.

Team Defenses

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

Falcons edge James Pearce Jr.

Start 'Em

Atlanta Falcons Defense (at ARI) [DraftKings DFS Value: $2,700]

After struggling in a big way rushing the passer in recent years, the Falcons' decision to draft a pair of edge-rushers in the first round of the draft in April has paid off with an NFC-high 48 sacks in 2025. No team in the NFC has allowed more sacks than the Arizona Cardinals. You can't argue with math.

New Orleans Saints Defense (vs. NYJ) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,400]

The Saints aren't an especially good defensive team this season, but this play is all about the matchup. The Jets are 29th in the league in total defense, 27th in the NFL in scoring defense and starting an undrafted rookie quarterback who has been prone to turnovers.

Sit 'Em

Jacksonville Jaguars Defense (at DEN) [DraftKings DFS Value: $2,900]

The Jaguars quietly rank third among defenses in fantasy points after 15 weeks, thanks largely to an AFC-high 26 takeaways. But Denver has tallied just 14 giveaways, have allowed an NFL-low 17 sacks and have given up the seventh-fewest fantasy points to defenses in 2025.

Pittsburgh Steelers Defense (at DET) [DraftKings DFS Value: $2,300]

The Steelers have been a solid fantasy defense this year—Pittsburgh ranks seventh in fantasy points for the season. But starting a fantasy defense against the Detroit Lions generally doesn't end well, with no team in the league giving up fewer fantasy points to defenses this season.

Sleeper

New York Giants Defense (vs. MIN) [DraftKings DFS Value $2,600]

Are the Giants a good football team? Not really. Are the G-Men good defensively? No, but they can get after the quarterback. The Vikings have allowed an NFC-high 47 sacks, lead the league with 27 giveaways and have allowed the most fantasy points in the NFC to defenses.