Week 16 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Advice on Fantasy Football Stars to Play or Bench

We're in Week 16 of the NFL season, which means for many fantasy managers, it's championship week. Naturally, most managers are going to roll with the stars who got them this far, but not every lineup decision is going to be an easy one.

For starters, several fantasy standouts aren't going to be available in Week 16. No, the NFL didn't suddenly implement a surprise bye week, but as any fantasy veteran knows, injuries are a constant factor. Some managers are going to have to lean heavily on second-tier stars, and most rosters will have such players littered throughout.

Which second-tier stars are worth starting in Week 16 and which belong on the bench? That's what we're going to examine here. We'll run down some of the top players who fall outside the top 10—top 20 for wide receivers—in FantasyPros' Week 16 rankings and assign start or sit status to each.

Factors like player health, projected role and matchup will be considered here, and all picks are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Week 16 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em

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Start 'Em

Mitchell Trubisky, QB, Chicago Bears

Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns

Giovani Bernard, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland Browns

Devin Singletary, RB, Buffalo Bills

Brandin Cooks, WR, Houston Texans

Emanuel Sanders, WR, New Orleans Saints

Rashard Higgins, WR, Cleveland Browns

Dalton Schultz, TE, Dallas Cowboys

Austin Hooper, TE, Cleveland Browns

Sit 'Em

Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Kenyan Drake, RB, Arizona Cardinals

Le'Veon Bell, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Mike Davis, RB, Carolina Panthers

Curtis Samuel, WR, Carolina Panthers

T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts

DJ Chark Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Eric Ebron, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers

Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams

Start 'Em: Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns

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The Cleveland Browns have been in prime time each of the past two weeks, so it shouldn't be a secret that quarterback Baker Mayfield has been playing well. He carved up the New York Giants last week during a 27-of-32 performance that included 297 yards and two touchdowns.

"I thought Baker was outstanding tonight. He was dialed in," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters after the game.

If Mayfield is dialed in against the New York Jets this week, he might just deliver a few fantasy championships. Yes, the Jets befuddled Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff during last week's upset win, but this is still a tremendous matchup on paper.

The Jets have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season. It's unlikely that New York will buck the trend two weeks in a row.

Start 'Em: Giovani Bernard, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

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Yes, we're suggesting a Cincinnati Bengals player in Week 16. No, it's not because the Bengals upset the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. The reality is that Bengals running back Giovani Bernard was superb during that upset—he finished with 83 rushing yards, 14 receiving yards and two touchdowns—and faces an even more appealing matchup in Week 16.

The Steelers have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2020. The Houston Texans have allowed the second-most.

While it's unfair to expect Bernard to repeat his standout performance, the longtime veteran should again have a big day. Starter Joe Mixon isn't returning to face the Texans, so Bernard should again be leading Cincinnati's backfield committee.

As the Bengals proved during their win over Pittsburgh, their best chance to win is by leaning on the ground game. However, Bernard is a tremendous receiver out of the backfield and should also carry some PPR upside.

Start 'Em: Emmanuel Sanders, WR, New Orleans Saints

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New Orleans Saints star receiver Michael Thomas is on injured reserve for the rest of the regular season. This means that fellow wideout Emmanuel Sanders should see a significant role moving forward.

Sanders was one of Drew Brees' go-to targets during the Week 15 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. While Brees wasn't particularly sharp in his return from injury, Sanders still managed to finish with four receptions and 76 receiving yards.

Against the Minnesota Vikings this week, Sanders could have even better numbers. Brees will be healthier and should be in more of a rhythm than he was a week ago. The Vikings have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season.

This is a classic case of matchup meeting opportunity, and it's one that makes Sanders a fantastic flex play with some serious upside.

Start 'Em: Dalton Schultz, TE, Dallas Cowboys

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Dallas Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz isn't coming off a strong yardage game as Sanders is, but he's still a solid option for managers lacking a high-end starter at the position. Schultz did have a touchdown in Week 15 and had caught at least four passes in five of his six previous games.

Schultz also has a good matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, who have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season (tied).

Expect Schultz to act as Andy Dalton's security blanked in this game and to bring both PPR and touchdown upside. with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts playing extremely well, he should see several opportunities to make big plays as well.

If Hurts plays like he has thus far, this game carries legitimate shootout potential.

*Fantasy points against via Fantasypros