This week is a the most important week in fantasy football. You want to start the guys you can trust on, but you also may have to take a couple risks in your lineup to score big against a very likely fierce opponent. Here is our start ’em sit ’em Week 16 list. Good luck in the fantasy super bowl! And if you win your league, get yourself a fantasy football championship belt from the Fantasy Couch store.
Week 16 Start ’em
Tony Romo, Dal QB
Do you remember the time when you couldn’t start Tony Romo when the calendar turned to December? Seems like it was years ago. This December he has been the most reliable option to plug in at quarterback, and is a must-start this week with the fantasy championship on the line.
In Romo’s last five games he has thrown for 13 touchdowns to two interceptions and has scored more than 20 fantasy points (standard) in four of them. This week he faces an Indianapolis Colts defense who, on the road, have allowed five of six home quarterbacks to post double-digit fantasy point totals.
With a running game that will not be at full strength, I expect the Cowboys to lean on their veteran quarterback who will reward fantasy owners with his first 300-yard passing game since Week 5 and a healthy three passing touchdowns, which will make him a top five play for the week.
QBs to Start
Kyle Orton
Matt Ryan
Alex Smith
Drew Brees
Mark Sanchez
Ben Roethlisberger
Matthew Stafford
Tom Brady
Andy Dalton
RBs to Start
Joique Bell
Mark Ingram
Jeremy Hill
C.J. Anderson
Fred Jackson
Marshawn Lynch
Tre Mason
Steven Jackson
Lamar Miller
Dan Herron
Eddie Lacy
Alfred Morris
Justin Forsett
LeSean McCoy
Jonathan Stewart
WRs to Start
Golden Tate
Randall Cobb
Mike Evans
DeAndre Hopkins
Julian Edelman
Kenny Stills
Torrey Smith
Jeremy Maclin
Odell Beckham Jr.
DeSean Jackson
Anquan Boldin
Jarvis Landry
Roddy White
A.J. Green
James Jones
TEs to Start
Greg Olsen
Dwayne Allen
Travis Kelce
Jason Witten
Delanie Walker
Antonio Gates
Martellus Bennett
Scott Chandler
Zach Ertz
Week 16 Sit ’em
Matt Forte, Chi RB
I know if you got Matt Forte on your roster you are probably starting him this week because you have no better options, but hear me out why you might want to reconsider that.
Forte has a very difficult matchup this week against the Detroit Lions who have been stout against the run all year. The Lions are giving up 63 yards on the ground a game and haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher all year. They have allowed only five carries of twenty yards or more and opposing running backs are averaging 3.1 YPC. Last time Forte faced this defense he only gained five rushing yards and finished with a measly five fantasy points.
What makes this situation even worse for Forte is that wide receiver Brandon Marshall has been lost for the year, so Alshon Jeffery should be seeing double coverage and his $126 million quarterback is being replaced by a four-year veteran with only 10 career starts.
This screams like a recipe for disaster for Forte owners, so I would temper my expectations and have Forte outside my Top 20 RBs for the week.
QBs to Sit
Ryan Tannehill
Joe Flacco
Philip Rivers
Russell Wilson
Teddy Bridgewater
Colin Kaepernick
Eli Manning
Robert Griffin III
Johnny Manziel
Derek Carr
Ryan Lindley
Cam Newton
RBs to Sit
Latavius Murray
Brandon Oliver
Doug Martin
Isaiah Crowell
LeGarrette Blount
C.J. Spiller
Matt Asiata
Giovani Bernard
Frank Gore
Chris Ivory
Knile Davis
Trent Richardson
Darren Sproles
Rashad Jennings/Andre Williams
WRs to Sit
Doug Baldwin
Malcom Floyd
Eric Decker
Martavis Bryant
Sammy Watkins
Greg Jennings
Dwayne Bowe
Alshon Jeffery
Josh Gordon
Steve Smith Sr.
Andre Johnson
Michael Crabtree
Vincent Jackson
Mohamed Sanu
All Cardinals Wide Receivers
TEs to Sit
Mychal Rivera
Jordan Reed
Vernon Davis
Owen Daniels
Heath Miller
Jordan Cameron
Kyle Rudolph
Larry Donnell
