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

It's Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season, which means, of course, that we're deep into the fantasy playoffs. The good news is that managers don't need to worry about bye weeks. The bad news is that injuries and tough matchups can still impact win-or-go-home matchups.

We'll focus on some of the tougher matchups of Week 16 here, identifying potentially risky situations and providing start-sit recommendations based on factors like past performance and projected roles.

All picks and analysis are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon has been a fantasy star this season when healthy. However, there are a couple of potential reasons for concern this week.

For one, Mixon briefly left Houston's Week 15 game against the Miami Dolphins with an ankle injury. He missed time earlier in the season with an ankle ailment and wasn't at 100 percent upon his initial return.

Mixon has been limited in practice. However, head coach DeMeco Ryans said early in the week that Mixon "will be fine," according to ProFootballTalk's Josh Alper.

Mixon also faces a tough matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs this week. No team has allowed fewer fantasy points to opposing running backs than Kansas City in 2024.

Yet, Mixon's role as a dual-threat, high-volume back should allow him to deliver. He only tallied 23 rushing yards against Miami last week, but he also caught five passes for another 53.

While managers could certainly hope for a better matchup in a playoff week, Mixon should still be good for double-digit fantasy points at a minimum.

Week 16 will open with Thursday night's matchup between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers. Now would be a good time for Javonte Williams managers to look for replacements on the bench or the waiver wire.

The Broncos have utilized a committee backfield for most of the season. While Williams has had the occasional big game—he's recorded exactly 111 scrimmage yards twice—Jaleel McLaughlin has emerged as the more explosive back.

McLaughlin has also seemingly taken over the lead role in the receiving game. Against the Indianapolis Colts last week, McLaughlin only logged one more carry than Williams, but he also caught three passes to Williams' two.

Williams finished Week 15 with just two catches and 23 scrimmage yards.

Neither of Denver's backs are reliable this week anyway, as the Chargers have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing RBs—and that's after coughing up 223 rushing yards to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Williams is far too big of a risk in a pivotal playoff matchup.

Most managers won't entertain the idea of sitting Detroit Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown. Those with depth at receiver, though, might be weighing their options. Detroit is set to visit the Chicago Bears, who have surrendered the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers this season.

St. Brown had a decent outing in the first meeting, catching five passes for 73 yards. However, managers will be hoping for a bit more in a postseason matchup. Expect the star pass-catcher to have a more prolific outing in the rematch.

There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that defensive injuries have left the Lions a bit vulnerable. The Bears haven't exactly been good offensively, but they did come close to pulling off the upset in the first meeting. There may be a lot more offensive back-and-forth than Detroit would like, which could leave the Lions leaning on the pass.

Detroit may utilize a pass-heavy strategy anyway, as standout running back David Montgomery is out with an MCL injury. The Lions still have Jahmyr Gibbs to lead the ground attack, but the ball should flow more frequently to St. Brown than it did the last time he battled the Bears.

Jauan Jennings may have helped propel many managers to the playoffs as an in-season waiver-wire addition. In the absence of Brandon Aiyuk, Jennings has emerged as the San Francisco 49ers' top perimeter receiver and has delivered some huge games.

Against the Bears two weeks ago, for example, Jennings caught seven passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns.

However, we'd recommend being cautious with Jennings this week. He had some uncharacteristic drops in Week 15 and finished with only two catches for 31 yards. He faces another tough matchup, as the Miami Dolphins have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers.

Miami did surrender two touchdowns to star Texans receiver Nico Collins in Week 15, but Collins also had a mere 17 yard on four receptions.

Jennings should be viewed as a touchdown-dependent option this week, which isn't ideal. The 49ers often run the ball or target tight end George Kittle in the red zone, while the Dolphins have surrendered only 16 passing touchdowns on the season—sixth-fewest in the NFL.

*Fantasy scoring information via FantasyPros