Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 16: Advice for Unfavorable Fantasy Football Matchups
For some fantasy football managers, a win in their Week 16 matchup will secure them a spot in their league's championship game. There have been a lot of important weeks to this point. But this is clearly the biggest one yet.
That's why fantasy managers have to make the right lineup decisions. They really can't afford to have a player who they start to put up zero points or a player who they didn't to have a huge performance. Then, those managers may be heading to the consolation bracket. And nobody wants to end up there.
So here's some start/sit advice to consider based on the upcoming Week 16 NFL matchups. And make sure to put a lot of thought into those lineups this week, especially if your league has reached the semifinals of the playoff bracket.
Sit 'Em: Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Cam Akers has had 13 or more touches in each of the past three weeks and scored three touchdowns over that span. However, that's not enough of a reason to start the 23-year-old running back this week.
The Rams have a challenging matchup against the Denver Broncos, and their fledgling offense is likely to struggle. Even though Akers has been solid of late, he's likely to struggle against a Broncos defense that completely shuts down passing attacks and is more than capable of limiting production on the ground.
Plus, Akers still hasn't ran for more than 65 yards in a game this season. So while the Florida State product has been more involved for Los Angeles of late, he still isn't among the top tiers of fantasy running backs.
Unless your roster is thin at RB and you're just chasing volume, it'd be better to bench Akers this week and find a starting option with a higher ceiling. It doesn't feel like he's going to find much success against the Broncos.
Start 'Em: Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This could be the week that Mike Evans finally returns to form. It's been a down season for the 29-year-old wide receiver, but a breakout should be coming soon. And there may be no better time for that to happen than during the Buccaneers' matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
Evans hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 4 and has only two 100-yard games this season (the most recent of which came in Week 8). But he's been targeted nine times each of the past two weeks, so it's clear Tampa Bay is trying to get him going.
It hasn't worked quite yet, but Evans had 83 receiving yards in the Bucs' Week 15 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, which was his largest total since 8. Now, Tampa Bay will face an Arizona defense that is allowing the 10th-most passing yards per game in the NFL.
The Buccaneers should get back on track with a win over the banged-up Cardinals, and Evans could be a big part of it. So trust him in your fantasy lineup this week, even though that's been tough to do for much of the year.
Sit 'Em: Jakobi Meyers, WR, New England Patriots
Early in the season, Jakobi Meyers was putting up impressive receiving numbers. But in recent weeks, the 26-year-old has struggled to be much of a factor in the Patriots' offense, and that seems likely to continue in Week 16.
Meyers hasn't had more than three catches in any of his past three games, and he's recorded only 69 receiving yards over the past two contests. The NC State product also hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 8.
On Saturday, New England has a difficult matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, who are giving up the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers (per NFL.com). So it doesn't seem like this is the most opportune time for Meyers to get back on track.
There are much better fantasy options at WR this week, and some may even be available in the waiver wire in your league. If you were thinking about reinserting Meyers into your lineup, don't do it and instead make a move to acquire somebody else, if needed.