Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Wide Receivers for Fantasy Football Week 16

It’s the fantasy postseason, folks! Time to set those fantasy lineups and get to the championship game! Start ‘Em, Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups in a given week for fantasy football leagues. Each week, I'll examine the wide receivers who could either exceed or fail to meet expectations based on their weekly opponent.

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Fabs’ Top 10 Wide Receivers

1. Ja’Marr Chase vs. Browns
2. Amon-Ra St. Brown at Bears
3. Justin Jefferson at Seahawks
4. Puka Nacua at Jets
5. CeeDee Lamb vs. Buccaneers
6. Nico Collins vs. Chiefs (Sat.)
7. A.J. Brown at Commanders
8. Mike Evans at Cowboys
9. Davante Adams vs. Rams
10. Drake London vs. Giants

Complete Week 16 wide receiver rankings (coming soon)

Week 16 Start ‘Em: Wide Receivers

Start of the Week

Brian Thomas Jr. at Raiders (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): Thomas Jr. is coming off a career-best 32.5 fantasy points in a loss to the Jets, and he’s now scored at least 16.6 points in each of his last three games. He’s also seen 36 combined targets in that time, as Mac Jones has peppered the rookie with chances to produce in the offense. The Raiders defense can be tough on the perimeter, but Thomas Jr. is simply too hot not to play this week.

Start ‘Em

Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. Vikings (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox): Smith-Njigba continues to put up great totals, scoring 18.3 points last week and finishing with no less than that total in five of his last six games. He also continues to see a ton of targets in the offense, and that isn’t likely to change this week against the Vikings. Their defense has given up the fifth-most points to wide receivers in the last eight weeks, so I’d start JSN once again.

Jerry Jeudy at Bengals (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Jeudy remained red hot last week, posting 108 yards and 21.8 fantasy points in a loss to the Chiefs. He has now scored no fewer than 14.3 points in six straight games, including three games where he’s scored more than 20 points. The Browns could find themselves in a negative game script this week, and the Bengals defense has been vulnerable most of the season, so keep starting Jeudy.

Zay Flowers vs. Steelers (Sat. 4:30 p.m. ET, Fox): Flowers hasn’t posted great fantasy totals lately, scoring no more than 11.9 points in five straight games. Still, I’d keep the faith and flex him in a plus matchup against the Steelers. Their defense just gave up 20-plus points to both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith last week, and it’s surrendered the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing perimeter receivers since Week 8.

Khalil Shakir vs. Patriots (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): Shakir has the highest first-read rate among Bills receivers, and that’s a major advantage when your quarterback is the red-hot Josh Allen. The wideout has scored at least 15 points in three of his last four games, and he’s hit double digits in all but one of his last eight. The Patriots have also allowed four touchdowns and the 11th-most points per game to the slot in the last eight weeks.

WRs With Good Matchups

Courtland Sutton at Chargers (Thurs. 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
DJ Moore vs. Lions (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
Marvin Harrison Jr. at Panthers (1 p.m. ET, Fox)

Week 16 Sit ‘Em: Wide Receivers

Sit of the Week

DK Metcalf vs. Vikings (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox): If Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a start ‘em, then how can Metcalf be a sit? Well, look at the numbers. He’s failed to score more than 10.6 PPR points in his last four games, and he’s seen six or fewer targets in three of those contests. What’s more, he’s failed to produce regardless of the strength of his weekly opponent. So, even with a plus matchup against the Vikings on paper, I’d beware DK this weekend.

Sit ‘Em

Deebo Samuel Sr. at Dolphins (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): The 49ers seemed to make a serious effort to get Samuel Sr. the ball last week, but he still scored just 4.9 points and dropped what might have been a touchdown. I’d keep him on the bench against Miami, who have allowed the third-fewest points per game to wide receivers on the season. If you’re going to start a San Francisco wide receiver, it should be Jauan Jennings, not Samuel Sr.

Calvin Ridley at Colts (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Ridley continues to be impossible to trust, as he posted just nine points last week despite a plus matchup against the Bengals. He has now failed to score more than 12.9 points in four of his last five games, and he’s been held to single digits three times. He was also held to just 0.90 points in his last game against this week’s opponent, the Colts, and the Titans quarterback situation is a mess.

Josh Downs vs. Titans (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Downs has scored a combined 11.9 points in his last two games, which makes it difficult to trust him against the Titans. Their defense has been tough on slot receivers, allowing the fewest points per game to the position since Week 8. Downs did put up nearly 20 points against Tennessee back in Week 6, but that was in a game with Joe Flacco, not Anthony Richardson, at the helm of the offense.

Tank Dell at Chiefs (Sat. 1 p.m. ET, NBC): Dell hasn’t produced great totals this season, as he is averaging 9.1 points per game overall and has been held to single digits in four of his last five games. His quarterback, C.J. Stroud, is also struggling to produce, which has resulted in Dell posting less-than-stellar totals. So, while this week’s matchup against the Chiefs is favorable on paper, I just can’t trust Dell to produce in the fantasy postseason.