Week 16 Start or Sit

Start 'em Brock Purdy (SF, QB)
Brock Purdy will try to carry the momentum from a season-best performance into Week 16 in Indianapolis. He threw for 295 yards, three TDs and no interceptions while adding 44 rushing yards against Tennessee, and is 8:3 TD:INT in four starts since returning as the 49ers push for a playoff spot and the NFC West. The Colts - allowing an 86.2 passer rating, 10th-best in the league - present a stiffer challenge, but they're missing corners Sauce Gardner (calf) and Charvarius Ward (concussion), so after a 32.2 fantasy-point Week 15 outing Purdy should be set for another solid night.

Start 'em C.J. Stroud (HOU, QB)
After throwing three TDs in Week 15 - his second multi-TD game this season - C.J. Stroud draws a friendly Week 16 matchup against a Raiders defense that has surrendered a 22:8 TD:INT ratio and 25.9 points per game. With Houston's stingy scoring defense likely to keep Las Vegas in pass-heavy situations and the Texans dealing with injuries at running back, Stroud should see plenty of opportunities; the Raiders have already allowed big fantasy outings (Jalen Hurts posted 31.1 FP last week and seven QBs have exceeded 21.2 FP this year). He projects as a low-end fantasy starter for Week 16.

Start 'em Aaron Jones (MIN, RB)
Despite battling a shoulder issue, Aaron Jones still rushed for 65 yards in Week 15, but Jordan Mason's emergence has trimmed his workload and upside. Jones has been limited in fantasy lately (under 9.5 PPR in each of the last four games and no TD since Week 10), yet he draws a very favorable Week 16 matchup: the Giants are yielding 5.9 yards per carry and rank among the league leaders in fantasy points allowed to running backs. Mason is worth consideration as a deep-league flex, but Jones projects as a solid RB2/No. 2 option for most rosters.

Start 'em D'Andre Swift (CHI, RB)
D'Andre Swift took over in the second half of Week 15 after splitting early work with rookie Kyle Monangai, finishing with 18 carries for 98 yards and two touchdowns. He should remain the RB1 for Week 16 at Green Bay, but repeating his 82 yards from scrimmage in their Week 14 meeting is far from certain against a Packers run defense that allows just 3.9 yards per carry (seventh-fewest). Swift has been productive lately - 22.6 PPR points in Week 15 and at least ~21 points in two of his last three games - and could see more targets if Green Bay is missing front-seven players and the Bears are thin at receiver. I'd treat Swift as a No. 2 fantasy back and Monangai as a flex.

Start 'em Ladd McConkey (LAC, WR)
McConkey's production has dipped recently as Justin Herbert has struggled to buy time in the pocket and the Chargers are starting backup tackles, limiting the passing game - he hasn't topped six targets or 40 yards in several outings. That said, Week 16 presents a promising matchup against a Cowboys secondary that has been torched by receivers this season, so McConkey looks like a viable bounce-back candidate and a solid No. 2 fantasy option.

Start 'em Mike Evans (TB, WR)
Returning from a six-game absence with a collarbone injury, Mike Evans looked sharp in Week 15, catching six of 12 targets for 132 yards. As the Buccaneers head to Carolina in Week 16, Evans projects as a must-start: the Panthers are roughly middle of the pack in fantasy points allowed to receivers but have conceded at least 15.1 PPR points to an opposing No. 1 receiver in seven straight games. Add in Evans' lopsided history against Carolina - 36 catches for 606 yards and seven TDs in the last five meetings (including 16 catches for 215 yards and three scores on 21 targets across two games last season) - and another big performance is very possible.

Start 'em Dallas Goedert (PHI, TE)
Dallas Goedert, who led the Eagles with six catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the 31-0 win over the Raiders and has been targeted 17 times the past two games, should be viewed as a strong Week 16 start. He faces a Washington secondary that has struggled vs. the pass (246.3 yards per game, 29th) and allowed 28 passing TDs, and the Commanders have been especially susceptible to tight ends - surrendering the third-most TE fantasy points over the last eight weeks and allowing tight ends to score nine-plus fantasy points 12 times this season.

Start 'em Darren Waller (MIA, TE)
Darren Waller arrives in Week 16 riding momentum after a 7-catch, 66-yard outing with two touchdowns - his first scores since Week 6 and worth 25.6 fantasy points in the recent win over the Steelers. The matchup couldn't be friendlier: Cincinnati has been the league's worst defense against tight ends, yielding 15 TDs and roughly 22.7 PPR points per game to the position, with double-digit TE fantasy totals in 13 contests. Despite Miami's up-and-down passing attack, Waller looks like a solid start and a reasonable waiver claim for fantasy rosters.

Start 'em Houston Texans (HOU, DEF)
Houston's defense is an essential start this week at home against the Raiders. Over the past eight games, Las Vegas has produced just 13.3 points and 211.9 yards per outing, and a porous offensive line has given up 35 sacks - the most in the league. Whatever quarterback is under center, Houston should be poised to capitalize.

Start 'em Andres Borregales (NE, K)
Andres Borregales presents a reliable baseline with upside for Week 16 as the Patriots visit the Ravens. Baltimore has yielded 8.7 kicking points per game, has allowed the second-most points to road kickers this year and ranks sixth in fantasy points allowed to kickers overall. After a modest seven-point outing versus the Bills, Borregales had posted 41 fantasy points across the previous three games, making this a favorable spot for him to produce.

Sit 'em Jordan Love (GB, QB)
Jordan Love went 24-for-40 for 276 yards with one TD and two picks in the Week 15 loss, bringing his interception total to three over the past two games - as many as he threw in his first 12 outings - despite a strong three-touchdown performance against the Bears in Week 14. Chicago ranks 12th in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks this season, so a bounce-back is possible, but the Bears have been stingy at home (few QBs have topped 20 fantasy points there, and they've allowed just six passing TDs and 11 INTs), and Love may be without WR Christian Watson (chest). Given the recent turnover issues and matchup concerns, he's a start only in Superflex or two-QB formats.

Sit 'em Sam Darnold (SEA, QB)
Coming off a frustrating Week 15 in which he passed for 271 yards but failed to find the end zone, Sam Darnold returns home in Week 16 to face the Rams looking for a bounce-back. He's gone three times without a TD in his last five games and is 5:5 for TDs-to-INTs over that span. While Los Angeles surrenders yards, it limits QB efficiency (85.6 passer rating, eighth-best) and allows the 12th-fewest fantasy points to signal-callers; plus, Darnold's prior showings against the Rams (including four interceptions in Week 11) have produced poor fantasy outputs. Given his inconsistency - he's topped about 11 fantasy points only twice in six outings - he's a risky start in Superflex and two-QB leagues.

Sit 'em Jaylen Warren (PIT, RB)
Even while battling illness in Week 15, Jaylen Warren managed 15 touches (12 rushes for 33 yards and three catches for 15) but posted one of his least efficient efforts as Kenneth Gainwell dominated the receiving work. The Steelers seem to have settled into clear roles - Warren as the primary ball-carrier and short-yardage option, Gainwell as the pass-catching back - which leaves Warren with goal-line value but limited upside. Facing Detroit's stout run defense in Week 16 (third-fewest fantasy points allowed to RBs and just five RB rushing TDs since Week 5), Warren is a low-end FLEX at best; he's hit 12.4+ PPR in three of four games but hasn't topped 68 total yards in five straight and has just 10 catches for 78 yards and one score on 12 targets over that span. Given Gainwell's role in the passing game, he's the safer fantasy play this week.

Sit 'em Kareem Hunt (KC, RB)
After being largely sidelined in Week 15 - about seven touches for roughly 20 scrimmage yards - Kareem Hunt looks set to remain Isiah Pacheco's backup. With Patrick Mahomes out for the season and the Chiefs eliminated from contention, workload shifts could favor the younger Pacheco as the team evaluates its backfield for 2026. Hunt has still delivered nine touchdowns in 14 games despite a modest 3.8 yards per carry, but Tennessee has been tough on running backs recently, making Hunt a risky flex rather than a reliable start in Week 16.

Sit 'em Michael Pittman (IND, WR)
Michael Pittman finished with just 26 yards on three catches (five targets) in Week 15, highlighting how Philip Rivers' limited downfield arm suppresses Indianapolis' passing upside. That trend will likely continue in Week 16, though the Colts at least draw a 49ers secondary that's merely average against wide receivers rather than elite. Given the quarterback situation, Pittman grades out as a low-end WR3; he's a preferable option to Alec Pierce, but I'd generally sit Colts receivers outside of deeper formats.

Sit 'em Brian Thomas Jr. (JAC, WR)
Brian Thomas has 153 receiving yards and a touchdown over his last two games (including a 4-66-1, 17.1 PPR outing in Week 15) and represents Jacksonville's biggest upside while Trevor Lawrence plays his best football. Still, Denver is a tough Week 16 matchup - just five receiving TDs allowed all season, a top-10 mark in fewest fantasy points conceded to WRs, and the shadow of Patrick Surtain - so Thomas is only a speculative WR3 or deep-league option. Jakobi Meyers, with a higher floor and five straight games of at least 11.4 PPR, is the safer start in three-receiver formats.

Sit 'em Hunter Henry (NE, TE)
Hunter Henry looks unlikely to be a dependable fantasy option in Week 16 against Baltimore. After a one-catch outing in Week 15 - the fourth this season - he's shown he can rebound, but the Ravens have been one of the stingiest defenses vs. tight ends, allowing roughly 11.0 PPR per game, just a few touchdown catches all year, and very few TEs topping 10 points. Given that matchup, Henry's upside is markedly limited even if better options are hard to find.

Sit 'em T.J. Hockenson (MIN, TE)
T.J. Hockenson has been trending upward, clearing 50 receiving yards in two of the Vikings' last three games and emerging as a go-to target for J.J. McCarthy, totaling about 32.7 fantasy points over that span. While Week 16 might look promising against a Giants team that's struggled versus the pass overall, New York has actually been relatively stingy to tight ends (they rank seventh fewest in TE fantasy points allowed and have surrendered very few double-digit TE performances), so his upside could be limited.

Sit 'em Jacksonville Jaguars (JAC, DEF)
Jacksonville's defense can be a viable fantasy play in the right matchup - as they were against the Jets - but I'd bench them against Denver. The Broncos have allowed the fewest sacks in the league and have only 14 giveaways all season. With Bo Nix coming off the best game of his career, look for a different streaming option.

Sit 'em Tyler Loop (BAL, K)
Tyler Loop did little in Week 15 - he made his only field-goal try (from inside 30 yards) and all three extra points - and has attempted one or fewer FGs in two of his last three games. That limited usage, combined with a Week 16 matchup against a Patriots unit that has been brutal to opposing kickers (just 5.3 PPR points allowed per game and five or fewer fantasy points in seven contests this year, especially stingy since Week 8), makes Loop a risky start; better streaming options should exist.