Sideline Smackdown

🏈 Fantasy Football Enthusiasts 📊

Dishing out the latest Fantasy Football insights and player updates to help dominate your league. 🏆

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@snow_tnl Evans

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Week 15 Fantasy WR Start/Sit 🚀

Start ✅️
Terry McLaurin vs NYG: The Giants have been generous to wide receivers in 2025, allowing the third-most average fantasy points per game (PPR), fifth-most receptions, and fourth-most receiving yards to the position.

Wan'Dale Robinson vs WAS: WAS is ranked 24th vs WR's. Robinson has 53 targets in the past 5 games.

Sit 🚩
Christian Watson vs DEN: Likely to face Patrick Surtain II throughout the game. DEN D has only allowed 5 TD's to WR's all year.

Michael Pittman vs SEA: SEA is ranked 5th against WR's and the uncertainty at the QB position has me sitting Pittman.

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@TouchdownFSU Stroud

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Week 16 Fantasy QB Start/Sit 🎯

Start ✅️
Jared Goff vs PIT: The Steelers' defense has been vulnerable to QBs, allowing 19+ fantasy points to the position 7 times this season. Pittsburgh ranks poorly in pass defense metrics lately, making this a favorable spot for pocket passers like Goff.

Jacoby Brissett vs ATL: Brissett has been one of the biggest fantasy surprises of the 2025 season. Since taking over as the Cardinals' starter in Week 6. Finished as a top-12 fantasy QB in every single start. Scored 22+ fantasy points in all 9 starts, including 25 vs HOU last week.

Sit 🚩
Jaxson Dart vs MIN: Week 16 is a tough matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Brian Flores' defense is blitz-heavy and ranks among the league's best against QBs. Viking D ranks; 5th-fewest passing yards allowed; 3rd-fewest passing TDs; Top tier in pressure rate.

Sam Darnold vs LAR: Tough Rematch, In their Week 11 meeting earlier this season, Darnold threw for 279 yards but zero touchdowns and four interceptions, finishing with just 4 fantasy points. The Rams' defense excels at disguising coverages, forcing turnovers (they rank top-10 in INTs forced recently), and pressuring QBs without heavy blitzing.

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Week 16 Fantasy TE Start/Sit 💪

Start ✅️
Darren Waller vs CIN: Bengals have been one of the most generous defenses to TEs allowing the most fantasy points, yards, receptions, and TDs to the position this year.

Dallas Goedert vs WAS: Goedert has been good over the last two games with 17 targets, 14 receptions, 148 yards, and 2 TDs. Washington allows the second-most fantasy points per game to tight ends this season.

Sit 🚩
Hunter Henry vs BAL: The Ravens have been one of the toughest defenses against tight ends lately, allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to TEs since Week 8. Henry struggled last week with one catch for 18 yards on three targets.

AJ Barner vs LAR: Barner has 35 yards or less in 4 straight games. The Rams haven't allowed a TD to TE's since week 11.

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Week 16 Fantasy WR Start/Sit 🚀

Start ✅️
Ladd McConkey vs DAL: The Cowboys rank dead last (32nd) in fantasy points allowed to WRs (38.2 PPR PPG), giving up the most big days to WR3s and below. They've surrendered 11 TD catches to receivers in their last 5 games alone. McConkey thrives in the slot where he'll likely face weaker coverage.

DK Metcalf vs DET: The Steelers face the Detroit Lions, whose secondary is depleted by injuries and ranks among the worst in the league against wide receivers:

Sit 🚩
Michael Pittman vs SF: His volume is too unreliable right now for a confident start in playoff weeks. He's a boom/bust WR3/flex at best — lean toward sitting him unless your alternatives are thin.

Deebo Samuel vs PHI: Tough against slot receivers, Philly has been elite since Week 10, allowing the fewest PPR points per target and fewest yards per game to slot WRs (Deebo's primary alignment). Experts note he'll likely need a TD to salvage value, as big yardage games have been rare this year.

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Week 16 Fantasy RB Start/Sit 🏃‍♂️

Start ✅️
Rico Dowdle vs TB: For Week 16, the Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a middle-of-the-pack matchup against the run but one that's vulnerable in the passing game to RBs (most receiving yards allowed to the position this season and recently). The Bucs allow decent yards before contact, giving Dowdle room for explosive plays if the Panthers commit to the ground game.

Tyrone Tracy Jr vs MIN: Tracy has played three full games under interim coach Mike Kafka, and he has scored at least 16 PPR points in all three, with at least 18 total touches in each outing. He just had his best game of the season against Washington in Week 15 with 15 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 27 yards and a touchdown on three targets. The Vikings aren't an easy matchup in Week 16, but two of Tracy's best games under Kafka were against Detroit and Green Bay.

Sit 🚩
Kenneth Walker III vs LAR: Kenneth Walker III faces a tough matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football. The Rams boast one of the NFL's strongest run defenses, ranking top-10 in rushing yards allowed. He's combined for 6.7 PPR points in his past two contests against Atlanta and Indianapolis with 19 carries for 46 yards and two catches for 1 yard on two targets.

Ashton Jeanty vs HOU: The Texans have one of the NFL's stingiest run defenses in 2025, allowing the 10th-fewest PPR points to RBs and just 3.7 yards per carry.

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@LoganDickerson7 Sit wandale

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🚨 Week 16 Waiver Wire Targets 🚨
It’s the 2nd round of the playoffs — no pressure, just your entire season on the line...

🎯 QBs/ Superflex • J.J. McCarthy (MIN) – 30% rostered
• Kirk Cousins (ATL) – 9% rostered

🏃‍♂️ RBs • Jacory Croskey-Merritt (WAS) – 46% rostered
• Blake Corum (LAR) – 43% rostered

🚀 WRs • Jayden Reed (GB) – 44% rostered
• Adonai Mitchell (NYJ) – 28% rostered

🧱 TEs • Darren Waller (MIA) – 31% rostered
• Colby Parkinson (LAR) – 5% rostered

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@loubimendi Tracy

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@CheezieMcfresh1 Kincaid

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Week 15 Fantasy TE Start/Sit 💪

Start ✅️
Dalton Kincaid vs NE: PATS are ranked 24th vs TE. Kincaid stat line for Week 3 vs NE was 6 rec / 108 yds.

Harold Fannin Jr vs CHI: Bears are ranked 21st vs TE's. Fannin is coming off a monster Week 14 performance where he exploded for 8 receptions, 114 yards / 1 TD

Sit 🚩
TJ Hockenson vs DAL: In seven games with J.J. McCarthy, Hockenson has four targets or less in six of those outings, with 39 receiving yards his best performance. And Dallas has only allowed four touchdowns to tight ends all season. I would only start Hockenson if your desperate.

Oronde Gadsden II vs KC: KC ranks 7th in fantasy points allowed to TEs (under 9 PPR/gm since Week 10). They've leaned heavier on man coverage lately, which neutralizes seam-stretching TEs like Gadsden. Gadsden has scored in single digits in 4 straight games.

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Week 15 Fantasy QB Start/Sit 🎯

Start ✅️
Brock Purdy vs TEN: The Titans' defense has been a sieve lately, allowing the 8th-most fantasy points per game to QBs overall. They've given up multiple passing TDs in six of their last seven games, including a brutal 364-yard, 4-TD (3 passing, 1 rushing) explosion to rookie Shedeur Sanders last week (over 30 points allowed).

Jaxson Dart vs WAS: The Commanders' secondary has been a mess, ranking top-5 in passing yards, touchdowns, and fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs this season. They've surrendered the second-highest yards per attempt (YPA) on vertical passes since Week 11, setting up Dart for big plays downfield. Last week, they allowed J.J. McCarthy (Vikings) to throw for three TDs.

Sit 🚩
Justin Herbert vs KC: Scored 14.2 Fantasy points, and he's been held to 16.8 Fantasy points or less in four games in a row. While he scored 33.9 Fantasy points in Week 1 against Kansas City, the Chargers offensive line has fallen apart since then. Even though the Chiefs have allowed three of the past five quarterbacks to score at least 20.8 Fantasy points, I would only use Herbert in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.

Caleb Williams vs CLE: Cleveland ranks as a top-5 unit against QBs, allowing just three passers to hit 20+ fantasy points all season. They lean heavily on man-to-man coverage (more than any team) with a single-high safety, where Williams has struggled mightily.

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Week 15 Fantasy RB Start/Sit 🏃‍♂️

Start ✅️
Rico Dowdle vs NO: A low-end RB2 or high-end flex in PPR leagues. He's in a favorable matchup against the New Orleans Saints' run defense, which ranks as a plus opportunity for opposing backs due to their middling performance against the rush (allowing ~4.5 yards per carry and top-15 fantasy points per game to RBs this season).

TreVeyon Henderson vs BUF: Buffalo's run defense ranks poorly, allowing the most rushing TDs, 6th-most rushing yards, and 7th-most fantasy PPG to RBs.

Sit 🚩
Kenneth Walker III vs IND: Walker has led the team in carries lately but Zach Charbonnet continues to vulture goal-line work and steal carries throughout the game limiting Walker's production. Indy ranks top-10 against RBs in fantasy points allowed (per recent data), yielding just 3.9 YPC to opposing backs and limiting big plays.

Kareem Hunt vs LAC: Hunt is TD dependent and the Chargers have only allowed four rushing touchdowns to running backs since Week 7. They kept the Chiefs running backs out of the end zone in Week 1 when Hunt and Isiah Pacheco combined for 10 carries for 41 yards and four catches for 13 yards on six targets.

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🚨 Week 15 Waiver Wire Targets (Playoffs Edition) 🚨

🎯 QBs (Superflex)
• JJ McCarthy (MIN) – 27% rostered
• Marcus Mariota (WAS) – 11% rostered

🏃‍♂️ RBs
• Blake Corum (LAR) – 34% rostered
• Chris Rodriguez Jr. (WAS) – 42% rostered

🚀 WRs
• Jayden Higgins (HOU) – 42% rostered
• Kayshon Boutte (NE) – 20% rostered

🧱 TEs
• Harold Fannin Jr. (CIN) – 53% rostered
• Colston Loveland (BAL) – 44% rostered

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@permelisaratos Dj

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Week 14 Fantasy TE Start/Sit 💪

Start ✅️

Kyle Pitts vs SEA: Pitts just had his best game (7/8 targets for 82 yards, 15.2 PPR points) with Kirk Cousins under center, who targeted him as the top option. London may be out again and SEA is ranked 30th vs TE's.

Brenton Strange vs IND: Indianapolis ranks as a top-5 defense allowing fantasy points and receiving yards to tight ends this season (2nd in yards/game allowed, 3rd in PPR points/game).

Sit 🚩

Colston Loveland vs GB: Loveland had a down game in Week 13 at Philadelphia with three catches for 28 yards on six targets, and he's now scored 7.0 PPR points or less in two of his past three outings. This is a tough matchup against the Packers in Week 14, and Green Bay has gone six games in a row without allowing a tight end to reach double digits in PPR.

Dallas Goedert vs LAC: Goedert has scored 4.7 PPR points or less in three games in a row, and he hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 8. The Chargers are also No. 6 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends, and only four guys have scored double digits in PPR.

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@ActaeonComplex Burrow

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Week 14 Fantasy QB Start/Sit 🎯

Start ✅️

Joe Burrow vs BUF: He’s coming off a strong return: last week vs. Baltimore he threw for 261 yards and 2 TDs with no turnovers and had 23.2 fantasy points. This game has the making of a high scoring affair.

Jordan Love vs CHI: Chicago ranks 4th in passing TDs allowed, top-10 in fantasy PPG to QBs, and plays man coverage/blitzes at high rates—areas where Love thrives

Sit 🚩

Caleb Williams vs GB: Two poor outings in a row on the road and now faces the Packers in Lambeau who are ranked 6 vs QB's and held the past 4 of 5 QB's to 14 pts or less.

CJ Stroud vs KC: Has only scored more than 15pts on the road once this year. Play him if you're in superflex.

[Sideline Smackdown @FF_Smackdown]

Week 14 Fantasy WR Start/Sit 🚀

Start ✅️

Jameson Williams vs DAL: He's now scored in 3 of his last 4 games, with 17 catches for 351 yards and 3 TDs over that span. Even if St Brown plays, Williams is a start.

Christian Watson vs CHI: Watson has 17 targets in his past two games against Minnesota and Detroit, with four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets vs Lions. He's now scored at least 18.3 PPR points in two of his past three games.

Sit 🚩

DK Metcalf vs BAL: Metcalf has been one of the most frustrating high-volume WRs this season, posting just 26 catches for 249 yards and 1 TD on 44 targets over his last seven games (3.6 rec, 35.6 yds/game). His last 50+ yard outing or TD was back in Week 8, and he's WR30 in PPR points per game.

Deebo Samuel vs MIN: Minnesota ranks second in the NFL by allowing just 25.9 PPR points per game to wide receivers. They blitz at the league's highest rate (around 40% of dropbacks), which has disrupted passing games all year—opposing WRs have combined for only two receiving TDs against them since Week 8. McLaurin to continue to steal targets.