Week 16 of the NFL Season is already here. It’s flying by, sadly, so make sure you sit back and enjoy it. It’s mind-boggling it’s already this deep into the season. Also, enjoy the chaos, as this fantasy football season is unlike anything we have ever experienced. It’s a scary sight. Look below at my running back start/sit for Week 16. Make sure to enjoy this NFL Sunday because there aren’t many left. The second week of the playoffs is here! Let’s win a championship!
Week 15 is in the books, and it was a chaotic week again. We saw big-time performances from names like Dalvin Cook, Raheem Mostert, Jerick McKinnon, and others. At the same time, we saw injuries occur to Jonathan Taylor and others. Sigh. Now we are onto Week 16 in what will hopefully be a much better football week. I’ll be helping the Nerd Herd out this season with some running back Start/Sit for that week of fantasy football. Analysis and reasoning will be provided for every player that I mentioned. I’m here to help you win your fantasy football week and, ultimately, the championship. You might remember me from last year as I covered whom to start/sit at tight end. This year, I’m covering the running back start/sit.
Be sure to follow our other start/sit articles and authors; they contain great advice to help you each week.
Changing the Call (QB): Jayson Snyder
The Cutback (RB): Jake Oliver
Slant Pattern (WR): Tristan Cook
12 Formation (TE): Ethan Wyatt
Flex on ‘Em (FLEX): Evan Brown
IDP Start/Sit (IDP): Jon Glosser
There is one thing I want to note. For this article and every running back start/sit article I write, I won’t be including players like Dalvin Cook or Austin Ekeler. These are apparent starts so long as they aren’t on bye or injured. If you don’t start them, well, you’re a Taco. I’ll be focusing on players that are a bit harder to decide whether to start or what to expect from them. All scoring in this article series will be PPR. All stats/RB# number finishes come from FantasyPros. So, let’s make this a great season as we get to watch over 200+ games of NFL football. It’s back! Good luck with this dynasty fantasy football season.
Week 16 Running Back Start/Sit
Start: D’Andre Swift, DET, RB25
Swift is in a weird stretch of games where he has seen three games over 12 points and two under ten. However, this week versus the Panthers is a get-right game for the Lions’ offense. This includes the talented Swift, who has more speed than the Millennium Falcon. He’s seeing excellent usage despite a lack of rushes, with nine targets last week. I like Swift’s chances to finish far better than RB25 should he continue to see plenty of targets. Especially in PPR leagues, Swift has a good shot to be a top running back this week, with the Lions fighting for the playoffs.
Start: Rachaad White, TBB, RB26
Since Fournette came back from being injured, White has disappointed. Of course, so has most of the Buccaneers’ offense. The good news is that White is still factoring heavily into the running back mix over the last two games. He’s seen 24 rushes and seven targets during that time. Those are big numbers for a part-time running back. He should continue seeing flex/RB2-type touches this week in an extremely fantasy-friendly matchup. This Christmas game against the Cardinals is setting up to be a get-right game for the Tom Brady-led offense. Arizona’s is one of the best defenses for your running back to face. They give up gobs of points. In what could be a blowout, White should see a ton of work and help lead you to the fantasy championship.
Start: Ezekiel Elliott, DAL, RB19
This game can potentially be a boom game for Elliott or one that Pollard continues to overshadow. Elliott traditionally does good against Philly, but the Eagles are without Hurts. This could mean that Dallas might have a better shot to get up big and ride Pollard. This would allow Elliott to rest for the playoffs. Yet, even with Pollard, Elliott’s still having a successful run of games and helping lead your team. Either way, Elliott’s been consistently scoring around 15 points per game, and against the Eagles, I’m not sure he’ll reach that. Either way, I’d take over him getting to the RB19 spot.
Honorable Mentions: Alvin Kamara (RB13), Leonard Fournette (RB27)
Sit: Brian Robinson, WAS, RB33
Robinson has a date with the formidable 49ers defense this Christmas. The 49ers are the best defense at limiting opposing running backs and their fantasy points. The only upside for Robinson is that he’ll receive a lot of carries, but if he can’t do anything with them, you are likely dead in the water. I’d seriously consider starting someone else if you have any other running backs. The only hope is that BROB scores a touchdown. Otherwise, he’ll likely be near last week’s running back finish of RB29. This is shaping up to be a come-from-behind Gibby game rather than a grind out the time game for Robinson.
Honorable Mentions: James Conner (RB11), Devin Singletary (RB29), Cam Akers (RB31)
Good luck this week with your running back start/sit dilemmas!
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As always, May the Force be with You…