- - Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice: What to do with Darren Waller, Audric Estimé, more players in Week 16

Scott Pianowski December 19, 2025 at 9:52 PM

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If you need help setting your fantasy football lineups for Week 16, Scott Pianowski offers some assistance.

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Start-sit decisions can be vexing for even the best of fantasy managers. Here’s our Week 16 traffic report to help you set those lineups.

Green Light ✅

RB Tony Pollard vs. Chiefs: Sometimes you have to focus on what’s working in the moment, and that’s been Pollard. He racked up 161 yards and two scores in a difficult Cleveland matchup, and game flow didn’t stop him at San Francisco (14-104-1). The Chiefs aren’t the daunting matchup as usual, battling injuries and now eliminated from the playoffs. Pollard belongs on the RB2/3 seam.

TE Harold Fannin Jr. vs. Bills: The Browns did little right in a blowout loss at Chicago, but Fannin somehow collected 14 targets and seven receptions. He’s earned every-week status in a snappy rookie season, the first read in the Cleveland passing game.

WR Chris Olave vs. Jets: He’s come through in two of his last three starts (WR19, WR10), helped by an emerging Tyler Shough. The Saints play at a fast pace and now face a Jets secondary that allows 8.4 YPA and a 104.9 quarterback rating.

WR Jauan Jennings at Colts: He’s quietly been the WR13 over the last six weeks, and the Indianapolis secondary is missing key personnel. It’s also possible Ricky Pearsall will be limited or even unavailable Monday, leading to more Jennings opportunity.

TE Dallas Goedert at Commanders: He’s up to a career-best nine touchdowns and the Washington seam coverage, when adjusted for opponent strength, might be the worst in the league.

Yellow Light 😕

RB Michael Carter vs. Falcons: He’s an ordinary talent and perhaps the fourth- or fifth-best back on the Arizona roster. But cluster injuries have forced Carter into a starting role, and 12-15 touches are likely in his back pocket before this game even begins. Atlanta isn’t a daunting matchup.

TE Darren Waller vs. Bengals: It stings me to keep him out of the green section, but new starter Quinn Ewers is an unknown. Still, we’ve watched tight ends produce all season against the Bengals, and Waller has been a red-zone ace in his action this year (26 targets, six touchdowns).

RB Audric Estimé vs. Jets: Understand there’s no floor here — Estimé has just nine touches on the year (all this month) and the Saints could always dance with Evan Hull or even Taysom Hill. But Estimé was impactful at the end of the comeback against Carolina, and the Jets defense is a delightful matchup.

QB Justin Herbert at Cowboys: I understand you see the Dallas defense and want to attack, but Herbert has thrown just 75 passes the last three weeks. The Chargers are having trouble protecting Herbert and they recognize their path to winning most weeks is to lean into defense and the running game.

RB Rico Dowdle vs. Buccaneers: He was looking like a league-winner in the middle of the year, but Dowdle has started to slump (3.1 YPC the last two weeks) and Chuba Hubbard is finally healthy. Tampa Bay is weaker against the pass anyway, so the Panthers might throw more than usual in this spot.

Red Light 🚨

RB Quinshon Judkins vs. Bills: The Buffalo front seven has been gashed by the run all year, but Judkins is hard to trust right now. The Browns have multiple injuries on the offensive line, and Judkins has slumped to a paltry 3.1 YPC over his last nine games.

WR Justin Jefferson at Giants: His targets returned last week and J.J. McCarthy has started to play better. The matchup is divine, too. But at some point a bad start has to go down as a bad season, and Jefferson is sitting on a meager 19-183-0 line for his past six games. You can’t wait forever.

QB Jaxson Dart vs. Vikings: DC Brian Flores has the Minnesota defense firing right now — five straight Circle of Trust quarterbacks have finished well under their projection against the Vikings. Dart belongs outside the QB1 cutline for Week 16.

RB Breece Hall at Saints: He’s been held to 14 touches the last two weeks, in part due to physical attrition and in part due to the offense failing to move the ball. Hall’s touchdown equity is also sagging (one spike in five weeks). He’s gone from proactive play to emergency play as we enter Week 16.

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Source: “AOL Sports”