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10 Lineup Busts and Avoids for Week 16

Top 10 potential lineup busts to avoid starting in fantasy football. Justin lists NFL players to consider sitting or benching as Week 16 lineup disappointments.

It's championship week for many of you, a week where you need to make sure you avoid making any big mistakes in a must win circumstance. The pressure is on! I've gone through all the games this week and identified ten players to watch out for in Week 16, players who have the potential to struggle in tough match-ups.

I always struggle in Week 16 as a fantasy player when it comes to figuring out what and who to trust with my lineup. It's the week where I look at other people's advice and say nah, I got this and then ultimately end up not having it. It's the week where I fall back too much on the players who got me there and don't take the risks I need to take. It's the week where I probably would start a key offensive player against the Jaguars if this was the me from a few years ago. This time, though, I'm weighing all the options. I'm not going to be afraid to bench someone if the match-up calls for it.

Below are ten lineup busts and avoids for Week 16 of NFL action.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Top 10 Busts - NFL Week 16

Jimmy Garoppolo (Quarterback, San Francisco 49ers)

Jimmy G has been playing well since taking over as the 49ers quarterback, though the touchdowns--just two in three starts--haven't been there. Despite the fact that Garoppolo is trending upwards, you're sitting him for Week 16 because San Francisco gets the great reward of playing the Jacksonville Jaguars, which is not something you want your championship week quarterback to be doing.

Matt Ryan (Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons)

Matt Ryan has been one of this year's biggest disappointments at quarterback. He's currently outside the top ten scorers at the position and he plays New Orleans this week, a team that picked him off three times in Week 14. That game was in Atlanta, by the way--it's not outside the realm of possibility that Ryan performs just as bad on the road this week. Ryan's not worth starting in a must win situation.

Marshawn Lynch (Running Back, Oakland Raiders)

Hmm. The Eagles are allowing the second fewest points to opposing running backs this season, which makes Lynch a risky play this week. Even when the Philadelphia defense struggled last week against the Giants, the run defense still played well, limiting the damage there to just one short yardage touchdown. Look for the Raiders to go to the air in this one and for Lynch to see a limited amount of touches.

Mike Davis (Running Back, Seattle Seahawks)

Yeah, it does seem like we JUST collectively had the talk about how the Seahawks had found a starting running back in Davis, but it's already time to hold the horses just a bit. Davis had just six carries for 19 yards in Seattle's blowout loss to the Rams. That one can partially be attributed to game flow, but isn't it also tough to trust a back who is so reliant on game flow? Davis being a good receiver helps, but the Cowboys have only allowed eight touchdowns--six rushing and two receiving--to running backs this season.

Carlos Hyde (Running Back, San Francisco 49ers)

You're going to notice a trend this week. The Jaguars keep improving against the run and now have allowed the fifth fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs. Hyde has five rushing touchdowns on the season, but those were concentrated in just three games. He's rushed for 54 or less yards in three of his past four games and has stopped being a factor in the passing game.

Marquise Goodwin (Wide Receiver, San Francisco 49ers)

I'm obviously skeptical of the 49ers this week. Goodwin has been a major player for the 49ers over their past five games, but JACKSONVILLE. He's still startable for the volume alone, but I've got him down as a low tier flex option this week who's very bustable against a defense allowing the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season.

T.Y. Hilton (Wide Receiver, Indianapolis Colts)

Hey, it's our old buddy again! Hilton's season totals don't look too bad when you consider that Andrew Luck missed the entire season--WR25 in Standard scoring--but he's had some of the lowest lows imaginable, with four double-digit weeks boosting his overall scoring. Hilton can't be trusted in a tough match-up with the Baltimore Ravens, who have allowed just five touchdowns in wide outs in 2017.

Jamison Crowder (Wide Receiver, Washington Redskins)

Like Hilton, Crowder has had some peaks and some very, very low valleys this season--he's put up negative points in Standard scoring twice, which is pretty wild. Washington plays the Broncos, who have given up the least receiving yards to wide receivers of any defense this year. It's hard to trust any Washington receiver this week, but Crowder gets the nod here because his floor can be rough. (Plus there are concerns about his hamstring.)

Stephen Anderson (Tight End, Houston Texans)

There was hype a few weeks back, but Anderson has disappeared since then, totaling two catches for 16 yards over the past two weeks. Don't expect that to get back on track against the Steelers, who have given up just two touchdowns to tight ends this season.

Jason Witten (Tight End, Dallas Cowboys)

Another visit here from Jason Witten. There have been six games this season in which Witten totaled just one catch, though in two of those games that catch went for a touchdown. He's difficult to trust against Seattle, who have a top ten defense against fantasy tight ends. Witten feels like a guy who has finally hit that wall in his career. That's not the kind of guy I'd be trusting my fantasy fate to.

 

More Week 16 Lineup Prep




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