Even in the fantasy playoffs, starting your high-end players can be quite challenging. In this piece, we will analyze three wide receivers who were once considered top options but have been disappointing as of late.
Tyreek Hill, DK Metcalf, and Jayden Reed have all flashed WR1 potential this season but have become rather hard to trust down the stretch.
So should we consider sitting these wide receivers in fantasy football lineups for Week 16, or are they recommended starts? Let's dive in and take a closer look.
Should I Start Tyreek Hill for Fantasy Football?
Tyreek Hill has been battling a lingering wrist issue but has still been relatively productive prior to Week 15. During Weeks 11 through 14, Hill averaged a solid 19.3 PPR points per game.
However, last weekend, with Tua Tagovailoa throwing three interceptions, the entire Miami offense struggled and Hill was only able to tally a mere 36 yards.
📆 A Year Ago Today: Jaylen Waddle went OFF without Tyreek Hill vs. New York Jets in 2023 🐧
➖ 8 receptions
➖ 142 receiving yards
➖ 1 receiving touchdown(🎥 @NFL) #GoFins pic.twitter.com/SLSnmSF3iK
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) December 17, 2024
Despite the underwhelming output, Hill still saw seven targets. In addition, No. 2 wideout Jaylen Waddle (knee) suffered an injury last weekend and has yet to return to practice this week, which could open more opportunities up for Hill.
While Hill will face a tough San Francisco 49ers secondary, given his reliable target share and game-breaking speed, he should remain a lineup lock throughout the fantasy playoffs.
Should I Start DK Metcalf for Fantasy Football?
Since returning from a two-game absence due to a knee injury, Metcalf has given WR1 duties to sophomore Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Over his previous five games, Metcalf has averaged just 54.5 yards per game, a stark drop from the 81.1 he averaged during the first seven games of the season.
DK METCALF 71 YARDS TO THE HOUSE! 🏠
(via NFL, CBS)
— Rotoworld Football (@rotoworld_fb) September 22, 2024
However, his average target count per game has remained relatively constant, which is a promising sign for his fantasy production. In addition, he has a fantastic matchup this weekend against the Minnesota Vikings, who have allowed the most PPR points to opposing wide receivers this season.
Despite the underwhelming outputs the past month, Metcalf has a great matchup to get himself back on track as the Seahawks could find themselves in a high-scoring affair facing a potent Minnesota offense.
Should I Start Jayden Reed for Fantasy Football?
Since Week 11, Jayden Reed has only eclipsed double-digit PPR points in two out of the past five games and found the end zone three times. He did most of his damage on Thanksgiving night as he scored two of those touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins. During this stretch, he has seen a low 3.2 targets per game.
This was the Packers 7th explosive (gain of 12+ yards) designed run to a WR this season, most in the NFL (per @TruMediaSports).
The Lions are 2nd with 4, 11 teams have 0. Jayden Reed has 5. pic.twitter.com/aI2HOiXKj7
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) November 29, 2024
During the first nine weeks of the season, Reed was seeing a much more consistent 5.2 targets per game. During this span, he scored double-digit PPR points in six out of the nine games. Given his lack of stable production, he should only be deployed as a high-end WR3.
He does have a great matchup facing the New Orleans Saints, who have allowed the sixth-most PPR points to wideouts this season. Fantasy managers in shallow formats (10 teams or less) should only view him as a flex option given his recent play. Managers in 12+ team formats should view him as a WR3 with upside.
Popular Week 16 Searches - Start/Sit Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 16 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Tyreek Hill, DK Metcalf, Jayden Reed compared to others. You can also use the free Who Should I Start tool to run your own start/sit comparisons, up to four players at once:
Courtland Sutton or Tyreek Hill
Jauan Jennings or Tyreek Hill
Adam Thielen or Dk Metcalf
Jerome Ford or Dk Metcalf
Khalil Shakir or Dk Metcalf
Terry Mclaurin or Tyreek Hill
Jakobi Meyers or Tyreek Hill
Adam Thielen or Jayden Reed
Jerry Jeudy or Dk Metcalf
Deandre Hopkins or Jayden Reed
Jauan Jennings or Dk Metcalf
Jakobi Meyers or Dk Metcalf
Quentin Johnston or Jayden Reed
Brian Thomasjr or Tyreek Hill
Devonta Smith or Dk Metcalf
Jameson Williams or Jayden Reed
Jalen Mcmillan or Jayden Reed
Jaxon Smithnjigba or Tyreek Hill
Zay Flowers or Dk Metcalf
Jordan Addison or Tyreek Hill
Dk Metcalf or Jayden Reed
Jerry Jeudy or Jayden Reed
Malik Nabers or Tyreek Hill
Jayden Reed or Tyreek Hill
Jauan Jennings or Jayden Reed
Khalil Shakir or Jayden Reed
Ladd Mcconkey or Dk Metcalf
Tee Higgins or Tyreek Hill
Drake London or Tyreek Hill
Jalen Mcmillan or Tyreek Hill
Ladd Mcconkey or Jayden Reed
Ladd Mcconkey or Tyreek Hill
Calvin Ridley or Jayden Reed
Courtland Sutton or Jayden Reed
Marvin Harrisonjr or Dk Metcalf
Zay Flowers or Tyreek Hill
Jerome Ford or Jayden Reed
Isiah Pacheco or Dk Metcalf
Romeo Doubs or Jayden Reed
Brian Thomasjr or Dk Metcalf
Calvin Ridley or Dk Metcalf
Courtland Sutton or Dk Metcalf
Darnell Mooney or Dk Metcalf
Devonta Smith or Jayden Reed
Tony Pollard or Jayden Reed
Darnell Mooney or Jayden Reed
Isiah Pacheco or Jayden Reed
Brian Robinsonjr or Dk Metcalf
Rhamondre Stevenson or Dk Metcalf
George Pickens or Dk Metcalf
Jerry Jeudy or Tyreek Hill
Brian Robinsonjr or Tyreek Hill
Cooper Kupp or Tyreek Hill
Davante Adams or Tyreek Hill
Garrett Wilson or Tyreek Hill
Isaac Guerendo or Tyreek Hill
Jayden Reed or Dk Metcalf
Jordan Addison or Dk Metcalf
Keenan Allen or Dk Metcalf
Patrick Taylorjr or Dk Metcalf
Quentin Johnston or Dk Metcalf
Zay Flowers or Jayden Reed
Garrett Wilson or Dk Metcalf
Jaylen Waddle or Jayden Reed
Najee Harris or Dk Metcalf
Rashod Bateman or Jayden Reed
Sam Laporta or Jayden Reed
Tyreek Hill or Jayden Reed
Bucky Irving or Tyreek Hill
Chuba Hubbard or Dk Metcalf
Deandre Hopkins or Dk Metcalf
Dk Metcalf or Tyreek Hill
Jakobi Meyers or Jayden Reed
Jalen Mcmillan or Dk Metcalf
Javonte Williams or Dk Metcalf
Joe Mixon or Jayden Reed
Jonnu Smith or Dk Metcalf
Kenneth Walkeriii or Jayden Reed
Marvin Harrisonjr or Tyreek Hill
Mike Evans or Tyreek Hill
Romeo Doubs or Dk Metcalf
Romeo Doubs or Tyreek Hill
Travis Etiennejr or Jayden Reed
Aaron Jones or Dk Metcalf
Bucky Irving or Jayden Reed
Chuba Hubbard or Tyreek Hill
Cooper Kupp or Jayden Reed
Devonta Smith or Tyreek Hill
Jordan Addison or Jayden Reed
Khalil Shakir or Tyreek Hill
Rachaad White or Dk Metcalf
Zach Charbonnet or Dk Metcalf
Aj Brown or Dk Metcalf
Amari Cooper or Tyreek Hill
Breece Hall or Dk Metcalf
Brian Robinsonjr or Jayden Reed
Brock Bowers or Jayden Reed
Darnell Mooney or Tyreek Hill
Davante Adams or Dk Metcalf
Deebo Samuelsr or Jayden Reed
Dj Moore or Dk Metcalf
Dj Moore or Jayden Reed
Isiah Pacheco or Tyreek Hill
James Cook or Tyreek Hill
Jaylen Waddle or Dk Metcalf
Jonnu Smith or Jayden Reed
Josh Downs or Jayden Reed
Keenan Allen or Tyreek Hill
Kenneth Walkeriii or Dk Metcalf
Keon Coleman or Dk Metcalf
Kyren Williams or Tyreek Hill
Malik Nabers or Dk Metcalf
Malik Nabers or Jayden Reed
Marvin Harrisonjr or Jayden Reed
Terry Mclaurin or Dk Metcalf
Terry Mclaurin or Jayden Reed
Travis Kelce or Dk Metcalf
Tyrone Tracyjr or Dk Metcalf
Adam Thielen or Tyreek Hill
Alexander Mattison or Jayden Reed
Amari Cooper or Dk Metcalf
Breece Hall or Tyreek Hill
Calvin Ridley or Tyreek Hill
Chuba Hubbard or Jayden Reed
Cooper Kupp or Dk Metcalf
Dandre Swift or Jayden Reed
Dandre Swift or Tyreek Hill
David Njoku or Dk Metcalf
Deebo Samuelsr or Dk Metcalf
Dj Moore or Tyreek Hill
Drake London or Jayden Reed
Garrett Wilson or Jayden Reed
George Kittle or Tyreek Hill
Gus Edwards or Jayden Reed
Isaac Guerendo or Dk Metcalf
James Conner or Tyreek Hill
Jameson Williams or Dk Metcalf
Jaxon Smithnjigba or Dk Metcalf
Joe Mixon or Dk Metcalf
Jonathan Taylor or Dk Metcalf
Keenan Allen or Jayden Reed
Najee Harris or Jayden Reed
Nico Collins or Tyreek Hill
Rachaad White or Jayden Reed
Rayray Mccloudiii or Jayden Reed
Rico Dowdle or Dk Metcalf
Rico Dowdle or Jayden Reed
Tank Bigsby or Jayden Reed
Tee Higgins or Dk Metcalf
Tony Pollard or Dk Metcalf
Travis Etiennejr or Dk Metcalf
Tyjae Spears or Jayden Reed
Tyreek Hill or Dk Metcalf
Tyrone Tracyjr or Jayden Reed
Xavier Worthy or Dk Metcalf
Aaron Jones or Jayden Reed
Aj Brown or Jayden Reed
Aj Brown or Tyreek Hill
Alexander Mattison or Tyreek Hill
Alvin Kamara or Tyreek Hill
Amari Cooper or Jayden Reed
Ameer Abdullah or Jayden Reed
Amonra Stbrown or Jayden Reed
Amonra Stbrown or Tyreek Hill
Breece Hall or Jayden Reed
Brenton Strange or Jayden Reed
Brenton Strange or Tyreek Hill
Brian Thomasjr or Jayden Reed
Bucky Irving or Dk Metcalf
Cedric Tillman or Jayden Reed
Chase Brown or Dk Metcalf
Chase Brown or Tyreek Hill
Chris Olave or Jayden Reed
Christian Watson or Dk Metcalf
Christian Watson or Jayden Reed
Damien Harris or Dk Metcalf
Dandre Swift or Dk Metcalf
Davante Adams or Jayden Reed
David Njoku or Jayden Reed
David Njoku or Tyreek Hill
Deebo Samuel or Tyreek Hill
Deebo Samuelsr or Tyreek Hill
Derrick Henry or Tyreek Hill
Drake London or Dk Metcalf
George Kittle or Dk Metcalf
George Pickens or Jayden Reed
Hunter Henry or Jayden Reed
Jahmyr Gibbs or Tyreek Hill
Jalen Coker or Dk Metcalf
Jameson Williams or Tyreek Hill
Jaxon Smithnjigba or Jayden Reed
Jayden Daniels or Dk Metcalf
Jayden Reed or Jayden Reed
Jaylen Warren or Jayden Reed
Jaylen Warren or Tyreek Hill
Jerome Ford or Tyreek Hill
Jonathan Taylor or Jayden Reed
Jonathan Taylor or Tyreek Hill
Josh Downs or Tyreek Hill
Josh Jacobs or Jayden Reed
Joshua Dobbs or Dk Metcalf
Kendre Miller or Dk Metcalf
Kendre Miller or Jayden Reed
Kenneth Walkeriii or Tyreek Hill
Keon Coleman or Jayden Reed
Keon Coleman or Tyreek Hill
Kyren Williams or Dk Metcalf
Lamar Jackson or Dk Metcalf
Mac Jones or Dk Metcalf
Marquez Valdesscantling or Dk Metcalf
Michael Penixjr or Dk Metcalf
Michael Pittmanjr or Dk Metcalf
Michael Pittmanjr or Jayden Reed
Mike Evans or Dk Metcalf
Mike Evans or Jayden Reed
Nico Collins or Jayden Reed
Patrick Mahomes or Dk Metcalf
Puka Nacua or Tyreek Hill
Rhamondre Stevenson or Jayden Reed
Rico Dowdle or Tyreek Hill
Rome Odunze or Dk Metcalf
Rome Odunze or Jayden Reed
Tank Dell or Dk Metcalf
Tank Dell or Jayden Reed
Tee Higgins or Jayden Reed
Tim Patrick or Dk Metcalf
Tim Patrick or Jayden Reed
Tj Hockenson or Jayden Reed
Travis Kelce or Jayden Reed
Tyjae Spears or Dk Metcalf
Tyjae Spears or Tyreek Hill
Tyler Allgeier or Dk Metcalf
Wandale Robinson or Jayden Reed
Xavier Worthy or Jayden Reed
Xavier Worthy or Tyreek Hill
Zach Charbonnet or Jayden Reed
Zach Charbonnet or Tyreek Hill
Zack Moss or Tyreek Hill
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