X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Monday Football Matchups and Starts/Sits (Week 16)

I usually start this column with "another week, another Monday," but that would be inappropriate this time around. Yes, today is actually Saturday, but this Monday isn't just any Monday either – it's a double order of Monday football that is going to determine fantasy champions all over the world! And while we're at it, here's a message to those of you in leagues that don't have the finals until Week 17: find a new league. To the rest of you, good luck this weekend. You've survived a wild and crazy year to give yourself a chance to take home a title (or two, or three).

Monday's late afternoon matchup sees the now Antonio Brown-less Steelers traveling to Houston to face the reeling Texans, coming off a fourth consecutive loss. Despite last week's late game dramatics to fall at the hands of Bill Belichick, Pittsburgh still has a chance at a first round bye and the top overall seed for the AFC playoffs. And speaking of first round byes, the Eagles can clinch just that with a win on Monday night as they host an underachieving Raiders team. Nick Foles looks to move to 2-0 as the starting QB in Philly, who still control their own destiny to the NFC's one seed.

Oh and merry Christmas.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

Week 16 NFL Game Notes

Sunday and Saturday games:

 
 

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Houston Texans

Date and Start Time: Monday, December 25th at 4:30 p.m. EST

Game Spread: Steelers -10

Notables from Injury Report & Inactives:

  • Antonio Brown (WR, PIT) - Leg - OUT
  • Lardarius Green (TE, PIT) - Concussion - Questionable
  • Jadeveon Clowney (DE, HOU) - Knee - Questionable
  • DeAndre Hopkins (WR, HOU) - Toe - Questionable (expected to play)
  • Tom Savage (QB, HOU) - Concussion - Doubtful

 
Offensive and Defensive Rankings (through Week 15):

Steelers Texans
Passing Yards 2nd 18th
Rushing Yards 21st 15th
Pass Defense 5th 27th
Run Defense 8th 10th

 
 

Oakland Raiders @ Philadelphia Eagles

Date and Start Time: Monday, December 25th at 8:30 p.m. EST

Game Spread: Eagles -10.5

Notables from Injury Report & Inactives:

  • Jared Cook (TE, OAK) - Wrist - Questionable (expected to play)
  • Amari Cooper (WR, OAK) - Ankle - Questionable (expected to play)
  • David Amerson (CB, OAK) - Foot - Questionable
  • Carson Wentz (QB, PHI) - Knee - OUT

 
Offensive and Defensive Rankings (through Week 15):

Raiders Eagles
Passing Yards 16th 8th
Rushing Yards 25th 2nd
Pass Defense 23rd 22nd
Run Defense 15th 1st

 
 

Must Starts

Top Players That You Should Have In Your Lineup

Le'veon Bell (RB, PIT)

The league leader in total yards, Bell is averaging an absurd 28.9 touches per game. He's going on four straight weeks now with 25+ points in PPR leagues, and he hasn't had a single digit scoring week since Week 1. He's already matchup-proof and all but guaranteed for 20+ touches, and this spot gets even juicier with Antonio Brown sidelined due to a partially torn calf muscle. Houston's run defense is actually not bad, but Le'veon is the safest play in all of fantasy this week.

DeAndre Hopkins (WR, HOU)

On the other side of the ball, Hopkins has sustained consistency despite the lackluster quarterback carousel in Houston. Since TJ Yates has taken over under center two weeks ago, Nuk has hauled in three scores on 14.5 targets per game. He's seen double digit targets in all but three games, and hasn't totaled under 75 yards since Week 6. Chances are that the Texans are going to be playing from behind on Monday, which means that they'll need to utilize their best offensive weapon. Don't hesitate because of the matchup.

Ben Roethlisberger (QB, PIT)

Big Ben on the road is not the same as Big Ben at home. He hasn't thrown more than two touchdowns in any game this year away from Heinz Field, but he hasn't thrown more than one interception either. In fact, both his best and worst games have been in Pittsburgh. So why is he listed as a must start? Because you more or less know what you're going to get out of him, even without AB. Houston's pass defense is one of the weakest in the league, and Ben should be good for 250-300 yards. He's unlikely to put up a truly monstrous day, but he should be at least a low-end QB1 this week, specifically given all of the injuries at the position.

Zach Ertz (TE, PHI)

I realize that Ertz has been particularly volatile over the last few weeks, but there are only two or three tight ends at the entire position that can truly be trusted on a weekly basis. The short of it is, if you have Ertz you are playing him. His bad weeks are bad, but he's put up more good weeks than most other tight ends, and he scored a touchdown on 56 yards last week in Foles' first start of the season. The Eagles should be able to move the ball at will against the Raiders, so you'll want as many pieces of the passing attack as you can.

 

Must Sits

Players To Avoid Putting In Your Lineup

Amari Cooper (WR, OAK)

One of 2017's biggest disappointments, it simply hasn't come together this year for Cooper (or the Raiders as a whole). If you take away his 210-yard performance in Week 7, he's averaging just 36.1 yards per game, and that isn't even counting Weeks 12 and 14, either of which he didn't play the whole game. He was held out last week against Dallas with an ankle injury, but is expected to play in Philly. Nonetheless, he's virtually impossible to trust, healthy or not.

Lamar Miller (HOU, RB)

Speaking of impossible to trust, how about a running back averaging 3.6 yards per carry on a team that's scored 20 points just once in the last seven weeks? The touches have more or less been there for Miller (outside of last week's blowout in Jacksonville), but the production hasn't. The game flow is unlikely to be in his favor on Monday, and the Steelers are likely to stack the box with Yates at QB. He's not the absolute worst play if you have no other options, but his ceiling is severely capped.

Any Tight End in the PIT/HOU Game

Both Jesse James and Stephen Anderson have had double digit target games over the last month, but each of those games were also the only time it happened to either of them all season. James was at the center of last week's much disputed ending against New England, but he finished with just 7 receiving yards. Still though, that's seven more than Anderson saw in Jacksonville. If you have absolutely no other choices, go with James over Anderson simply because he's more likely to have a role, but I'd recommend staying far away from both.

Entire Eagles Backfield

It's admittedly a little weird to have the entire backfield of the #2 rushing team in football listed here, but there's only so many touches to go around. Jay Ajayi is the obvious choice if you are going to fire up one of the running backs, but even he's surpassed double digits PPR points just twice since being in Philly. The presence of LeGarrette Blount and Corey Clement haven't been anything to write home about either, but none of the above have reached the end zone in any of the last three games. I'd rather look elsewhere than take a chance on a 12-15 touch RB in a pass-first offense (Ajayi).

 

Solid Options/Sleepers

Which Players Will Have Solid Games and Which Could Surprise?

Solid Option - JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR, PIT)

Nobody may benefit more from Antonio Brown's absence than the NFL's youngest player, who turned in his second 100+ yard performance of the season last week. He should be good for at least 6-7 targets and is a WR2-3 with upside for more in all formats.

Solid Option - Martavis Bryant (WR, PIT)

He has less upside than JuJu, but he's had at least four catches in each of the last four weeks. With AB out (have you heard?), there's little reason that he can't replicate that number.

Solid Option - Michael Crabtree (WR, OAK)

One of the few pieces in the Raiders offense worth consideration, Crabtree's been the only semblance of consistency out of the passing attack. With seven catches in each of the last two games and double digit targets in both, he's a super safe play in a game that Oakland will likely be playing from behind. I have him as a WR2 this week, and a better (safer) option than either of the two guys above.

Solid Option - Alshon Jeffrey (WR, PHI)

There's a lot of receivers worth firing up on Monday, but how about the #1 receiver on one of the most high-powered offenses in football? No matter who is at QB, the ball is likely to be spread out pretty well for Philadelphia, but Alshon is almost in must start territory having scored at least one touchdown in six of the last seven games.

Solid Option - Nelson Agholor (WR, PHI)

It's pretty crazy to think that Agholor has been a legitimate fantasy option almost all season long, but here we are. Averaging over seven catches and 88 yards in the last three games played, he'll continue to be a WR3 with Foles under center for a second week.

Sleeper - Marshawn Lynch (RB, OAK)

The Raiders are close to dead last in the NFL in rushing yards and the Eagles are ranked first in rushing defense, so this makes no sense right? Exactly right. Almost nobody is going to be on Marshawn this week, which is part of the reason I like him. I also like him because he's averaging over 5.5 yards per carry in the last three weeks, and has found the end zone in three of the last four. It'll take some cajones to pull the trigger on him in your championship week, but I think he's a sneaky good play.

Sleeper - Nick Foles (QB, PHI)

Probably a little less sneaky, the Eagles offense looked just fine last week under Foles. The rushing attack is good enough to keep defenses honest, and the raucous Philadelphia crowd will be in full force on Christmas night. Though I have him listed as a sleeper and Big Ben as a must start, I ironically think Foles will finish ahead of Roethlisberger as a clear cut QB1 this week. He's just a little more risky since we've seen so little of him.

 

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jordan Clarkson8 hours ago

Out At Least A Week
Kyle Kuzma8 hours ago

Out Again On Saturday
Jamal Murray8 hours ago

Won't Return On Friday Night
Giannis Antetokounmpo8 hours ago

Anticipated To Play Versus Cleveland
Puka Nacua9 hours ago

Shot To Play Week 9
Jordan Love9 hours ago

Tracking To Play In Week 9
Stephen Curry12 hours ago

Unavailable Saturday
Yves Missi12 hours ago

Expected To Take The Court Friday
Karl-Anthony Towns12 hours ago

Available On Friday
Eric Comrie12 hours ago

Faces Blue Jackets Friday
Daniel Theis12 hours ago

Likely To Suit Up Friday
David Savard12 hours ago

Sits Out Practice For Maintenance Purposes
De'Anthony Melton12 hours ago

Unavailable Saturday
Jordan Hawkins13 hours ago

Expected To Play Friday
Alexander Romanov13 hours ago

Ready To Play Friday
Al Horford13 hours ago

Resting Against Charlotte
Evgeni Malkin13 hours ago

Takes Maintenance Day On Friday
Andrew Wiggins13 hours ago

Probable For Saturday's Matchup With Houston
Rose Namajunas13 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
D'Angelo Russell13 hours ago

Will Suit Up Versus Toronto
Devon Levi13 hours ago

Returns To Sabres Crease
Clayton Kershaw13 hours ago

To Undergo Two Surgeries
Anthony Davis13 hours ago

Available Against Toronto
Erin Blanchfield13 hours ago

Returns At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Lowe13 hours ago

Rays Pick Up Club Option On Brandon Lowe
Ryan Hartman13 hours ago

Rejoins Wild Lineup Friday
Zach LaVine13 hours ago

Will Play Against Brooklyn
13 hours ago

Nick Martinez Headed To Free Agency
Erik Cernak13 hours ago

Available On Friday
Marc-Andre Barriault13 hours ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Set To Face Marc-Andre Barriault At UFC Edmonton
Brent Suter13 hours ago

Inks Extension With Cincinnati
Immanuel Quickley13 hours ago

Out Again On Friday Night
CJ McCollum13 hours ago

Out At Least Two Weeks
13 hours ago

Yankees, Mets Among Teams In Battle For Juan Soto
Anthony Black13 hours ago

Starting Versus Cleveland
Franz Wagner14 hours ago

Cleared For Friday Night
Herbert Jones14 hours ago

To Miss A Significant Amount Of Time With Shoulder Injury
Marc-Andre Barriault14 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Edmonton
Blake Snell14 hours ago

Opts Out Of Deal With San Francisco
Desmond Bane14 hours ago

Won't Face The 76ers
Josh Jacobs14 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Drake Maye14 hours ago

Questionable For Week 9
Tyler Boyd14 hours ago

Tony Pollard, Tyler Boyd Listed As Questionable
Tyjae Spears15 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Calvin Ridley15 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
Trevin Giles15 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Noah Fant15 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Brian Robinson Jr.15 hours ago

Questionable For Week 9
Mike Malott15 hours ago

Opens Up UFC Edmonton Main Card
Dallas Goedert15 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
DK Metcalf15 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Zach Benson15 hours ago

Could Play Next Week
Jani Hakanpaa16 hours ago

And Connor Dewar Sent On Conditioning Stint
Dmitri Voronkov16 hours ago

Ready For Season Debut Friday
Jordan Love16 hours ago

Questionable Vs. Lions
Mathew Barzal16 hours ago

Getting Tests Done For Upper-Body Injury
Vladimir Tarasenko16 hours ago

Ready To Go For Saturday
Mark Stone16 hours ago

Misses Practice Due To Birth Of Child
Puka Nacua17 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Week 9
Will Levis17 hours ago

Questionable For Week 9
David Njoku18 hours ago

Good To Go For Week 9
Bucky Irving18 hours ago

Absent During Friday's Practice
David Njoku18 hours ago

Returns To Practice On Friday
Adam Thielen18 hours ago

Doubtful For Week 9
Jonathon Brooks18 hours ago

Not Expected To Play In Week 9
Tee Higgins18 hours ago

Listed As Doubtful For Sunday
Tyreek Hill18 hours ago

Expected To Play In Week 9
Tomás Nosek21 hours ago

Tomas Nosek Ready For Panthers Debut On Friday
Leon Draisaitl22 hours ago

Leads Oilers To Victory With Three-Point Effort
Martin Necas22 hours ago

Registers Four Points In Dominant Win
Alex Ovechkin22 hours ago

Bags Three Points In Thursday's Win
22 hours ago

Royals Decline Option On Adam Frazier
Sidney Crosby22 hours ago

Drags Penguins Back On Track
22 hours ago

Manuel Margot, Kyle Farmer Headed To Free Agency
William Nylander22 hours ago

Pots Two Goals Versus Seattle
22 hours ago

Milwaukee Declines Option On Wade Miley
NHL22 hours ago

Will Smith Scores First Career Goals
Lucas Giolito22 hours ago

Staying In Boston
Chris Stratton22 hours ago

Hunter Renfroe, Chris Stratton Returning To Kansas City
Jordan Montgomery22 hours ago

Staying In Arizona
1 day ago

Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn Headed For Free Agency
Roansy Contreras1 day ago

Claimed By Texas
1 day ago

Alex Kirilloff Announces Retirement
Jorge Soler1 day ago

Traded To Los Angeles
Curtis Lazar2 days ago

Out Indefinitely Following Knee Procedure
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Searching For 1st UFC Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado2 days ago

Drops Down To Light Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Jhonata Diniz2 days ago

Gets Big Step-Up At UFC Edmonton
Derrick Lewis2 days ago

Faces An Unranked Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Edmonton
2 days ago

Daniel Hudson Retires After World Series Victory
Freddie Freeman2 days ago

Drives In Two More Runs, Earns World Series MVP Honors
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Comes Up Short at Homestead
William Byron5 days ago

Rallies to Sixth at Homestead
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Tire Issue at Homestead Could Doom Kyle Larson's Championship Hopes
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Charges To A Thrilling Victory At Homestead
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Loses At Homestead On The Final Corner To Tyler Reddick
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Quietly Nabs A Top-5 Finish At Homestead
Khamzat Chimaev5 days ago

Remains Undefeated
Robert Whittaker5 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 308
Aleksandar Rakic5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 308
Armen Petrosyan5 days ago

Knocked Out At UFC 308
Shara Magomedov5 days ago

Gets Highlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC 308
Joey Logano5 days ago

Intentionally Sleepwalked Through Homestead to Focus on Phoenix
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Advances to Championship 4 as Owner but Not as Driver
Dan Ige5 days ago

Loses Second-Straight Fight At UFC 308
Lerone Murphy5 days ago

Remains Undefeated At UFC 308
Magomed Ankalaev5 days ago

Wins Lackluster Decision Win At UFC 308
Max Holloway5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out For First Time At UFC 308

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Wide Receiver Matchups to Target in Week 9 - Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, Ladd McConkey, Jakobi Meyers

Welcome to WR Matchups to Target for Week 9. Last week’s picks yielded one “in the money” pick (3x multiplier on DraftKings salary) in Keon Coleman, giving us 11 such picks over the first eight weeks of the season. Each week we will use matchup data from PFF to determine wide receivers to target based […]


Jayden Reed - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football Landmines to Avoid for Week 9 - Tua Tagovailoa, Jayden Reed, Alexander Mattison, and more

As we hit the thick of the fantasy season, every lineup decision matters. One poorly chosen starter can ruin an entire week, especially with playoffs on the horizon.  In Week 9, we're taking a hard look at some players who are typically start-worthy but could land you in fantasy disaster zones this week due to […]


Josh Jacobs - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL RBs: Week 9 Updates for Alvin Kamara, Josh Jacobs, Tank Bisgby, Brian Robinson Jr.

Below is our fantasy football injuries report for running backs in Week 9, as of November 2. The injury statuses for various NFL running backs are up in the air for Week 9, including Alvin Kamara, Josh Jacobs, Tank Bisgby, and Brian Robinson Jr. As the fantasy football season continues, every decision, transaction, and lineup […]


Puka Nacua - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football WR Injury Reports: Week 9 Updates For Puka Nacua, DK Metcalf, Brian Thomas Jr., Tee Higgins, Amari Cooper

We've already run the gauntlet of wide receiver injuries, but NFL action never stops, and player ailments never stop piling up throughout the season. It's odd how brutal they've been to the WR position especially. We've seen a number of star wideouts go on injured reserve, some for the rest of the season. Chris Godwin, […]


Bryce Young - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

High-Upside Bench Stashes: Weekend Waiver Wire Adds for Week 9 Includes Jaylen Wright, Troy Franklin, Erick All Jr., and more

Mastering the waiver wire is a crucial skill that can lead you to a fantasy football championship. It's not just about strategically placing your FAAB budget on specific players but also about knowing when to stash players. This dual strategy keeps you engaged and focused on your ultimate goal of winning a fantasy championship. As […]


Lamar Jackson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Injury Updates for Week 9: Lamar Jackson, Puka Nacua, Tee Higgins, Jordan Love, Brian Thomas Jr.

The fantasy football gods don't care about your hopes and aspirations for your team. They dole out what they want when they please. It's common for players to get injuries in a sport that involves crashing into each other at high speeds and changing direction with extreme force. It's Week 9, which means some fantasy […]


Dallas Goedert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Injury Reports for Tight Ends: Week 9 - Updates for T.J. Hockenson, Dallas Goedert, Noah Fant, Will Dissly

It’s time to check in on the injuries to some of the tight ends around the National Football League. The volatility at this position has been a nightmare for fantasy managers this season, and injuries across the board haven’t helped.   Being up-to-date on NFL injury news can give you an edge over your league […]


Jalen Hurts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Survivor Pool Picks: Week 9 Targets and Avoids (2024)

Welcome to our NFL Survivor Pool Picks for Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season! There are so many different pools, fantasy leagues, weekly bets, and futures bets that it's hard to decide what to do with these choices. But survivor pools are the oldest and simplest leagues out there. All you have to do […]


Chase Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Week 9 DraftKings NFL DFS Picks - Main Slate (2024): Jalen Hurts, Chase Brown, Evan Engram, and more

After raiding my daughter's trick-or-treat bag leftovers, I'm battling a Halloween hangover. It's probably a similar feeling to what lots of DFS players were experiencing after last week's Main Slate, as injuries and muted outputs from several popular players were hallmarks of Week 8. That said, we're on to a Week 9 slate that features […]


Puka Nacua - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For Week 9 (Friday Updates): Puka Nacua, DK Metcalf, Josh Jacobs, Jordan Love, more

We have now hit the halfway point of the NFL season, but over halfway for most fantasy football seasons. As has been the norm this season, there are plenty of injuries to top fantasy players at every position. Some remain out for the foreseeable future, some are potentially playing through injury, and some are returning […]


Jayden Daniels - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Pick'em Pool Picks (Week 9) - Targets, Avoids, Predictions for Pick'em Contests (2024)

Just two teams will be on a bye during Week 9, leaving a busy slate across the NFL. Injuries will once again impact the slate, as well as some teams making changes at quarterback. Each week of the NFL season, I’ll share my picks for each game and rank their selections for those who play […]


RotoBaller NFL Betting Picks Stock

2024 NFL Week 9 Betting Picks (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools and Content can be accessed on the premium dashboard. To see ALL of Jamie's bets (and others from RotoBaller experts) then head over to the RotoBaller Discord. You'll find every bet and prop in the #NFL-BETTING-PROPS channel there!   Background My name is Jamie Calandro (@jac3600 on X) and I have […]


AJ Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL DFS: FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Picks for Week 9 - Top Lineup Plays Include Bijan Robinson, A.J. Brown, T.J. Hockenson

Like a backup quarterback patiently holding the clipboard with his hat on backward, I've been summoned into action to help give you some helpful NFL DFS advice for Week 9. My good friend Dennis Clausen, who usually pens this piece, asked me to help him out this week. Don't worry - Dennis is fine, other […]