Eagles look like team to beat in NFC, Bills beat Lions in potential SB preview
Mackenzie Salmon breaks down the top storylines from Week 15 in the NFL.
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We have made it to the fantasy football playoffs. Congratulations if you’ve survived your first-round matchup and are battling to stay in the championship race. Maybe you lost, but you still have a chance at third place and bragging rights.
If you’re one of the fortunate teams still fighting for a title, good luck to you, and if you are on the less fortunate teams attempting to avoid the last-place punishment, good luck to you, too. Either way, it’s time for Week 16, with all 32 teams in action.
The 2024 season has delivered breakout tight ends, Brock Bowers and Trey McBride. The Raiders rookie is the most popular tight end on playoff teams. George Kittle is next, followed by McBride. However, you may not roster one of these three must-starts, making your tight end a difficult lineup decision in Week 16.
Whether competing for a shot at the title or clawing to avoid a possible loser’s bracket punishment, inserting the best tight end into your lineup this week could pay dividends.
Here is a breakdown of who you should start and who you should sit at tight end in Week 16 of the fantasy football season.
Talk about Strange. You would have never believed you’d be considering starting another Jaguars tight end not named Evan Engram in 2024. If your roster has been constructed around streaming tight ends, this is the guy you want for Week 16.
There may be a few fantasy owners desperately searching for the leg up or possibly a league with a deep flex dart throw, and you can start Strange this week. He’s coming off a game where he finished with 12 targets and 11 receptions.
Strange played 82% of the snaps in Week 15, and the decimated Jaguars receiving room opened the door for more strange things in Week 16. He gets to go against the struggling Raiders. Las Vegas allows the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends. Brenton Strange could catapult you into your fantasy championship next week. Stranger things have happened.
The Bills’ second-year tight end hasn’t delivered the elite production fantasy owners who drafted him were hoping for in 2024, but there’s something sneaky about him to close out the season strong and help lift the Bills into the playoffs. He has finished as a top-10 tight end just twice this season, but he’s in a good spot this Sunday.
Buffalo hosts New England in Week 16, and the Patriots are in the bottom half of the league in fantasy points allowed to tight ends. Kincaid returned from a knee injury last week and played just under half of the team’s snaps. He finished with a decent four-catch 53-yard performance despite the limited snaps.
Khalil Shakir is a steady target option, and the acquisition of Amari Cooper has pushed Kincaid down the totem pole as a receiving option for Josh Allen. However, pairing any pass catcher with an MVP-candidate quarterback is a good idea. Kincaid posted 15 and 12 fantasy points in both matchups with the Patriots as a rookie. They have struggled against receivers out of the slot, where Kincaid runs most of his routes. Kincaid should provide a solid floor in Week 16.
The Browns offense could take a dive with Jameis Winston benched in favor of Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Still, you can confidently insert Njoku into your lineups if he returns from a hamstring injury that held him out in Week 15. The uber-athletic tight end has averaged 1.1 end zone targets since Watson’s injury. Njoku has had at least eight targets in eight of the last nine games and scored in four of the last six when DTR is under center.
Njoku was lighting it up before his injury and is in a great spot to finish as the TE1 overall in Week 16, and he gets a glorious matchup this week against a struggling Bengals secondary. Njoku has received a whopping 30 targets over the last two healthy games, and he shouldn’t slow down on Sunday. Cincinnati has allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. They’ve allowed the most receptions to the position, and Njoku went off for 10 catches, 76 yards and a score in the first matchup back in October. If Njoku is active he is a bona fide start this week.
There’s already a tight end to start in Orchard Park this week, but there’s another to sit. The Patriots travel to play the Bills in Week 16 on Sunday, and Buffalo is battling with hopes to overtake the No. 1 seed in the AFC so they won’t take their division rivals lightly. New England’s offense has shown flashes since Drake Maye took over under center, but this is a difficult matchup for the rookie quarterback.
The veteran tight end has been a solid streaming option at times but he is a sit this week. Buffalo was susceptible to tight ends with Matt Milano out earlier this season but he’s been back in the lineup for a few weeks. Buffalo has allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position.
Sam LaPorta may have posted strong numbers last week against Buffalo, but the offensive environment was special inside Ford Field; the Bills defense plays much better at home.
This one will be a tough pill to swallow for some fantasy managers, but Jonnu Smith can be left on the bench this week against the San Francisco 49ers. The Dolphins host the 49ers in a massive Week 16 clash. The loser of this game will be eliminated from playoff contention, where the winner will keep alive their small glimmer of hope for a run in January.
The Niners defense has held opposing tight ends in check, allowing the second-fewest fantasy points per game to the position. With linebacker Fred Warner patrolling the field and Dre Greenlaw back in the lineup, tight ends typically struggle against San Fran. The Jets held Smith without a catch until overtime just two weeks ago, but he bounced back nicely against Houston.
This matchup causes hesitation. Even if Smith lines up in the slot Deommodore Lenoir has been a top three defender from that position this season. It may be difficult but find another option this week.
Looking for more fantasy football advice? USA TODAY Sports has you covered:
→ Need an edge under center? Here are the best quarterback options to start and to sit in Week 16.
→ A good running back makes all the difference. A bad running back can cost you a lot of points. Here’s who to start and who to sit in Week 16.
→ Kickers are people, too. Here are the most clutch kickers to start, and some to sit, for Week 16.
→ The wide receiver position has been decimated this season. Protect yourself in Week 16 with start ’em, sit ’em advice for wideouts.
→ A good defense can shut down your fantasy opponent’s offense. Here are some D/ST options to start and sit for Week 16.