Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 16: Advice for Unfavorable Fantasy Football Matchups

Here’s a holiday present for every fantasy football player who is competing for a championship: You have one less stressful day to ruminate over Week 16 lineup decisions.

Instead of spending Saturday studying every trend and injury report, gamers must make their choices early to accommodate the adjusted schedule. Having more time to fixate over a dilemma sometimes leads to diminished results, and nobody enjoys waiting in purgatory for the year’s biggest fantasy slate.

Forget about the usual Saturday morning errands; the time now belongs to crafting an optimal Week 16 lineup. Before you lock in those starters, let’s dissect some fringe choices with unfavorable matchups on the horizon. Some of those players are worth starting anyway, while others who are going up against a strong adversary should take a seat this weekend. 

Start: Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. BAL)

Winners of five straight, the Pittsburgh Steelers are rolling. One more victory over their archnemesis Baltimore Ravens Sunday will award them the AFC North crown. Yet despite the team’s recent success, Ben Roethlisberger’s fantasy luster has dwindled.

During Pittsburgh’s winning streak, Big Ben has averaged 236.6 yards per game with six touchdowns and four interceptions. He is ESPN.com’s No. 10-ranked fantasy passer and may fall below Andy Dalton and Tyrod Taylor in leagues with a harsher penalty for interceptions.

In Week 9’s matchup against Baltimore, the 34-year-old went 23-of-45 for 264 yards, accounting for one passing and rushing touchdown apiece along with a pick. While Baltimore is stronger against the run, it ranks No. 10 in passing defense.

Start Roethlisberger with confidence anyway. The rematch shifts venues to Heinz Field, where he boasts a 70.5 completion percentage, 17 touchdowns and three interceptions in five 2016 contests. During Pittsburgh’s last home game, he amassed 289 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception against the New York Giants, who have allowed the second-fewest ESPN.com fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

This game would be worth avoiding if it were at Baltimore, but home cooking makes Big Gen a top-10 quarterback despite Pittsburgh’s recent reliance on star running back Le’Veon Bell, who had a season-low 32 rushing yards against the Ravens in Week 9.

Sit: Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals (at SEA)

Carson Palmer is another veteran quarterback who performs much better at home. Unfortunately for him, his Arizona Cardinals will travel to play the Seattle Seahawks Saturday.

A fantasy star last season, the 36-year-old now needs a favorable home matchup for owners to feel confident in him. He gets the opposite in an away bout at Seattle, which ranks No. 7 against the pass. The most location-dependent team in football, the Seahawks are 7-0 with 14.6 points allowed per game at CenturyLink Field.

Palmer, meanwhile, has a 58.5 completion percentage and 6.05 yards per pass attempt away from University of Phoenix Stadium. He has thrown 10 of his 13 interceptions on the road, surrendering at least one pick in all five away games.

Despite those splits and a pending trip to one of the NFL’s loudest stadiums, Palmer expressed excitement for Arizona’s upcoming …

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