🖥 CYBER WEEK - TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE CYBER
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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

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




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Bhayshul Tuten

Being Evaluated For Concussion
Daniel Jones

Ruled Out After Non-Contact Achilles Injury
Ja Morant

Doubtful Against Portland
Robert Williams III

Now Questionable Versus Memphis
Donovan Clingan

Questionable Versus Grizzlies
Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Won't Fire Mike Tomlin This Year
Chris Olave

Officially Active in Week 14
Dalton Kincaid

Suiting Up Against Bengals
CFB

Kendal Briles a Candidate for South Carolina Offensive Coordinator Job
CFB

James Madison Playoff-Bound After Duke Wins ACC Title?
CFB

Notre Dame, Miami, Alabama on College Football Playoff Bubble
Garrett Wilson

Still Expected to Return and Contribute in 2025
CFB

Brent Pry Could Return to Virginia Tech as Defensive Coordinator
Mike Evans

Could Return in Week 15
Trey Benson

Might Not Return This Season
Darcy Kuemper

Ends Losing Streak With Shutout Performance
Nikolaj Ehlers

Collects Three Points in Saturday's Win
Ilya Sorokin

Ties Franchise Record With 25th Shutout
Sam Bennett

Bags Season-High Four Points Saturday
Jordan Kyrou

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Saturday
Dominic James

Hurt on Saturday
Maxx Crosby

Trending Toward Playing Against Broncos
Chris Olave

Set to Play Vs. Bucs
LaMelo Ball

Won't Suit Up Against Denver
Immanuel Quickley

Questionable for Sunday Afternoon
Deshaun Watson

Expected to Stay With Browns Next Year
Klay Thompson

Downgraded Versus Houston
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Out Again on Saturday Evening
Tyler Herro

Will Miss Another Game on Saturday
Jimmy Butler III

Out Again on Saturday Night
Draymond Green

Ruled Out Versus Cleveland
Jose A. Ferrer

Mariners Acquire Jose A. Ferrer from the Nationals
Mason Marchment

Expected to Return Saturday
Danila Yurov

Returns From Two-Game Absence Saturday
Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Available Saturday
Harry Ford

Traded to the Nationals
Shane Pinto

to Miss Two Weeks
David Pastrnak

Misses Fifth Consecutive Game Saturday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Remains Out Saturday
Nikita Kucherov

Out on Saturday
Jayden Reed

Activated Off Injured Reserve, Will Play in Week 14
Omarion Hampton

Activated From IR, Faces Uncertain Workload Monday Night
Cody Bellinger

Drawing Interest From the Phillies
MacKenzie Gore

Will the Nationals Trade MacKenzie Gore?
Justin Herbert

Officially Listed as Questionable for Monday Night Football
Justin Herbert

Chargers "Expecting" Justin Herbert to Play in Week 14
Yves Missi

Trending Toward Game-Time Decision
Khris Middleton

Questionable With Knee Soreness Against Hawks
Noah Clowney

On Track To Suit Up Against Pelicans
De'Anthony Melton

Questionable With Knee Management
Draymond Green

Questionable With Mid-Foot Sprain
Jimmy Butler III

Day-To-Day As Warriors Prepare For Cleveland
Mikko Rantanen

Picks Up Three Points Against Sharks
Kyle Connor

Scores in Fourth Consecutive Game
Beckett Sennecke

Notches Two Points in Friday's Win
Ryan Leonard

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Friday
Carter Hart

Day-to-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Brayden Point

Questionable for Saturday
Victor Hedman

Expected to Return Saturday
Byron Buxton

Twins Not Planning to Trade Joe Ryan, Byron Buxton
Patrick Williams

Dalen Terry Available Versus Pacers
Coby White

Returns With Minutes Restriction Friday
Ayo Dosunmu

Out Friday Against Pacers
Zach Collins

Available for Season Debut Friday
Robert Williams III

Donovan Clingan Out, Robert Williams III in for Portland Friday
Ozzy Wiesblatt

to Miss 8-10 Weeks With Upper-Body Injury
Rome Odunze

has Fractured Foot, Labeled Week-to-Week
Sauce Gardner

Ruled Out for Sunday
Petr Yan

Looks To Reclaim Bantamweight Belt
Merab Dvalishvili

Set For His Fourth Title Defense
Joshua Van

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Aaron Jones Sr.

Cleared to Play in Week 14
Chris Olave

Listed as Questionable for Week 14
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fifth Title Defense At UFC 323
Tatsuro Taira

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Alvin Kamara

Ruled Out for Sunday
Brandon Moreno

Searches For His Third Win In A Row
Rome Odunze

Ruled Out for Week 14
Payton Talbott

A Favorite At UFC 323
Henry Cejudo

Set For His Retirement Fight
Jan Blachowicz

Set To Open Up UFC 323 Main Card
Bogdan Guskov

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
CFB

Emmett Johnson Leaving Nebraska for 2026 NFL Draft
CFB

Jam Miller Unlikely to Play in SEC Title Game
CFB

Penn State Expected to Hire Matt Campbell from Iowa State
CFB

Arkansas Targeting Ron Roberts for Defensive Coordinator Job
Jhostynxon Garcia

Pirates Acquire Jhostynxon Garcia From Red Sox
Cody Bellinger

Yankees Pushing Hard to Re-Sign Cody Bellinger
CFB

Penn State Eyeing Iowa State Coach Matt Campbell For Coaching Vacancy
Alex Bregman

Cubs Have Renewed Interest in Alex Bregman
CFB

Billy Napier Finalizing Deal to Become James Madison's New Head Coach
CFB

Buster Faulkner Set to Become Florida's New Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Joe Sloan Expected to be Kentucky's New Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Lane Kiffin Working to Keep Defensive Coordinator Blake Baker at LSU
CFB

Brian Daboll a Candidate for Penn State Head-Coaching Job?
Kyle Tucker

Visits With Blue Jays
Emilio Pagán

Reds Bring Back Closer Emilio Pagan on Two-Year Deal
Cedric Mullins

Rays Agree on One-Year Deal
Freddy Peralta

Brewers Considering Trading Freddy Peralta
Kyle Schwarber

Reds Serious About Adding Kyle Schwarber in Free Agency?
CFB

Brent Key Signing Five-Year Deal to Remain at Georgia Tech
CFB

Brian Hartline Expected to Land USF Head-Coaching Job
CFB

Collin Klein Expected to be Top Target for Kansas State if Head-Coach Job Opens
CFB

Chris Klieman Considering Stepping Down at Kansas State
CFB

D.J. Durkin Staying at Auburn Under Alex Golesh
CFB

Charlie Weis Jr. Permitted to Coach Ole Miss Offense in College Football Playoff
CFB

Five-Star Quarterback Jared Curtis Flips Commitment From Georgia to Vanderbilt
Kyle Schwarber

Giants Have Checked in on Kyle Schwarber
Willson Contreras

Willing to Waive his Full No-Trade Clause?
Edwin Díaz

Mets Still Interested in Re-Signing Edwin Diaz
Devin Williams

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Mets
Cole Ragans

Red Sox Targeting Cole Ragans in a Trade?

RANKINGS

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