🖥 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
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

Fantasy Mads Libs: Starts and Sits for Week 16

As I write my last "Fantasy Mad Libs" of the season, I wanted to, in lieu of writing funny Christmas song parodies related to fantasy or going over my best and worst picks of the year (one of those will be my post-season column) thank the RotoBaller team. I was thrilled to write at least once a week for the team, and next year will be excited to write even more articles.

I've also enjoyed every single one of you: the writers who I've befriended through the internet while doing this column, the random dudes who tweet at me for an hour before game time kicks off, and the people who text me saying "Your column is bad, your advice is bad, etc." God bless you all. As I go home to visit my family this week and because no one of any value still plays fantasy football in Week 17, this will be my last column for the season. But there will be more to come, with probably worse advice! See y'all on Twitter, where you can find me at @cliffclinton.

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive BOTH our full season NFL and NBA Premium Passes for free, a $119.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Passes.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Running Back

LeGarrette Blount will either be on my bench or will ruin my week.

If you are in the championships and you went zero RB, you probably have some shares of LeGarrette Blount. Blount is a top-10 RB, and faces a decent matchup against the New York Jets, but Blount is problematic thanks to two words: Dion Lewis. I don't think Lewis takes over as RB1 until the actual playoffs, but there's a decent chance that Blount is a less-than-favorable option in a week where you need really great options. He's a flex at best, and a bench player if you happen to have two better options. Then again, if you went zero RB, you probably have zero options.

Dear Jordan Howard, do you like like me? I like like you this week.

When you read the articles at the end of the year that list which fantasy players were on the teams that made or won the playoffs most frequently, Howard has a very decent chance of being on that list. Howard has been very reliable in matchups, both good and bad, since Week 10. In a favorable matchup vs the Redskins front-seven, Jordan Howard will be started in confidence.

Am I going to really start Paul Perkins in Week 16? (less than 20% of leagues)

It can't be stated enough that this is a bad week to get cute, but Perkins has a decent match-up vs a Philly team giving up at least one touchdown to a lead back in the last few weeks, and Perkins may be this week's lead back with Shane Vereen back on IR.

 

Wide Receiver

Don't hand me my money back, I'm going double-or-nothing on Golden Tate

Tate is another name destined for the "Here's who all the fantasy winners had" column. Tate has been flighty during the season, but an incredibly bankable WR2 in the playoffs. Detroit will be locked in a shootout with the Cowboys this weekend, and the Cowboys secondary will not be able to shut Tate down completely. Start him with a drink in hand and a smile on your face.

I will be discarding my Terrelle Pryor Sr. and replacing him with two cards from the deck

Terrelle Pryor may have gotten you to the playoffs, but with a torn ligament in his finger and two straight subpar performances, I would move on from the young receiver. He's not only not startable for this week, he's droppable for the rest of the season in non-keeper leagues.

 

Tight End

Parachute? I don't need no parachute, I have Cameron Brate

It's another rare double down. If you danced with Cameron Brate and he got you this far, you've gotta stick with him. Brate will be a big part of Tampa Bay's shootout with New Orleans, and considering the Saints will be focused on keeping Mike Evans out of the game, Brate is good for an end zone target or two.

Don't cry kids! We will bury Jordan Reed in the yard

He's moving slowly, he's making poor decisions in play (and, you know, not in play), and he's primarily on the field as a decoy. Any scoring opportunity for him is more of a dumb luck happening then the Redskins' strategy, and he is also droppable in all non-keeper leagues.




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

Deandre Ayton

May Skip Meeting With Jazz
Cole Anthony

Iffy for Thursday's Action
AJ Green

at Risk of Missing Another Game
Peyton Watson

Questionable for Thursday
Kyle Kuzma

Questionable for Thursday Due to Illness
Tim Hardaway Jr.

Questionable With Illness
Lauri Markkanen

Picks Up Questionable Tag Ahead of Thursday
Tristan da Silva

Questionable for Thursday
Pelle Larsson

Misses Second Straight Game
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Unavailable Against Nets
Pat Spencer

Ruled Out for Thursday
Norman Powell

Misses Practice, Uncertain for Thursday
Jakob Poeltl

Listed as Probable for Thursday
Al Horford

Ruled Out for Thursday, Nearing Return
Tim Hardaway Jr.

Battling Illness, Questionable for Thursday
Bo Bichette

Willing to Make the Move to Second Base
Brandon Williams

Questionable with Achilles Issue
D'Angelo Russell

Questionable for Thursday
Mitchell Robinson

Tagged as Questionable for Thursday
Josh Hart

Uncertain for Thursday
Brandon Clarke

Active Against Timberwolves
Isaiah Hartenstein

Resting on Thursday Night
Davante Adams

Doubtful to Play Thursday Night
Matthew Tkachuk

Status Uncertain for Winter Classic
Tyson Foerster

Ruled Out for Five Months
Quinton Byfield

Back From One-Game Absence Wednesday
Gustav Forsling

Available Against Kings
Pavel Dorofeyev

Good to Go Wednesday
Shea Theodore

Out Against Devils
Jack Eichel

Misses First Game of the Season Wednesday
Brett Pesce

Back in Action Wednesday
Devin Neal

Ruled Out for Sunday
Christian Watson

"Should be Good" to Face the Bears on Saturday
Geno Smith

has "a Good Chance" to Return in Week 16
Saquon Barkley

Back at Practice on Wednesday
Brady Cook

Will Start Again in Week 16
Patrick Mahomes

Rehabbing ACL, LCL Tears
Rashee Rice

Won't Practice Due to Concussion
Marvin Harrison Jr.

to Take Part in Wednesday's Walkthrough Practice
Drake London

Day-to-Day, Will Practice on Wednesday
CFB

Jeremiyah Love Officially Heading to NFL Draft
Quinn Ewers

Making First Career Start in Week 16
Tua Tagovailoa

Being Benched by Dolphins
CFB

Jake Merklinger Leaving Tennessee for Transfer Portal
Jeremy Ruckert

Jets, Jeremy Ruckert Agree to a Two-Year Extension
Thatcher Demko

Shuts Out Rangers With 23 Saves
Macklin Celebrini

Notches Four Points in Tuesday's Win
Leon Draisaitl

Reaches Special Milestone During Four-Point Night
Shea Theodore

Questionable for Wednesday Night
Jack Eichel

Battling Illness
Darcy Kuemper

Placed on Injured Reserve
Brandon Montour

Hurt on Tuesday
Mike Trout

Angels Open to Mike Trout Playing Center Field in 2026
Saquon Barkley

Misses Practice With Stinger
RJ Harvey

Dealing With Rib Injury
Josh Jacobs

Intends to Play Against Bears on Saturday
Zach Bogosian

Misses Tuesday's Game
Marcus Johansson

Unavailable Tuesday
Artyom Levshunov

Scratched for Tuesday
Mathew Barzal

a Game-Time Call Tuesday
Joseph Woll

Returns to Action Tuesday
Mike Matheson

Won't Play on Tuesday
Bam Knight

Cardinals Place Bam Knight on Injured Reserve
CFB

Kansas State's Jayce Brown Intends to Transfer
CFB

Nation's Leading Passer Drew Mestemaker to Enter Transfer Portal
Justin Crawford

Phillies Planning to Start Justin Crawford in Center Field
CFB

Jayden Maiava Signs New Deal to Return to USC
CFB

Aidan Mizell Won't Return to Florida, Entering Transfer Portal
CFB

East Carolina Targeting Jordan Davis as Next Offensive Coordinator
Patrick Mahomes

Targeting Week 1 Return in 2026
CFB

Michigan QB Jadyn Davis Set to Enter Transfer Portal
CFB

Travis Williams Joining Texas A&M Defensive Staff
Darren Waller

Hauls in Two Touchdowns in Monday Night Loss
Rome Odunze

Considered Week-to-Week With Foot Injury
Davante Adams

Considered Week-to-Week With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Dylan Raiola Entering His Name into Transfer Portal
CFB

Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby Plans to Transfer When Portal Opens
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia, Phillies Finalizing One-Year Deal on Monday
Brandon Royval

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
CFB

Baylor, LSU, Miami Among Potential Suitors for DJ Lagway
CFB

Aidan Chiles Will Enter Transfer Portal
Manel Kape

Shines At UFC Vegas 112
Kevin Vallejos

Gets Second-Round Knockout Win
Giga Chikadze

Suffers His First Career Knockout Loss
CFB

Quarterback DJ Lagway Entering Transfer Portal
Cesar Almeida

Gets Dominated
Cezary Oleksiejczuk

Wins Sixth Fight In A Row
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Melquizael Costa

Gets First-Round Knockout Win
Marcus Buchecha

Still Winless In The UFC
Kennedy Nzechukwu

And Marcus Buchecha Fight To Draw
Lance Gibson jr

Lance Gibson Jr. Drops Decision In His UFC Debut
King Green

Gets Back In The Win Column
Kenley Jansen

Agrees to One-Year Deal With Tigers
Merrill Kelly

Returns to Diamondbacks on Two-Year Deal
Jorge Polanco

Agrees to Two-Year Deal With Mets
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Return to South Carolina in 2026
CFB

Washington State Expected to Hire Kirby Moore as Next Head Coach
CFB

Kyle Whittingham Stepping Down as Utah Head Coach
Manel Kape

Set For UFC Vegas 112 Main Event
Brandon Royval

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 112
Kevin Vallejos

Set For His Third UFC Fight
Giga Chikadze

In Dire Need Of Victory
Cesar Almeida

Set To Welcome Cezary Oleksiejczuk To The UFC
Cezary Oleksiejczuk

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Maikel Garcia

Royals Agree on Five-Year Extension
Melquizael Costa

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Looks to Win Second Consecutive Fights
Marcus Buchecha

Looks To Bounce Back
CFB

Sherrone Moore Charged with Home Invasion, Among Other Charges
CFB

Freddie Kitchens Fired from North Carolina Coaching Staff

RANKINGS

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