Raiders vs. Chiefs Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Josh Jacobs, Zamir White, Davante Adams, Patrick Mahomes, Isiah Pacheco, Rashee Rice, Travis Kelce, more

Fantasy football start em, sit em lineups advice for the Raiders vs. Chiefs on Sunday December 25 in Week 16 (2023). NFL matchups analysis and starts/sits.

Football fans have three games to unwrap on Christmas Day in Week 16. With fantasy football league playoffs well underway, the contest featured in this article could certainly have some serious impact on determining league champions. Below you can read our matchups analysis article for the Raiders vs. Chiefs game to help make any fantasy lineup decisions for both season-long and DFS.

This Week 16 matchup between divisional rivals features one team with Super Bowl aspirations and another that has already fired its head coach. It hasn't always been smooth for the 9-5 Chiefs but they did recently snap a two-game skid with a Week 15 win over the New England Patriots and will look to get things clicking for another postseason run. Meanwhile, the Raiders have played hard for interim head coach Antonio Pierce and are coming in off a monster 63-21 win over the Chargers.

Read our fantasy football breakdowns for these games -- the recommended starts, sits, and matchups we love heading into the Week 16 matchups. Good luck, RotoBallers!

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
• Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
• Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs

Spread: Chiefs -10.5
Implied Total: Raiders (15.5) vs. Chiefs (25.5)
Pace: Raiders (23rd) vs. Chiefs (22nd)
Raiders Off. DVOA: -6.1% Pass (25th), -17.6% Rush (27th)
Chiefs Off. DVOA: 33.2% Pass (4th), -0.7% Rush (10th)
Raiders Def. DVOA: 0.9% Pass (10th), -6.1% Rush (22nd)
Chiefs Def. DVOA: -9.0% Pass (5th), 1.1% Rush (27th)

WEATHER: Rain is expected throughout the game with temperatures in the 40's. Wind at 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.

Matchups We Love

Travis Kelce (TE, KC)

Kelce's health is sapping his elite fantasy value. He still has an incredibly high floor and ceiling combo, but he's finished outside the top 12 three times during the past seven weeks and has only been in the top five once. The scarcity at the position pushes him into the top 10, but there are more than one or two other players worth considering ahead of him given the current state of the offense and his lingering injuries.

Rashee Rice (WR, KC)

As Kelce has slowed down, Rice has been cooking. He's had at least seven receptions and 64 yards in each of his past four games with a touchdown in three of them and over 100 yards twice. He also had his highest route participation of the year in Week 15 with his fourth straight week of more than 26 percent of the targets. The matchup is about average, so with no one else behind, he's a top-24 wideout.

Rashee Rice cooking in man coverage 🤌 pic.twitter.com/w1lB6hNSir

— Daniel Harms🏈 (@InHarmsWay19) December 12, 2023

Isiah Pacheco (RB, KC)

The duo of Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon filled in admirably for Pacheco. Last week, it was Edwards-Helaire who had the better output, but both found the end zone as receivers. They may ease Pacheco back or pull him late if the game is out of hand, but the Raiders have been competitive and tend to perform well against the Chiefs. He slots in as a top-20 back while one of McKinnon or Edwards-Helaire would have flex appeal if we knew who it'd be. The lean is toward McKinnon, but that's far from a guarantee.

UPDATE: McKinnon has been ruled out. Clyde Edwards-Helaire has been ruled out. Pacheco will get all the work he can handle.

Clyde Edwards Helaire out today due to personal reasons per @RapSheet

So it will be Isiah Pacheco and La’Mical Perine in the backfield today. #ChiefsKingdom https://t.co/n2TJ07Kcg2

— DMac Wake (@DMacWake316) December 25, 2023

Matchups We Hate

None

Other Matchups

Patrick Mahomes (QB, KC)

It felt like more of a grind than it should have for Mahomes, who ended up with multiple picks (not entirely his fault) and faced a lot of pressure, resulting in three sacks. Thanks to some poor coverage and tackling by the Patriots, several of his shorter passes went for big plays, but he still finished as the QB15. Las Vegas isn't a scary matchup, but they're playing inspired football and would surely love to sour the hopes of their division rivals on Monday. Much like Kelce, Mahomes remains in the top 12 with at least a handful of players worth considering ahead of him.

Davante Adams (WR, LV)

Las Vegas obliterated Los Angeles, prompting them to fire their head coach and GM. They scored at will, racking up 42 points in the first half en route to a franchise-record 63 total. Obviously, under those circumstances, everyone will have a great day. Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, and Michael Mayer all caught a touchdown. Meyers also threw for one. It was a joyous occasion for the whole team, but Kansas City will make for a much tougher test. Adams led the way in targets, receptions, and yards, so he's the one to trust, despite L'Jarius Sneed on deck. Meyers moves into the top 36 with the offense playing better.

Josh Jacobs, Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah (RB, LV)

Jacobs sat out their game in Week 15, allowing Zamir White to showcase what he can do. Fantasy managers now have official confirmation that Josh Jacobs will be out again this week against the Kansas City Chiefs. As per Tom Pelissero, Josh Jacobs has officially been ruled out for Week 16. And in his place, Zamir White will once again start at running back in Week 16 for the Raiders instead of Jacobs, and makes for a solid RB2/FLEX option. Ameer Abdullah will be used as well, but is more of a deeper-league RB3/RB4 option for PPR leagues.

Since the team is without the superstar running back, White is a borderline must-start RB2 with upside because of the projected volume.

Notable Injuries

Josh Jacobs (quad/illness) - OUT
Michael Mayer (toe) - OUT
Mecole Hardman Jr. (thumb) - OUT
Jerick McKinnon (groin) - OUT
Clyde Edwards-Helaire (personal) - OUT
Kadarius Toney (hip) - OUT

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