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Andy's potential Week 16 busts, fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for players who may disappoint. You should consider benching these players in Week 16.
The opening week of the fantasy playoffs is in the books. Hopefully, you were able to avoid starting potential busts like Tyler Warren, whom we recommend keeping on the bench, and did not face the top performers like Kyle Pitts Sr. and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
In this week's edition, we will once again spotlight four players, one from each position, with tougher matchups and determine if they should be held on your bench in Week 16 of the NFL season.
Who should fantasy managers bench in Week 16? Let's dive in!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) rankings
- Tight end (TE) rankings
- Quarterback (QB) rankings
- FLEX rankings
- Defense (D/ST) rankings
- Kicker (K) rankings
- Dynasty rankings
Potential Fantasy Football Lineup Busts
QB Trevor Lawrence (JAC) at DEN
Trevor Lawrence is coming off the best performance of his career. In the opening week of the fantasy playoffs, the former first overall pick went 22-for-30 with 330 yards and five passing scores and added a sixth score by rushing one in their dismantling of the New York Jets. Lawrence finished the game with 47.6 PPR points and likely won fantasy matchups on his own.
Count 'em... 6️⃣ TDs for Trevor Lawrence pic.twitter.com/FwNQvLbHG8
— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025
However, managers looking to ride the hot hand should proceed with caution. In Week 16, Lawrence faces a potent Denver defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest PPR points to opposing QBs. While the Broncos struggled to contain Jordan Love last week, they enter this matchup as one of the most feared defenses in the sport.
They have allowed the third-fewest total PPG and just 196.6 passing yards per game. While his floor remains safe in the low-end QB1 range, his ceiling will be very limited against this potent secondary.
RB Tony Pollard (TEN) vs. KC
After a disastrous start to the season, which likely caused managers to cut him, Tony Pollard has flipped the script in December. Over his last two games, Pollard has averaged an impressive 23.1 PPR fantasy points per game and punched in three scores.
Pollard plows into the end zone! @Tp__5
📺: #TENvsSF on @NFLonFOX & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/vPIydr5l6k
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) December 15, 2025
During these two games, he has eclipsed 100 rushing yards in each contest and tallied 19.5 attempts per game. While his volume should give him a high floor as an RB2, his upside will be capped against a potent Kansas City defense. The Chiefs enter this game allowing the fifth-fewest PPR points to opposing RBs.
Last weekend, they limited Omarion Hampton to just 61 yards and no scores. Pollard is a FLEX option with low upside in Week 16.
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (NYG) vs. MIN
Wan'Dale Robinson has operated as a high-volume, high-end WR2 for fantasy managers since Malik Nabers suffered a season-ending ACL injury. While he has had a few disappointing showings, from Week 5 through Week 15, Robinson has averaged a strong 14.3 PPR points per game, making him a reliable WR2. During this stretch, he has found the end zone three times and has seen 9.3 targets per game.
However, in Week 16, he falls into FLEX territory against a potent Minnesota secondary. Last Sunday night, this same Minneota secondary shut down George Pickens, holding him to just 33 yards on six targets. While his volume should remain high in a potentially high-scoring affair, managers expecting a double-digit PPR showing should proceed with caution.
Managers in shallow 10-team formats should view him as a high-floor FLEX and not as a typical WR2.
TE Jake Ferguson (DAL) vs. LAC
Jake Ferguson has seen his fantasy stock drop since the start of November, and his matchup in Week 16 places him in the TE2 range. In Week 16, Ferguson will face the Chargers, who have allowed the seventh-fewest PPR points to opposing TEs. While managers may still view Ferguson as a viable low-end starter, his recent stretch of play does not suggest this.
From Week 8 through Week 15, the veteran tight end has averaged a low eight PPR fantasy points per game. Given that he scored only 3.6 PPR points against a Minnesota secondary that has allowed the 18th-most PPR points to opposing TEs, do not expect him to flip the script against an even tougher defense.
Managers should instead pivot to rookie Colston Loveland or Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange as a plug-and-play option at the position.
Read more player news and updates for Week 16
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 16 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Trevor Lawrence, Tony Pollard, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jake Ferguson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 16. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 16 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Trevor Lawrence, Tony Pollard, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jake Ferguson. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 16.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 16 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 16 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 16 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 16 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Trevor Lawrence, Tony Pollard, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jake Ferguson compared to others:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
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