Thursday Night Football was about what most of us expected. The New Orleans Saints had their moments, but the result of this one was never in doubt. Most of the conversation following the game will revolve around Puka Nacua, Chris Olave, Kyren Williams, and even Rashid Shaheed, but there were also some fireworks on the defensive side of the ball. On the IDP side of things, Tyrann Mathieu and Carl Granderson made an impact for the Saints, while Kobie Turner, Ernest Jones, Jordan Fuller, Quinton Lake, and John Johnson made an impact for the Rams. Looking ahead to this weekend, we will take a look at five players fantasy managers should do their best to plug into their lineups and five others who are better left on benches despite promising upside. Let’s dig in.
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IDP Start em, Sit em – Week 16
Start em
Khaleke Hudson (LB – WAS)
Khaleke was excellent in Week 15, racking up eight solos, six assists, and one tackle for loss. His performance makes one wonder why the injured Jamin Davis couldn’t produce like this, but that’s a discussion for the offseason. Whatever the case, Khaleke is set to start for the rest of the season with Davis on IR and makes for a strong LB3 option for Week 16. Treat him as such for a plus Week 16 matchup against the New York Jets.
Jimmie Ward (S – HOU)
Ward looks to have taken the required steps to be cleared for Week 16 after suffering a concussion against the Titans. It is a surprising turnaround in a season where many players have missed at least one game after entering the league’s concussion protocol, but is welcomed news for IDP managers. He has missed five games and left two early this season but has recorded four or more solos in five of the six games in which he played 95 percent or more of the snaps. Treat Ward as a DB3/flex option for Week 16.
Taylor Rapp (S – BUF)
Micah Hyde has been ruled out for Week 16, which means Taylor Rapp is set to get the start for semifinals week. Rapp was rock solid in Week 15, posting six solos, two assists, and one tackle for loss. He has recorded at least four solos in each of his three starts this season, making him a strong DB3 option for Week 16. He will carry DB2 upside for the plus matchup against the banged-up Los Angeles Chargers offense but should be plugged in as a DB3/flex unless you are dealing with multiple injuries at the position.
Duke Riley (LB – MIA)
Riley was solid in Week 15, posting four solos, one assist, 0.5 sacks, and one pass defended on 81 percent of the snaps. His snaps were down from the 100 percent he saw in Week 14, but he is still playing more than enough to warrant consideration for semifinals week. He has recorded four or more solos in each of his two starts for the Dolphins. Start him as an LB3/4 option for a plus semifinals week matchup against a Dallas Cowboys team surrendering the 13th most fantasy points to the linebacker position.
Montez Sweat (DE – CHI)
Montez Sweat has been heating up for the Chicago Bears, most recently reeling off five solos, two assists, 2.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. He has recorded a sack in four straight games, totaling six over that span. He has pushed his way back into the DL1 conversation in time for semifinals week and should be treated as such despite a tough on-paper matchup against an Arizona Cardinals team limiting the defensive end position to the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game.
Sit em
Willie Gay (LB – KC)
Gay had a solid fantasy total in Week 15, finishing with two solos, one interception, and one pass defended. However, he played just 57 percent of the snaps, and his two solos represent the fourth time in five games that he has seen three or fewer solos. The 57 percent snap share was his lowest since back in Week 9. Despite the solid fantasy point total in Week 15, Gay is not someone to trust for semifinals week. Leave Gay on benches wherever possible for Week 16.
Christian Izien (S – TB)
Izien was solid in Week 15, racking up five solos, one assist, and one tackle for loss. It was the second time in five games that Izien has posted five solos. However, Izien had a small DB2/3 run early in the season, only to devolve back to waiver wire numbers with two or fewer solos in five straight games. The recent production is encouraging but is more something that dynasty managers should act on than those outside of 16+ team leagues. Look elsewhere for your Week 16 DB2/3.
Xavier Woods (S – CAR)
Woods was solid again in Week 15, putting up two solos, one assist, two tackles for loss, one interception, and one pass defended. It was his third strong week in a row, but two of those weeks relied on an interception to turn a waiver-wire-level outing into that of a DB3. Woods has recorded two or fewer solos in four of his last five games and should not be on fantasy radars for semifinals week outside of 32 team leagues. Look elsewhere for a flex option for Week 16.
Andrew Van Ginkel (DE/LB – MIA)
AVG was electric when stepping back in as a starter for the injured Jaelan Phillips but has been relatively quiet since then. He has just 0.5 sacks in the three games since Phillips went down and has recorded just two solos in each of the last two contests. He is still a force on the edge, but he is no longer surprising defenses. AVG has not shown enough consistency to trust as anything more than a desperation flex2 and should be treated as such for a tough Week 16 matchup against a Dallas Cowboys team limiting the defensive end position to the fewest fantasy points per game.
Devin White (LB – TB)
White missed Week 15 after being told the Buccaneers planned to start KJ Britt over him against the Green Bay Packers. Reportedly unwilling to play a reserve rotational role, the Buccaneers made White a healthy inactive. He has clearly fallen out of favor with the Buccaneers’ coaching staff, and with an unpredictable snap count, it will be impossible to trust him for Week 16, even if he is active. Look elsewhere for semifinals week.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.