Fantasy Football Quarterback Start/Sit Week 16: Should You Start Baker Mayfield, Russell Wilson, or Kyler Murray?

Welcome to Week 16. Sam Howell and Jordan Love are top-10 fantasy quarterbacks. Justin Fields is closer to Mac Jones on a points per game basis than he is to Josh Allen. And Brock Purdy has been a better fantasy quarterback than everyone except Allen, Jalen Hurts, and Dak Prescott. Exactly how we all drew it up!

All that to say, we've got our work cut out for us as we try to figure out what to do with our start/sit decisions moving forward. You're obviously not benching any of those guys (more on that below), but there are plenty of other borderline fantasy starters we need to sift through. 

I'm going to use the list below to cover every quarterback start/sit situation for Week 16. The list is broken into tiers (which as pretty self-explanatory based on the names of them), and you can simply look at the list and make start/sit decisions -- because it's in order of preference! Think of it as my weekly quarterback rankings.

This week is EXTRA important since we're in the midst of the fantasy playoffs. No pressure!

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No-Brainer Start 'Em

You drafted these guys as your starter. There's no reason to waffle on them based on matchups or anything like that. We don't even need to talk things through on any of these guys -- let's stop over-thinking things. Here's the order in which I'd start them this week: 

• Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

  • Allen leads all NFL players in fantasy points on the year and should be able to feast on an awful Chargers defense. 

• Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

  • The Eagles have been off lately (and the Giants aren't an easy matchup), but I still think Hurts is a top play this week. 

• Justin Fields, Chicago Bears

  • Fields has been much better (at least for fantasy purposes) as of late and has a great matchup against the Cardinals. 

• Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

  • Dak was off last week, but he'll likely be throwing a lot against the Dolphins...and that's great news for his fantasy prospects. 

• Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

  • Mahomes finally showed signs of his old self last week and should be able to put up huge numbers against the Raiders. 

• Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

  • Lamar has come on strong lately. I'd have him higher if it weren't for the tough matchup against the 49ers. Either way, he's a must-start. 

• Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

  • I'm done doubting Purdy. Set it and forget it despite the tough matchup.

Still Start 'Em

These guys are a little more of a borderline decision, but they're worth starting this week. Here's the order in which I'd start them this week:  

• Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

  • I don't love the Cowboys matchup for Tua. And Tyreek Hill is still dealing with an injury. But I think you have to lock him in unless you have someone in the category above. 

• Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

  • While Goff has been a bit mercurial this year, I like his matchup against the Vikings this week. 

• Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Mayfield went off last week and should be able to continue his hot streak against a Jaguars defense that has looked off as of late. 

• Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

  • Love has a tough matchup against a good Panthers defense, but he's been able to put up numbers all year so I think he's relatively safe. 

• Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

  • Murray is still a solid low-end QB1 this week, but the Bears aren't as easy of a matchup as they were earlier this season. 

• Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

  • The Patriots defense has been solid all year, but Russ should be able to put up low-end QB1 numbers at home on Christmas Eve. 

• Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals

  • Browning has been a revelation for the Bengals and should be able to take advantage of a deteriorating Steelers defense. 

Deep League Starts

These guys are basically "sits" in a 12-team league. But they're likely someone you should start in a superflex league or a 16-team league. Here's the order in which I'd start them this week:

• Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Lawrence could be a low-end QB1 if he plays against the Bucs, but that's a big IF currently as he hasn't practiced all week. If he doesn't play, C.J. Beathard is a solid deeper league start. 

• Nick Mullens, Minnesota Vikings

  • Mullens looked incompentent at times last week, but he still put up fantasy points. The Lions defense can be thrown upon, and Mullens has the weapons to do so if you need a deep league start. 

• Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

  • It looks like Smith is starting this week, but I'd hold off on starting him on the road against a decent Titans defense. 

• Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns

  • Flacco has been surprisingly good so far and should be able to put up numbers against the Texans. That said, I have him this low because I can't bring myself to start Joe Flacco in the fantasy playoffs. 

• Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts

  • While Minshew has also been surprisingly good, I don't love the matchup against a Falcons defense that is better than you'd think. 

• Sam Howell, Washington Commanders

  • Howell is coming off an awful game and has a tough matchup against the Jets. Avoid. 

Sit 'Em

These guys are "sits" in pretty much any league except a superflex. Here's the order in which I'd start them this week if you absolutely have to:

• Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots 

  • Zappe has looked amazing in the first half of each of the last two games he's played. The second halves, however, have been a different story. He's a desperation play only. 

• Tommy DeVito, New York Giants

  • While the wheels have fallen off a bit for Tommy Cutlets, he might be able to put up numbers against a struggling Eagles defense if you're desperate. 

• Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans

  • The matchup isn't horrible, but are you really starting Ryan Tannehill in your fantasy playoffs? Me neither. 

• Taylor Heinicke, Atlanta Falcons

  • While he has good weapons and a decent matchup, we're still talking about Taylor Heinicke. Keep him on your bench. 

• Aiden O'Connell, Las Vegas Raiders

  • O'Connell had a monster game last week, but it came against a bad Chargers defense. The Chiefs won't be so kind. 

• Easton Stick, Los Angeles Chargers

  • While Stick put up garbage time numbers last week, I don't think we can bank on that happening again against the Bills. 

• Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

  • Young led the team to a win last week, but he just isn't putting up enough fantasy numbers to be worth considering. 

• Case Keenum, Houston Texans

  • Keenum isn't awful, but I don't want any part of him against the Browns. 

• Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Do yourself a favor and don't even think about starting Mason Rudolph. 

• Trevor Siemian, New York Jets

  • The Jets offense is just inept. Don't start Siemian. 

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