Ricky Dimon
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Do you find yourself still competing for the championship in your fantasy football league? If not, is DFS the solution for your weekly fantasy fix at this point in the 2020 NFL season? Whatever the case, as always some big decisions will have to made when it comes to creating your best possible lineup. Let’s take a look at the key players who should be either started or benched in Week 16.
Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em
Start ‘Em
Jalen Hurts, QB (@ DAL) – The sample size remains small, but early returns suggest that Hurts is the quarterback of the future in Philadelphia. And perhaps he should be the quarterback of the present for you in fantasy. The former Alabama and Oklahoma standout threw for 338 yards and accounted for four total touchdowns last week against Arizona. Hurts has also rushed for 169 yards over the past two outings. Moreover, Dallas’ defense is mediocre at best and it is tied for the most passing touchdowns allowed in 2020 (31).
Myles Gaskin, RB, MIA (@ LV) – Miami activated Gaskin off the Covid reserve list on Wednesday, so he will be playing for the first time in three weeks when he takes the field on Saturday. The second-year running back out of Washington University should be able to take immediate advantage of the Raiders’ struggling defense. Las Vegas is yielding 4.6 yards per carry and has surrendered the second-most rushing touchdowns in the NFL (23).
NFL LINEUP ALERT: Dolphins RB Myles Gaskin has been activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. pic.twitter.com/nwomTHzjNm
— DK Nation (@dklive) December 23, 2020
Chris Godwin, WR, TB (@ DET) – Like Hurts and Gaskin, Godwin has an outstanding Week 16 matchup on his hands. Detroit is third-to-last in total defense, 27th against the pass, and has given up 29 TDs through the air (tied for fourth-most). Godwin has not been on fire in recent weeks, but he managed to find the endzone once last Sunday and a date with the Lions could be just what the doctor ordered for him to see his catches and yards take a leap.
Sit ‘Em
Russell Wilson, QB, SEA (@ LAR) – Wilson was the NFL MVP frontrunner for a fair amount of the 2020 campaign, but those days have long since come and gone. Now it’s Patrick Mahomes out in front (-400) and Aaron Rodgers is Mahomes’ only realistic competitor. Wilson has thrown seven interceptions in the past seven weeks, during which Seattle has compiled a modest 4-3 record. More importantly, the Rams boast the No. 1 defense in the NFL (and the No. 1 passing defense) and they rank second with 44 sacks.
Mike Davis, RB, CAR (@ WAS) – Seattle managed to scrape past the Football Team last week even though Wilson did not do much of anything, and now it is the Panthers’ turn to try their hand at the same matchup. It’s one that does not bode well for Davis—or for anyone else in Carolina’s offense. TWFT has given up only 11 rushing touchdowns this season and the fact that it they are third in the league against the pass indicates that the Panthers’ offense will be one-dimensional this weekend. Even though Davis is that one dimension with Christian McCaffrey still out, it is not likely to bear fruit.
Cooper Kupp, WR, LAR (@ SEA) – Admittedly we got burned by advocating a start of Kupp in Week 15. He—and the rest of the Rams—was entirely worthless throughout a shocking loss to the previously winless Jets. It is not an overreaction to dive headlong off the Kupp bandwagon following that performance. After all, it’s not like it was a one-off thing. The 27-year-old has done next to nothing since his 145-yard outburst against Tampa Bay in late November. You may be tempted to start Kupp because of how bad Seattle’s passing defense is, but don’t take the bait.
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