The WN Fantasy Football Report: Championship start em and sit em

This is it. Most fantasy football leagues — if they are done correctly — will see the culmination of 15 weeks come to an end in hopefully exciting fashion. I can only hope that since there hasn’t been a big drop off in viewership, most of you dear readers are going for the big prize.

There’s no time for niceties. Let’s get right to it.

Week 15 rundown:

STARTS THAT MADE US LOOK SMART (these are really good starts. I recommended Tyler Lockett who had 5 receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown, which was certainly a good start, but these are players who exceeded our expectations):

Matthew Stafford: 254 passing, 3 TD
David Johnson: 187 rushing, 4 receptions for 42 yards, 3 TD
Golden Tate: 6 receptions, 45 yards, 2 TD
The Chiefs Defense: 2 sacks, 3 turnovers, 2 TD
The Jets Defense: 2 sacks, 4 turnovers
Doug Baldwin: 4 receptions, 45 yards, 2 TD
Sammy Watkins: 5 receptions for 111 yards, 2 TD

STARTS YOU SHOULD HAVE SAT:

Lamar Miller: 12 yards rushing, 2 receptions for 12 yards
C.J. Anderson: 14 yards rushing, 1 reception for 6 yards
Mike Tolbert: 10 yards rushing

SITS THAT MADE US LOOK GOOD:

Marcus Mariota: 32 yards passing for leaving injured
Javorius Allen (Uncle Buck): 14 yards rushing
Tyler Eifert: DNP
T.Y. Hilton: 3 receptions for 29 yards
Rams Defense: 2 turnovers, 0 sacks

SITS THAT MADE US LOOK BAD:

Antonio Brown: 16 receptions, 189 yards receiving 2 TD (*see DFS report)
Eli Manning: 245 passing, 4 TD, 1 INT
Greg Olsen: 6 receptions for 79 yards, 1 TD

The Dez Bryant factor: Three experts said he was a sit last week. I — in fact — sat him on my own team in favor of Tyler Lockett. Despite Dez having his best game in weeks (4 receptions for 50 yards and a TD), Lockett matched him (5 for 55 and a TD). Take it for what its worth, I still sit him against the Jets 10 out of 10 times.

DFS UPDATE: I once again did a double up based purely on Wayniac Nation starts (and sits). You’ll notice that I thought Dunton was out of his mind for suggesting Antonio Brown as a sit. I think this guy should be the first overall pick in fantasy, I don’t care if he’s playing Deion Sanders circa 1993, you start Antonio Brown. I did. And we finished 9th out of 113, doubling our money.

So, have we evolved enough yet for me to tell you that Wayniac Nation starts and sits will win you millions at DFS? No, but we are getting there. And while we are doing it, we are pumping out good enough lineups to bulk up that bankroll.

WEEK 16 START EM AND SIT EM

(Note from The Wayniac: with the holidays upon us and my experts traveling across the nation, we are a little light in the staff. We still have plenty of picks for you, but family always comes first, so I will never push my writers to write when it comes to that. Thank you!)

Fee

Starts of the Week:

QB Blake Bortles: He’s got the leaky New Orleans D. Get him and Wayniac Nation Pro Bowl snub Allen Robinson into the lineup.

RB DeAngelo Williams: He still gets volume and with over 25 touches per game his floor is higher than you think.

RB Danny Woodhead: He’s their only real threat in the backfield and should get a ton of work. As bad as the Chargers are, Woodhead should get you what you need to win your fantasy championship.

WR Jeremy Maclin: He’s going against a weak D and KC has been great the past few weeks.

WR Tyler Lockett: Baldwin has been on a torrid pace but keeping it up seems like it might be tough. Enter Lockett. He’s quietly putting up numbers now that Wilson is throwing it up there and winning games.

Sits of the Week:

RB Todd Gurley: Seattle is tough and I see them taking way the run.

Your Cincy RBs… again: Yes I’ve said to sit them multiple times. But I’ve been right in doing so. You do realize even with Jeremy Hill’s two TD performance last week, he finished with 15 total points. To put that into perspective, Tavon Austin alone got 9 points as a rusher and he is a wide receiver.

WR Brandon Marshall: Yes the Jets have been good, but not this week against the Pats.

RB Lamar Miller: The Dolphins don’t like him and I can’t figure out why.

J.D.

Starts of the Week:

QB Kirk Cousins: Looking for another big game from him this week in Philly for the first place Redskins (that’s not a typo).

RB Denard Robinson: He’s on my list again this week as I expect a monster game from him against the league’s worst run defense. With 8 catches last week, he proved to be a valuable part of the pass game and played every offensive snap last week.

WR Rueben Randle: My man-crush reached an all-time low watching OBJ’s antics last week and now Randle will get increased looks against a mediocre Vikings pass defense. Eli should give him WR2 points.

WR Kamar Aiken: 7 straight games with at least 5 catches with 3 TD’s in his last 5 games and now he gets Pittsburgh’s pass defense. In what has been a disaster season for Baltimore, Aiken has been a pleasant surprise and should play a key role in your championship.

Sits of the Week:

QB Jameis Winston: He’s really impressed me this season and coming off a career game last week. The Bucs should keep things on the ground this week against a Bears defense that is excellent against the pass and unable to stop the run.

RB Adrian Peterson: It looks like Peterson is a go for Sunday night, but it is not a must-win game for the Vikings. I expect Peterson’s carries to be limited to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Monitor his progress this weekend, but with the late start, he’s safer on your bench.

WR Dorial Green-Beckham: He’s had a nice late-season run that may have helped you reach the finals, but that run will end this week without Mariota and matched up against Jonathan Joseph and the stingy Texans pass D.

Saucy T

Starts of the Week:

QB Teddy Bridgewater: Bridgewater has been quite a disappointment this year for fantasy owners expecting him to take a step forward, but with AP dealing with an ankle injury, the Vikings will be forced to lean on Bridgewater. I expect Bridgewater to take advantage a soft Giants pass defense and find his growing weapons like McKinnon and Diggs.

WR Dorial Green-Beckham: Many teams who made it to their fantasy football championships did so because of Odell Beckham Jr. Too bad he went and got himself suspended for the biggest week of the fantasy football season. If you are looking for a replacement you may not have to look too far (name wise anyways). DGB is as physically gifted as any WR in the league and has finally begun to put it all together on the field the last few weeks, posting 100+ yards 2 of last 3 weeks. With their playoff hopes gone, expect the Titans to look for Green-Beckham often.

Sits of the Week:

WR AJ Green: This one will be hard to do if AJ has gotten you this far, but the Denver defense is historically good. You may look at last week and see the Steelers torched that secondary, but I believe Antonio Brown is becoming Jerry Rice good, and Big Ben might be the most underrated QB of this era. AJ McCarron will struggle against the Broncos and cause headaches for fantasy owners playing AJ Green.

RB Lamar Miller: Miller has had an up and down fantasy season, but this is the point in the season teams start looking under their trees for presents to help them next season. Jay Ajayi might just be the best present the Dolphins have received in years if he can stay healthy. He’s looked good when they give him chances and I expect the Dolphins to continue to increase his workload which means you can’t trust Lamar Miller in the all important championship week.

The Wayniac

(Can I just brag for one quick second? I am in all three of my fantasy league championships. In 18 years of fantasy, I have never had this opportunity. I also hope it increases your faith in my picks. Have I been 100% this season. No? But what expert is?)

Starts of the Week:

QB: It’s a no-brainer and I have to go against him. Quarterbacks have shredded the Saints this year, and Blake Bortles has a sick arsenal at his disposal. Bortles is still not a guaranteed start in every league because he was drafted primarily as a backup. I would start Bortles over Brady this week if you have him. You also have to start Big Ben Roethlisberger against the Ravens, no questions asked. And I really hope J.D. is on with that Kirk Cousins start against an Eagles defense that has allowed the third most points to opposing QBs in fantasy this year.

RB: Here’s a weird one, but Frank Gore should do well this week. The Colts need to win to stay alive in the AFC South, and Matt Hasselbeck is falling apart. They will rely heavily on the run against a Dolphins rush defense that has allowed the second most points to RBs this season.

WR: The best part about the Steelers offense is that Big Ben chucks the ball 50 yards down the sideline to Martavis Bryant at least three times a game. He usually catches one of them, and on the days he catches all three — like he very well may against the Ravens — he’s an elite wide receiver.

TE: Three weeks in a row? Don’t care. Julius Thomas has been playing very well and against that Saints defense who has allowed the most points to opposing TEs this season. He is a must go.

Def: Got to go with my first place Houston Texans right? A back-up, interception-prone QB with little semblance of a running game to keep J.J. honest? Plus the Texans are playing for the division. Lock it in.

Sits of the Week:

QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick has been as reliable as they come, but the Patriots defense has really stepped it up lately. Malcolm Butler is a legit shutdown DB, and Fitz will struggle. I also think Tyrod Taylor struggles against an under-the-radar tough Cowboys D.

RB: DeMarco Murray is no longer an option. I would start Ryan Mathews over Murray this week. Eddie Lacy has a very tough matchup against a stout Cardinal defense.

WR: Randall Cobb has been a huge disappointment this season and that continues against the Cardinals defense, Honey Badger or not. It’s tough to do it, but with the QB situation and that Broncos defense, I would start Tyler Lockett over AJ Green this week.

TE: Well, Eric Ebron had a stellar week, so I will leave him be in my weekly pick him apart segment. This week, I want to make sure everyone knows how disappointed I am with Jordan Cameron. I thought this was the year we saw the next great tight end, but instead he crumbled. He hasn’t been a viable starting option in months, so I would sit Jason Witten this week. I’m rooting for Kellen Moore to bring some of that exciting Boise State magic, but I don’t see it happening on the road.

Def: The Jets have not let me down this season in the many times I labeled them a start. Plain and simple, I just don’t start any defense against Tom Brady. He’s that good.

Good luck to everyone. I hope there are a whole bunch of champions out there this weekend.

From each and everyone of us at Wayniac Nation, we thank you for increasing our viewership each and every week of our start em and sit ems. It has been our pleasure bringing you the best (we can) this fantasy season and can not wait until next year.

Come on back next week for the 2015 Fantasy Football wrap up. But until then, have a Merry Christmas, happy holidays and go get yourself a championship!