You have lineup questions, we have lineup answers -- at least we hope so. Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is here to help fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. And you know what is a good move? Starting Justin Jefferson. But that's too obvious, so you won't see such simple analysis here. Instead, we're exploring more debatable situations. And if you can't find a player you are looking for, please check out the latest . Unless otherwise noted, all stats come from , Next Gen Stats or ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøResearch.
Start 'Em
The biggest winners of Christian McCaffrey’s healthy return are his fantasy managers and his quarterback. McCaffrey offers Purdy a checkdown outlet that is always a threat to break the long one. That is partly why the 49ers signal-caller threw for a season-high 353 yards last week in McCaffrey’s first outing of the 2024 campaign. In eight games without the All-Pro running back, Purdy reached 300 pass yards just once. Purdy has averaged 22.8 fantasy points per game in his last four contests and will face the rival Seahawks this week. He has thrown six TD passes over his last two games against the 'Hawks, and he has recorded multiple TD passes in four of five career contests against them. Start him.
In three games as the starter in Pittsburgh, Wilson has averaged 18.9 fantasy PPG. The veteran is a safe-floor option most weeks, but Ravens week is different -- in a good way. Baltimore has allowed the most passing yards since Week 6 and the most passing TDs in 2024. Simply put, the Ravens' defense has struggled all year long. However, Baltimore features a powerhouse offense, which could force Wilson to throw more in an effort to go toe-to-toe with Lamar Jackson and Co. Quarterbacks have thrived vs. the Ravens this season, with all but one QB scoring at least 20 fantasy points against them since Week 5. (Bo Nix scored 17.7 fantasy points in Week 9.) Start Russ this week.
Oof. What a rough Sunday night outing for Goff. He had been on a clearly unsustainable heater, but regression hit him all at once in Week 10. Goff threw five interceptions after not throwing a single one in five consecutive games and tossing just four total on the season prior to that dud. It was also his second straight game with single-digit fantasy points. This week, however, presents a great bounce-back opportunity. The Lions return home after back-to-back road games, and Goff has a fantastic matchup against a Jaguars defense that has allowed the third-most fantasy PPG, third-most pass yards and fourth-most TDs. A rebound performance is on tap.
Nix handled Kansas City's stout defense extremely well last week. His performance was more of a floor game, fantasy-wise, but the rookie showed a lot of promise in what could have been the biggest win of his young career if not for a last-second blocked field goal attempt. Nix has averaged 20.3 fantasy PPG in his last six contests. He has scored fewer than 15 points just one time in that span, showing he has a safe floor. Nix -- who has a high ceiling, thanks to his rushing ability -- should be started against the Falcons. Since Week 6, they have allowed the third-most passing yards and touchdowns, as well as the sixth-most fantasy PPG.
Stafford threw for 293 yards on Monday night, but was unable to score any touchdowns. That’s not great for fantasy purposes, and it is a reminder that the pocket passer still brings a low floor because he is so touchdown dependent. Even still, I am opting to trust this healthy Rams offense against a Patriots defense that’s allowed some big fantasy performances. New England plays man coverage at the second-highest rate in the NFL, and Stafford is top 12 in pass yards and pass TDs against man this season. I’ll take my chances with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua against that coverage any day.
Maye didn’t have the best fantasy day in the win over Chicago, but once again, he showed a lot of things that we can be very excited about. He continues to do damage with his legs, averaging 44 rush yards per game in his five starts. The Patriots welcome a Rams team that ranks in the top 10 in touchdown passes allowed. While Maye is not a must-start this week, he could be an option for those in need of a bye-week replacement.
Sit 'Em
Geno has just three games with fewer than 15 fantasy points this season, one of which came against the 49ers, who have routinely been a tough matchup for the quarterback in his career. In four regular-season games against San Francisco (all losses for Smith), the veteran has averaged 232 passing yards per game with a 2:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. This season, the 49ers have allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards and the 10th-fewest fantasy PPG to QBs. Given that the Niners have been a tough matchup for all QBs, along with Smith’s past struggles against them, you can get away from the Seahawks QB this week.
Last week was rough for Darnold, who didn’t have a TD but threw three interceptions and finished with fewer than seven fantasy points. That came in a fantastic matchup against a Jaguars team that had allowed the most fantasy PPG to quarterbacks entering that contest. Darnold has thrown five picks over his last two games, and he has recorded just six pass TDs in his last five outings. He gets a tougher matchup this week against the Titans, who have allowed the fewest passing yards to QBs in 2024.
This season, Cousins has averaged 31.5 fantasy PPG against the Buccaneers and 11.3 fantasy PPG against all other teams. He brings a low floor, as he has scored fewer than eight fantasy points in three games, and only twice has he topped 13 fantasy points against non-Bucs opponents. There simply isn’t enough upside to start him right now -- especially not in a matchup against the Broncos, who have allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy PPG to quarterbacks. Get away from Kirko Chainz.
Chicago's offense is broken, which led to the firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, with passing game coordinator Thomas Brown promoted to OC. This change could help, but until we see it, Williams is a "sit" in fantasy. The Bears rank in the top four in QB pressure allowed, unblocked QB pressures and sacks allowed this season. Williams has not thrown a touchdown pass or scored double-digit fantasy points in three consecutive contests, and he has been held to single-digit fantasy points in five of nine games this season. His floor is simply too low to trust.
The Colts are not a matchup to avoid by any stretch, but this is more about the play of Rodgers and the Jets. Last week, in a good matchup on paper against the Cardinals, Rodgers was limited to just 151 passing yards and four fantasy points. Over the course of the season, he has averaged just 226 passing yards per game and does not run much -- making him extremely touchdown dependent. As we saw in Week 10, Rodgers’ floor is very low, and given that he has just two games with more than 18 fantasy points and a high mark of 21, the reward is not worth the risk here. Stream elsewhere.
