RADIO
The hard decisions have to be made in a must-win fantasy football game. There’s a belief that you should always start the stars that led you to the fantasy playoffs but that is not the case. The best way to approach the tough choices is starting the players you feel most comfortable with in the lineup. That will lead to benching big names due to tough matchups. Week 16 is no different and there are three stars that will turn into pumpkins as the clock strikes midnight on the fantasy finals.
Eli Manning has been a valuable asset at the quarterback position this season. Despite the terrible supporting cast of players not named Odell Beckham Jr., Manning has worked his way into a top seven quarterback this season. The problem is he’s losing his only trustworthy weapon this week. Beckham will serve a one-game suspension and it comes at the worst possible time for the Giants. The game is a must-win as they hang on by a thread in the NFC East division race and the matchup is against a tough Minnesota Vikings defense. Minnesota defends the pass quite well and will be at home in a big game for their NFC North division chances. No one can trust Manning in a tough road matchup without his star receiver.
The New York Jets have to be pleased with Chris Ivory this season. The running back helped lead them to early success with a few dominant games and runs every play with intensity. Ivory has unfortunately slowed down with three single-digit fantasy performances in his last five games. The matchup against the New England Patriots is not going to help matters because they are strong against the rush. Ivory only managed to get 41 rushing yards in the prior meeting this season but he did manage to score a receiving touchdown. That is unlikely this time around due to Bilal Powell’s expanded role in the passing attack. Between less snaps and a tough defense, Ivory isn’t reliable this week.
Todd Gurley has emerged as a star running back for the future of the St. Louis Rams. There’s a good chance he will be the first or second running back selected in fantasy drafts next season but he can’t be started again this year. The lack of a quarterback or successful passing game in St. Louis has given the opposition the ability to stack the box against Gurley. This week will be a worst-case scenario for the rookie against the Seattle Seahawks. No team has given up fewer points to the running back position than Seattle and Gurley should be held in check in a tough road matchup.
