Fantasy Football 2024: One player I’m fading vs. starting in Week 16 for each position

The NFL season is nearing its end, with just three weeks left in the regular season.

We're now at the point in the year where every week has something off about its schedule. This week, that means there are two games on Saturday, which is happening because those four teams all play again on Wednesday for a pair of Christmas Day games.

What this means for you and for your fantasy semifinals matchup is that you have one less day to make some lineup decisions, so let's get to talking about some starts and sits.

Here is one player to fade and one player to start at each position in fantasy football for Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season.

Week 16 quarterbacks to fade and start

Fade: Jared Goff - Detroit Lions

Jared Goff and the Lions finally lost another game last week, falling 48-42 in an exciting contest against the Bills that saw Goff throw for 494 yards and five touchdowns.

But the going gets a lot tougher this week as Goff takes on the Chicago Bears, who held him to 221 yards when these teams met last month, the fewest yards in a game for Goff in the last six games.

Overall, Chicago allows the second-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks.

Start: Kyler Murray - Arizona Cardinals

Any time a player gets to face this Carolina Panthers defense, you've got to make sure you get that player in your lineup.

This week, that means starting Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray against a defense that's allowed the most touchdown passes in the league and the sixth-most fantasy points per game to the position.

Now, Murray's not necessarily known for throwing touchdowns, as he has multiple touchdown passes in just three games this season, but since the bye week he's been throwing more and running less. He's thrown 30 or more passes in four consecutive games — before this stretch, he'd done that in back-to-back games just once all season.

Week 16 running backs to fade and start

Fade: Joe Mixon - Houston Texans

Joe Mixon struggled against Miami last week, carrying the ball 12 times for 23 yards. It was the second time in three games that Mixon has been held under 25 yards.

When Mixon's on, he's on, rushing for over 100 yards seven times this season. He's been held below that mark just four times, but three of those times saw him finish with 25 or fewer yards.

This week, Mixon faces a stout Chiefs run defense that's allowed the third-fewest rushing yards this season.

Start: Bucky Irving - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bucky Irving has a great shot to be the defining factor in your quest for a fantasy football championship over the next two weeks.

In four games since Tampa's bye, Irving has gone over 100 scrimmage yards three times, with finishes as the overall RB1 and RB3 during this span.

Now, he has the most enticing playoff schedule I've seen in awhile, facing the Cowboys this week and the Panthers next week. Carolina allows the most rushing yards in the league while Dallas allows the fourth-most.

Week 16 wide receivers to fade and start

Fade: Ladd McConkey - Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey has gone over 50 yards in seven consecutive games and has been one of the league's standout rookies this season, but a Week 16 meeting with the Broncos is worrisome.

Since Los Angeles' Week 5 bye, McConkey's worst game was the first meeting with the Broncos, when he caught four passes for 43 yards and finished as the overall WR45 for the week.

Denver's pass defense is just too strong. The team allows the third-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers and has held seven opponents to under 200 passing yards this season.

Start: Jaxon Smith-Njigba - Seattle Seahawka

With DK Metcalf nursing a shoulder injury, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has emerged as the No. 1 receiver in Seattle.

JSN was targeted 12 times last week, catching 10 passes for 83 yards, which marked his seventh game in a row with at least 69 receiving yards.

It might have taken a year longer than anticipated for Smith-Njigba to emerge as a top NFL receiver, but he's here now, and this week he has a matchup that fantasy managers should love against the Vikings.

Minnesota has allowed the fourth-most passing yards in the league this season. The defense's numbers look good because it's picked off 20 passes, but as far as fantasy goes, interceptions mostly just hurt the quarterback. The team allows the eighth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks for example, but the most fantasy points to wide receivers.

Week 16 tight ends to fade and start

Fade: Cole Kmet - Chicago Bears

Cole Kmet's role with the Bears has been shrinking, with the last two games really highlighting that. Between Week 14 and 15, Kmet was targeted just once, total, catching a 14-yard pass against the Vikings. The team's wide receivers are all playing some really high-level football and that's led to Kmet disappearing.

I wouldn't expect that to change against the Lions this week. Sure, Detroit's defense is banged up, but there's no way I can trust Kmet against a defense that allows the fewest fantasy points in the league to tight ends.

Kmet had three catches for 26 yards in the first meeting of these two teams.

Start: Dalton Schultz - Houston Texans

Houston simply hasn't utlilized Dalton Schultz like it did in 2023, with his yards per game dropping from 42.3 down to 31.2. Schultz has found the end zone just once.

Schultz was quiet last week against Miami, catching two passes for 13 yards. But a Week 16 meeting with the Chiefs has sneaky upside, as Kansas City has struggled at times against opposing tight ends, allowing the most receiving yards in the league to the position. If you're in need of a tight end streamer this week, there are definitely worse places you could turn.