Week 16 Preview | Fantasy Football Podcast 12-18-25

Matt Schauf and Jared Smola break down the toughest start-sit decisions of the week, starting with the Chargers mess and what to do with Justin Herbert in his best passing matchup of the season. We also dig into uncomfortable but viable QB starts such as Trevor Lawrence, J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, and C.J. Stroud. And we’ll hit the post-Mahomes Chiefs, sort Packers receivers, and ponder the usability of Michael Carter and Kenneth Gainwell. If you’re staring down tough lineup calls, this episode’s built to help you advance through the fantasy football playoffs.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Intro

0:42 Start or sit Justin Herbert and other Chargers

11:31 Non-obvious QB starters for Week 16

13:11 Start or sit Trevor Lawrence

16:08 Start or sit Chiefs without Patrick Mahomes

20:38 Tua Tagovailoa benched

25:37 Start or sit Packers WRs

28:50 Start or sit Michael Carter

33:01 Start or sit Steelers RBs

EPISODE LINKS:

• Week 16 Fantasy Rankings
• Week 16 Start-Sit
• Strength of Schedule
• Week 16 Matchups That Matter
• Week 16 Expert Moves
• Don’t Trust the Box Score

DRAFT SHARKS - YOUR UNFAIR ADVANTAGE
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HELPFUL LINKS

• Draft War Room - Featuring Live Draft Sync
  Think of the Draft War Room as a “dynamic fantasy football cheat sheet”. As you draft, your live-synced Draft War Room automatically updates your board as players are selected.
   
• Award Winning Fantasy Football Rankings
  We calculate floor, ceiling, and consensus projections for all fantasy-relevant players. These projections all feed into our 3D Value system. 3D Values are calculated using a cross-positional algorithm based on your exact league setup and scoring.
   
• Mock Draft Si