Well, my fine fantasy friends, I am officially done with fantasy football for 2021. This is the first time since I was eleven years old that I have not made the playoffs in any of my leagues (I didn’t start playing until I was twelve), so this is unusual territory for me. On the bright side, I can just sit back, maintain low blood pressure, and enjoy the football games. On the flip side, I have to be a “fantasy genius” and give you all advice, and those of you that are reading this are likely in the playoffs and doing better than I did this year.

Nonetheless, congratulations to everyone who made the playoffs. A boatload of injuries in addition to Calvin Ridley stepping away from football was too much for my fantasy teams to overcome, but those of you who made the best draft-day decisions are likely still in the thick of it in your leagues. I wish you all the best, and I hope at least Jeremy can be of help to you.

I do want to thank Jeremy for taking care of all the positions last week, as I was pulling near-all-nighters in preparation for my final exams and then traveling back to Michigan for Christmas break. This week, we are back to normal, and I will be breaking down the starts and sits at quarterback, wide receiver, and kicker while Jeremy covers the running backs, tight ends, and defenses.

If you have any thoughts as to who should be a start or a sit in the Steelers’ upcoming matchup against the Chiefs, let us know in the comment section below. But before we get to that, here are your starts and sits for the Chiefs and Steelers in Week 16.

Note: Obvious starts such as Patrick Mahomes and Najee Harris will not be discussed in this article.

Starts

QB: Ben Roethlisberger, PIT

Andrew: There is always risk when you play a 39 year-old Roethlisberger, and I certainly hope you have better options available, but in 2-QB and super flex leagues, Roethlisberger could be that surprising player that puts you over the top in your playoff matchups. The reason being is the projected game script. The Steelers have struggled to get out to an early lead as of late, forcing them to abandon the run game and rely on the passing game. The results have been a mixed bag, but against a Kansas City defense that gives up the fourth-most points to opposing quarterbacks, the matchup is favorable. The Chiefs are also not lethal up front. They lack elite pass-rush production, so let’s hope the Steelers offensive line can hold up. It is also worth noting that Big Ben has only thrown three interceptions in his last eight games, so if you are in a super flex league, there is, at the very least, a safe floor with him.

RB: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, KC

Jeremy: In case you’ve been in the Siberian wilderness feeding yaks for the last 2 months (I hate it when people say “living under a rock”), the Steelers are really bad at stopping the run. Opposing RBs are licking their chops (like those Siberian yaks) when they see this Steelers D on the menu, and CEH will be an RB2 with RB1 upside this week. Especially in a COVID-effected Week 16. Could be a league winner!

RB: Darrell Williams, KC

Jeremy: Clyde’s completely competent counterpart could crush projections in PPR leagues this week as well as the more prominent pass-catcher out of the backfield, especially if Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill are no-go’s. He’s a flex with upside.

Sits

WR: Chase Claypool, PIT

Andrew: If you own Claypool in non-PPR leagues like I do, you are probably disappointed that you drafted him, as he has not recorded 10 non-PPR points in a game since Week 5 against Denver. He just is not guaranteed the same volume that Diontae Johnson is each week, and as surprising as it may seem, the Chiefs are actually a top-ten fantasy defense when it comes to defending receivers. There is always that chance that Claypool has a huge game, but the chances of it happening this week are not good enough to put him into your lineup.

K: Chris Boswell, PIT

Andrew: Projecting kickers by the week is nearly impossible, but the best reasoning I can give for sitting Boswell this week is that the Chiefs allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing kickers. We also have to put into account that the Steelers will likely need touchdowns, not field goals, to beat the Chiefs on Sunday. This may mean that we see the Steelers go for it more often in fourth-and-short situations instead of kicking field goals on Sunday. Nothing more than a hunch, but I would recommend streaming a kicker with a better matchup if I owned Boswell.

D/ST: Pittsburgh Steelers

Jeremy: Despite the potential absences of key producers on the offensive side of the ball, the Chiefs still have Mahomes, and he’s still one of the best QBs in the league. Also the 2021 Steelers D is about as inconsistent as they come. All of that points to a bench ride in week 16 for this unit.

If you haven’t listened already, make sure you check out Jeremy’s weekly podcast, The Steelers Fantasy Football Fix, which is available each and every Wednesday. You can listen to his latest episode in the player below.

Which players do you think people should start in their fantasy lineups? Can Ben Roethlisberger be depended upon this week? Will the Steelers be able to stop Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrell Williams? Be sure to light up the comment section with your thoughts on this and all things fantasy football!