Fantasy football advice, Week 16: Who to start/sit for Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans

Fantasy owners know what’s at stake at this point of the season, and when the Texans take on the Bengals, there are lots of volatile options that won’t sit well in the nervous stomachs of those competing for fantasy league championships. Let’s take a look at the options for one of Saturday’s games:

Even coming off of a soft tissue injury, and even against the NFL’s No. 1 pass defense, fantasy owners would be getting too cute if they kept A.J. Green on the bench for Week 16. His upside remains one of the highest among all receivers, and it would be difficult to imagine fantasy owners finding another receiver in his absence who could offer as much upside. Green’s presence opens up chances for Tyler Eifert, who remains a TE1 with elite upside.

Though Green’s return is great news for the Bengals offense, it is still difficult to trust Jeremy Hill against teams not named the Cleveland Browns. Green’s return also means fewer targets for Tyler Boyd and Brandon LaFell, who can return to benches in fantasy leagues of all formats and join their quarterback Andy Dalton.

The sound you hear, even a week later, is Texans fans and fantasy owners singing and dancing in the streets over the benching of Brock Osweiler. Tom Savage’s performance against a capable Jaguars pass defense gave a much-needed balance to the Houston offense, and he immediately puts DeAndre Hopkins back on the map as a high-upside flex. If Savage’s trajectory continues, Lamar Miller should have fewer defenders in the box to combat, which would only be good news for his already high fantasy value.

Though Savage is off to an encouraging start, fantasy owners would be playing with fire by starting a relatively unknown player in a do-or-die week. He, Will Fuller, and C.J. Fiedorowicz can remain on fantasy benches.