Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 16: Dolphins vs. Bills
If you’ve reached your fantasy finals, it’s hard to imagine you have many players from either of these teams. But hey, who knows? Best of luck to you.
With two games left in the season, the Miami Dolphins are eying a six-seed in the AFC playoffs. The Buffalo Bills, meanwhile, are eying the future, as their playoff hopes have been long evaporated. Sunday, the Dolphins and their playoff hopes travel to Buffalo for a 1 p.m. ET game. Here's a look at the scant few fantasy-relevant performers in the game:
Dolphins
Start in every league: Mike Wallace
Start if you're desperate: Ryan Tannehill, Lamar Miller, Brian Hartline, Charles Clay, Defense/special teams
Bench: Daniel Thomas, Caleb Sturgis
After averaging 5.6 fantasy points per game through the season’s first 11 weeks, Wallace has averaged 12.5 in his last four games, with 14-plus in three of those four. His production has skyrocketed of late, and while the Bills have a fairly good overall defense, they’ve been fourth-worst in the NFL against opposing fantasy wide receivers. Wallace should be started in basically every league this week.
Tannehill has played himself into almost-certain QB1 status lately, averaging 21.3 fantasy points in his last four, and improving his fantasy score for five straight weeks. He’s still only 12th or 13th among fantasy quarterbacks, but he’s risen a long way. ... Thomas was injured late in last week’s game. If he is a scratch for Sunday, Miller could be a reasonable flex play, though if Thomas plays, Miller’s stock falls. ... Hartline has been only a step behind Wallace of late, but Wallace has been the touchdown-scorer. Ultimately, they’re probably close, but Wallace seems safer. ... Clay went from 21 points in Week 14 to zero in Week 15. His performance has been wildly inconsistent, but overall he’s been the No. 7 tight end. ... With the Bills resorting to a backup quarterback this week, maybe the Dolphins’ defense has some potential, but the unit has produced three or fewer fantasy points in three of its last five games. A big game is no guarantee.
If Thomas is out with injury, he’s obviously not fantasy-playable. Even if he plays, though, how do you trust him with a high-ankle sprain? ... Sturgis has improved his production lately, but he’s still missed eight field goals this season -- three in his last four games -- and has only reached double-figures twice since the bye.
Bills
Start in every league: C.J. Spiller, Defense/special teams
Start if you're desperate: Fred Jackson, Dan Carpenter
Bench: Thaddeus Lewis, Stevie Johnson, Robert Woods, Scott Chandler
Somehow, Spiller is the healthier of the two Bills running backs. He was shut down in the team’s Week 7 game against the Dolphins, but still, he stands a better chance of a big game Sunday than his counterpart. ... The Bills’ defense has been an under-the-radar top-10 unit this season, and should be a must-start Sunday.
Jackson missed some practice this week, though it sounds like he’s going to be a full participant in Sunday’s game; he’s probably going to be fine, but a banged-up player in the fantasy finals is always scary. ... Carpenter has missed only three field goal attempts all season, though one did come in Week 15. He’s produced seven-plus points in four straight games.
Lewis has actually been underrated this season, but Sunday will be his first appearance since Week 8, and -- unless you wish to participate in Bill Barnwell’s Thad Lewis Challenge -- it’s hard to imagine anyone going that way. ... The Bills’ corps of pass-catchers, primarily Johnson, Woods and Chandler, have been way too unproductive to use in any kind of finals performance.
• Week 15 fantasy football position rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST
