Fantasy football advice, Week 16: who to start/sit for Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys

Fantasy owners know what’s at stake at this point of the season, and when the Lions take on the Cowboys, 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 Monday night’s game:

With Theo Riddick absent from the lineup, the Lions, who are already pass-heavy, can’t be counted on to tote the rock with any sustained success. That especially reigns true against the Cowboys, who have allowed the fewest rushing yards per game in the league. All of that adds up to a potentially pass-heavy game plan for Matthew Stafford, whose volume keeps him firmly in the QB1 conversation. Golden Tate, who led the Lions in targets once again in Week 14, remains a high-floor WR2.

The Lions’ backfield comprising of Dwayne Washington and Zach Zenner cannot be relied upon for reasons listed above, and it would be bold to assume Stafford’s heavy workload will trickle down much further than Tate in terms of fantasy value. Marvin Jones and Eric Ebron would be risky bets to start. Ebron has just one touchdown on the season, and Jones hasn’t seen the end zone since Week 6.

Jerry Jones revealed that even though the Cowboys have the No. 1 seed locked up, he will not rest his starters for the close of the regular season. It’s great news for fantasy owners with Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, Jason Witten, and Dez Bryant, as all can remain in lineups as usual. However, if games unexpectedly get out of hand, meaning a blowout emerges for either side, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for head coach Jason Garrett to preserve his starters. But because that scenario would be too much to bank on, fantasy owners can go about their business as usual.

Cole Beasley, Darren McFadden, Terrance Williams, and Brice Butler could potentially see some garbage time, but fantasy owners would be wise to not get too cute in championship week.