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 Award-winning fantasy football rankings, projections and draft tools. Live-draft sync, player analysis, draft strategies and expert advice to dominate your leagues. 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 Simulator Our Mock Draft Simulator will help you prepare for your upcoming drafts, allowing for a customized setup to fit your specific league settings. Trade Calculator and Trade Value Charts We made winning fantasy football trades easy. Powered by real-time player stats, our award-winning 3D projections and expert rankings, these trade tools assign each player a value based on your league's unique scoring system.