Fantasy Basketball: Week 16 Start/Sit Guide

Week 16 brings an unbalanced schedule that works against us from a fantasy perspective, but we still have some solid options to work with across the league. Additionally, we're making an exception for a pair of three-game players who have been particularly productive of late. 

Each week, we'll aim to highlight a pair of Start candidates at each position for your fantasy rosters who may shape up as some tougher calls of the week to make, focusing on players with a start or roster rate of 50% or less in Yahoo leagues. 

Likewise, we'll spotlight one Sit candidate at each position who would normally not be a consideration for a spot on your bench, often focusing on players with fewer game opportunities during the coming week.

TEAMS WITH FOUR GAMES: Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards

TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz

TEAMS WITH TWO GAMES: Cleveland Cavaliers

Start/Sit Decisions for Week 16

Guards

Start: Ryan Rollins, Bucks

49% start rate

Rollins is one of our aforementioned exceptions with only three games this week, but the talented guard earns his spot due to the Bucks' current circumstances and his own impressive body of work. Kevin Porter (oblique) is without a return timetable, and Giannis Antetokounmpo could be traded, so Rollins is in line to continue operating as the starting point guard and enjoy ongoing usage boosts. The 2022 second-round pick enters the week on a nice four-game run, scoring 21 or more points in three of those contests while recording multiple steals on two occasions as well, putting him in play despite being a game short of a full schedule.

Start: Andrew Nembhard, Pacers

29% start rate

Nembhard continues to operate as the Pacers' starting point guard and is thriving in the role, averaging 18.6 points, 9.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds across his last 10 games while shooting 47.8%, including 39.7% from 3-point range. The talented fourth-year pro boasts career highs in points and assists, and his ability to contribute across the stat sheet while serving as his squad's No. 2 option behind Pascal Siakam makes him highly viable on a four-game week.

ALSO CONSIDER: Bub Carrington, Wizards (17% roster rate)

Sit: Josh Giddey, Bulls

72% start rate

Giddey will have just three games to work with this coming week, and to what extent he participates is a coin flip at the moment. Giddey is dealing with a dreaded soft-tissue injury in the form of a hamstring strain, one that's already cost him three consecutive games. With the possibility of at least one more absence at minimum, he may not be worth the risk. 

Forwards

Start:  Josh Hart, Knicks

49% start rate

Hart posted a third straight 20-point effort Sunday against the Lakers, capping off a productive Week 15. The veteran wing entered that contest averaging 21.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.0 steals over the previous pair of games, a sample where he shot 57.1%, including 45.5% from behind the arc. Hart is holding down the starting shooting guard role, and while he shares the floor with a very talented quartet of first-unit mates, he can consistently offer complementary production while benefitting from the defensive attention bestowed on starts such as Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Start: Saddiq Bey, Pelicans

40% roster rate

Bey is our second three-game option this week, and the veteran big man enters Week 16 on a blistering run since returning Jan. 13 from a six-game absence due to a hip injury. Bey is averaging 21.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals across 31.2 minutes in his first 10 games back, shooting a red-hot 44.4% from distance in that span. Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy typically enjoy higher usage, but Bey's 12.6 field-goal attempts per game is the second-highest figure of his career, and he's flashed some nice upside with five performances of 25 points or more and six double-doubles.

ALSO CONSIDER: Kelly Oubre, 76ers (10% start rate)

Sit: Evan Mobley, Cavaliers

62% start rate

Mobley enters Week 16 with a left calf strain that has already sidelined him for three consecutive games. The big man was projected to miss at least a week when he was first diagnosed Tuesday, and the Cavs have only two games this week to begin with. Given calf strains usually take longer than a week and can also be easily aggravated, Mobley carries an element of risk you can likely do without this week. 

Centers

Start: Naz Reid, Timberwolves

26% start rate 

Reid has long been an elite sixth man, and after an uneven start to this season, he's hit his stride and now has a four-game schedule awaiting him in Week 16. Reid checks into the busy week with a strong body of work over his last 12 games, a span where he's averaged 16.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals across 26.6 minutes per contest. Reid has shot a crisp 52.9%, including 48.1% from downtown, in that sample, and both the well-balanced stat line and elite efficiency are representative of what he can bring to the table fantasy-wise on any given week where he has enough opportunities.  

Start: Jabari Smith, Rockets

20% start rate 

Smith is another versatile big man who's been trending in the right direction most of the season, and despite the occasional offensive downturn, he's typically capable of atoning with his production in other categories. His last 11 games serve as a good example, a sample where he's put up 15.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 blocks while falling just short of 1.0 steals per contest. Smith will have the added benefit of starting his four-game Week 16 with a high likelihood of a nice boost in usage, as Kevin Durant will be sitting out Monday's already favorable matchup versus the Pacers, at minimum, due to an ankle injury.

ALSO CONSIDER: Jock Landale, Grizzlies(19% roster rate)

Sit: Jarrett Allen, Cavaliers

51% start rate

Allen's inclusion here was made a bit more noteworthy by his out-of-nowhere 40-point, 17-rebound double-double Sunday against the Trail Blazers, but that is a textbook outlier performance that was largely built on a career-best first half for the big man. To wit, Allen came into the contest with much more ordinary averages of 11.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists across the previous 10 games, numbers that are much more representative of his typical output. Considering the Cavs' aforementioned sparse two-game schedule, consider a one-week benching for Allen.