Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups based on a fantasy football PPR scoring system. This column doesn’t cover the NFL’s elite players like Josh Allen, Austin Ekeler, or Tyreek Hill. Instead, I look at the players you have questions about that may or may not meet expectations at each position. For all your final fantasy lineup decisions, be sure to check out mine weekly player rankings updated daily throughout the 2022 NFL season.
Division round: Quarterbacks | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVER | CLOSE END
Divisional Round Start ‘Em: Wide Receiver
De Vonta Smith vs. Giants (Sat. 8:15 p.m. ET, Fox): Smith finished the regular year on a good note, scoring 17+ points in five of his last six games. That includes a Week 14 game against the Giants when Smith had a touchdown and 17.4 fantasy points. New York allowed opposing perimeter receivers the 10th-highest points during the regular season, so Smith should record a solid stat line.
Brandon Ayuk vs. Cowboys (Sun. 6:30 p.m. ET, Fox): Aiyuk only scored 10.3 points in the win against the Seahawks last week, but I still have faith in the Plus matchup against Dallas. Their defense provided the wide receivers with the most fantasy points in the last four weeks of the regular season, and Mike Evans and Chris Godwin combined for 31.9 points against them in the wild card round.
More launches
• Tee Higgins at Bills (Sun. 3 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Christian Kirk on Chiefs (Sat. 4:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
DFS bargain
• Isaiah Hodgins at Eagles ($4,900)
• Zay Jones at Chiefs ($4,700)
Divisional Round Sit ‘Em: Wide Receiver
Gabe Davis vs. Bengals (Sun. 3 p.m. ET, CBS): Davis has failed to live up to expectations this season, scoring in single digits in nine games, including five of his last six to finish the regular season. This week’s game against the Bengals could be a shootout, but the numbers suggest Davis is fading. Cincinnati’s defense allowed just seven touchdown receptions for opposing perimeter receivers during the regular season.
JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. Jaguars (Sat. 4:30 p.m. ET, NBC): Smith-Schuster finished the regular season with a statistical punch, scoring fewer than six fantasy points in each of his last three games. He also failed to score in double digits in six of his last eight games, including a Week 10 matchup against the Jaguars where he had just 33 yards and 5.3 points. I would leave JuJu on the fringes of fantasy history.
More sits
• Darius Slayton at Eagles (Sat. 8:15 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Tyler Boyd at Bills (Sun. 3 p.m. ET, CBS)
DFS fades
• JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. Jaguars ($5,100)
• Gabe Davis vs. Bengals ($4,800)
Michael Fabiano is award-winning fantasy football analyst on sports illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all of his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can continue to follow Michael Twitter, Facebook, youtubeand Instagram for your breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business to help you win a fantasy championship!
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