Baker Mayfield and Other Fantasy Football Quarterbacks to Sit in Week 16
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Picking the right quarterback every week sets the edge that swings a matchup. Week 16 of the NFL season brings trap plays and tough matchups for QBs as teams grapple with the pressure to maximize scoring in the fantasy football playoffs.
Below are several signal callers to sit, each with analysis, to help fantasy managers make the correct start-sit decisions and win their playoff matchups.
Check out our Week 16 quarterback starts.
Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins) vs. Bengals
This may seem like a layup of a pick, but others may take the bait on Tagovailoa in an advantageous matchup against the Bengals, who allow the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. However, managers shouldn’t touch Tagovailoa for the rest of the season. He simply can’t be trusted with too much at stake. He’s thrown for less than 175 passing yards in four of his last five games. He bucked a streak of four straight performances below the mark in Week 15, but much of his production came in garbage time with the Dolphins down multiple scores. Tagovailoa surpassed Geno Smith in interceptions thrown in 2025, as he now leads the NFL with 15.
Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers) @ Panthers
Mayfield has looked like a different quarterback during the second half of the season. I personally believe he’s playing through some type of injury, and missing a few of his top playmakers for a good chunk certainly hasn’t helped. With Mike Evans back in Week 15, Mayfield logged a respectable 19.18 points against the Falcons, but his fantasy output isn’t exactly a representation of his actual performance. The Panthers are also a much more challenging matchup than on paper. Carolina allows the fewest fantasy points per game and has done an exceptional job against the pass in the red zone, allowing just 17 passing scores all season.
Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars) @ Broncos
Lawrence has played the best football of his career recently. I included him on my list of quarterback starts each of the last three weeks. He exploded for six total touchdowns (5 passing, 1 rushing) against the Jets last week, which netted him 44.3 fantasy points. However, he and the Jaguars face a tough matchup against the Broncos in Week 16. Denver has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. It has also allowed the third-fewest touchdown passes (14). Lawrence has been great lately, but I find him hard to trust in the fantasy football playoffs against a difficult matchup.
Dak Prescott (Cowboys) vs. Chargers
The “most-surprising” player on this list is Prescott. I understand those who own him are likely starting him regardless, but I would temper expectations. Prescott is coming off a zero-touchdown performance against the Vikings in Week 15. Minnesota allows the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks per game. The Chargers, who he and the Cowboys play in Week 16, allow the second-fewest fantasy points per game to QBs. Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts both struggled mightily against Los Angeles in back-to-back weeks.
Check out our Week 16 quarterback rankings and waiver wire quarterbacks.
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Michael Rovetto previously served as the staff writer for University of Maryland Athletics for nearly two years. There, he wrote, edited and managed all editorial content for all 20 of Maryland's varsity sports on umterps.com. Rovetto is recognized as a College Sports Communicators district award-winning writer. Many of his stories have also appeared on NCAA.org, garnering national attention. Before graduating from Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism in December 2023, Rovetto wrote for PressBox and Terrapin Sports Central, covering Maryland men's basketball and football. He also has experience in broadcasting, previously working as an analyst and camera operator for Big State Sports, and communication, interning for Shell Shock TBT as its Director of Communication & Content Development.