Fantasy Football Week 16 Start 'Em Sit 'Em: Joe Burrow vs Dak Prescott
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Joe Burrow had a rough week in a shutout loss to Baltimore. Now, Dak Prescott knows his Dallas Cowboys were eliminated on Saturday night. Which quarterback is the right choice this week? These two signal callers have some less than ideal circumstances mixed with some good ones for Week 16.
The Case For Joe Burrow
Fantasy Sports On SI Week 16 Ranking: QB5
There may be nowhere to go but up after last week for Burrow. Now, the quarterback was awful against a Baltimore team that often got its lunch handed to them. Burrow has only completed 60.5% of his passes this season. Worse, he has four interceptions over his past two starts. The Baltimore game was punctuated by bad decisions and worse outcomes.
Fortunately, he plays a Miami Dolphins team this week that is trying out Quinn Ewers under center. Ewers can be good, bad, and ugly all in the same drive or play. At the least, the Dolphins may give Burrow and the Bengals a few more chances to score some points on Sunday. Shawn Childs has Burrow pegged in the ninth slot this week.
Both of our experts have some faith that Burrow can turn it around. Tee Higgins had to be cleared and checked due to concussion concerns.
Before #Bengals WR Tee Higgins was cleared from the NFL's concussion protocol, Cincy had Higgins see renowned concussion expert Dr. Micky Collins in Pittsburgh to confirm the clearance and offer additional reassurance that Higgins was cleared to play. https://t.co/x5sH8BgLwT
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 21, 2025
Burrow will have both Ja'Marr Chase and Higgins in the same lineup going up against a Miami defense that has looked better the past three weeks. However, Miami has not faced a quarterback like Joe Burrow. Is the quarterback ready to right the wrongs of Week 15? With ideal weather and nothing to lose, the quarterback projects to bounce back this week.
The Case For Dak Prescott
Fantasy Sports On SI Week 16 Ranking: QB6
The Dallas Cowboys have been eliminated from playoff contention. Simply, Dak Prescott is as free as a bird. Prescott leads the NFL in yards passing per game at 280.6. However, the wins have been far fewer (6-7-1 record). Worse, Prescott knows he needs to pile up the points as the Cowboys rank dead last in passing yards allowed but lead the league in passing yards for.
Prescott will again cross the 4,000 yard barrier sometime on Sunday barring something catastrophic. The plan is that the Dallas Cowboys quarterback will start the rest of the season. He has a bit of a mixed bag matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers this week. The Chargers possess one of the best pass defenses in the league (1st in touchdowns allowed, third in yards yielded).
Nine outrageous Next Gen Stats entering Week 16 📊
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) December 19, 2025
🔹 Drake Maye Outside the Numbers
🔹 Trey McBride Aligned in the Slot
🔹 Dak Prescott by Coverage & more...
H/T @NFL_Researcher: https://t.co/YJpJ8AmVnu
Prescott has thrived in worse circumstances. He threw for 674 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in two wins over Philadelphia and Kansas City. Prescott can get the ball to his receivers in space amidst the pressure of Los Angeles. It boils down to execution for the veteran. Prescott seems to excel against any type of defnese package.
He ranks inside the top six in six different schemes and leads in 2-man, Cover 2, and Cover 6. The key for Prescott is withstanding the inevitable Chargers' pressure.
The Final Verdict Between Two Big Time Quarterbacks
This may be the toughest choice of the season. Dak Prescott is 1-6 when sacked 2+ times in a game. Joe Burrow's body language suggests he wants out of Cincinnati. Does Burrow throw everything under the bus or does he go out there and air it out in South Florida? The risks for both quarterbacks are very real here.
Both play behind unstable defenses obviously and the duo are blessed with solid weather. In the end, Burrow projects to edge out Prescott but this will be fun one to watch unfold later Sunday.
