Start ‘Em, Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups based on a PPR scoring system in fantasy football. This column will not cover the elite players in the NFL like Josh Allen, Austin Ekeler or Tyreek Hill. Instead, I'll look at the players you have questions about who could exceed or fail to meet expectations at each position. For all of your final fantasy lineup decisions, be sure to check out my weekly player rankings which will be updated daily throughout the 2022 NFL season.
Divisional Round: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS
Divisional Round Start ‘Em: Wide Receivers
DeVonta Smith vs. Giants (Sat. 8:15 p.m. ET, Fox): Smith finished the regular year on a high note, scoring 17-plus points in five of his last six games. That also includes a Week 14 game against the Giants, when Smith scored a touchdown and 17.4 fantasy points. New York allowed the 10th-most points to opposing perimeter receivers during the regular season, so Smith should record a solid stat line.
Brandon Aiyuk vs. Cowboys (Sun. 6:30 p.m. ET, Fox): Aiyuk scored just 10.3 points in last week’s win over the Seahawks, but I’m keeping the faith in what is a plus matchup against Dallas. Their defense allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers over the final four weeks of the regular season, and Mike Evans and Chris Godwin scored a combined 31.9 points against them in the Wild Card round.
More Starts
• Tee Higgins at Bills (Sun. 3 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Christian Kirk at Chiefs (Sat. 4:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
DFS Bargains
• Isaiah Hodgins at Eagles ($4,900)
• Zay Jones at Chiefs ($4,700)
Divisional Round Sit ‘Em: Wide Receivers
Gabe Davis vs. Bengals (Sun. 3 p.m. ET, CBS): Davis didn't meet expectations this season, scoring single digits in nine games, including five of his last six to end the regular campaign. This week's game against the Bengals could be a shootout, but the numbers suggest fading Davis. The Cincinnati defense allowed just seven touchdown receptions to opposing perimeter receivers in the regular season.
JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. Jaguars (Sat. 4:30 p.m. ET, NBC): Smith-Schuster finished the regular season with a statistical thud, scoring fewer than six fantasy points in each of his last three games. He also failed to score double digits in six of his final eight games, including a Week 10 matchup against the Jaguars, where he was held to just 33 yards and 5.3 points. I'd keep JuJu on the fantasy football sidelines.
Michael Fabiano is an 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 his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business to help you win a fantasy championship!
