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: Running Backs
Travis Etienne at Chiefs (Sat. 4:30 p.m. ET, NBC): Etienne rushed for 109 yards in last week's win over the Chargers, and his next matchup against the Chiefs makes him a nice option in one-and-done formats. While the Jaguars opened as 8.5-point underdogs, Etienne will face a Kansas City defense that surrendered 14-plus fantasy points to running backs 10 times during the regular season.
Jerick McKinnon vs. Jaguars (Sat. 4:30 p.m. ET, NBC): McKinnon has been a touchdown machine, scoring at least once in six straight games. In that time, he's found the end zone a combined nine times. Next is a matchup against the Jags, who surrendered two touchdowns to Austin Ekeler last week and allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs in the regular year.
More Starts
• Miles Sanders vs. Giants (Sat. 8:15 p.m. ET, Fox)
DFS Bargains
• Miles Sanders vs. Giants ($5,700)
• Isiah Pacheco vs. Jaguars ($5,500)
Divisional Round Sit ‘Em: Running Backs
Ezekiel Elliott at 49ers (Sun. 6:30 p.m. ET, Fox): The wheels have fallen off Elliott's fantasy wagon lately, as he's failed to score double digits in three straight games. That includes last week's win over the Buccaneers when Zeke rushed for 27 yards and scored 4.6 points. The 49ers allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs in the regular season, so Elliott remains a sit 'em.
Devin Singletary vs. Bengals (Sun. 3 p.m. ET, CBS): Singletary has been tough to trust this season, scoring single digits nine times in 17 games. That includes the last two weeks, where he’s scored a combined seven points. Next up is a date with the Bengals, who allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing backs. The Bills are also mixing in James Cook, making Singletary even tougher to start.
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!
