Week 16 Preview | Fantasy Football Podcast 12-18-25

Matt Schauf and Jared Smola break down the toughest start-sit decisions of the week, starting with the Chargers mess and what to do with Justin Herbert in his best passing matchup of the season. We also dig into uncomfortable but viable QB starts such as Trevor Lawrence, J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, and C.J. Stroud. And we’ll hit the post-Mahomes Chiefs, sort Packers receivers, and ponder the usability of Michael Carter and Kenneth Gainwell. If you’re staring down tough lineup calls, this episode’s built to help you advance through the fantasy football playoffs.TIMESTAMPS0:00 Intro0:42 Start or sit Justin Herbert and other Chargers11:31 Non-obvious QB starters for Week 1613:11 Start or sit Trevor Lawrence16:08 Start or sit Chiefs without Patrick Mahomes20:38 Tua Tagovailoa benched25:37 Start or sit Packers WRs28:50 Start or sit Michael Carter33:01 Start or sit Steelers RBsEPISODE LINKS:Week 16 Fantasy RankingsWeek 16 Start-SitStrength of ScheduleWeek 16 Matchups That MatterWeek 16 Expert MovesDon’t Trust the Box Score  DRAFT SHARKS - YOUR UNFAIR ADVANTAGEAward-winning fantasy football rankings, projections and draft tools. Live-draft sync, player analysis, draft strategies and expert advice to dominate your leagues.HELPFUL LINKSDraft War Room - Featuring Live Draft SyncThink of the Draft War Room as a “dynamic fantasy football cheat sheet”. As you draft, your live-synced Draft War Room automatically updates your board as players are selected. Award Winning Fantasy Football RankingsWe calculate floor, ceiling, and consensus projections for all fantasy-relevant players. These projections all feed into our 3D Value system. 3D Values are calculated using a cross-positional algorithm based on your exact league setup and scoring. Mock Draft SimulatorOur Mock Draft Simulator will help you prepare for your upcoming drafts, allowing for a customized setup to fit your specific league settings. Trade Calculator and Trade Value ChartsWe made winning fantasy football trades easy. Powered by real-time player stats, our award-winning 3D projections and expert rankings, these trade tools assign each player a value based on your league's unique scoring system.