Whether you’re one game away from a fantasy playoff final or desperately trying to avoid a potential last-place forfeit, this week’s starts and sits are of immense importance. There are some question marks over the health of several offensive stars this week, and four teams are playing on Saturday, so ongoing vigilance will be important.

For those streaming QB, TE, Kicker, or Defense this week, you can check out my weekly streamers article for PFSN here. For now, though, here are seven players to either trust or avoid in this week’s games.

Start: Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers

Jordan Love falls somewhere between the lower end of the top quarterbacks and the higher end of the middling quarterbacks, both in real life and in fantasy. The Packers quarterback is naturally aggressive, but his team’s preference to run the ball often limits his fantasy ceiling.

However, Love has registered three top-12 fantasy finishes in his last five games, with the remaining two against the Vikings and the Broncos, two of the league’s best pass defenses. The Bears defense isn’t on that level, and with Josh Jacobs missing two practices to start the week, a pass-heavy approach may be on the cards.

Last time out against the Bears in Week 14, Love completed 17 of 25 pass attempts for 234 yards, three touchdowns, and a pick, finishing the week as the QB11.

SIT: Jaxson Dart, QB, Minnesota Vikings

I tipped Jaxson Dart for a comeback game last week, and he delivered, finishing as the QB9 with 23.1 points against the Washington Commanders. He faces the Vikings this weekend, though, and, as mentioned, Minnesota boasts one of the best pass defenses in the league.

The Vikings have allowed 180.4 passing yards per game, the fifth-fewest in the league, and have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. In fact, Minnesota hasn’t allowed a top-20 fantasy finish to an opposing quarterback since Lamar Jackson in Week 10.

Dart maintains his upside due to his rushing ability, but he carries plenty of risk in Week 16.

START: Aaron Jones Sr., RB, Minnesota Vikings

Aaron Jones Sr. has fallen short of his previous fantasy efficiency this year, in large part due to sharing work with Jordan Mason. However, Jones has been the preferred back of the two in recent weeks and has the added upside of pass-catching work.

Mason is still the most likely to handle carries at the goal-line, and could potentially put up some points this week, but Jones is the far safer play. The Giants have given up 5.6 yards per carry this season, the most of any team in the NFL, and even fantasy disappointment Jacory Croskey-Merritt topped 15 fantasy points against New York in Week 15.

SIT: Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks

It’s always nerve-wracking to put a name as popular as Kenneth Walker III in the “sit” column, especially in the fantasy playoffs, when all stakes are heightened. However, if you’ve made it this far, it’s despite Walker, not because of him.

The Seahawks have struggled to build a dominant run game, despite their efforts to. That lack of efficiency has been especially devastating for Walker, who hasn’t benefitted from the goal-line carries that running mate Zach Charbonnet has leaned on all year.

Walker has finished outside the top 50 running backs in fantasy in each of the last two weeks and outside the top 30 in each of the last three. The Rams, meanwhile, have given up just 121 total rushing yards overtheir last two games.

Also, with Sam Darnold having tallied one touchdown and five interceptions against the Rams this calendar year, there is no guarantee that the Seattle offense will do anything this week. If it does, Walker isn’t at the top of the list of players likely to make it happen.

START: Jauan Jennings, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Jauan Jennings made this list last week, but after scoring two touchdowns and finishing as the WR12 on the week, he is still starting in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues. The receiver has totaled 18 targets and four touchdowns over his last three games, and now faces an Indianapolis Colts defense that has allowed 247.6 passing yards per game this season, the second-most in the NFL.

As Brock Purdy’s favorite wide receiver, Jennings should be in line to make the most of that this weekend. The Colts have allowed just 3.7 yards per carry this year, fewer than any other team in the league, so the 49ers’ best route downfield is through the air.

SIT: Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings

After disappointing most of the year, Jordan Addison had the perfect chance to get right against the Commanders and Cowboys over the past two weeks. Washington and Dallas rank 29th and 32nd, respectively, against the pass this season, and J.J. McCarthy has found his groove after a week out with injury.

Despite that, Addison ranked 31st and 45th among all receivers in fantasy in those two games. While good enough for flex starts, things won’t get easier against the Giants, who, despite not dominating against the pass either, rank ahead of both of Addison’s last two opponents.

Factor in that Justin Jefferson has also struggled, and getting the ball to Addison more won’t be the priority for Kevin O’Connell any time soon. The Vikings have a great defense, and face a rookie Jaxson Dart, who continues to miss his star running back and wide receiver. Addison was targeted twice in Week 15 against the Cowboys, and carries an awful lot of risk for his questionable upside.

START: Darren Waller, TE, Miami Dolphins

The thinking behind this one is obvious, but it’s the same thinking that let me down with Isaiah Likely last week, so I can’t say I’m not nervous about it. Darren Waller is the TE12 in PPR points per game this season, having dominated in the end zone when healthy.

The veteran tight end caught seven of his eight targets for 66 yards and two scores against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, and now faces the Bengals, who have defended tight ends appallingly this year. Cincinnati has given up at least 307 more receiving yards and five more touchdowns to tight ends than any other team in the NFL, and Waller is the second target on his team behind Jaylen Waddle.

Miami will be handing a first start to rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers, having benched Tua Tagovailoa earlier in the week. While that does give you reason to hesitate, rookie quarterbacks lean on their big tight ends, and Ewers had a great connection with Ja’Tavion Sanders and Gunnar Helm in college.

That concludes my starts and sits for this week. I hope you found some of it relevant to your teams and that it helps you get to where you want to go in your league this week. I’ll continue to post more fantasy content over the weekend, including my weekly weather report for PFSN, and I’ll also be updating my rankings right up until the last minute.

For those streaming QB, TE, Kicker, or Defense this week, don’t forget to check out my weekly streamers article for PFSN here.

For all of my fantasy content, you can follow me on socials through the links at the top of the page, where you’ll also find the link to my weekly rankings, which will continue to be updated. Best of luck in your matchups this week, and I hope you’ll check back in for help with your fantasy championship lineups next week.

*Jaxson Dart Photo Credit: Bryan M. Bennett / Getty Images