The fantasy football semifinals are this week. As always, it is crucial to know what players are the preferable starts. Here are my Week 16 rankings for the DST position.
Which DST Should You Start in Fantasy Football?
MORE: Katz’s Week 16 Rankings — QB | RB | WR | TE | K
1) Denver Broncos | DEN (vs. NE)
2) Buffalo Bills | BUF (at SF)
3) Kansas City Chiefs | KC (vs. LV)
4) New York Jets | NYJ (vs. WAS)
5) Green Bay Packers | GB (at CAR)
6) Philadelphia Eagles | PHI (vs. NYG)
7) Cleveland Browns | CLE (at HOU)
8) Indianapolis Colts | IND (at ATL)
9) San Francisco 49ers | SF (vs. BAL)
10) Dallas Cowboys | DAL (at MIA)
11) Miami Dolphins | MIA (vs. DAL)
12) Pittsburgh Steelers | PIT (vs. CIN)
13) Los Angeles Rams | LAR (vs. NO)
14) Houston Texans | HOU (vs. CLE)
15) Chicago Bears | CHI (vs. ARI)
16) New Orleans Saints | NO (at LAR)
17) Cincinnati Bengals | CIN (at PIT)
18) Washington Commanders | WAS (at NYJ)
19) Baltimore Ravens | BAL (at LAC)
20) Detroit Lions | DET (at MIN)
21) Seattle Seahawks | SEA (at TEN)
22) Arizona Cardinals | ARI (at CHI)
23) Las Vegas Raiders | LV (at KC)
24) Jacksonville Jaguars | JAX (at TB)
25) New England Patriots | NE (at DEN)
26) Atlanta Falcons | ATL (vs. IND)
27) Tennessee Titans | TEN (vs. SEA)
28) Tampa Bay Buccaneers | TB (vs. JAX)
29) Minnesota Vikings | MIN (vs. DET)
30) Carolina Panthers | CAR (vs. GB)
31) Los Angeles Chargers | LAC (vs. BUF)
32) New York Giants | NYG (at PHI)
Top DSTs To Start in Week 16
Denver Broncos (vs. NE)
Fantasy managers who stashed the Denver Broncos specifically for this matchup might be concerned after they surrendered 42 points to the Detroit Lions last week. Ironically, that actually makes me feel even better about them.
I have every bit of confidence that the Broncos, who are still in the thick of the playoff race, will rebound considerably. Last week was an awful spot on the road against a Lions team coming off a bad loss.
This week, the Broncos are now the team coming off the rough loss, they are at home, and they are facing one of the most inept offenses in all of football.
On the season, the New England Patriots have been the fifth-most advantageous matchup for opposing defenses. The Broncos have been consistently great against every below-average quarterback they’ve faced. Some might classify Bailey Zappe as below average. They should feast this week and are my No. 1 overall start.
Green Bay Packers (at CAR)
I don’t want to pick on Bryce Young. The kid was never really given a chance this season, but that doesn’t change the fact that he — and the Carolina Panthers’ offense — have played incredibly poorly.
Hey. Wait. Didn’t I say the exact same thing last week? I did! Well, that’s because it remains true.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
The Atlanta Falcons were featured here in Week 15, and they delivered reasonably well with three sacks and just nine points allowed.
This week, I expect the Green Bay Packers to do even better. They may not hold the Panthers to under 10 points, but I fully expect them to record more sacks and turnovers.
When the Panthers and Falcons met in Week 1, the former scored just 10 points. Young took two sacks and turned the ball over twice.
Over the past four weeks, Young has been sacked at least three times in each game. He’s also lost a fumble in three of his last five.
The Panthers have scored more than 13 points just once since Week 7. They are easily the best matchup for opposing defenses, making the Packers a strong option, even on the road this week.
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